Page 68 of Cruel Alpha Daddy

Caleb looks up at me in alarm. “What do you mean whatever happens? Dad’s going to win, isn’t he?”

Stinging tears well up in my eyes, and I wrap my arms around Caleb and give him a fierce hug. He squeezes me back, and I’m amazed by the strength in his tiny body.

You’re going to grow up to be just like him.

Down in the clearing, a harsh growl splits the air. I flinch, standing up quickly to see what’s happening.

Tobias and Rider have both shifted. They are circling each other, hackles raised.

“I don’t think you should be watching this,” I say, trying to turn Caleb away.

“Don’t you dare, Mom!” he cries. “That’s my dad out there, and I know he’s going to win.”

“Okay, kiddo,” I mutter, knowing full well the second the fight gets deadly, I’ll be covering Caleb’s eyes and dragging him away from the main circle.

Some of Tobias’s bikers look like they want to run from the clearing into the woods. But wolves from our side have surrounded the entire place now, and none of them can escape. I don’t know what Bailey’s plan is, but I feel like we can’t let any of Tobias’s crew get out of here alive.

If we truly want peace, we have to completely get rid of all these guys.

A fierce bark rips through the air, followed by a threatening snarl. I watch helplessly as Tobias leaps through the air, launching himself at Rider’s throat. They tangle together, a mess of shaggy fur and twisted limbs. The sounds they make are awful, like tortured souls locked in eternal combat.

That is exactly what they are.

Blood sprays across the ground, and a yelp makes me jump. The two wolves come apart, and I step forward, keeping my hands on Caleb’s shoulders.

When I see Rider limping, a sick, heavy weight settles into my guts. My skin feels cold, and my heart seems to turn to stone.

“Come on, Dad,” Caleb mutters. “You can do it!”

I’m torn between wanting to haul my son out of here and continuing to watch the fight. I can’t take my eyes off Rider. Leaving him is impossible, but I also don’t want my son to see this.

He’s tough, even for a shifter kid. All of them learn to hunt early on, and he understands violence. But hunting rabbits and play-fighting is not the same as a death match!

As Rider backs away, leaving a trail of blood from his wounded front paw, Tobias stalks towards him. He’s panting with excitement, tongue lolling out and teeth bared as he creeps forward, getting ready to spring.

Every time Rider tries to plant his feet to defend himself, he falters on his injured paw, buckling so badly that he almost falls. He can barely stay standing, let alone crouch to spring or brace to meet Tobias if he charges.

With a triumphant snarl, Tobias leaps at Rider. His paws scrape desperately at the dirt as he tries to hold his ground, but Tobias hammers into him, and they roll across the clearing. Flashes of fur, teeth, and claw are all I can see. There is no way to know who will get the advantage.

A terrible howl splits the air, and my heart skips a beat. Hope surges through me because I know that wasn’t Rider. It had to be Tobias.

The two of them roll into the middle of the clearing, with Rider coming out on top. He pins Tobias and lunges, closing his jaws firmly on Tobias’s neck. They struggle briefly, then Rider twists his head, trying to rip Tobias’s throat open.

He still can’t put weight on his front paw!

Without bracing with both front legs, Rider can’t get enough leverage to tear open Tobias’s throat or break hisneck. They struggle against each other, and Tobias breaks free, slinking backwards as Rider pants heavily, trying not to collapse.

Blood flows freely from his injured paw, and I know he can’t fight much longer. He’s losing a lot of blood, and that last maneuver took a lot of strength out of him.

I’ve managed to keep my own wolf under control, but now, seeing my mate bleeding, battered, and retreating, she rises inside me with the force of a warrior goddess. A growl rumbles in my throat, and I can’t hold it in. Even though I’m still holding onto Caleb, I’m drawn to the circle so strongly, it’s like I’m being pulled forward against my will.

“Fiona,” Bailey warns. “Don’t.”

“I can’t let him die!”

“But you can’t interfere. He has to beat Tobias, you know that. If he doesn’t, he can never truly be the alpha.”

“You’d really just let Tobias kill him? Don’t tell me you’d just let him and the bikers go?”

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