Page 4 of Wolf Crowned

She stuck both hands on her hips and jutted her chin out. “I’m not good enough for you?”

I rubbed the back of my neck and averted my gaze for a moment. “It’s not that, Fiona. You are a perfectly lovely young woman. I just don’t think we have a connection.”

It took everything I had to get the words out.

She reached out for me, but I shrugged away, which made her pout. “I can do better. We can have a connection. Whatever you want, Sawyer. I’ll do anything.”

I shook my head and pinched the bridge of my nose. Why couldn’t she just take no for an answer? “I’m sorry. I wish it was different, but I don’t think anything is going to work between us.”

Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits and her chest heaved as she opened and closed her mouth like she was trying to decide what to say. She made a sound in the back of her throat that sounded like a muffled sob, and then stalked past me.

She said something under her breath that I couldn’t make out. I was right about Fiona. She was a snake. And someone I was going to have to watch out for.

If she suspected I had a relationship with any of the women here, I didn’t doubt she would try to ruin it in any way she could. She could never know about Sloane and Lincoln.

Luna only knew what she might do then.

Two

Sloane

I balled my fists until my nails dug into my palms and then punched Lincoln’s hands with everything that I had. He harrumphed but smiled and inclined his head for me to go again.

I was still being watched, scrutinized with everything I did. But the challenges had stopped, for now. While I had sated most everyone’s concerns, I had no doubt that I was just one screw up away from having to fight for my spot again.

I didn’t want that, which is why I was training nonstop with Lincoln.

I gritted my teeth and jabbed again. Pain ricocheted up my arm, sending pin prick tingles down into my fingers.

I shook out my hand and huffed before falling back into my stance. Lincoln dropped his hands, his brows knitting together. “You okay? We’ve been going at this for a while now.”

His gaze dropped to my hands. The knuckles were raw and on the verge of splitting open.

I flexed, the whole hand stiff and beginning to swell. I tilted my head from side to side as I bounced on my feet, trying to work out the kinks. “We have to keep practicing. It’s only a matter of time before Alpha Dane is back.”

Lincoln shook out his hands. “Sawyer says that he’s taking some time to regroup. His priorities are elsewhere...for now.”

I rolled my eyes. Maybe. But we both knew that this was temporary. He didn’t like that we defied him. “Lincoln, we need to use this reprieve to our advantage. It’s our chance to be ready and if we’re really lucky, get the upper hand.”

Luna, it would be nice to be on the offensive for once.

Lincoln shook his head, but slowly lifted his hands back up so I could start punching again. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Sloane. You’re pushing yourself awfully hard.”

I bobbed and weaved before I threw another punch. “I know my limits.”

I heaved in a giant breath, trying to catch it. “Besides, no one in Pack Wolf Blood is going to stop because I need to take a break. I need to be ready. We all do.”

There had been a few people that had been resistant to doing some of the training. I didn’t want to force anyone because that wasn’t how it worked, not in my pack. It didn’t mean that I agreed with it. We all needed to be prepared because we were all target. I wished I could make everyone see that.

At least I could make sure I was prepared.

Lincoln grunted as I nailed him with an exceptionally well aimed punch to the hand. He stumbled back and looked at his palm.

He shook it out. “You are getting better. I’d hate to be on the receiving end of that with my face.”

I cracked a smile. “I could never hit you in the face, Lincoln. I already feel bad enough about hitting your hands. Look at them.”

They were worse than mine. Bruises peppered his skin and one of his fingers was bent at an awkward angle.

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