The Mating Game

by Melissa Snark

  “I’ll make this simple for you,” Donna said, oblivious to their audience. “I forbid you go anywhere near Zach or Robert. Disobey me and I’ll rip your throat out. Do you understand?”

  Theresa reached her decision. Oddly, it was Zach’s unwavering presence that gave her the courage she needed. She lifted her head and stood straighter. Zach must have perceived the change and his lips twisted into a feral grin. Theresa returned her attention to the pair, but a second too late.

  “Pay attention, bitch.” Simone struck Theresa with an open-handed slap across the cheek. Her head snapped to the side and a burst of red blurred her vision.

  Furious, Theresa delivered a punch straight to Simone’s face, throwing all of her strength into the blow. She had spent years with Zach learning the ins and outs of fighting, because he insisted she know self-defense. But this was the first time she’d put her skills into practice. Her fist caught Simone on the jaw and knocked the larger woman to the deck. Simone landed on her back and remained there, stunned at the unexpected retaliation.

  “Touch me again and I’ll kill you,” Theresa said, staring down into Simone’s face so the other woman had no choice but to make or break eye contact. Simone managed to hold Theresa’s gaze for only a couple of seconds before she dropped her eyes, conceding both dominance and her rank to Theresa.

  Satisfied that Simone had been dealt with, Theresa swung on Donna. She captured the other woman’s gaze. “Not only have I given birth to a healthy child,” Theresa growled, “but I got pregnant the first time I was ever with a man. Any male would be lucky to be chosen by me, whereas you…”

  Theresa sneered and made sure her voice rose to carry to the entire pack. “You’re barren.”

  Donna’s mouth opened in a snarl and she frothed in her anger. “You liar! I am not—”

  Theresa ruthlessly cut her off. “You are. Half the males in the pack have fucked you and you’re still childless.”

  Crass, harsh laughter rippled throughout the pack.

  Theresa continued without hesitation. “You don’t even ovulate or bleed monthly. Everyone with a nose knows it. You’re a bully and a bitch, but no one says it to your face.” Theresa continued to stare, but Donna refused to drop her eyes, leaving only one actionable option.

  “Donna Turnkill, I challenge you!” Theresa shouted loud enough to be heard by every member of the pack.

  Donna stared at Theresa in complete and utter disbelief, mouth hanging open.

  For ten seconds, absolute silence reigned. Then a whoop came from a male within the house. “Hot damn, a bitch fight!”

  Chapter Six

  “Yes!” Zach’s voice hissed beneath his breath and his clenched fists mirrored his excitement. He held his entire body ready, primed for a fight, but remained on the sidelines. He wouldn’t interfere unless Theresa needed help, but he wasn’t going to miss one moment. He’d been waiting for her to make a stand for years.

  He stood on the patio just outside of the sliding door. His vantage afforded him ringside seats to the confrontation unfolding between Theresa and the two she-wolves. Behind him, the rest of the pack watched with the mounting fervor of a passionate audience heavily invested in the outcome of the conflict.

  “Donna Turnkill, I challenged you. Answer me!” Theresa repeated her dare, demanding a reply, but her opponent remained silent. Donna shook her head in vehement denial.

  The pack roared with primal bloodlust, dozens of voices blurring into a single cry. Abruptly, a remarkable thing happened. The auras of individual members surged and merged into a unified whole. The joining was charged with tumultuous energy. It was the first time in years that every wolf in the pack had been cohesive. Their fervor caught Zach off guard; their wild rage threatened to drown him. He resisted the instinctive desire to allow his wolf free reign and summoned his personal power.

  Adam appeared at his side, his face alight with excitement. He slapped Zach on the back. “Hot damn, this is it! Who’da thought your little filly would be the answer?”

  “We need to get them under control.” Grim-faced, Zach turned toward the pack and exerted his will over the collective. He sent cooling energy through the ambient aura and took command of the lower-ranked wolves closest to him. The responsibility of controlling the weaker members fell on the shoulders of the pack’s dominants. After a moment, he felt Adam join his efforts; across the living room Robert asserted his influence.

