Page 85 of Can't Be Love

“I’m going to worry, slugger. I love you. I hate that there is literally nothing I can do to stop this nightmare. I’ve gone through every word in the Book of Wolves about the mating challenges and my hands are tied. I can’t get you out of the fight. I need you to know that if she were to win, there is a section of code I will invoke that will ensure she will never be my mate.”

“What?” I asked, not sure I was hearing him correctly.

“It’s an Alpha-specific clause. My wolf and I will never take another mate. For us, it’s only ever going to be you, no matter what.”

I sighed. “Thomas, the last thing I’d ever want is for you to be lonely. Your wolf needs companionship too. It’s what feeds our emotional connections. You have to know that.”

“We’ll survive, Lily, but we’ll never truly live without you.”

“And you told Wanda that?”

“Yeah, I was sort of hoping it would make her rethink through this and back off, but it backfired on me.”

“Because, unlike me, you didn’t do your homework and know who you were dealing with. I won’t make that mistake, and besides, none of this matters anyways, because she won’t beat me,” I said with a certainty I felt deep down in my soul.

“There’s something else,” he said hesitantly, giving me an apologetic look that made my stomach flip with nerves. “My wolf lost it today, Lil. He tried to overtake Dad when he went to make me submit. While you give him a peace I’ve never felt before, you’ve also empowered him, and Dad feels like it’s only a matter of time before he’ll refuse to submit at all.”

“What does that mean, exactly?” I asked. It didn’t sound good, but I didn’t know where he was going with it either.

“Dad thinks it’s time,” he said simply. “And I didn’t want to agree to anything without discussing with you first.”

“I’m not following you, Thomas. You’re not a danger to the Pack. If you’re having trouble controlling your wolf’s aggression, we can work on that. What do you mean it’s time? I don’t understand.”

“It’s time for Dad to step down and for me to advance to Alpha,” he said, taking in a sharp breath and waiting for my response.

“Now?” I asked. “In the middle of challenges? Don’t we have enough on our plate without adding that?”

He smiled. “I tell you that you could be Pack Mother within a month’s time, and you’re concerned about the trials? Lily, if this happens the way Dad thinks it should, he’ll petition the Grand Council for approval when they are here for your battle against Wanda.”

“Since when does the Grand Council have to approve a new Alpha?” I asked, still not fully understanding where he was going with this.

“They don’t, but we need their approval to request the exemption for any further battles. Our mating challenges would effectively end as we assumed our new roles within the Pack. What do you think? If it works, you’d only have to fight Wanda.” He said her name through gritted teeth.

“You and your dad didn’t come up with this idea just to get me out of battles, did you?” I said, suddenly worried that he truly thought I wasn’t capable of fighting my own fights.

“No, babe, that’s not the case at all. Actually, I’m afraid it’s me, not you. My expectation during a battle is to sit there and watch without showing favoritism. It’s just not possible. He’s already got plans in place to contain me and even remove me if necessary. My wolf isn’t handling a threat to you well at all.” He sounded regretful, embarrassed, not realizing how relieved it made me.

I never understood how they could expect that of a mate. It’s not like we were potential mates, we were bonded. If they wanted to continue their stupid trials, they should be issued before a couple bonds.

“I hate that these stupid challenges even exist at all,” I admitted. “But Thomas, I’m a lot stronger than you think. Maybe I need this battle to prove that to you and to the Pack. Our Pack, and to answer your earlier concerns, if stepping up sooner, rather than later, is what’s best for you, then it’s what’s best for me too.”

The relief on his face at my words made tears spring to my eyes. Time for talking was over as he carried me to our bed and showed me just how much he needed me.

The next day I was on full focus. Lizzy came by her so-called secret place to spar with me some more, but apparently it wasn’t that big of a secret, because we quickly had a growing audience. We had already discussed the importance of basics, so nothing fancy was happening to the disappointment of those in attendance.

By lunch time I was drenched in sweat and starving. I had asked Thomas to stay away, despite his need to spend every second with me before my battle the next day. We compromised. He would give me the space to train and prepare until six o’clock, then we would head home and spend the night alone.

When the five remaining Six Pack showed up with lunch, I made a mental note to add them to the off-limits list.

“What are you guys doing here?” I groaned. “It’s bad enough we’ve gained an audience,” I grumbled.

“Relax, Lily,” Wyatt said. “We come in peace, bringing lunch and offering our help.”

I snorted. “Besides running interference with the ladies, how are you boys offering to help, exactly?”

“Well, she still has her spirit, that’s a good thing,” Austin said. “Now we want to see if you can really fight.”

“Huh?” I asked, no doubt giving them a comical look.

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