“You mean besides the fact she’ll be pissed as hell that I didn’t let her treat it in the first place?” Chris said.
“Yeah.” Alex’s voice was dry. “Besides that.”
“I can’t appear weak,” Chris said.
“Do wolves not have doctor-patient confidentiality?” Ben said.
Chris scowled. Ben knew damn well wolves had the same confidentiality humans had. And there wasn’t anything he could say to refute it. “I don’t want the doctor to think I’m weak.”
Alex glared at him. “We’re calling her. She’ll come over to the house tonight. If you’re worried, you can tell everyone else she came over to see me. And if you don’t give us her name and number in order to call her, we’ll ask Nick. And then you can explain it to him.”
She was amazing. “I have a bully for a wife,” Chris said.
“Not your wife yet,” she said.
“Not yet, but soon.” He kissed her. “Have you started planning the wedding yet?” Weddings weren’t required; once they’d marked each other, they were bound for life. But most wolves still had weddings or at the very least got hitched by the justice of the peace, to make things easier in the human side of their lives.
“So I’m the one who’s planning the wedding?” Alex said.
“You are the woman,” Ben said. “Don’t women do those sorts of things?”
Alex settled herself against the back cushion of the booth, almost dislodging Chris’ arm. “You know, if you leave it up to me, we might just go to Vegas.”
Ben gazed at her. “Seriously? What kind of woman are you?”
“A down to earth one? I never fantasized about my wedding. City hall would work fine for me,” she said.
“Well, not for me,” Chris said. “I want a big wedding. Always have. And my mother would have a conniption if we did it any other way.”
Alex sat up. “Your mother?”
“I do have parents,” Chris said.
“Yeah, but you never talk about them. Are they in the pack?” Ben said.
“No, they’re in a pack up in Maryland. When I got out of college I got wanderlust. I traveled all over and then found Marysburg. I even lived here as a lone wolf for a couple of years before some friends in Roanoke convinced me to join. From there I slowly worked my way up the ranks and eventually took over.” Chris reached further across Alex’s shoulders to rub Ben’s head. “My parents will be thrilled to hear about you two. They’d all but given up hope for me.”
“You haven’t told them yet?” Alex said.
“As soon as I tell them, they’ll drive down here. No kidding. We hang up the phone and they’ll be here a few hours later. So I want to wait until this whole mess is behind us. I don’t want my parents caught up in a dominance play. Especially if it goes wrong.”
“It won’t go wrong,” Alex said.
Chris kissed her temple. God, he could kiss this woman all day. “Everything’ll be fine. What about your parents? Have you thought any more about calling them?”
She was quiet for a few seconds. “Maybe. After you defeat Brett, maybe.”
He whispered against her temple. “What’s the worst that could happen?”
“They reject me again.”
He pressed his lips against her. “And what if they don’t?”
Before she could answer, the waitress brought their food. Chris had to remind himself that he needed to get back to work and couldn’t sit at lunch with his mates all day. No matter how much he wanted to. There’d be time for that at dinner.
In spite of everything he’d said, he didn’t feel as confident as he wanted to about the challenge the next night. He thought he’d win, but he had a bad feeling things weren’t going to be that easy. It wasn’t just his leg, either. There was more going on than he understood, and it boded nothing but ill.
* * *
The next evening Alex stood beside Chris and Ben as they waited for Brett to show up. She and Ben had gotten their way. The pack doctor, Sophia, had come to their house the night before and given them a local anesthetic Chris could use during the fight. Ben had given him the shot a few minutes earlier, right before they’d left their car.
Chris had been right—Sophia had been pissed he hadn’t called her sooner. She hadn’t been able to go to the first challenge and hadn’t known he’d gotten injured.
Sophia had told them she’d make sure she attended the challenge tonight. Alex was glad. She had a feeling Brett would do more damage than Keith had, and she didn’t know if she’d be up to putting Chris back together.
Alex dreaded seeing Brett again. She’d had a lump in the pit of her stomach all day. Had she really loved him? And had it only been a few days ago that she’d run to Brett, away from her mates? She couldn’t imagine it now.
