Page 169 of Conner's Luna

It would be nice to say that none of the wolves agree, but I can see the speculation in some of their eyes. Still, I dismiss it. I have more important things to think about.

"Conner?" I whisper.

He's slowly taking deep breaths, in and out. "Yeah, babygirl?" he croaks.

"Can I study his blood clotting factors?" I ask as quietly as I can. I don't want anyone to overhear me. It's probably not the best time to inquire about wolf genetics.

Conner, and several wolves around me, laugh uproariously. I pout a little before Conner smiles cruelly down at Alpha Wilkinson. "She's so much scarier than a she-wolf," he says calmly. "She's a fucking scientist."

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Conner

Bailey's heart is racing. My wolf's thoughts bleed into my own;mate, our mate, our mate is frightened.

"Conner," Bailey scolds me. "Why are you fightingwars?" She's brushing my chest with her fingers, examining for any wounds. Her sweet touch is driving me wild. If we had time and I thought she'd be up for it, I would claim her in the traditional style, right here and now. But, yeah, that's my dick talking. My wolf stares at his female. He's on board with the fuck-right-now plan.

I wrap my arms around her to trap her hands and keep some semblance of control. "Why are you outside?" I ask in the same exasperated tone she just used with me. My hands start to tremble at the thought of Bailey being harmed in any way.

"She is small and hides wellJefe," Carmichael saunters over, his creepy eyes dancing in amusement. He was put out when Dad asked him to guard ClearHowl for us. I think he only agreed to come here instead of RedMoon to bring AuntieCass and Uncle Mattie with him.

Figures that he would get to have all the fun, anyway.

"Thispendejoissued Challenge," Carm nods toward the increasingly pale Wilkinson. "Then theputajoined in."

"I Challenge for my rightful place at your side!" Lydia screeches. My wolf flinches, his ears flickering at the painful sound.

The rumbles from the guts of pissed-off wolves start up again but stop when I hold up my hand. I seep into my Bond with Bailey again, letting Bailey's worry wash over me. Oh, fuck, she's feeling a little lust right now. Shit... I have to think of something else.

"You fucked each other?" I ask them. I hold Bailey closer, just in case she becomes jealous over the hint of guilty concern I feel for an insane Lydia. Wilkinson is literally old enough to be her father.

Lydia's following words erase all of my guilt, "I will have an alphason. I am a Luna," she snaps. "You didn't get me pregnant!" she seethes to me, "and neither did Trey! But one week of fucking your human whore and you get her pregnant!" she finishes with a scream of rage directed toward Bailey and me.

Fucking motherfucker. Is that it? I didn't get Lydia pregnant, so she tried with another alpha?Twoother alphas? For some reason, I think that's more psychotic than ripping baby Mikko out of his mother.

A sense of smug superiority flickers in my girl. I hide my smile in her hair. Yeah, I got Bailey pregnant without any trouble at all. One week, super sperm. I was tryingnottoget her pregnant. She wasn't even taking the fertility drugs yet.

"You are not a Luna," Trey's deep voice, raspy from lack of water, interjects. "My mate... Bailey is a Luna."

All eyes turn to see the former RedMoon Alphason. He has been untied. Dad's doing, probably. "Mine," I snarl lowly. Bailey's soft, small hand keeps patting my chest.

"Conner won our Challenge," Trey rasps out the little white lie without responding to my guttural declaration. He limps forward, his eyes staring down Lydia, "and it looks like he just won against my dad, so he is now the RedMoon alpha, andhe has a luna."

"And a pup on the way," Bailey says cheerfully.

The snarl from Lydia is grotesque. Bailey shivers in my arms as I make sure I'm shielding her from the crazed she-wolf. I need to think of a way to get her out of fighting Lydia without making ClearHowl believe that Bailey's weak. She's pregnant, yeah, but when she has our pup, she'll need protection from psychos. Where is Uncle Alex? He's always good for ideas and shit. Bailey will need an alpha female, but which she-wolf won't try to lord it over her? Fuck.

"I Challenge you," Lydia hisses at her.

"But I Challengeyou, first."

I don't know who's more shocked, me, Trey, Wilkinson, or Lydia. The only one who isn't shocked is Dad, who can't keep the shit-eating grin off his face.

"Mom?" Trey calls for her quietly as his mom, Elenora limps over with the help of a cane. "You won't," he says firmly.

"As you said, sweetheart, you aren't the alphason any longer. And I can. I will. I Challenge you, Lydia, for both my title and my mate."

Trey's mom looks at me and waits. I meet her eyes, ignoring the feelings of pity and confusion coming from Bailey.

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