Page 29 of The Renegade Mate

Ryan reached over his shoulder, grabbed Tucker, and pulled him around to his front, tickling the boy.

“Hey,” Tucker giggled, “no fair, I wasn’t ready!”

A group of the younger wolves started to make their way toward us. Their faces were open, their eyes less guarded than before.

One of them, a girl with a braid down her back, spoke up first. “You did alright there, you know.”

I looked at her and smiled. “Thanks.”

“I’m Due-Lah. Think you can show me that leg-sweeping move?”

“Sure. Let’s do this,” I said, striding back onto the field.

“Don’t hold back, Due-Lah,” Ivan called. “Let’s see what you’ve really got.”

Due-Lah came at me fast, aiming a kick at my ribs. I dodged, the breeze from her boot brushing my skin. She followed up with a flurry of punches aimed at my chest and face. Damn, she was quick.

I waited for an opening, then slammed my fist into her shoulder. Due-Lah staggered back.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Shya’s angry voice broke my concentration. I turned to see her arguing with Mason. He growled something I couldn’t hear. I spun back just as Due-Lah swept my legs out from under me. I hit the dirt with a painful thud.

I looked up into her worried face.

“Like that?” she asked, her voice uncertain.

“Uh-huh. That was good,” I replied.

I jumped to my feet. Due-Lah grinned.

When she aimed another kick, I grabbed her leg and flipped her onto her back. Before she could react, I pinned her down, my forearm across her throat.

“Or you could do something like that,” I said.

Her eyes widened. “That was super cool! Do it again!”

I laughed and helped her up.

“Due-Lah,” Camille called from the edge of the veranda wrapping around the Alpha house. “You’re on kitchen duties this week because of that stunt you pulled in training yesterday.”

Due-Lah looked down, a meek, contrite expression on her face. “Of course, Camille. Apologies, Mai. I better go. I’ll see you all later.” She gave a small wave and ran back to the house.

Off to the side, I saw Shya arguing with Mason. She wasn’t yelling at him anymore, which was an improvement.

Ivan walked toward us and clapped Ryan on the back—a silent but powerful gesture. “You’ve got skills,” he said, locking eyes with both of us.

Some of the younger wolves, who had been so guarded earlier, were now chatting with Derek and Sam. The icy barriers had thawed, at least a little.

Ryan slipped his arm around my waist. “Not a bad start, huh?”

I smiled up at him. “Not bad at all.”

Chapter seventeen

Mai

Half an hour later, the adrenaline from the fight was still buzzing through me as I grabbed a towel and water bottle from a rack next to the weights, glancing around for Shya. The other wolves were leaving after the training session, but I spotted her sitting under the same oak tree that our renegade Pack had been sitting under earlier, shooting quick glances at Mason.

I went over and sat down next to her, the shade welcome.

---