  “All right, everyone, settle down.” Adam shouted over the din. A great beast, the pack howled in protest, but the three dominant wolves already had the muzzle in place. As the chaos subsided, Zach felt Charlaine Gale, the highest-ranked female wolf, exerting her steady presence also.

  Zach returned his attention to Theresa and the other women. A painful knot in his gut radiated into his chest, hurting in a good way. It took him a second to recognize the emotion—pride. He admired Theresa and took pleasure in her victory. Perhaps it was pure vanity, but he believed that he’d played a pivotal role in bolstering her self-confidence.

  “Donna, I challenge you for your place in the pack.” Theresa remained steadfast, determined to receive a response, despite the pack’s turmoil. Her skin glistened with perspiration, so wisps of black hair clung to her tanned skin. Her panting caused her bosom to heave and her sides to rise and fall. Her dark eyes glowed red, and her parted lips revealed sharp canines instead of the flat teeth of a hominid. She was magnificent, and Zach’s cock hardened watching her.

  “You can’t do that!” Donna sputtered denials and waved her hands. Seeking support, she turned toward the pack. “She can’t do that. I outrank her by more than one!”

  Zach tensed and shifted to a ready stance, prepared to intercept any susceptible males who might respond to Donna’s pleading. Sure enough, three lower-ranked males stirred in response to her call for support. The she-wolf had not come by her reputation as promiscuous on accident.

  Donna’s gaze settled on Carl Reynolds, a burly male capable of pulling rank on Theresa. “Carl, tell this bitch to back off.”

  Carl stepped forward and the pack parted to allow him passage. Zach stepped into the other male’s path and stared him straight in the eyes. “Carl, I suggest you stay out of this and allow the ladies to settle matters on their own.”

  To his credit, Carl had the good sense to drop his gaze, signaling his submission to Zachary. “Donna says it’s not a valid challenge seeing as how she has two ranks on Theresa,” Carl said, keeping his head lowered.

  “The validity of the challenge is Adam’s call.” Charlaine stepped onto the deck and stood beside Zach. Her action lent him the authority of her position as Delta—the fourth ranked wolf and the pack’s most dominant female—and he welcomed her support.

  Charlaine had accompanied her cousin, Robert, to Iron Stone three years before. The African American woman stood six foot, only a few inches shorter than Zach, and held herself as regal and self-possessed as a queen. She had long, dark hair and rich mocha skin.

  “Thank you, Char, and that’s the right of it,” Adam said in his slow Texas drawl. The Alpha surveyed the situation, scanning the assembled wolves with cool detachment. The last sign of belligerence vanished from the pack.

  “I’m sorry for speaking out of turn, Alpha.” Carl bowed his head and retreated.

  With a curt nod, Adam regarded Theresa and Donna. The two women were the focus of attention. Simone crouched on the ground, occupying a far corner of the patio. He and Charlaine stood guard at the entryway to the family room. Zach sensed Robert somewhere inside the house, shepherding the more far flung members of the pack.

  Adam’s piercing gaze landed on Theresa. “What’s your take on this?”

  Theresa held her head high and turned her gaze toward Simone. “Donna is trying to worm her way out of having to fight me,” Theresa said. “Simone submitted to me. By our laws, I now hold her rank in the pack.”

  “Simone, did you submit to Theresa?” Adam also looked down upon the trembling she-wolf who c
owered at his feet.

  Donna opened her mouth to interrupt and Adam turned on the female, a warning growl rumbled from his throat. “Speak out of turn, and I’ll have you punished.”

  Dropping her gaze, Donna submitted with a frightened whimper. Simone curled into a ball and failed to produce a useful sound.

  “She did.” Theresa’s chin jutted at an insistent angle. She crossed her arms and then uncrossed them before resuming a rigid stance. The scent of her unease left Zach roiling with aggression. He needed to comfort her, but couldn’t until the Alpha settled the matter.

  Adam turned to address the room at large. “Did anyone witness the entire altercation?”

  “I did,” Zach said.

  “I saw it too,” Charlaine said.

