Page 105 of Stealthy as a Wolf

The alpha swayed on his feet but stubbornly remained standing, despite blood now gushing from his nose. By the time he crossed the distance separating us, his fur was matted a deep red, and he was barely able to remain upright. I waited for him to concede defeat, but the fucker was stubborn. As my limbs trembled under the strain, ready to give out, my wolf surged forward and gave me every ounce of her strength.

It felt like we merged into a single soul.

When power burst out of me, she gave a howl of victory in my head.

For the first time since the reveal, I felt whole. I wasn’t magically healed, my link to my wolf was still damaged, but it gave me hope that I would eventually be able to knit our fractured connection back together.

When my vision cleared, I was shocked to find the alpha had toppled dead just inches away from my feet. I watched dispassionately as a pool of blood gathered around his head like a macabre type of halo. His brown eyes were cloudy, nearly unrecognizable beneath a sheen of blood.

When I pulled my powers back, I swayed, then braced my legs and lifted my chin.

I was shocked when I saw that only a few of the alphas who watched the challenge remained standing. Everyone else, as far as the eye could see, was on their knees with their heads lowered in submission.

The remaining alphas tipped their heads toward me in respect, and my chest swelled at the acknowledgment.

They supported my win.

We were free!

My men stood strong and proud behind me, and I immediately noticed the small group of seven wolves beaten to a bloody pulp at my men’s feet. I was only mildly surprised that Reggie would be so underhanded that he would order them to attack me while my back was turned.

What he didn’t count on were my men.

Simba gave a satisfied smile, then nodded. “The matter is settled.”

Then I lost sight of him when my men surged toward me and I was surrounded. I grinned up at them, exhausted but giddy as I leaned into their touch as they fussed over me. “After years of running and hiding, years of heartbreak and pain, I’m finally home.”

Burke slipped a possessive hand around my waist, leaning down to growl in my ear, “We warned you what would happen if you put yourself in danger again.”

I peered up at him as he dragged me away, and my eyes flared wide when I realized he was completely serious. He would totally put me over his knee without even blinking. My stupid vagina clenched at the idea of his hand on my ass, and I fluttered my lashes at him, giving him my best pout. “I vote we celebrate my win with lots of orgasms instead.”

Boone tipped back his head and laughed. “Who says we can’t do both? I promise you that by the time we’re done, you’ll be begging us for more.”

A blush heated my cheeks, and I couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across my face at the idea of spending the rest of my life with my mates by my side. No matter what came, we would face it together as a pack.

I couldn’t wait!

Epilogue

MATTY

Watching Maggie fight was both impressive and terrifying, and I couldn’t seem to stop touching her to make sure she was okay.

After everything that happened, finding her had given me a new lease on life. I now had a new purpose, new family, and new hope. No way in hell was I going to let this second chance at life go without living it to the fullest. Every day for the rest of our lives, I would prove to her that I was worthy of being her mate. She would never want for anything ever again.

“Now that fight was impressive, if I do say so myself. You killed him without even laying a finger on him. Santa Claus will definitely give you lots of presents this year.” That snarky tone of voice held a dangerous, silky edge to it, and it was like I was dragged back into the past.

My heart stopped beating, and I whirled, terrified my mind was playing tricks on me. It was only when I laid eyes on the girl who’d haunted me for the past decade that my heart lurched and began to beat again. “Tessah?”

The woman before me was not the snotty, obnoxious sister I expected to see. She was confident, poised, and so put together that I barely recognized her from my childhood. It was only the slight, condescending twist to her lips when she smirked that gave her away.

“Who else would I be?” Tessah brushed a strand of silky brown hair over her shoulder as she sauntered forward with a deadly, lazy gait. “I mean, I’ve had a lot of identities over the years. I was a nun for a while. Ohhh! And a science experiment too. A bunch of college students hooked me up to a car battery once and zapped me until I passed out. Though now that I think back on it, I get the feeling that what they were doing was off the books. One of the cheerleaders kept peeking around the bleachers to see if anyone was coming.”

I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to take a step back or hug her, the little minx loving nothing more than to torment me. But as she neared, I couldn’t stop myself from swinging her up in my arms and squeezing her tight. “Hellion?”

I breathed in her scent, not sure that I believed it was really her until now, and tears burned my eyes. When I felt a sharp blade touch the skin of my neck, I very gently lowered her back to the ground, a broken laugh escaping me. “Not much has changed, has it? Still stirring up trouble wherever you go, huh?”

She tipped her head back, her beautiful laughter spilling in the air, and I rubbed a hand over the ache in my chest. “You don’t know the half of it, brother dearest.”

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