Page 18 of Corbin
Corbin glanced around at the group. His gaze stopped on Adrian, who waited in a casual pose with his arms crossed. Nothing casual about his gaze, now focused on everything with razor-sharpness.
Bosse, with his peanut-butter brown hair and no-nonsense attitude, stood well over six feet but had no issue with controlling his wolf. He had an even temperament so long as no male looked too hard at his new mate, who was gone visiting family in another state. Ladrón usually kept to himself, but Corbin knew him better than the others after the mountain climbing. His wolf felt strange. Corbin couldn’t put his fingeron why. Then there was Hammer, a bruiser with thick muscles on top of huge muscles who wore his blond hair loose to his shoulders and a pair of dark sunglasses when in human form.
Hammer had threatened the pack lunatic, Badger, with his life for trying to take off his sunglasses.
Those three fanned out, anticipating entertainment.
Ares made another push to break free. Corbin’s jaw muscles bulged from fighting the change. He caught a breath when his wolf backed off.
Corbin took in Adrian again. His attention had sharpened on Corbin.Way to go, Ares, you self-centered jerk.
The hell with this. The hell with Badger. Corbin was done being understanding. He ground out, “None of us want to pay for you screwing upagain, Badger.”
“I’m not listening to you, loser,” Badger smarted back, puffed up like he owned this place. “You aren’t my alphaeither.”
Claws poked through Corbin’s hands again, digging holes where he clutched his sides. “Argh!” Stupid wolf still trying to have his way.
Stupid human trying not to be a wolf, Ares sent back.
Clearly catching scent of how close things were to going apocalyptic, Ladrón and Hammer became visibly agitated. Bosse stood still, observing.
Couldn’t Adrian diffuse this?
Badger’s eyes rounded and bulged.
“Back off, Badger. We’re done for the day,” Adrian finally called out.
Corbin relaxed enough to breathe. Fighting his wolf had been so much worse than sparring with any of the pack. He slowly unwrapped his arms, waited a second, then stood straighter.
Looked like he’d made it through another day.
Staying with this pack may not be such a good idea at times like this, but it was better than being caught as a lonewolf by the Shifter Criminal Investigation Service or SCIS. His wolf would be locked in an underground titanium-encased cage where Corbin would go mad with him. If he faced dying before he turned twenty-five, he could think of better ways.
Badger suddenly lowered his arms and wiggled his fingers until the claws receded. He stepped past Corbin and turned to Adrian. “Come on, non-alpha. I can take you.”
“No.” Adrian’s command had been uttered in an even voice.
Badger’s animosity vibrated the air. He lowered his voice to a vicious sound. “You’re denying me the right to kick your ass to be alpha? Who looks weak now, wolf?”
Adrian rolled his eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you that I amnotthe alpha? We’ll train tomorrow. You can show me what you have then. No shifting untilafterdinner when anyone who feels the need can have at it.”
Every day, Adrian had them waiting later to shift. He wanted to give them a chance to build control, which had been working for the group. All except Badger, who had gotten bolder as his strength returned with Jaz feeding them well.
Badger snarled, sounding more wolf than human.
Adrian’s next warning came out in a low, chilling voice. “You know the rule, Badger. Shift now, and no one eats what Jaz has cooked or gets beer.”
Every pack member began growling, a chorus of deep-throated warnings.
Badger frowned at the others, then told Adrian, “If you’re scared, say you’re scared.”
Adrian’s expression said his patience had run out. “Remember, I gave you fair warning. This is about all of you learning to make better decisions.”
Corbin couldn’t fault Adrian if he ended up having to put down Badger’s wolf, but something inside of him felt sick atwatching a broken shifter die from demons riding shotgun on his shoulders.
Had he not escaped the Romanian, that could have been him.
Badger teased, “Or maybeyou’lldie, andI’llbe alpha.”