But what would Brett do when he saw her? He couldn’t attack her, not with Ben, Chris and most of Roanoke pack standing around. But he could taunt her. And she knew he knew all her weak spots.
A car pulled up. Alex’s stomach jumped. She slipped her hands into Ben’s and Chris’.
Three figures got out of the car and walked toward them. Brett, of course. She didn’t recognize the other two until they got closer. Keith and Mad Dog. What an entourage.
Brett’s gaze settled on Alex. She couldn’t read his expression, but that just made it worse. When she squeezed her mates’ hands tighter, Ben let go and put his arm around her shoulders.
“He can’t hurt you,” he said.
She wished she could believe that.
The three loners stopped in front of them. “Ready to fight?” Brett said, still staring at Alex.
“Ready whenever you are,” Chris said. “But first, take your eyes off my mate.”
Brett spread his arms. “What, I can’t even look at her? She used to be mine, you know.”
“I know that,” Chris said in a loud, clear voice. “I also know you hit her.”
A gasp ricocheted through the crowd.
Alex felt embarrassed for a second then realized she didn’t need to be. She could feel the anger of the pack directed at Brett as though it were a palpable thing. She’d forgotten. Females were prized.
Brett laughed. “She was mine. I had every right to do whatever I wanted. And she’ll be mine again when I win.”
Alex stepped forward. “I will not! You remember how I threw up the last couple of times you touched me? It’s ‘cause I can’t stand you anymore.”
“I’ve got the cure for that, baby. Once your mates are both dead, you won’t throw up.”
Chris pushed Alex behind him. “You’re not coming near my mates. If you do, I’ll obliterate you.”
Brett’s face stayed impassive for a moment, his eyes glittering almost black as they slid from Alex to Chris and back again. Then he smiled a secret smile as though he knew something none of them knew. “Let’s fight.”
The two men stripped. Chris had put a flesh-colored bandage over his leg wound, making it look like he had no wound at all. The bandage would fall off when he shifted; it was for this moment only. Alex felt a surge of triumph when Brett stared at Chris’ leg, trying to find the weakness. Hopefully this fight wouldn’t be as easy as Brett thought.
Chris finished stripping and started his change. His muscles rippled, undulating as his bones reshaped themselves under the skin. Brett soon followed him. At the end, Chris’ wolf was the beautiful, huge, honey-colored wolf Alex had seen during the last fight. Across from him stood a grey-colored wolf. Brett.
The sight brought back memories of midnight runs and playfulness and joy. Alex felt a sharp pang in her chest. She’d really thought she loved him. But all the love she’d felt from him had been a lie.
Chapter 15
Ben tightened his arm around Alex. Brett was a bigger wolf than Ben had expected. Quite a bit bigger than Keith had been. Chris still stood at least a hand taller but it didn’t make Ben feel better. Keith had gotten Chris good in spite of being smaller. What would Brett do?
Alex�
�s arm slid around Ben’s waist. She helped steady him. And no matter what happened in the fight, he’d keep her safe.
She squeezed him as the two wolves jumped at each other, meeting in mid-air, their legs kicking and their sharp teeth aiming for each other’s necks. Their growls echoed through the crowd, many of the pack wolves straining as though they wanted to jump into the fight. Just as Ben did.
The wolves hit the ground, Chris on top of Brett, and rolled in the grass, continuing to kick at each other. Both landed blows but none of them were severe enough to even draw blood. Then Brett hugged Chris with his front legs and kicked both his hind legs at Chris’ injured thigh.
“Bastard,” Alex hissed.
Thank God they’d anesthetized his wound. Chris rolled, dislodging Brett then jumping to his feet. His gait seemed fine but a sheen on his leg showed that the wound had been re-opened. Chris and Brett circled each other, Brett’s tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth.
“Brett looks winded,” Ben whispered in Alex’s ear.
“He doesn’t like to work out.”
A-ha. A weakness.
