Alpha

by Brenda Trim

  “Me,” growled Tyler as he stepped into the industrial-sized kitchen. Lawson should’ve known. Devin mentioned the male was causing trouble while he was away.

  “What’s your problem now, Tyler? I told you before I left that you could be a part of this pack, and be a team player, or go elsewhere,” Lawson countered. He’d been through enough shit the past few days and wasn’t in the mood for Tyler’s crybaby antics.

  “Well, that’s where you’re wrong, Chief,” he spat. There was that term again, and Lawson couldn’t help but wonder why he used it with such vehemence.

  “How so?” Lawson asked and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Things have changed since you left,” Tyler announced, his dark brown eyes pinning him with a glare.

  “I’m afraid I’ll need more than that. See, I left Knox in charge, so if there’s anyone that needs to report anything, it would be him,” Lawson voiced, and then his mouth slammed shut when Kristi Marsh stepped from behind Tyler’s back to stand beside the male.

  Lawson’s blood immediately boiled upon seeing her. He kicked the female out of his pack when she drugged and seduced him. Because of her, his relationship with Liv almost ended. The sight of her now made him want to strangle her with his bare hands.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” Lawson gritted through clenched teeth.

  “Tyler invited me. I’m with him now,” Kristi purred and cocked her hip.

  She was dressed in typical Kristi fashion. Cut-off shorts that barely covered her ass and a sheer t-shirt that showcased her bouncy breasts. He immediately glanced to Liv who was staring at Kristi and could only imagine what was running through her mind.

  “Is that so?” Lawson asked and his gaze returned to Tyler.

  “Yep. You made a mistake by sending Kristi away. This pack needs a strong Alpha female. You’re oblivious to that because you’re fucking a human,” the male sneered, and Lawson’s rage exploded.

  He lunged at Tyler, knocking him to the kitchen floor. He punched but missed his face, hitting the hard tile. He swung again, and his fist landed against Tyler’s jaw. Tyler turned and struck him in the nose, and Lawson rolled to the side. In the next breath, Kristi grabbed Tyler, pulling him away from the skirmish.

  “Save your energy,” she scolded Tyler. The male met her gaze, and they shared a knowing look then Tyler nodded.

  Lawson got to his feet and wiped an arm across his face. A trail of blood stained the S&K sweatshirt he borrowed. It was then he realized most of the pack had found their way into the kitchen. No doubt, curious about the ruckus.

  “Yeah, save your energy. You’ll need it to pack your shit. I want both of you out of here within the hour,” Lawson roared.

  “That’s not going to happen,” Tyler countered as he rubbed his jaw.

  “Says who?” Lawson answered. What the fuck was the male’s problem? Lawson would personally throw him, and his worthless female, out on their asses if need be.

  “Says me. Today, I make it known to the pack of Hollow Rock, that I, Tyler Trim, challenge Lawson Scott for the position as Alpha,” he declared boldly.

  A hush fell over the kitchen, and Lawson felt all eyes on him. Was the male serious? He met Tyler’s gaze and saw nothing but contempt and hatred. Apparently so, he concluded. Lawson had no idea why the male detested him, but he’d be damned if he let Tyler take his pack without a fight.

  Lawson’s wolf howled in his head, urging him to accept. “When is the next full moon?” he barked at Knox as his mind whirled over what was happening.

  “Tomorrow night,” Knox replied.

  “We can wait until the next full moon to prepare for battle,” Tyler interjected, and Lawson jerked his head toward the male.

  “No! No waiting. You want my title? We do this tomorrow,” Lawson growled as his fury rose. “Knox, Devin, I need you to research the area. Find a suitable location pronto. As soon as you have it, report back to me. I accept Tyler’s challenge. The battle will take place under the full moon tomorrow night. Now, if you will excuse me,” Lawson announced and grabbed Liv’s hand. He needed to explain what was going to happen next, and there wasn’t much time.

  “Not yet,” Kristi spat. “There’s just one more thing.”

  “I don’t have time for your shit. As soon as I defeat Tyler, you will leave this pack and never step foot on this property again,” Lawson growled, and Liv stepped beside him in a united front.

