Page 104 of Awakened
Bitch said what?
He was not my mate. There was no pull to him beyond thinking he was fine as hell, but I had that same appreciation for the two hulking, growling wolves behind me. I was stuck in theBermuda Triangle of masculine bullshit, and it was closing in on all sides. Seth and Zach had both moved closer, pushing against my shoulders.
I buzzed with the need to shift to protect myself from the false claim. “That’s bullshit, and you know it.”
While my body became more tense, Matthew’s relaxed as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Come on, Celeste, now you’re just being difficult.” His smile did nothing to soothe me. If anything, it added to his overall sense of menace.
I stepped forward, away from Zach and Seth and their rumbling chests. “And you’re being absurd. If I wouldn’t come when you called, why would I let you lie about this?”
He lifted his fingers to my cheek, but I leaned out of his reach. “Keep your fucking hands off me. I’m not yours. I belong to no one but myself.”
“You’ve been with the Amazons too long, forgotten a female’s place. I’ll show you. Trust me, you’ll like what I have in mind.” His eyes trailed down my body, and my skin burned under his gaze. I needed to bathe in bleach to remove the grime I felt from him just looking at me.
“Sorry, Matthew, I don’t fuck with delusional dick. I’ve got all the beefcake I need behind me.”
Matthew’s narrowed eyes darted first to Seth, then to Zach. A smirk pulled at his lips when he looked back at me.
“The beta?” He snorted. “Celeste, you’re meant for more than being with a beta. You belong with a powerful wolf. You belong with me, your mate.”
“Okay, you need to stop with this mate shit. We aren’t mates. And fuck you and your opinions on my partner. You’re just an entitled little prince. The only reason you’re an alpha is because your daddy’s an alpha. If you had to fight for it, you’d be destroyed.”
To emphasize my point, I pushed his chest. He lost his footing for a second but then grabbed my hand, pulling me toward him.
“Never lay a hand on me. You may be my mate, but I will nottolerate your disrespect.” His voice was hushed, only for my ears, but I knew Seth and Zach were catching every word.
In the same quiet whisper, I rasped back, “Get your fucking hands off me. I. Am. Not. Your. Mate.”
“You are whatever I say you are. If you don’t start playing along, I’ll make sure Hope goes exactly where she belongs. Do you want her to end up like Grace?” His mouth contorted into another twisted smile.
My blood boiled. I wanted this male under my fucking boot. “You won’t touch a hair on her head.”
He leaned even closer to my face, our noses a centimeter apart, his eyes boring into mine. “Her hair will be the least of your worries. I wonder if she’ll taste as sweet as her sister.”
I was ripped away from Matthew as a snarl tore through the air. Zach stood between me and the asshole as Seth grabbed ahold of me.
“I’ll fucking kill you.” Zach leaned toward Matthew, ready to pounce.
“Would that be for your dead mate or for your partner that I’m claiming?”
“Both, you fucker.”
“Considering I didn’t kill anyone—” He sent me a wink. “Your only grounds for a challenge is Celeste.”
The Old Church Packs practiced the tradition of the challenge. One wolf could challenge another for land, mates, position, whatever. Participants would agree on whether the challenge would end in submission or death. The Regional Powers had a soft ban on the practice, but as with so many other Old Church traditions, it wasn’t enforced.
Zach’s arms sprouted patches of fur. It was just a matter of time before he shifted. I needed to do something.
“Stop it. No one fights for me but me!” My outburst gave me enough time to push out of a stunned Seth’s grasp and move between Zach and Matthew.
Matthew tilted his head to assess me, his face splitting into a grin. “I’m going to enjoy your submission.”
“Okay, Mr. Grey, let’s fucking do this.” I kept my body tense, ready to strike. This was where all my training would pay off. I could take this fucker—I knew it.
A circle formed around us. Seth and Zach stood only feet away from me, their eyes burning a hole in my back.
A man I recognized from the Howler files as Alpha Stewart stepped in between us. “Son, do we have a problem here?”
“Nothing I can’t handle.” Matthew turned and stood next to me. “Dad, this is my mate, Celeste Spencer. Celeste, this is Alpha Stewart.”
