Page 29 of Wrestling With Werewolves

Lola sucks in a deep breath that draws my attention. The look on her face is absolute terror, and it rips my soul to pieces to see that.

Fixxxxxxxxx, Big Daddy shouts.

Without thinking, I wrap an arm around her and pull her to my chest, purring quietly. Tipping her chin up to force her to focus on me and not Rowan, I scan her face, drinking in her pitch-black irises and the black freckle on one side of her mouth.

“I’ll be fine, omega,” I croon. It’s a comforting tone, a tone I’ve used thousands of times with others in my pack.

Not while touching like this, Big Daddy reminds me. Kiss omega.

I ignore that, though, listening for her heartbeat to slow. Instead, it ramps up as Rowan’s footsteps echo into the bar. The floorboards begin to clatter as Bad Axe welcomes the challenger. Cheering and shouting follow Rowan as I struggle to pull my attention from Lola.

She places both hands on my chest. “Be careful, please.” Her eyes are wide with fear.

I drop her chin and bring my mouth to her ear, the scent of oranges and cream filling my senses. “Say it with me, omega. I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll be fine,” she repeats dutifully, her voice never registering above a whisper.

I straighten. “Then it’s settled.”

She bites her lip and nods, but her scent remains tinged with the bitter sourness of fear.

“It’ll even be fun,” I say with a growl as I spin to face Rowan. She’ll see. This is not like a challenge in Santa Alaya.

The smaller alpha stands in the entryway with the entire pack behind him, as well as a smattering of centaurs and pegasi. Connall stands to Rowan’s left, arms crossed and a big grin on his face.

I stand my ground, waiting for Rowan to issue his official challenge. Lola’s worried presence is tangible at my side, but I hope once we begin fighting, she’ll see that this is a far cry from what Marco will undertake against Eliel.

Rowan presses his palm flat to his chest, giving me an intense, predatory look. When he speaks, his wolf’s voice resonates throughout the bar. “Alpha Richard Benton, I formally challenge you for leadership of Pack Ever.”

Howls rise in support of him, which is all part of the show. This is a confidence-building exercise at its very core.

I raise my chin, balling my fists as Big Daddy presses to the front of my consciousness, ready to rip through my clothing and attack.

Start in human form, I remind him. Don’t distract me.

No answer.

I grin wickedly at Rowan. “I accept your challenge, Alpha Rowan Woodcock of Pack Ever. May Alaya bless you with strength and courage.”

His nostrils flare, his challenge clear. “And you, Alpha.”

Connall howls into the room, raising the hair on my nape as the rest of the pack joins in. Howls mix with growls and shouts and cheers, a few jeers too. Arkan and Hana and the rest of the centaurs and pegasi stand at the back, stomping in anticipation of the fight. Despite the fact that they aren’t technically part of the pack, I’ve always included their herds in everything as if they were.

“Outside!” I bellow, commanding everyone out of the bar.

Someone swings the doors wide, and the pack and herds flow like a river out into the street, still jeering and shouting. Electric energy fills my consciousness, my senses sharpening and expanding as Big Daddy pushes his abilities into my human form.

“Good luck, Alpha,” Lola says, her tone throaty. She slaps me on the stomach as she passes, heading for the exit.

I snarl at the rough touch, every cell of my body primed and ready for violence. Watching her walk away is a special sort of torture because, amped like I am, I’m just as ready to fuck as I am to fight. Pro or con of being a pack alpha, I suppose. We’re always the most dominant wolf in the pack. The knot at the base of my cock swells and pulses, eager to be buried deep in her heat.

Dominate Luna after we win, Big Daddy commands, pressing against my bones until my feet move me toward the exit. I’m too focused on the fight to remind him we can’t do that with her.

Out in the street, the pack and herds have formed a giant circle. Silver jewelry glints with gems in every shade—cuffs, bars, earrings—the entire pack has on their finery in support of Rowan. Even the centaurs and pegasi have taken on our bejeweled tradition. Arkan and Hana wear matching fetlock cuffs with purple jewels in a ring. They stamp a beat together as Arkan cheers for Rowan.

Rowan stands in the circle’s center, raising his arms to urge the cheers higher. Silver studs glint in both his ears, a chunky pendant hanging from his muscular neck. His girlfriend joins him, holding a hand out for his jewelry so he can remove it to shift.

When I enter the ring, I pull my shirt off so it doesn’t tear when we let our wolves out.

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