Page 29 of Reformed Wolf

It felt so… anticlimactic the way he just fell over, like someone had kicked his legs out from under him. But I supposed I was too out of it to celebrate anyway. I allowed my eyes to slide closed again while I listened to Dylan’s frantic demands. “Get this gate open. Now!” Wow, he sounded pissed off. I would hate to be on the receiving end of that.

And then he was there, delivering a stinging slap across my face. “You asshole!” he shouted, gripping my jaw to bring my face back to his. “Open your fucking eyes!”

“Ow,” I mumbled through slack lips, but I dredged up just enough energy to peel back my eyelids. Dylan was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen, like an avenging angel, his panther shining through his amber eyes. “What was that for?”

“For making me love you then nearly dying!” Tears soaked his cheeks, and my hand seemed to float up on its own to brush them away.

“You love me?” I asked incredulously, but it came out slurred. My body felt so impossibly heavy, when all I wanted to do was wrap Dylan into my arms and make sure he didn’t regret choosing me.

He let out a snotty laugh. “Yes, you idiot.”

“Good, cause I love you too.” Then I pitched to the side and purged everything I had in my stomach with an awful, acidic splat.

I heard Jude’s warm laugh. “Ahh, nothing says love like half-digested food… Is that turkey?”

“Fuck off, you’re just jealous,” I mumbled as I felt hands under my armpits, hoisting me up onto my jelly legs. “Hey, Shan. Nice of you to stop by.”

My Alpha’s nose wrinkled as he shook his head, but he was laughing too. “No problem, especially considering I just won a considerable amount of money betting on you. Why do you always get into so much trouble when you come into the city? Why can’t you just follow the rules like everybody else?”

“To be fair, this is the only fight club I’ve ever gotten mixed up with.” My two packmates each draped one of my arms over their shoulders as we headed around Azar’s body to the gate. “Besides, I think my days of wild partying are over. I’m turning over a new leaf, ready to settle down, start a family.” I sighed, searching out my mate to make sure he was following us.

Dylan looked like he wanted to help, but he didn’t know what to do. He was gnawing on that pouty lower lip of his. “Is he going to be okay?” he asked.

“Sure,” Shan told him. He took a sniff of my shoulder. “Diamondback venom, I think. Good thing he’s not human. He just needs to sleep it off.”

I snarled. I hadn’t won my mate just to fucking sleep. “No sleeping,” I muttered, trying to pull away and failing miserably. I had almost no control of my body, and my legs spasmed. Lucky for me, Jude’s reflexes were quick, and he snagged my arm.

“Easy there, buddy. Let’s get you dressed before you start flailing. Nobody needs to see that thing flopping around.”

“Flopping? Ha! More like swinging,” I snarked back, but there wasn’t much bite to my words, because yeah, I totally needed his help getting dressed.

Shan and Jude handled the top half, while Dylan got down on his knees in front of me, threading my feet into my pantlegs and shimmying the denim over my hips. As he took my dick gently in his soft hands to ensure nothing got snagged in the zipper, he looked up at me through those thick lashes, and it was a good thing I was poisoned, or I would totally be pointing a boner straight at his mouth.

And that might’ve been especially bad, considering his father was right there…

“I suppose congratulations are in order,” he said, narrowing his eyes on me. Yeah, he totally knew I was thinking about screwing his son. Shit. Think unsexy thoughts. Why did he have to be so damn observant?

I rushed to shift his attention to Shan. “Mr. Caruso, this is my Alpha, Shan, and my bestest buddy, our backup Beta, Jude.”

“Seriously, you did not just call me the backup Beta. You suck at introductions,” Jude muttered under his breath.

“What? But you are! If you’d wanted to be Beta, you should’ve accepted the role.”

The crowd pressed in on all sides as people wanted to shake my hand and pat me on the back. They were all strangers, and I knew they were more curious than welcoming, assessing my abilities and aspirations. I’d won myself a powerful position with Dylan’s dad, and even though I didn’t know what that entailed yet, it was clear the shifters here were taking my measure. They all seemed relieved Azar hadn’t won, though.

I didn’t know what would come next, but when Mr. Caruso hugged his son goodbye, I felt an incredible fluttery sensation of anticipation—either that or I was having a heart attack from the snake venom, but I hoped it wasn’t that.

Joseph cupped his son’s cheeks with incredible care. “Cilla packed a bag for you, but I’ll come visit soon and bring the rest of your things. I’ll call you tomorrow,” he told Dylan, before hugging him.

I winced. “Yeah, about that… uh, we don’t have cell service out there, so don’t get too worried when it goes straight to voicemail.”

The look in Mr. Caruso’s eyes spoke of all the ways he wanted to hurt me. All the bonding I thought we’d done was wiped clean away. His grip on Dylan tightened, and for a second, I thought he would try to deny me my mate, but then Shan stepped in, ever the mediator. “You know what? I have an extra two-way radio in the truck. How about we leave it with you just in case, and then I’ll leave you directions on how to get there, and you can come down and check it out. You’re welcome anytime. How does that sound?”

He sighed, nostrils flaring, tension still coiled inside him. He was a protector by nature, and I was just glad I hadn’t had to fight him in the ring, because I was certain I would’ve lost. He nodded sharply to Shan, then set those flashing eyes on me. “I am glad you won, for the sake of my son’s happiness, but may Gaia save you if anything should happen to him while he’s in your care.”

“Daddy—” Dylan began, but I extended a hand to my new father-in-law.

“You have my word, my life and death are hereby devoted to him.” I didn’t hesitate, not a single waver in my voice.

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