The first full moon had come and gone. When he had shifted, he’d had no control over anything. Tully had kept him safely locked in the cage the first night, and it drove him mad, snapping at her and tearing apart everything in the cell. She’d brought him fresh meat and even controlled her own shift to keep watch over him.
He wondered if it had been painful, but he had never asked. The way he’d morphed involuntarily had been disorientating enough. At least there was hope he could eventually learn to shift at will, and the full moon would no longer bother him.
The fact that he was weak under the full moon frustrated him. It made him wonder how he would ever be strong enough to defeat an Alpha who had years of experience. The only thing going for him was his training as an agent. It would have to be enough. Something told him the fight was coming up sooner than he thought.
Until then, avoiding the pack Alpha, Gregory, was not easy. The guy loved to taunt. He especially liked to tell Hayden he needed more training. Using the training facilities in the camp was impossible if they wanted to be left alone. Gregory always managed to find his way in and throw him every insult in the book.
What was the guy trying to gain from it? Hayden could only speculate Gregory was hoping to coax him into a fight prematurely, before the challenge time. It’d be two weeks until the next full moon; two weeks before he could official challenge him. He had to spend a whole month of living with the pack before he could rightfully challenge the Alpha. Only then would the queen be able to sanction the fight.
Talia, Tully’s sister and Alpha queen would certainly approve it. She had to. Tully had told him so. Talia was all about rules and never let her heart get in the way. She often visited them while Tully was training him, but unlike her mate, she kept quiet and observed. Hayden wondered if she came to watch them so she could report back to Gregory and offer him tips about his fighting style and weaknesses, but Tully assured him it wasn’t why she came by. Talia was much more on the right side of things than anyone else in the pack. If there was one person who would keep the fight fair, it would be Talia, no doubt to the disappointment of her husband.
At least Hayden had a few things going for him if he could manage to make it to the end of the month. Gregory was making it hard to not want to smash his face in beforehand.
“You’ll need to concentrate.”
Hayden turned toward Tully, who was now sitting up with her arms outstretched and her eyes closed, facing forward. “Concentration is key, Hayden. You’ll need to relax. Breathe. When your world is in turmoil and things are not going your way, you’ll need to ground yourself and believe that you are the center of your world and everything pivots around you, no matter what other people say. You might not be able to control anyone else, but you can control how you react to them. If you want to beat Gregory, you have to remember this.”
“Who taught you that?”
Tully opened her eyes to look at him. They shone brightly, more blue-green than ocean blue. Maybe they changed color, but he couldn’t quite tell. Sometimes they looked blue, sometimes hazel, and sometimes almost brown. All he knew was that they always calmed him, giving off a serenity he quite enjoyed.
“My mother taught me that. She was a great Alpha of our pack. I miss her. When Gregory took over after she died, things changed. He shouldn’t have taken over so soon, but my mother died in a terrible accident.”
“What happened to her?”
Tully turned away and stared up at the sky again, prompting Hayden to do the same. The sky was a vibrant blue, with small puffs of clouds. This was the calmest he had felt in ages.
“There was a pack intruding on our territory, and she, my father and their warriors went to discuss things with their Alpha. It didn’t go well, obviously. They often incited conflict, and this time it was no different. Some under her command stepped up to fight for her, but being the Alpha queen, she wanted to fight too. During the struggle, she received a fatal blow.”
“That’s awful. Did her warriors kill the ones who did it?”
She shook her head. “With her death, the fighting dispersed. But… the other pack’s members were not the ones who killed her. My father had accidentally pierced her skin along her throat while fighting their Alpha, and she bled to death.”
Hayden didn’t know what to say, but he felt an overwhelming urge to protect Tully from such saddening news. He scooted closer to her and embraced her in his arms, pulling her to his chest. Surprisingly, she let him and turned to face him, her lips centimeters from his.
“I’m sorry to hear that. Really, I am. I never would have asked about it had I known. It was insensitive.”
