Page 33 of Omega's Breed

“He will,” Caleb said. “Magnus is an old-fashioned shifter and fighting is something he believes in. Even if he didn’t, Henry sure will. He has honor and will accept the challenge on Magnus’ behalf.”

Will swiped at his tears. “I don’t understand. You’re going to fight Magnus?” He set his worried gaze on Finn.

Finn gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. “That’s right, although it won’t be Magnus.” He glanced at Caleb. “I assume the gamma, Maurice, will be chosen as Magnus’ stand-in.”

Caleb nodded. “Yes, sir. Even in his prime, Henry was never much of a fighter.” He walked up to Finn. “Let me do the same for you. I’ll be your champion.”

That the gamma would make such an offer after having joined the pack such a short time ago, and against a former pack mate, warmed Finn’s heart. He felt that he and the Rogue Pack had lucked out in gaining this shifter. He put his hand on the big guy’s shoulder.

“I thank you humbly for making that offer, but this is something I must do myself.”

Caleb shook his head. “You don’t know Maurice. He’s vicious and won’t stop until one of you is dead.”

A soft gasp erupted out of Will. Ignoring it, Finn kept his focus on the gamma. “I’m no stranger to fighting to the death. And, I won’t ask you to kill someone you grew up with.”

“There’s no love lost between Maurice and me.”

Finn patted the gamma once before moving back. “That may be, but Will and Annie are mine. I intend to protect them with my body, my wolf, my blood, if necessary.” He pulled Will to his side. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m going to win this fight. I just need to know you’re in a safe place while I do this.”

Before Will, or anyone else, could muster up any kind of objection, he steered his mate out of the office and back to the great room. He set him on the couch, and plucking Annie from Joey’s arms, handed her back to her father.

She gave him a toothy grin. “Da!”

That one word wrapped around his heart and squeezed it painfully. “That’s right, sweetheart, I’m your sire, and nothing’s going to change that.” He chucked her under the chin and was rewarded with a giggle. “You stay here, Will, with Annie. This will be over soon. I promise.”

Will’s eyes filled with tears once more. “Please let Caleb fight for you.” He sniffed loudly. “I don’t want to lose you and Annie both.”

“Oh, baby. You won’t lose either of us. I promise. Just stay here. You don’t need to see what’s going to happen.”

Finn ignored the others in the room, all listening by necessity to the private moment between him and his mate. That Will worried about him gave him extra courage. His mate wanted him to win not only for the sake of their daughter, but for him, as well. Hearing that buoyed his resolve. With a crack of his neck, he marched back out, sure in the knowledge that his alpha followed along with Caleb.

The interlopers loitered by their vehicle under the watchful eye of Deidre and Liam, who’d come around front when it became apparent that was where the only threat lurked. As soon as they spotted him, Henry and Maurice stepped forward. Henry’s mate remained inside the SUV. He was glad she wouldn’t have to see him kill the guy because no way the older beta would accept the challenge on behalf of Magnus. Finn would have to face Maurice, and the gamma looked like he would be a formidable opponent. He wouldn’t have the motivation that Finn did, however.

He let Lorcan do the talking because it was the alpha’s right. But, he stripped off his pants in preparation before the alpha had uttered a word. His heart hammered, and it was almost impossible to keep his wolf back until the proper moment. Memories of the last time he fought to protect his family threatened to swamp him. He ruthlessly shoved them down. There was no room for fear or doubt. He had to win, and this time, it was one-on-one, not an overwhelming force of shifters attacking.

He could do this.

“A challenge?” Henry turned his fierce gaze on Finn, who had yet to leave the porch and had missed Lorcan’s explanation. “You’ll fight for a pup not your own?”

“Annie is my pup.” He shifted his gaze to the gamma, dismissing the beta and his blustering disbelief. “I assume I’ll be fighting you?”

By way of answer, the gamma merely gave him a cocky grin and started shucking off his clothing. Before Finn could step off the porch and shift, Caleb stopped him with a hand on Finn’s arm. He leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“If you lose, I promise you Annie will never end up back with Magnus. I’ll make sure of that, and I’ll take her and Will far away so that the Rogue Pack doesn’t suffer.”

Stunned, Finn could only stare at the gamma. “This isn’t your fight, and they aren’t your responsibility. I can’t ask that of you.”

“You’re not. I’m offering.” He looked away. “We all knew something was wrong about the way Magnus treated Will. I should have done something to help him. Now that I know for sure what went down, I’m never going to forgive myself.” He stared back at Finn. “This is a matter of my honor as much as anything else. Not that I’ll need to make good on my promise. You’re going to take Maurice. Just be careful, he fights dirty,” he added, baring his teeth in a mimic of a smile.

“So do I when it’s called for. Don’t worry, and thanks, Caleb. I won’t forget your support.”

He leaped off the porch, shifting as he did so. His wolf howled in appreciation of its liberation. Landing on all fours, he growled at Maurice, showing the shifter what he was in for. If the gamma was intimidated, he didn’t reveal it. He didn’t even wait to remove his shirt before changing. A massive brown wolf stood in his place, already slavering.

Henry backed up to the SUV, his movements mostly a blur in Finn’s vision. He kept his gaze on his opponent, waiting for him to make the first move. His human brain had to struggle to keep control of the situation when his wolf’s instinct was to attack and sink his teeth into the other wolf’s flesh. But he knew he had to use his beta cunning to compensate for the gamma’s larger size and strength.

He didn’t have long to wait. True to his nature, the gamma had no patience and lunged at him with a fierce suddenness. Finn was ready, though, and met the attack with equal force. Blood flooded his snout as their bodies collided and he immediately found an open, vulnerable spot. The gamma howled in pain, yet didn’t back off. Instead, he twisted in a surprisingly nimble move for such a large body and caught a piece of Finn’s flank. Teeth punctured his skin for a moment before he freed himself. The bite of pain didn’t deter him, however. It gave his wolf encouragement, the threat of death being a more primal thing now.

When next they lunged at each other, Finn was even more determined to bring the other down. Not only for his current family, Will and Annie, but also for his former one. For Ashley, his sweet female mate who should haven’t died in blood and fear. And, for his sweet young pup, his son—Daniel. Echoes of that previous deadly fight filled his mind, sending him back in time and muddling reality enough that his human brain couldn’t make the distinction between then and now. Using claws and teeth, he hit the gamma’s weak spots—throat and belly.

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