Page 79 of Rejected Wolf's Secret Baby (Rejected Moons 4)

“You’ve never had my best interests at heart. You’re threatening to kill me and steal my child. And you still imagine that I’d believe you?” She shakes her head. “You’re insane. I always knew you were a fucking idiot, but you’re actually insane.”

“Watch your mouth, or I’ll do worse to the kid than steal her from you.”

Alicia struggles against the men who are holding her, letting out a cry of rage and pain. They’ve got her completely on lock, though. No matter how hard she fights, she can’t break free.

“It’s all right,” I tell her softly. “I can handle this.”

Lonnie snorts. “What do you think you’re going to do? In case you haven’t noticed, you’re pretty outnumbered here, Brandon.”

“I’m challenging you,” I say. The relief in saying the words is huge.

“You can’t challenge me,” Lonnie says.

“I can, and you know that,” I tell him. “You’ve been worried since Alicia got back thatsomebodywas going to do it. Well, that someone is me. I’m challenging you for alpha.”

“Kill him,” Lonnie snaps.

The men around him glance at each other.

I shake off the ones holding me. “They can’t kill me,” I say. “You know they can’t. Now that I’ve challenged you, you don’t have any choice but to accept. You have to fight me. Single combat.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” Lonnie says. “I don’t know who you think you are. Just because you banged my sister, that doesn’t make you a part of the bloodline. That doesn’t give you the right to challenge for alpha.”

“I have the right as her chosen mate,” I say. “I’m mated into the bloodline now. That gives me the power to vie for the alpha seat if I want it—and I’ve decided that I do. I would make a much better alpha than you would. I actually care about the future of this pack.”

“If you gave a damn about this pack, you’d be supporting itsrightfulleader,” Lonnie snarls. “I’m not going to fight you. I’m not going to give you the honor of being defeated by me. You’re going to be exiled from the pack, starting today.”

“Oh, no, he’s not.”

I turn toward the new voice. Vern is walking into the clearing, with Kayla by his side. He may be old, but he’s standing tall, and the look on his face is pure alpha dominance.

“Dad,” Alicia gasps.

“Let my daughter go,” Vern says. “Give her back her child and let her go.”

The alpha command is in his tone, and the others have no choice but to obey. Growls echo around the group, but the man holding Emmy dumps her back in Alicia’s arms. Alicia runs to her father’s side. He wraps an arm around her. Kayla embraces her too.

“Now,” Vern says, “you’re going to fight Brandon, Lonnie.”

“Like hell I am.”

“He’s within the bylaws of the pack,” Vern says. “He’s mated into the bloodline. That gives him the right to challenge. If you refuse the challenge, you forfeit your claim to alpha automatically, and no one will ever recognize your authority. You have to fight him. You have no choice.”

“You’re not scared you’ll lose, are you?” one of Lonnie’s lackeys asks. That’s good. I like that they’re taunting him. I like that they’re not entirely on his side.

I step forward. “He’s not afraid,” I say, because I want this fight now. Because I want Lonnie to act. “He’s not going to stand down and just let me steal his position in the pack. Only a coward would do that. And you’re not a coward, are you, Lonnie?”

Lonnie narrows his eyes. “Fine,” he says. “You’ll live to regret this. Let’s go.”

47

BRANDON

It’sarelieftolet the wolf take over.

Now that I’m in my strongest form, I really feel as if I’m protecting my mate and our child. I feel powerful enough to keep anything from touching them. I circle Lonnie slowly, sizing him up, waiting to see if he’s going to make the first move. I want him to. I like to fight reactively, not offensively. I like to see how my opponent attacks before I respond.

I don’t have to wait very long. He lunges at me. I leap nimbly aside, and he goes sprawling in the dirt.

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