“You didn’t know. Shh.” She placed a finger on his lips and smiled, blinking the tears away. It was a kind smile, and he realized something that he hadn’t noticed in the little time he’d been here with her. She was in love with him, and he knew he felt the same way. They had not been apart for weeks, and he could feel the wild animal beneath the surface trying to reach for her, to become one with her. It was a furious desire to take her and make her his forever, and he didn’t want to fight it anymore.
“Kiss me,” she whispered.
She didn’t have to ask twice. The joy her words brought him could not be matched, and he pulled her body closer, turning the freezing air into a smoldering heat as their lips touched. His mouth met hers as he slowly caressed her hair, running his fingers through it. Their kisses sparked fire inside him which made him want to devour her whole and keep her next to him for the rest of his life. How he could feel so much for a woman he’d just met? The question tickled at his mind, but he ignored it. There was no place he’d rather be than right here with her.
Her mouth beckoned him more. Their tongues, warm and soft against the freezing January air, tangled together, causing the air to steam with their breaths.
“Tully,” he whispered, out of air from kissing her.
“Yes, Hayden?”
“How long will I have to wait to choose a mate in this pack?”
She pulled away a few inches and studied him. The look on her face showed that she was wondering if he had an alternative agenda. Her questioning look made him smile. Although she was a strong fighter and a great enforcer, she was still vulnerable and wary of any emotions. Especially with a stranger.
“You don’t have to wait to choose a mate. You just ask them. Why? Who would you ask?”
He almost laughed, and her cheeks flushed in anger. She tried to pull away, but he held on firmly, not letting go of her coat as she squirmed and smacked at his arms.
“Let me go!”
“Do you really not know who I’d ask? Tully, it’s only ever been you. I’ve been waiting forever to find you. I promise there is nobody else I would ask but you.”
She stopped struggling, her eyes widening with joy as a smile slowly lifted the corners of her mouth. She fell back into his arms, her lips slamming against his with equal ferocity.
Hayden knew there was no other choice now but to win the upcoming fight, especially if he wanted to stay with Tully. She’d be his Alpha queen. He knew that as surely as blood rushed through his veins. Without another word, he jumped to his feet, pulled her up by the arm, and led her back to their cabin to claim his mate.
Chapter Six
* * *
The Bitter One
They walked into the village together. Tully told him the mating ceremony to make it official should be done as soon as possible. She would notify the right people in the pack to set it up. Hayden couldn’t believe it. He’d found a wife in all this mess, and she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Everyone stared at them as they walked to the center of town, but Tully held her head high, jutted out her chin, and held tightly to Hayden’s hand, not caring what anyone thought.
That was what he loved about her; she was her own person and didn’t give a crap what her pack thought about her even though she followed rules more closely than anyone else. It made her an ideal partner, someone he coul
d trust with everything, including his heart.
Tully’s place wasn’t too far away from the center of the small, village-like camp, but it was isolated enough, just the way she liked it. It was far from the prying eyes of the pack and gave her the privacy she craved. He knew how she felt. It’d saved him from the scrutiny and bullying of the others.
Once they found themselves nearing the central ring, Hayden felt himself ripped from Tully’s hand and flying through the air, slamming into the hard-wooden side of a cabin nearby. He’d been blindsided by Gregory, who now stood snickering as he stared them down. Tully ran to Hayden’s side, grasping his hand to check him for any injuries.
“You okay?”
Hayden nodded, though his pride felt like it’d been flushed down the toilet.
“Well, well. I came to see if the rumors were true. Apparently, they are for once, which is most unfortunate for you both.”
Tully let go of Hayden’s hand, jumped to her feet, and stepped forward, teeth bared and growling. Hayden was up a second later, trying to hold her back, but his hand missed, and she refused to budge.
“You cannot decide who I pick as a mate, even as our Alpha. That is not up for debate. We have every right.”
“You are nothing but a lowly enforcer. You have no right to anything.”
