I ran past Mark and Gina and turned around, smiling at the competitors. Sean sighed. “Alright, point proven. You are still faster than me.”
“Don’t you forget it,” I said and then laughed.
Sean laughed with me and nudged my arm with his hand. “You are such a brat.”
“Alright, let’s get the next event going,” Mark said as he walked past us.
“Yes, sir,” I said with a salute.
He rolled his eyes at me and Gina laughed. I jogged away from everyone to the measuring stick and waited for the next event to start. As the sun began to set, the events finally finished up. My legs were sore and my stomach was growling fiercely, protesting the fact that we had missed lunch. I walked with Gina as she went back over the numbers to circle the winners. “How are you?” Gina asked softly.
“I’m tired and hungry,” I said as I rubbed my belly. “You?”
She smiled at me. “I meant how are you doing with the boy issues?”
“Does everyone know?” I asked with a groan as I threw my hands up in the air.
She giggled. “We are all pride. We know pretty much everything about each other.”
I sighed. “I don’t know. It has just been confusing and stressful and this whole Minters thing makes it even worse. I just feel like a burden.”
“You are not a burden. Even if you were a full lion or a full human I bet the Minters pack would be going after you just for the fact that you are the Alpha’s daughter.” She leaned closer to me and whispered, “And you just remember that those boys are lucky that you are even considering them. Make them work for it.”
I smiled and felt a little relief knowing that she didn’t view me as a burden. And what she said about me being the Alpha’s daughter did make sense. “Thanks, Gina.”
She winked at me. “Anytime.”
Michael waved me over to where he, Sean, Justin, Eric, Dane, Paul, Sheila and the two cubs were sitting on the grass with plates piled high with food. I wanted to walk over to them, but I didn’t want to upset the cubs who still had not changed into their human forms yet. I did not want to replay what happened at the house, especially not in front of the other prides. I would be so embarrassed that I would not be able to show my face to them ever again.
“Victoria,” dad called from where he was standing next to our giant grill where Sarah and he were cooking and cutting tri-tips, saving me from having to make a decision.
I waved to Michael and jogged over to Dad instead. “Yes?”
“Can you help Sarah with the food?” he asked as he looked at a group of male lions standing in a circle and looking like they were getting ready to fight.
“Yeah, go on and deal with the males.”
He ruffled my hair and walked towards the group, barking something at them when two started to change forms.
“You hold the plates while I pile the food on,” Sarah said as she quickly cut up a tri-tip on the cutting board.
I grabbed a plate and held it as she piled the meat on. The person in line took it and walked to the picnic table which had potato salad, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and a ton of other stuff that some of the other females must have prepared while the Games were going on. Even though the females were immensely stronger than humans, they still were not as strong as the males and so they refrained from competing. While the Games went on they would prepare the food and then at the meals they would make their rounds, searching for available mates.
I watched as Gina flirted with several incredibly handsome males from the other prides and wished I was as attractive as her and could be as confident as she was.
“She’s come a long way, hasn’t she?” Sarah asked, seeing where my eyes had wandered to.
I nodded my head. “Yes. Dad has a way of helping people heal.”
“Is that why you refused to live here before?” she asked. “You like being able to use the ‘broken teenager’ bit to entice the males?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “I’m not even going to dignify that with a real response.”
We finished serving everyone and then made plates for ourselves. I sat down with her and Michael made his way over to us.
“What’s up little brother?” Sarah asked around a mouthful of food.
“Just coming to say hi,” he said as he sat next to me. He reached out towards my plate and I smacked his hand away.
“My food,” I said possessively.
“Children, play nice,” Sarah said.
“Attention!” Gina yelled, “I’m going to announce the winners now.”
I finished eating my food and flopped onto my back in the grass. “Sarah?” I whispered.
“Hm?” she asked quietly as Gina began the announcements.
“Carry me to my room when everyone’s done.”
She huffed and said, “Yes, princess.”
I laughed and relaxed as the winners were announced and then people began separating to either play in their lion forms or human forms. I just wanted to sleep.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
After a filling lunch with the other winners of the Games and saying goodbye to everyone, Michael and I opted for a night at the house watching movies and vegging out. I had just sat down with a bowl of buttery popcorn when Brandon stepped into the living room.
“Victoria, can we talk?” Brandon asked.
“She and I are busy,” Michael answered without turning around to face Brandon, which was a huge insult to Brandon, showing that Michael was not afraid of him.
“You and her are always busy. I would have approached her at other times, but you were always with her. I figured the best place would be here at her Dad’s house.”
“I’m sorry Brandon, what is it?” I asked, standing up and putting the bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table.
“Can we talk in private?” he asked, looking pointedly at Michael.
“Whatever you say to her can be said in front of me. She tells me everything anyways,” Michael said.
“If that were true you would not be so angry that she hasn’t told you what I made her promise,” Brandon said with a smirk.
I had forgotten that Brandon had witnessed the night where Michael had yelled about that. No matter what he had witnessed, I did not like how these two acted when around each other. I could now see why a pride only had one Alpha at a time. Two was a fight waiting to happen.