  “Oh, I think you’ll make time for what I have to say,” Kristi sneered as she stepped closer.

  Lawson rolled his eyes and shook his head at the conniving bitch. “Fine. What is it?” he huffed.

  “Today, I make it known to the pack at Hollow Rock that I, Kristi Marsh, challenge Olivia Kimbro for the position of female Alpha,” she declared, and Lawson’s mouth dropped.

  He’d never heard of such. The Alpha’s female was never challenged. It wasn’t an official role within the pack.

  “This is preposterous,” Lawson exclaimed and turned to walk away.

  “No, it isn’t. You’ve chosen a pathetic human to stand by your side. That weakens this pack. If she wants to be a part of this life, then she needs to earn it,” Kristi spat as she shot a look Liv’s way.

  Lawson glanced down at Liv. Her expression was stoic, and he couldn’t get a read on her. He turned his back to Kristi and faced Liv.

  “You don’t have to do this. There is nothing that states you must fight for this position. Tell her no,” he ordered and she met his gaze.

  Liv was silent for several minutes. He could see the struggle in her eyes.

  “Tell her no,” he repeated.

  “But she’s right,” Liv whispered. “If I want to be a part of your world, I must earn my place. Kristi is the first, but others will think they can bully me. I don’t have a choice.”

  “We need to discuss this privately. I want you to understand what you’re accepting,” he implored.

  “All I need to understand is that I’m fighting for what I believe in. I’m fighting for us,” she muttered then stepped to the side so she could see Kristi.

  “I accept your challenge,” Liv declared, and gasps echoed throughout the room.

  Lawson’s gut twisted, and his heart dropped to his feet. What had he done? Liv was human and didn’t understand pack ways. He brought her into his shifter world, and now he may lose her because of it.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Liv swallowed against the rising bile. She couldn’t believe she accepted Kristi’s challenge. On Liv’s best day, Kristi outranked her in every way. More power, strength, stamina, and endurance. There wasn’t a chance in hell of beating her, but Liv meant every word she said to Lawson.

  If she wanted to be a part of his life, she would have to stake her claim and earn her place among the shifters. It was the only way she would truly have their respect.

  “Good. We’ll fight tomorrow night, as well,” Kristi announced and smiled at Liv. It was cold and malevolent, and Liv’s heart skipped a beat as she had a moment’s pause.

  She recalled her conversation with Lawson about challenges. This was a fight to the death. Her heart hammered against her chest as she thought about what that meant. Suddenly, Liv could barely breathe as dizziness assailed, and she thought she might faint.

  “Wait!” Lawson interrupted. “As Alpha, I have the right to make a proclamation,” he continued. That got Liv’s attention. Maybe he knew a way out of this mess.

  “And what’s that?” Kristi said as she walked over and stood in front of Lawson.

  Her breasts bobbed as she strutted over and Liv wanted to yank every blonde strand from her head. Liv loathed the woman and everything she stood for. Kristi was a manipulative, calculating attention-whore. It disgusted Liv when women had nothing more to offer a man than big boobs and loose morals. What an insult to the other female shifters Liv had met.

  Kristi’s primary objective from day one was to steal Lawson away from her. And, not because she loved him. Kristi wan
ted an Alpha, no matter who it was. Her plan at splitting up Liv and Lawson failed, so now she wanted Tyler to lead the pack. Liv knew the woman’s pride was damaged when Lawson rejected her, but to want him dead was low, even for Kristi.

  “Since this battle takes place in wolf form, and you clearly have the advantage, I think it only fair for Liv to have a weapon of her choice,” he professed.

  Liv’s small amount of hope dropped into the pit of her stomach. There was no way out of this fight. To make matters worse, she was going to fight Kristi’s wolf. She completely forgot that little important detail. Their wolves were the size of small horses and were lethal killing machines. She was going to die a painful death in the clutches of Kristi’s savage animal. Liv could only pray the woman would take pity, and end her quickly.

  “I second the motion,” Hannah quickly chimed in, and then several others yelled their agreement.

