Page 34 of Conquered Obstacles

“So how about we settle this, Barb? I bet you can’t even spar with me and keep it together enough not to shift like a mongrel.” He chuckled darkly when she growled. “Sure, prove my point. I have no problem smacking you around even if you’re a woman. Not in a fight like this where people agree and we’ve got set terms. Or are you not strong enough?”

“Your mother would never—”

“Do not speak for me, Barbara,” Nicole said firmly. “I tire of your attitude and your causing trouble. I’ve always hated you and the way you make women look bad. You think you’re so amazing, prove it.” She gestured to where she was standing, clearly on my side and then around. “All the strongest stand here.”

“Those who don’t know the situation or what is really going on are standing over there,” Poseidon said to be fair, pointing to a lot of other groups from New England that we didn’t know. They weren’t on ours or the Kraft’s side but hanging back by the door.

And it wasn’t so much that others were on the Krafts’s side, but more they didn’t want to be on ours. It was clear that the infected wolves would all stand against having Mary as the strongest in New England, but I doubted they would really agree with being friends with the Krafts or wolves like them.

Or I guess it wasn’t really New England… Though Mary was confused because some sources said it was six states and others seven—whatever, we did the whole northeast region.

So it was every pack and coven that we knew of from Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia.

All the vampires were on our side. None were stupid enough with their ancients there. We’d met and worked with several covens of warlocks and witches, so they were with us and not just locally. We had deals in New Jersey and New York. We’d met with one in Virginia as well.

And supes talked so yes, we had a lot of people in the huge warehouse on our side… Who were enjoying the free food. I glanced over and saw a dozen tables had been emptied and refilled them.

Clearly, it wasn’t everyone from the groups though because that would have been thousands of people more than we had. That was fair, understandable even given the little notice we’d provided.

But I still planned on having people follow up and make sure that others were behaving and doing what they should.

I sat back in my chair, Mary and Kary standing on either side of me making it clear where their place was. I couldn’t get over this turn of events, and part of me thought I should shut it down or do something, but I simply watched.

Colton stretched and smirked at Barb. “You’ve always wanted a chance to touch me. Take it.” He moved his hands over his pecs and ripped abs, and Barb looked like she might need to wipe up some drool.

And she wasn’t the only one. Damn man.

He pushed his hair back and chuckled when she got lost in his body. “Fine, you win, and I’ll go out with you like you lie to everyone and make it sound like we already have. I’ll give you a real shot. Two months of dates and a real chance to court. Publicly even.”

She did a double take. “And you won’t see her. No going sniffing around her and just doing it for show. You give me a real chance.”

“A hundred percent.”

“Deal,” she blurted. “I can beat you into your senses.”

He snorted at her. “When I win, you stop all the shit with Arabella. No more snide remarks or petty anything. I know you’re still locked down, but no more since you’re clearly still talking to your cousins. This is all done, and I am allowed to enforce it magically, punish it magically. I then become the mediator of the situation, the judge of it.”

She looked at him and smirked. “Sure, Cole.”

Fool. He had something big up his sleeve. I was looking at him like I’d never seen him before and shocked to my core he was acting like this. Even Hades and Poseidon seemed frozen and to be holding their breath to see what happened.

“No magic,” one of the Krafts called out.

“As long as she keeps her claws and teeth in,” Colton agreed. “I’ll only call magic to protect myself.”

Now why would he phrase it like that? Call magic.

I glanced at Nicole and felt her amusement. Right, Colton had said he had magic on him or his magic gave him enhanced abilities.

She was too confident. So were other “elite” warlocks and witches who knew him. Oh boy.

“With your permission, I will officiate,” one of the ancients checked with us. Both sides agreed, but Barb made it clear that the “bloodsucker” better not touch her.

“Seriously, your daughter has a death wish,” Hades told Mr. Kraft. “He’s an ancient vampire thousands of years old. That’s why he looks as he does. He cannot blend with humans. He could snap her before she would even know he was there, and they tend to when insulted. You really need to teach your family some self-preservation.”

The fight started and Barb launched at Colton, ready to end it quick and clearly to embarrass him… Before dating him? What was even her logic there? He embarrassed her by what he said and not falling at her feet or giving in all this time, so now she wanted to turn the tables?

That didn’t sound like desiring someone but the red flag of a narcissist.

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