Page 92 of Rogue Games

“Oh, I am. Because when I win this pack, I bet she’ll be begging me to give it to her.” He turns to his friends with a sleazy grin, and I know the next words out of his mouth are going to make me want to break all of his teeth. “But a rogue? She’ll be desperate for whatever scraps of attention a wolf like me throws at her. And she is stunning. It’s a shame really, because I could never make her luna.”

I was right. I’d love nothing more than to smash his face in and watch him spit his teeth into the dirt. With these wolves from high-ranking families, I didn’t think it needed to be said that they should be behaving like they’re alphas already.

But clearly, his parents didn’t bother teaching the spare standing in front of me proper manners.

“I think it would be wise to remember who you’re speaking with, Timothy.”

His eyes widen a fracture as he senses the force of my rage. He thinks I’m speaking as the host of the Alpha Games. He doesn’t realise he’s dealing with something far more dangerous—an overprotective, unmarked mate who hasn’t taken what’s his.

I step in closer, letting each one of them see the wolf shining in my eyes. “This isn’t a locker room, and I’m not one of your buddies, not that your words, or your attitude, would be acceptable then either.”

Callum’s lurking close by, keeping a close eye on me. He knows he’s in the doghouse with me, but he’s a loyal beta. He has my back, even when I’m pissed off with him.

He’s right to be concerned. I’m so furious, I can barely hold my human form. I turn and take a few steps away before anyone sees how my incisors have lengthened, ready to tear into him the second my wolf wrangles control away from me.

“Maybe I should reconsider. She must be good if even this guy is in love with her.”

When Timothy mutters the unsavoury slur to my back, eliciting some childish laughs from his idiot friends. I freeze, my body going rigid.

“Watch your mouth.” Callum snaps, attempting to handle the situation before it escalates. He knows I’m on the edge. “There are little ears listening. And I’m sick of hearing your bullshit.”

“Fine, whatever.” Timothy has the audacity to sigh, as if Callum is bothering him, and if it’s possible, I hate him even more for being a dickhead to my beta than anything else. Callum is nice to everyone and is only trying to stop the young wolf from getting himself killed. And yet, this pup has the nerve to openly disrespect him.

Before I even realise I’m doing it, I spin on the spot, and my arm shoots out and wraps tight around his throat in a tight headlock.

“Shit.” Callum moves his sizable bulk to hide us from view and shoos away some of the kids lingering close by. He doesn’t bother telling me to calm down, because he knows I’m beyond that.

“Not whatever.” I growl in his ear, the partial shift overtaking me, my hands sprouting thick fur and my claws poking through. Descending canines make it hard to speak clearly and from the look on Timothy’s face, I’m sure my features are grotesque. “That rogue is my mate. You even look at her again, if you so much as breathe in her direction, I’ll rip your balls off. And I’ll make it slow and painful.”

Giving his throat a small squeeze to ensure he knows I’m serious, I toss him away.

“Am I understood?”

The eyes of some nearby wolves land on us, shocked to see the big male lying on the ground at my feet, coughing and spluttering, clutching at his bruised throat as he sucks in air.

“Your mate? What the fuck?” One of the other wolves with Timothy looks at my neck, which is missing a mating mark. “But she hasn’t claimed you. How was he supposed to know?”

Gritting my teeth, I fight the urge to inflict pain on him too and will my face back to normal. “No alpha should ever speak so disparagingly about another wolf, rogue or otherwise. Mated or not, every wolf deserves respect.”

Rubbing his neck, the wolf stares at me. He comes from a family of alphas. He’s not used to being manhandled, and won’t take this lying down, but I couldn’t give a damn. I need to make sure he knows where he comes in the pecking order while he’s here, on my land.

Paddy fucking last.

“If being a rogue doesn’t matter, why haven’t you claimed her yet?” Timothy rasps as he crawls to his hands and knees, pushing away the hands that reach down to assist him. “Ashamed of her?”

I don’t have an answer for that. “It’s got nothing to do with that.”

Timothy’s lip curls in a smug sneer.

“Sure, it doesn’t.” His tone is sarcastic as he brushes the red earth from his clothes and glares at me.

Her presence calls to me. Finally caving, my eyes find Jamie’s, expecting to see disgust there for firstly, blowing our secret, and second, putting her in a position now where people will continually question her about why we’re not together if we’re fated mates.

Instead, I see heat. She liked it. Her wolf liked it. That doesn’t mean it was a clever move though.

My pack might have enough respect for me to stay out of it, but not all of these blow-ins.

In fact, knowing she was destined for an alpha but isn’t mated makes her a prize in itself. The winner will no doubt want a strong mate, able to lead the pack and produce powerful cubs. If you were looking for a chosen mate with all the right genetics, who just so happens to look spectacularly hot too, Jamie is your woman.

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