  “No offense, Zach, but you could be considered a biased witness,” Adam said.

  “Not a problem.” Zach’s statement came out clipped but he acknowledged the necessity of the matter. There were reasons for the laws. His instincts as a dominant male were to strike down Donna for daring to attack Theresa. However, if he acted in violation of the established rules then the pack’s hierarchy disintegrated into anarchy where the strongest ruled by force.

  Adam looked at the Delta wolf. “Charlaine, by your account, what happened?”

  Charlaine glanced at Zach and then relinquished her place at his side to step out onto the center of the deck. The sliding glass door remained wide open so the pack could bear witness.

  Frowning at Donna, Charlaine said, “These two bitches…”

  Adam’s lips tugged to the side in a suppressed smile. “Charlaine, please.”

  Charlaine rolled her eyes. “Fine, I saw Theresa go out onto the deck alone. A while later, these two fine ladies,” her inclusive gesture indicated Donna and Simone, and laughter rolled through the pack, “also stepped out onto the deck and initiated a confrontation. Insults were traded and then, right after Zach showed up, things got nasty.”

  “Who struck the first blow?” Adam asked.

  “That one.” Charlaine leveled her finger at Simone. “She slapped Theresa, so Theresa floored her. Then Simone submitted and Theresa challenged Donna.”

  The Delta wolf crossed her arms and gave a sharp nod. “That’s what I saw. You can make of it what you want, but by my word, the challenge is valid.”

  Adam considered and then addressed Donna. “Do you have anything to add?”

  “No, other than this bitch insulted my fertility. I should be well within my rights to kill her.” Donna spat at Theresa’s feet.

  Reactions to Donna’s blatant disrespect ranged from distaste to anger, but were all negative. Disgust crossed Adam’s face. Zach’s lips curled back, revealing his canines. The entire pack vibrated with hostility, expressing their anger with a synchronized growl. It was Adam who brought them back under control. His power ebbed and flowed over the whole of the house, commanding one and all.

  “Regardless of the insult offered, I can’t have a fertile female with a child at home endangering her life in a dominance battle,” Adam said. “The fight will last until dominance is clearly established and no longer. This is not a fight to the death. Am I clear?”

  Theresa’s head dipped in acknowledgement. Donna’s lips curled in a bold snarl but she maintained a sullen silence rather than contradict the Alpha.

  “I understand,” Donna said, but her attitude reeked of defiance, and Zach knew that she would not honor the edict no matter what the outcome of the fight.

  “I hereby declare the challenge to be valid,” Adam said loud enough that his voice carried to every member of the pack. “The fight shall take place tonight in the forest clearing alongside Foxtail Creek. This pack meeting is officially concluded.”

  The pack dissolved into chaos, and the communal aura fragmented into lesser pieces. Zach seized the opportunity to approach Theresa. He waited until they were alone on the deck and the sliding glass door had closed. Then he slid alongside her, touching a hand to her elbow. The tension in her body did not surprise him.

  “Theresa,” Zach said. “Are you okay, love?”

  The ice in her dark eyes shocked him to his soul. She drew away from him and shrugged off his hand. “I’m fine.”

  He frowned, not understanding her rejection. “I’m proud of you, Theresa. It took a lot of courage to stand up to the two of them like that.”

  ****

  Theresa’s heart threatened to break. With the confrontation with Donna and Simone past, she recalled Zach’s betrayal. The courage he had inspired evaporated, leaving her mired in doubt and mistrust. It hurt so much to be close to him, to hear him speaking words of praise, and to know that she didn’t dare believe a single word he said. Her dry throat tightened and she blinked to stop tears. She would not cry in front of him…

  Taking a deep breath, she stood straight and proud, shoulders squared. “Don’t think I’m fighting to impress you, Zach,” she said, tone sharp. “Nothing could be further from the truth.”

  Anger sparked in those blue eyes. Theresa knew she’d gone too far the second she got a good look at his face. His features set into a mask of stone and his jaw worked. He reached out and touched his fingertip to her chin, and tilted her head back so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. When he spoke, his accent grew clipped and precise. “What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?”