“Please, Victoria,” Brandon pleaded. “Two minutes. Please.”
“Okay,” I said. I smiled at Michael. “I’ll be right back, okay?”
He smiled, trying to appear calm even though I could see the stiffness of his body and the anger in his eyes. “Fine. I’ll just pick a movie.”
I kissed his cheek and followed Brandon out of the house and to the grass. He spun around and wrapped me in a warm hug. “I’m sorry, I just can’t stand that guy,” he whispered into my hair.
I relaxed into his hug and almost leaned my head against his shoulder when I remembered that I was with Michael and Brandon had rejected me. I stepped back and smiled. “I wish you two weren’t both Alphas. It would make things a lot easier. So what did you want to talk about?”
“I’ve just missed you and I wanted to see you without him being glued to your hip. Haven’t you missed me?” he asked, moving closer to me.
“Of course I have missed spending time with you, but you chose to leave me behind.”
“I didn’t leave you, Victoria. I have been here this whole time.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry that I do not hang out with you, but Michael is courting me. You know how serious things get when a lion is courting a female. They spend every minute they can with them.”
“So you’ve decided?” he asked softly, pain in his voice.
“I have kept to my promise and no, I have not decided yet, but I don’t see how there is much of a decision to be made. You can’t be my mate and he can. That pretty much decides it for me.”
“You still want me though,” he said confidently. “You
want me to tell you I want to be your mate and court you. I know you do, don’t lie.”
“I wanted that, yes, but now I don’t know. Michael makes me happy and I don’t feel alone anymore.”
“You didn’t feel alone when I was with you at your mom’s,” he said softly. I didn’t have an answer to that so I said nothing. He stepped forward and closed the gap between us. He bent down slowly and whispered, “If you tell me to stop I won’t kiss you. All you have to do is say stop.”
The words should have popped out of my mouth without hesitation, but with him so close to me and his scent invading my mind I could not say them. Instead all I could say was, “He’ll smell you.”
He laughed. “Good. Let him know that I kissed you. Let him know that I still exist.”
“Why?” I asked. “If you can’t be my mate then why?”
“Because I have watched you with him and learned that I do not care that you aren’t a lion. I watched you interacting so easily with the other prides and your friends from them and realized that I want you as a mate. I am going to court you. I want you and I don’t care if I have to kill him to get you.”
I gasped and stared at him in shock. “No, please don’t.”
“Don’t fret, little rabbit. I won’t kill him. Not tonight. Tonight I will simply drive him mad by kissing you and leaving my scent on you because I won’t let him take you without a fight just like I won’t let him become the next Alpha without a fight.”
Before I could say anything else he covered my mouth with his and kissed me. The old emotions came flooding back in as I recalled all of the days and nights we had spent together at my mom’s in my secret place. Why did I have to feel so strongly about him and so strongly about Michael at the same time? I had thought it was only lust, but with Brandon touching me and his scent invading my brain, I knew better. It wasn’t just lust.
Brandon pulled back and licked my cheek. “Come out to breakfast with me tomorrow morning?”
I nodded my head robotically and watched as he loped away into the forest. He wanted me. He wanted me as his mate. I had wanted him to say that for so long that I was dumbfounded. I headed back towards the house and sat down on the couch numbly. I jumped when the popcorn bowl I sat on spilled popcorn all over the couch and down onto the floor.
“What did he want?” Michael asked as he bent to help me clean up. He leaned towards me and then growled loudly as he sniffed my cheek where Brandon had licked me. He sniffed my lips and stared at me in shock. “What happened?”
“He kissed me,” I answered, “and said that he’s realized that he wants me as his mate.” Michael growled and stood up, heading out of the living room. “Wait!” I yelled, “Where are you going?”
“To speak with Brandon,” he said as he opened the door.
“Mark!” I yelled, knowing he was in my Dad’s study with him. Mark appeared behind me instantly, rushing to my side due to the fear in my voice. “Order him not to go.”
Mark frowned. “What? Why?”
“He’s going to try to fight Brandon,” I said, “Please tell him that he can’t!”
“I’m not going to try to fight him. I’m going to fight him and kill him.”
“Okay, Michael, let’s calm down,” Mark said.
Michael pointed at my face. “He licked her!”
Mark’s eyes widened. “Oh. Well, still you can’t fight him.”
“Why not?” he demanded. “If a male had done that to a female you were courting, what would you do?”
“He’s courting me too,” I said calmly. “It’s different.”
Both turned towards me in shock. “What?” Michael asked.
“He said he’s courting me now too.” I exhaled. Now was as good of a time as any to tell him the promise. “I promised him that I wouldn’t make a choice and that I would not choose a mate until after my birthday. And he said that seeing me with you and the other prides has made him realize that he does not care that I am not a lion and that he wants me to be his mate and he is not giving me up without a fight.” I left out the bit about the alpha position because I figured that would just add unnecessary drama at the moment and we did not need any more.
“Oh hell,” Mark whispered. “Alpha!” he yelled.
Dad walked calmly towards us from his study. “What is all the yelling about?”
Mark looked at me. “You want me to sum up or you want to?”
