Page 37 of Escalating Alpha

But maybe that was me being petty. Fitting since he always was and never directly challenged me but was always pulling stupid shit.

Like never, noteverbringing food for the joint gatherings when we had cookouts but then his people gorging themselves. Like excessively eating on everyone else’s dime.

“Don’t you feel small?” I asked him, studying his face.

“I don’t know what you mean, Alpha,” he said innocently… While rage simmered in his eyes. He didn’t like being called out like this so publicly and how I was leading in.

“You can’t take me or Chicago and your big response is to eat our food?” I asked, not hiding that I was mocking him. “To come drive all the way here and steal food since we’re always clear that everyone brings food to the cookouts and we all eat. You don’t bring food and still eat. So I’ll ask again—don’t you feel small?”

“We forgot,” he bit out.

My hand flew faster than most could ever think to move. I decked him and let out a slow breath as he stared up at me from the ground, shock in his eyes. “Don’t fucking lie to me on my lands, asshole. I put up with a lot, but I won’t ever put up with that. Ever.”

He hurried to stand like it never happened and that annoyed me.

So I did it again and he landed on his ass harder. I gave him an amused look. “I didn’t tell you that you could get up yet, and I’m the Alpha here. You’re a club leader. You do nothing for your wolves and just come here to be petty like you’re in a high school club trying to snag free food. It’s pathetic. You’re pathetic and I’m over it.”

“This is why people don’t allow smaller packs around the large ones,” Simone said as she moved up next to me. “Melicent made all the baby pack leaders step down and they were now extensions of New York. It gives them protection, but mostly you don’t have these sorts of flies buzzing about you annoyingly.”

I wasn’t sure that I knew that. Probably, but maybe it hadn’t registered. I glanced at her. “How does that work? I killed thoseother ‘Alphas’ of packs that weren’t packs. This is different.” I glanced at the guy. “I think it’s a legit pack with the council.” I looked back to Simone. “That was a whole thing and headache.”

“That’s when you brought them under your umbrella,” she explained. “You killed those other guys because they were monsters. There are other ways to handle this. Basically, you absorb his—”

“Fuck you both,” the guy snarled as he jumped to his feet. “You’re not ousting me as Alpha and taking all of I have over some stupid food as the excuse because you’re a greedy bitch who—”

I hadn’t even seen Hagan move. I was too tired from so much that I was slow to react to the guy even if I knew I shouldn’t let it go on. I was just… Tired.

But then Hagan was there and the guy was unconscious and bleeding.

Badly.

And people took notice because it was Hagan. If Reagan had done it, they would think it was fair, but he was strict and didn’t mess around when it came to me.

But Hagan? He let a lot slide and didn’t like to be all over people. He was more understanding and forgiving.

“We are accepting here and aren’t militant or dictators like too many Alphas,” he said loudly to all the shocked shifters. “The wholepurposeof that is to show you that it’s not needed and our pack is this huge and functions better than most because we’re all kind and loving to each other how packsshould be. We are a true family here.”

“It’s one of the best parts of our pack and something we’re all grateful for every fucking day,” Nestor Martin, one of our other Betas, added.

Hagan gave a swift nod. “But we’ve been clear from day one that you do not come here and disrespect our Alpha. Not ever.Especially not in public or on her lands.” He turned on the members of that pack and looked pretty scary actually.

Several immediately knelt, the others following suit and baring their necks to us. The one who seemed to be the next strongest or oldest spoke up. “We didn’t like the not bringing food thing, Alpha. I swear it. He ordered us not to and to still come. I’m sorry for being petty and bitchy, but I couldn’t take hearing his whining if I didn’t eat your damn food.”

I sighed. Heavily. “It’s all over that the president ordered a hit on me and my son and I have to deal with this petty shit too. It’s a miracle that I’m not a fucking alcoholic.” I sighed again and looked at Simone. “So I don’t have to kill this dipshit? That’s a nice change.”

She chuckled and focused on the one who spoke. “Sera’s big on everyone getting a vote—which we all know. So which of you wants Sera to absorb your pack and kick this bozo to the curb?” She smirked when they all immediately raised their hands.

One woman raised both hands as if that gave her double votes somehow?

“My work here is done,” Simone said proudly. “I think that deserves a big steak.”

I snorted. “You mean beef. You don’t cook it enough to be a damn steak. You eat a slab of beef, woman.” I glanced at Theon. “If you could handle making sure the guy really leaves and knows he’ll be buried in Illinois if he doesn’t, that would be great. Also, assess the situation there and we can have one of them named as a remote backup Beta in case of emergencies there.”

“Yes, Alpha,” he accepted, looking amused.

Hagan pulled me off to the side, and the anxiety coming off of him made my wolf twitchy. He let out a heavy breath and glanced around before moving us further away from people.

It was the comic relief I needed. “Do you want us to go on the other side of the highway next?”

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