  Kristi crossed her arms and regarded Liv, eyeing her from head to toe. Half a second later, she snarled, “Whatever. Give her two weapons, so long as it’s not a gun. She’ll never beat my wolf,” she snarled and stepped in front of Liv. “Enjoy the next twenty-four hours because they’ll be your last,” Kristi hissed then walked out of the kitchen, Tyler following behind like a pathetic puppy.

  Liv wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Her world turned upside down within a matter of minutes. A million thoughts raced through her head. Her mom, Cassie, Bart (even though he was barely speaking to her), Staci and her life’s work, her pug Milo, not to mention Lawson. How was she going to spend the next few hours? She needed to prepare for the fight of her life, and yet all she wanted to do was gather her loved ones close and tell them how much they meant to her.

  “Hannah, can you show Jeremiah his room?” Lawson asked as he wrapped his arm around Liv’s waist. Could he tell she needed him to hold her up before she passed out? Was it that obvious she was terrified?

  “Of course. Hi, Jeremiah. I’m Hannah,” Lawson’s sister introduced and shook Jerry’s hand. “Let’s get you settled then I’ll show you around the hotel,” Hannah added and led Jeremiah out of the kitchen.

  “Come on,” Lawson ordered and pulled Liv toward the back door.

  “Hey,” Knox shouted and Lawson turned as a small object flew toward his head. Liv watched him snatch it in midair.

  “What’s this for?” Lawson asked, and Liv noticed it was a cell phone.

  “So I can call you, asshat. Remember? You don’t have a phone,” Knox said with a shake of his head.

  “Thanks, dickhead,” Lawson replied with a cocky smile.

  “Where are we going?” Liv asked as he tugged on her hand again.

  “Somewhere private,” Lawson stated and shut the door behind them. He hurried to a nearby four-wheeler and hopped on the seat. “Let’s go.”

  Liv did as he asked and threw her leg over the seat and settled behind him. The ATV roared to life, and she clung to his waist as the vehicle charged forward. Liv leaned her head on his back, closed her eyes, and let go of the turmoil eating at her insides.

  She absorbed everything about Lawson. His smell, the feel of his body, the way her heart pounded when he was close. She memorized every detail and prayed to her family and friends would forgive her because all she wanted was to spend every last minute with the man she loved.

  Liv kept her eyes closed as the ATV sped through the woods. She didn’t have to see where he was taking her. She already knew. They were headed to the lake. Their special place. And, it was perfect.

  Lawson pulled alongside the barn and turned off the four-wheeler. He grabbed her hand and briskly walked to the lake. It was a chilly day, but the sun was shining, which made it feel warmer than the fifty degrees outside. Of course, it could also be Liv’s racing heart, warming her body as she counted down her last hours. She visualized the sands of her life slipping through the hourglass at an alarming rate.

  Liv looked around, once again taking in every detail. The barn in desperate need of painting, the sun glistening off the calm water, and the sandy beach that held so many memories of her and her shifter.

  Oddly, her nerves suddenly relaxed and her breathing calmed. She was in her happy place, and that was all that mattered right now.

  When they reached the water’s edge, Lawson spun around and grasped her shoulders. “Okay, here’s the deal. I was going to plan a more formal announcement, and do this a very different way…a more romantic way, but there’s no time for that. Liv, we discussed sharing my life force, and you agreed. So, let’s do it now. Right here,” he professed and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  And then her calm obliterated like a tsunami crashing against land. Lawson wanted to share his life force because that would give Liv added strength. He knew she couldn’t defeat Kristi on her own.

  At first, the idea seemed like it was the perfect solution, but then Liv remembered another crucial detail. Sharing his life force would weaken him. That was the whole reason they put it off to begin with. And, that was something Liv couldn’t do. He needed every ounce of power to beat Tyler, and she knew it.

  “As much as I’d like to say yes, it’s not that simple,” she answered and met steel-gray eyes that melted her heart.

  “No, it is that simple,” he implored. “All it requires is for me claim you in my heart, and give you my blood.”

  The thought of drinking his blood turned her stomach but, more importantly, she couldn’t go through with it knowing what it would do to him. It wasn’t simple at all.