“He lifts because he likes to be big, but he won’t do cardio,” she said. “He hates it. So he gets out of breath sometimes.”
Maybe if the fight went on long enough, Brett would drop from sheer exhaustion. Yeah, right.
Brett launched himself at Chris, who flattened himself onto the ground and rolled. Brett whined when he landed flat on his belly on the ground. Chris pounced on him from above. As his teeth were about to close over Brett’s neck, Brett shifted position. Chris caught his shoulder instead. Brett twisted his head around almost unnaturally and bit Chris’ nose.
Chris released him and stumbled back. Ben growled when he saw the blood smeared across the top of Chris’ nose. He felt only slightly better when he saw the gash in Brett’s shoulder.
Chris darted forward, kicking at Brett with his forelegs then clamping his teeth around Brett’s injured shoulder. Brett let out a sharp yip of pain. He twisted, shook Chris loose then bit down hard on Chris’ injured leg.
Not a sound came out of Chris, not even a startled cry. Alex dug her nails into Ben’s side but didn’t say anything either. Brett gnawed Chris’ leg while Chris snapped at his flank and finally got his teeth into Brett’s underbelly. Brett released him with a howl. Chris dug his fangs deeper.
Brett twisted and lunged for Chris’ neck. Everyone heard the rip as Brett’s skin came apart at his quick move. Chris dodged out of range to protect his neck, freeing Brett, whose belly was coated with blood.
When Chris moved, he limped.
Brett leapt forward, yipping in pain, and sunk his teeth into Chris’ back before he could get away. Chris twisted back and forth, flinging Brett’s body to and fro, but Brett had sunk his teeth so deep Chris couldn’t dislodge him. Chris paused a second, breathing.
Ben dug his fingers into Alex’s shoulder. God. Brett couldn’t win. If Brett won, Ben would challenge him instantly. He would challenge him before he could kill Chris. Brett couldn’t kill Ben’s mate when Ben had only just found him.
Chris flung himself to the ground, Brett still clinging to his back. The impact jarred Brett loose. In a split second, Chris stood a few feet away, baring his teeth.
He looked as strong as ever. Except for the bloody mess on his back.
Brett got to his feet a little more slowly. The two wolves stared at each other. Then Chris charged, tumbling on top of Brett. The two rolled over and over, kicking and biting and trying to get hold of each other’s throats. Then they stopped.
Chris lay on top of Brett. It wasn’t until Chris pushed up onto his feet that everyone could see his teeth embedded in Brett’s neck. Brett was alive, but there was no doubt.
Chris had won.
A wave of relief washed over Ben so violently he nearly fell to his knees. But he knew Chris wouldn’t want Ben to show any weakness. No matter how scared he’d been, the pack needed to think Ben had had total confidence that Chris would win. Sometimes being mated to the pack Alpha sucked.
Chris bit down a little harder, holding Brett’s neck until Brett submitted. Then Chris released him and stepped back, allowing Brett to stumble to his feet and walk the few yards to Keith and Mad Dog.
Ben and Alex stepped forward to guard Chris while he changed. Ben couldn’t wait to escort Brett to his car. Maybe rough him up on the way. Nick and Matt were both back on pack territory in case Brett’s invisible partner tried anything, so Ben would take a couple of the other wolves with him when they ejected Brett, Keith and Mad Dog.
“Help me up,” Chris said.
Alex immediately knelt beside him and helped him stand. Ben tried to keep his eyes on the rogues but couldn’t help but glance behind him every so often. Chris’ back looked awful. Like a piece of ground meat. Good thing this was the last fight.
Another wave of relief flooded through him. The last fight. Thank God.
“Sophia,” Alex called.
The pack doctor hurried forward with her bag. “Lie down.”
“I’ll stand,” Chris said. His voice sounded forced, like his teeth were grinding together.
Sophia huffed out a breath. “Fine. But that’ll make it harder. For one thing, you’re damned tall.” Sophia herself was barely taller than five feet.
Chris continued to hold onto Alex’s shoulder.