  Oh darn, he looked so damned hurt and confused. Theresa’s courage failed and she stiffened her spine just to keep from sinking to her knees before him. Under the scrutiny of any other male, she’d have folded. However, no matter how great her anger with Zach, she did not fear he’d hurt her.

  “You heard me, Zachary Hunter,” Theresa said, shocked to hear intelligible words coming from her mouth. She narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, toe to toe, going for broke. “Did you think it was funny, coming on to me right before Adam put you on the market for every single woman in the pack?”

  “Bollocks,” Zach said, a soft exclamation. He blinked and his eyes rounded like he hadn’t expected her to be angry. Theresa wasn’t foolish enough to misinterpret the expression of surprise for one of fear.

  “Is this one of your jokes?” Her finger struck his chest with surprising force, thumping his breastbone

  “Excuse me?” Zach asked, sounding more British than ever. He always got polite right before he became truly dangerous.

  His reaction caused Theresa to have serious doubts about her interpretation of what had happened. She frowned, staring hard into his implacable eyes, attempting to suss out what went on in that mysterious male mind. Could he be so clueless? Or had she misunderstood? Was her heart such a mystery to him? She shook her head and looked away to hide her tears.

  Zach’s hand caught the back of Theresa’s head, fingers splayed wide and tangled in her hair. He pulled her toward him, and Theresa made a sound of protest but didn’t resist. Oh no, his strength eclipsed her own, his power shone as the sun. She gloried in him, dark and lovely, bathing within his light. His mouth covered hers, rough and hard, lips drawn thin. He took and did not give, and his anger spilled across her skin, causing it to itch and burn. Theresa reacted out of instinct, female to his dominant male, opening her mouth, her heart, her soul to him.

  The sliding glass door to the patio opened, and Zach released Theresa as suddenly as he’d claimed her. Still furious, he turned away. Theresa scrubbed tears from her eyes and faced the intruder. The air was thick with the scent of their anger and lust.

  From within the house, Charlaine peered out. The Delta she-wolf stared at first one and then the other. Her brow rose, and then she shook her head. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.”

  Charlaine stepped out onto the deck. “Theresa, you’re expected to fight Donna in less than an hour. That bitch is bigger than you and ten times meaner. I thought maybe I could offer a few quick pointers.”

  “Thanks, Charlaine,” Theresa said, forcing her gaze from the ground. The lost opportunity was like sand slipping through her fingers, a
nd she resented the Delta wolf’s intrusion no matter how well intended. Zach so seldom suffered such a loss of control—and Theresa had waited years to be claimed. Now the moment receded into the past, leaving only vast uncertainty in its wake.

  “I’ve spent three years training Theresa for this fight,” Zach said. “She’s ready.”

  Astonished, Theresa spun to face him. His demeanor bespoke steady confidence. She reached the only plausible conclusion fast—he meant their regular self-defense training sessions.

  “You said you wanted me to be able to defend myself.”

  Zach smirked. “I did. I also wanted you to be prepared to take any female in this pack when the time came.”

  “Oh.” Theresa felt foolish, but she had nothing else to say. It was impossible to believe that he’d been teaching her to fight with the intention of seeing her rise within the pack, but that seemed to be exactly what he was saying.

  Charlaine snorted, taking in Theresa’s stunned expression with amusement. “Ha. Maybe I should be watching my back instead of looking out for you.”

  Theresa slapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh no, Char! Don’t think— I don’t want—”

  The Delta she-wolf laughed. “Relax, Theresa. I was only kidding.”

  “Char, will you help Theresa through the change?” Zach asked. “It’s three nights until the full moon.”

  Heartsick, Theresa lowered her eyes. Dominant wolves had little or no difficulty embracing their beasts any time of the month, but most werewolves needed help when the moon wasn’t full. Zach always acted as Theresa’s principal, channeling the power necessary for her to shift. Apparently, she’d angered him so much that he refused to take on the burden for her.

  “Of course,” Charlaine said.

  “I have something to discuss with Adam.” Zach crossed the deck in a few long strides and reached for the door.