I faced my Dad and felt nervous for the first time. I had never spoken to him about boys before and now I had a serious problem with two. “Michael wants to go fight Brandon because Brandon licked my face and kissed me and told me that now he is courting me too because he wants me to be his mate and isn’t giving me up without a fight. Tell Michael he can’t go fight Brandon. Please, Dad.”
“How long has Michael been courting you?” he asked with a calm face as though his daughter had not just told him two guys were trying to get her to be their mate.
“Three weeks,” I answered softly, unsure why he was asking.
Dad looked at Michael. “He gets three weeks to court her and then she will make her decision on her birthday the following week with neither of you visiting her.”
“What?” Michael and I both asked in shock at the same time.
Dad frowned down at me. “I know this is not your fault, but it’s time to be grown up and start making decisions. You turn sixteen next month which is the age most females choose their mate, so you can choose yours then. I will not have my two Alpha males fighting each other over you and causing problems in the pride. Starting tomorrow you will spend the next three weeks with Brandon while he courts you and then you will have one week to make a decision after that. Understand?”
“Yes, Alpha,” Michael answered as he walked back to the living room.
“Victoria,” Dad whispered, “I trust your judgment and just want you to know that all I want is for you to be happy and safe.”
I nodded my head and walked into the living room where Michael was lounging on the couch with the popcorn in his lap and the previews playing. I sat down next to him and leaned against his shoulder, expecting him to move away, but he simply lifted his arm and pulled me in against his body. “Don’t worry, Vic, I’m not mad at you,” he said, guessing my worry.
I exhaled and relaxed against him. “Thank you.”
He handed me my soda and whispered, “Just promise me you won’t make your decision until your birthday?”
“Okay, Michael.”
He kissed my cheek and exhaled loudly. “I’m going to miss you the next three weeks.”
Unfortunately I was not sure I could say the same. I knew I would miss him, but I wasn’t sure if it would be as much as he would miss me since I would be spending time with Brandon. We watched the movie and then I walked out to the grassy area. He pressed against me and kissed me fiercely, pressing our bodies together intimately.
“Get your hands off of her,” said a familiar and frightening voice.
“I am really tired of this,” Michael said as he turned around.
Bob punched him in the face, knocking him out cold. He picked Michael’s body up like it weighed nothing and then grabbed my hand. “Come on.”
“No! Put him down! Let me go!” I yelled.
Bob frowned at me. “I am taking you to get your cure. I know how to make you happy.”
“I have been happy with them!” I yelled. “Let me go.”
Michael woke up and swung off Bob’s shoulder, knocking Bob’s legs out from under him as he pulled me behind him. Bob jumped up and snarled. “Step away from her, she is not yours.”
“I’m courting her,” Michael said, “And you definitely are not.”
Bob looked at me. “You are letting him court you when you know how I feel about you?!”
“You’re going to kill me!” I yelled in exasperation. “Why would I want to be with you?”
“The plan has changed. Alpha doesn’t want to kill you now that he knows what my plan for you is. H
e likes it better.”
“You are not taking her anywhere,” Michael said angrily.
“You are not courting her!” Bob growled.
“Victoria, go to the house,” Michael said softly.
“Do not tell her to move away from me!” Bob yelled as he lunged at Michael. Michael dodged him and grabbed my hand, pulling me as he ran towards the house. “Stop or I’ll shoot!” Bob yelled.
Michael and I turned around and I gasped when I saw a gun in Bob’s hand. “Bob, put the gun down,” I said softly.
“I won’t let anyone else try to take you as their mate,” he answered angrily. “You are mine.”
“What kind of wolf carries a gun?” Michael asked angrily as he tried to pull me behind him. I held my ground though and looked at Bob.
“The kind who is tired of waiting for his future mate to realize she needs to come to him.”
“Don’t do this. Please, just put the gun away and I will go with you. Don’t shoot him.” I said as I moved towards him.
“Victoria,” Michael said angrily. “You are not going anywhere with him.”
“I can’t let you die,” I whispered.
“I am trying to protect you, but I can’t do that if you go with him willingly.”
“You can’t protect me if you are dead!” I yelled at him.
He slipped his hand into mine and whispered, “I love you, Victoria and it’s my job to protect you.” He squeezed my hand and whispered, “I better get brownie points for this.”
I tried to keep hold of his hand, but he lunged at Bob, away from me and I lost my hold. “No!” I screamed as he knocked Bob to the ground.
There was a loud pop and then I smelled blood in the air. I started towards Michael, who was lying on his side, looking at me. He smiled and whispered something, but I could not hear what he said. Bob stood up and pointed the gun at Michael’s head. I screamed and lunged towards him, but the gun went off before I got there, ending Michael’s life. I could hear voices approaching and knew the pride was coming, but I didn’t care about them. I turned on Bob and punched him in the face. He staggered backwards and looked at me in shock. I lunged at him, punching him, kicking him and scratching him with my nails. He grabbed my wrists and held them down at my sides. “Stop!” he said. “I know you are upset that I killed him, but it was for us. You’ll see that soon. Now we have to go.” I wanted him dead, but I couldn’t escape his grasp.
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