Tully’s sister stepped in from around a cabin, glancing between her sister, Hayden, and Gregory. “What’s going on here?” Something told Hayden that she already knew but wanted everyone to state it out loud.
“These two fools think they’re in love. It’s Stockholm Syndrome in reverse. I wouldn’t dare to allow my sister-in-law to marry such scum. They’ve gotten it into their heads that they’re going to be mates. Look at them. Pathetic. An enforcer of a pack and a killer from Wicked Grove. He cannot be trusted. He’s a trained assassin, and he’s got you fooled, Tully.”
Tully trembled in anger, her face flushing scarlet as her hands curled into fists. “You know nothing about him, Gregory. You sit on your throne all day, eating the spoils of our hunts and making foolish decisions. You inherited the position because of status, not because you were worthy of anything. If anyone is to blame for any problems this causes, it’s you. You’re the one who bit Hayden. It’s forbidden, yet you did it anyway.”
Gregory scowled as Talia frowned. The information was now public knowledge, and everyone around them had heard the details. This was bad. Talia kept silent as the words sank in, but Gregory’s anger was as plain as day.
“You dare challenge my word, Tully? You are nothing but a lowly guard dog. And you!” He pointed an accusatory finger at Hayden. “You need to leave now or face the consequences.”
Hayden dug in his heels, clenching his fists together and shaking his head. His anger rumbled just below the surface, but unlike nearly a month ago, he didn’t feel like a raging bull wanting to tear everyone limb from limb. No, this time he was much calmer and ready to fight. Tully had done well to teach him how to control his beast.
“I’m ready when you are, Gregory. Just let me challenge you, and we can settle this dispute.”
Gregory step forward, his fangs flashing as he glared at Hayden and Tully.
“Gregory, stop this madness, right now!” Talia stepped forward, her usually serene demeanor twisted in confusion and fear. “Tully, stand down. I will not have my sister and my husband fighting.” She turned toward Hayden, eyeing him from top to bottom before closing her eyes. She shook her head as if disagreeing with herself before opening them back up and leveling her gaze at him. Calmness returned to her face, and her look told Hayden she had come to a decision. He hoped it would be to his and Tully’s benefit.
“Hayden, soldier from Wicked Grove, today marks a month you have lived with the Blood Snow pack. It is hereby decreed that you are now allowed to challenge the Alpha for status or revenge. Is that why you stand before us today?”
Tully whipped her head toward Hayden, her eyes widening with fear as she gave him a slight shake of her head. It was obvious the girl did not think he was ready, but he thought otherwise. He’d been training a long time with the Agency to fight supernatural creatures, and the past month here had given him enough to see what Gregory was made of. He was ready, though he couldn’t say the same for his opponent.
Gregory was sloppy. Many times, he’d sent his men to try and taunt Hayden into a skirmish to study how he fought, but Hayden had deflected them all. Gregory had never gotten a good look at Hayden’s fighting techniques, so what good had it done? It showed Hayden that this Alpha didn’t get his hands dirty often and was probably rusty enough to be overtaken. He could handle him; he was sure of it.
Hayden avoided looking at Tully and stared hard at Gregory before his lips curved into a serene smile and his eyes filled with mischievous twinkle. He threw the Alpha a condescending wink.
“Hayden—please don’t. You’re not ready.” Tully spoke low enough for him to hear without anyone else catching the words, but he still refused to look at her. Maybe he was afraid that if he did look at his soon-to-be mate, he might lose his nerve. The sight of the fear on her face might be the only thing that could stop him.
“I’m ready. I accept the offer to challenge the Alpha of this pack. I challenge you, Gregory, to a fight to the death. Right here, right now.”
“No!” Tully’s angry voice lifted in his direction, but her sister took hold of her arm and pulled her back. Had it been anyone else touching her, she probably would have fought them off, but not her sister. The women meant more to each other than anyone else. Hayden was counting on it; he knew Talia would keep Tully from interfering.
