Page 104 of Stealthy as a Wolf

And made him look like the savior.

“And when I couldn’t be tamed?” I spat at him, then pulled down the front of my shirt until the scars from the collar were clearly on display. “When you and your son declared that I wasn’t good for anything but a breeding slave?”

People in the crowd gasped at the accusation, and my men snarled.

There was a scuffle behind me, and I turned to see that Simba’s security detail had them restrained. It was the only thing that stopped the place from turning into a bloodbath.

My rage bubbled over, and I marched right up to Reginald, the man who literally controlled every day of my life for nearly a decade of pure hell, and I didn’t stop until I was right in the dickwad’s face. “Your son failed his mission. I wasn’t a possession for him to retrieve. Without the collar to block my wolf, he didn’t seem to realize that I’m not a helpless girl anymore. My mates didn’t kill him. They fucking didn’t get the chance.Ikilled him for daring to touch me.”

“I challenge you!” the alpha roared in my face, spittle flying as he lost his shit. “And when I have you under me, where you belong, I’ll make you regret that you were ever born.”

“Halt!” Simba’s voice rang out, his power smothering the uproar from the small audience that had gathered. The air actually rippled at the power of his order, and everyone immediately obeyed.

The lion strode toward me with such an intimidating expression that it was hard not to cower, and I could easily understand how such a massive man could take the presidency in a landslide. He oozed confidence and menace in equal measure, his easy mannered nature gone. “It’s not strictly illegal for a male to challenge a female. However, you have the option to decline, and I will personally have a case opened and the charges investigated.”

I pursed my lips, conscious of Reggie pacing the lawn like a wild animal. I killed his son and rebelled against his commands. If he did nothing, he would look weak.

An investigation would solve nothing.

Only clear and utter defeat would stop him from coming after me.

While a challenge wouldn’t solve anything legally, most people abided by the old custom of winner take all. “Will there be any trouble for my men regarding the attack?”

A grimace crossed Simba’s face, a flash of fangs peeking out between his lips. “We’ll check into the charges, but it looks like a clear-cut case of self-defense. No one, alpha or not, is allowed to take a mate against their will, especially one already claimed by another.”

I released a breath, the tension going out of my spine, and I nodded. “Then I’ve got this. The only way he will take no for an answer is if I stop him here and now, in front of witnesses. I want this matter behind us before we start our new lives.”

Simba scanned my face, looking into my eyes. I felt his lion press down on me, like his giant paw was trying to squash my brain, and damned if the pressure in my eyes didn’t make them feel like they were seconds away from popping.

My wolf snarled and charged forward, viciously slashing at the intruder. I swore that I actually tasted blood from where she tore into the lion. Then it was over, the pressure gone like it never existed.

When I glanced at Simba, I saw a tiny drop of blood at the corner of his mouth, and my eyes widened. Instead of being pissed, admiration gleamed in his golden eyes, and he gave me a nod of respect and approval. “Very well.”

With a little smirk, he returned to his spot on the sidelines, leaving me to face off against one very pissed off wolf shifter. “The challenge has been accepted.”

My men yelled at me, but I kept my focus on Reggie. While the wolf might’ve been an alpha, he would do whatever it took to get his way, even lie and cheat.

I was proven correct. Even before Simba had a chance to explain the rules for the challenge, Reggie shifted in a burst of golden light. He didn’t even bother to remove his clothing, the shredded tatters falling about him as he roared. The wolf was massive, coming nearly up to my shoulders. With a malicious gleam in his brown eyes, the beast charged.

The fucker didn’t even have the decency to wait for me to shift.

I thought about letting my wolf out, since most people were stronger in their beast form, but I doubted I would have enough time to shift before he’d be on me. I stood my ground, watching the flex of his muscles, the way his fur rippled as he moved. My heart slowed and the rest of the world stopped as I narrowed my eyes.

When he was three feet away, his muscles bunched, ready to launch himself at me. I gathered every ounce of my alpha abilities and yelled a single word. “Sit!”

The air actually rippled with the force of the command, like the order had turned physical to ensure obedience.

Like watching a bunch of dominos, the entire crowd just sort of toppled over onto their asses as they sat. The alpha wolf fought the command, flinging his head wildly from side to side, like my power was an earworm he couldn’t shake.

The wolf bared his fangs and took a shaky step toward me, blood leaking out of his ears and eyes. I gritted my teeth and lifted my hands, pushing everything I had at him. It fucking hurt, like my skin was being scraped raw. My bones ached, and I felt my life force actually draining away as my command continued to draw on my powers.

The pressure became crushing, and it was a struggle to breathe when my lungs felt like they were slowly filling with blood. A warm trickle leaked from my nose, but I didn’t have the strength to wipe it away.

No, I needed to win.

Failure meant losing not only my freedom but my mates as well, and that was not an option after everything we’d survived together.

I would die before I allowed that to happen.

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