Ben’s only consolation was that Brett seemed just as bad off. His two minions helped him dress, smearing blood on his clothes. He should really get patched up first, but packs didn’t minister to challengers unless they won. And apparently neither Keith nor Mad Dog could do it. Either that or they wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. Which was a very good idea. With each pained breath from his mate, Ben felt more and more like ripping Brett apart.
But that wouldn’t be good form. Fights were brutal but well-regulated. Unless Brett challenged him or threatened him, he had no standing to attack. Which just sucked. He owed Brett a good beating or two. One for Alex, a second one for Chris.
“You won,” Alex said.
“Yeah,” Chris said.
“It’ll all be better now,” she said.
Brett finished dressing. He limped toward his car, holding onto Keith and Mad Dog. Ben signaled to a couple of the other pack wolves and the three of them followed the three rogue wolves to their car.
“Leave town,” Ben said.
Brett turned his head and snarled at him.
“Leave town. There’s nothing for you here but misery.”
“Are you threatening me?” Brett attempted to stand up straighter but didn’t get very far.
“No. Just letting you know your future. You’ll be better off somewhere else. Healthier.”
The two pack wolves with Ben chuckled.
Brett took a step toward him, Keith and Mad Dog still holding him up. “Listen, asshole—”
”No, you listen. You come near my mates or my pack again and I’ll mess you up. Leave town. Or you’ll be sorry.”
Brett lunged for him, lost his grip on Keith and Mad Dog, and landed in the dirt. Ben stayed silent as Brett’s wolves picked him up and carried him to the car. He wanted more than anything to punch Brett for what he did to Alex. He even thought most of the pack would be behind him on that. But Chris wouldn’t like it so he held himself back.
He waited until he couldn’t see their taillights anymore then walked back to Chris.
* * *
Alex held onto Chris’s forearms, taking some of his weight, as she watched Brett’s car drive out of view. There had been times when she thought Brett was going to win. Thank God it was over. She could nurse Chris back to health and then the three of them could build a life together. Her parents would be proud.
At least, she thought they would. Was Chris right? Should she reach out to them again? Her stomach flipped. What if they still didn’t want to talk to her?
But they’d have to sometime, wouldn’t they? Chris and Ben had talked about having kids. He
r parents would want to know about their grandkids, right? She’d have to talk to them then. And they’d have to talk to her. Maybe if she kept calling them she’d wear them down.
Chris winced. Up until this point, he’d been stoic while Sophia cleaned the wound and stitched him up. She must have hit an especially sore spot.
“You okay?” Alex said.
“I’ll be fine.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
He didn’t answer, his jaw clenched tight, and her thoughts wandered again. She’d call them. There wasn’t anything else to do. She wanted them back in her life, and if they wouldn’t make the first move, she would.
Maybe she’d even call tonight. It had been a good night so far. Maybe her luck would hold.
Ben came up beside her, putting his hand on her back. “How’s everything going here?”
“He’ll be fine,” Sophia said. “A few days of rest and then another week or so for the wounds to completely heal and he’ll be like new.”
“I have work,” Chris said. He continued to hold onto Alex’s arms.
“Call in sick. That’s an order. If they give you any grief, I’ll give you a note.” Sophia pulled gauze out of her bag. “When I finish your back, I still need to look at your leg.”
“I can’t think of anyone else who could get away with giving him an order,” Ben said to Alex.
“Are you kidding?” Chris said. “Just yesterday Alex ordered me around like a schoolboy.”
Ben laughed. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.”
“She’ll be a fabulous Alpha Female,” Chris said.
She hadn’t known he thought that. “You called me a bully.”
“I was teasing.” Chris squeezed her arms.
“I’m going to have to figure out what’s teasing and what’s not,” she said.
“Plenty of time,” Chris said.
Plenty of time, now that Brett had been vanquished. “I’m going to call my parents,” she blurted out.
Her two men shared a glance.
“Why don’t I take over for you here?” Ben said. He put his left arm next to hers. “You can go do it now.”
Fated Mates: The Alpha Shifter Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle) (Insatiable Reads) Page 108
