Page 26 of Alpha's Arranged Mate

"I'm sorry, you sound like an alpha, but you certainly don't look like one," the she-wolf hissed, stepping up to meet Lottie. She pressed her face up close and snapped, "Who do you think you are?"

Who exactly am I? Lottie thought, heat rising to her cheeks. She and Braxton weren't wed yet. Could she really call herself his mate? Then she remembered the night they had shared together after his trip to hell, and she felt a righteous burn in her gut.

"You know exactly who I am!" she snarled back at the she-wolf. Straightening up, she stood just an inch or so taller than the demon wolf. She glowered down at her, her hands balling into fists at her sides in order to hide the claws already protruding from her fingers.

"Oh, that's right, you're Braxton's little Silverdale bitch," the woman scoffed, smirking at her in a way that made Lottie want to claw the smile right off her face.

The way she squared up to Lottie all over again made Lottie explode. She shoved the woman backward, snarling, "Back off or I'll rip your tongue out and feed it to you."

For a second the demon she-wolf looked impressed. Then she turned to her companions and said, "Did you hear that, boys? Maybe the Silverdale bitch has enough backbone after all."

"Carry on with this charade, and you might just find out," Lottie growled through gritted teeth.

Before any further arguing or fighting could break out, Emily's voice rang out across the square from an adjoining street where bystanders, pack and community members alike, watched from a distance.

The witch and her younger sister stepped out into the square holding the hellstone on a chain between them.

"Release Lottie and the others, or we will make you wish for the burning pits of hell!" Malia yelled at the five wolves and their she-wolf ringleader.

Lottie gulped. The neon gleam in the eyes of both witches told her that their magic was seething just beneath the surface, just waiting to be let loose.

Though she didn't like the idea of being in the firing line when it was, there was little choice as the she-wolf grabbed hold of her wrist and yanked her around so that her back was pressed against her torso.

Bile rose in Lottie's throat to feel the woman's arm wrap possessively around her waist. When she felt something sharp pressed against her throat, she knew that it was not a blade, but blade-sharp claws. Her only relief was that they were not burning with hellfire, thanks to the cuffs on the woman's wrists that prevented her from fully transforming.

"Try it and we'll take them down with us!" the woman vowed, and out of the corner of her eye Lottie saw the men roughhousing the pups away from Melody. They threw them over their shoulders, looking as though they were prepared to carry them right into hell with them.

"You are seriously going to regret this," Lottie snarled through her teeth, fighting against the she-wolf's grip. The she-wolf only tightened her arm around her and dug the claws of her other hand painfully into Lottie's neck.

She froze immediately, knowing that even without full access to her demon, the she-wolf could quite easily tear her throat out.

"Don't make us use the hellstone!" Emily insisted, wafting the chain to draw attention to the purple stone that hung between her and her sister. "We both know it can send you right back where you came from without harming a single hair on anyone else's pelt."

Lottie felt the she-wolf stiffen against her, and she knew that Emily's words had gotten to her. All she could do was hope that she would listen.

"Stop!"

The voice that hit her ears made Lottie's heart swell with relief. It ought to have been Dash's appearance that eased her concerns, but instead it was simply hearing Braxton's voice as they both appeared, followed by several more Silverdale wolves, all looking rough and ready for battle.

This isn't going to end well, Lottie thought, and yet the moment Braxton stepped into the square she felt optimistic.

"Emily, Malia, lower the hellstone!" Braxton ordered. "These are my wolves. They shall be punished by me and me alone."

Emily and Malia hesitated, glancing at Dash. The moment the alpha nodded the witches did as Braxton asked and stepped out of the way.

"Molly, you, Frank, and the others will release everyone this instant!" Braxton ordered, standing several meters away with his back so straight he might break if a stiff wind hit him.

"Why would we do that?" Molly hissed at him, and Lottie snarled as the she-wolf dug her claws into her neck. "You are no alpha. You are as much a prisoner here as we are."

"We are not prisoners here, Molly," Braxton said, his voice filled with frustration and concern. "I am sorry if you feel that way, but we aren't. This situation is just temporary."

He took a step forward, his hands raised to show he meant no harm.

"Stay back!" Molly ordered, and Lottie felt a trickle of blood run down the side of her throat. The metallic scent of her own blood filled her nostrils and made her feel sick. She liked her blood on the inside of her body where it belonged, and she couldn't wait to teach Molly a lesson for it. Nobody spilled the blood of a Silverdale and got away with it. And once Lottie was Braxton's official mate, she would be sure to teach that lesson.

"You have no more right to tell us what to do than if you were a pup," one of the largest of the demon wolves hissed, stepping up beside Lottie and Molly to glower at Braxton. "I see those cuffs on your wrists as much as I feel my own biting into my flesh."

"They are a safety precaution," Braxton assured his wolves. "Temporary. Dash and I were discussing having them removed before you decided to take matters into your own hands."

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