Tully sulked away with the queen, and the two women disappeared into the growing crowd. Of course, it had turned into a spectacle. They had nothing better to do out here in the cold wintry forest but fight or mate. Hayden would rather do the latter.
He rolled his shoulders as he pulled off his jacket and tossed it to the side, stretching his muscles as best he could as he readied.
Gregory shook his head in disbelief. “You’ll regret this, scum. Enjoy your last moments on earth.”
Hayden fought the urge to roll his eyes. He was done with posturing. He laughed, which angered Gregory even more. That was what he wanted to do: fluster Gregory enough that he could take the advantage over him and defeat the guy. But he couldn’t get cocky; he couldn’t underestimate his foe. That would be a deadly mistake. For now, he just had to unnerve him, rile him, force him to do something sloppy.
Gregory readied himself too, and they both began circling each other, sweat glistening on their skin and their breath turning to mist in the frigid air. This was going to be the fight of the winter, and no one in the pack was going to miss it. The crowd pressed in, cheering their Alpha and booing Hayden. The pack enforcers fought to hold the crowd at bay and keep a ring clear for the fight.
Hayden waited for Gregory to lunge first as they moved around each other. The crowd roared for their Alpha, but Hayden didn’t let it get him down. Instead, he took the few moments before the fight officially began to center himself and let the world melt away, focusing all his energy on Gregory. The Alpha had it coming; it was obvious he’d been itching for a fight ever since he’d sunk his fangs into Hayden’s arm. Hayden couldn’t wait to get his revenge for that attack.
Tully’s voice echoed in the background, coming to Hayden as if she was standing right next to him. He found her in the crowd and took her in. Beautiful, strong, focused. Her lips did not move, but he could hear her words all the same.
You can do this. Just focus and breathe.
Her voice was soothing, and it blocked everything else out just in time for him to notice Gregory running toward him, fist ready to slam into his face. Hayden sidestepped him at the last second, and Gregory missed. Hayden dodged him easily, but Gregory recovered quickly and delivered swing after swing, each nearly landing on Hayden. He bounced on his feet, stepping away with ease. It was a thrill to feel like the other guy couldn’t touch him, and h
e knew exactly why Gregory would lose this battle.
The Alpha wasn’t the rightful Alpha. He was weak. It was time this pack served a righteous leader. But did Hayden want that? He just wanted revenge.
“Is that all you got?” Hayden snickered. He knew taunting his opponent could backfire, but he watched Gregory’s face turn scarlet at his words. The guy was madder than ever.
“You think you know so much, but you’re just pathetic, half-breed scum. You are no match for a full-blooded wolf like me. I come from a long line of Alphas, and you will be nothing but gore beneath my paws.” Gregory let out a snarl before rushing at him once more, snagging Hayden around the waist and shoving him backward.
Hayden lost his footing, and they tumbled toward one side of the makeshift ring. The crowd parted before them, and they landed in a bank of snow up against one of the cabins. Hayden struggled to get back onto his feet as they rolled on the ground. Finally gaining a positional advantage, he jumped back onto all fours as Gregory, still buried to his knees in the snow, snarled, with deep-seated rumbles emanating from his throat.
Hayden returned the threat before standing straight and staring down his opponent. “I know more than you think, Gregory. You wouldn’t underestimate me if you knew what was good for you.” Hayden hated to say the clichéd lines, but they seemed appropriate, and it made him smile. Apparently, it looked more like a smirk to Gregory, and the Alpha’s anger amplified. The guy had serious control issues. How he had remained Alpha was a mystery. Hayden cracked his knuckles, ready for another round, ignoring the fatigue spreading through his body.
We are not invincible, but we are stronger than you may think.
Tully’s voice swam in his head, and he glanced her way to make sure she was all right. Her eyes were hyper-focused on him.
“Underestimate you?” Gregory said as he pulled himself from the snowdrift. “You think your kind are strong? You think your kind are worthy? After I kill you, I will personally slay every human I find in these woods. They will suffer for your arrogance. There will be no mercy for your insolent friends.”