  “No, baby. When we do this, it will be a ceremony that includes the people we love. This can wait,” she muttered and placed her finger over his lips when he opened his mouth to argue. “All I want right now is for you to tell me the details of what will happen tomorrow night, and then let’s discuss this weapon of mine,” she muttered then went to tiptoe and kissed him like she meant it.

  As much as Lawson wanted to throttle Liv for being so fucking stubborn, he loved her even more. She could ramble on about how she wanted to wait and plan their event, but he knew how her mind worked. She didn’t want his strength depleted because of her. He also knew her well enough that he’d never convince her otherwise.

  “Fine, but know that I have a backup plan,” he informed her before he described the process of challenges.

  She listened intently, taking in every word. He hadn’t witnessed a battle for Alpha, but his father told the tale of his fight numerous times. When he finished his explanation, Lawson met her gaze. “Do you have any questions?”

  “A couple. Which one of us goes first, or do we fight at the same time?”

  “I will go first, which is where my backup plan comes in. Listen, I’m hoping that after I beat Tyler, I can convince Kristi to revoke her challenge. After all, why fight you once her Alpha is gone?”

  He was counting on Kristi to back down. The idea sprang to mind the second Liv rejected his proposal of sharing his life force. It still worried him that she wouldn’t accept his blood. He knew he could handle Tyler, and Liv needed the boost of strength. Bottom line, Liv was his everything, and he’d be damned if he lost her to some fight she had no business in.

  “Maybe, but don’t hold your breath. Kristi hates me, and will probably want to fight anyway. Next topic. Tell me about this weapon,” she inquired.

  Lawson grabbed her hand and led her to the barn. That was the other reason he wanted to bring her to the lake. “Let me show you something,” he said as he opened the heavy door to his workshop.

  They walked inside, and he shut the door behind them then walked to his latest project. “I was messing around a couple of weeks ago with some metal, not really sure what I wanted to do with it. Before long, I realized I was making these,” he shared and picked up the pointed objects.

  “What are they?” Liv asked, her brows squished together.

  “They’re blades. Kristi said you could have two weapons, and we’re holding her to it,” he explained as he turned the steel in his palm, showing it to h
er. “I haven’t made the handles yet, but that won’t take me any time. I believe these were meant for you, I just didn’t know it. Now, listen to me,” he murmured and set the metal back on the table. “There are two areas on a wolf that kill instantly. The heart and the skull. Kristi will be prepared for you to attack there, but what she won’t expect is for you to stab her in the foot. She’s got four, so the odds are in your favor of striking one of them.”

  “Why would I do that if it won’t kill her?” Liv asked and looked at Lawson as if he were speaking a foreign language.

  “Because, Sunshine. Wolves feet are extremely tender. If you stab her in the foot, it will hurt like a motherfucker, and she will be at a momentary disadvantage. That’s when you’ll use the other blade to strike her chest or head,” he encouraged. He hoped it didn’t come to a fight at all, but if it did, he felt this was Liv’s best chance at defeating Kristi.

  “I don’t know, Lawson. What if, when it comes down to it, I freeze? I don’t have a shifter’s killer instinct,” Liv confessed, and Lawson grabbed her face between his palms, forcing her to look at him.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? You are a born warrior, Liv. I’ve seen you in action. Well, I didn’t see you kill Jensen, but I heard about it from Ryan. And, Cassie boasted about how you stood your ground against the Ravin, not to mention how you protected me in the forest. You can beat her! You just need to believe in yourself,” he declared as he searched her eyes, wanting her to see what was so evident to him. That she was the bravest, most courageous female on the entire planet.

  Liv smiled slightly and placed her hands on his cheeks. “Thank you. I needed to hear that. And, here I was going over my pep talk for you. I can’t lie. Yours was way more poignant,” she said with a shaky laugh.

  “Oh?” he asked and raised a brow. “You think I need a pep talk?” he smirked.

  “No, not really. I’m certain you’re going to win. Tyler was never meant to be Alpha because his heart is in the wrong place. You’re a good man, Lawson, and I’ve seen how much you care for this pack. You will defeat him,” she pronounced with no hint of doubt in her tone. Lawson’s heart swelled at seeing the pride in her beautiful green eyes.