Page 29 of Alpha's Redemption

Dad growls back before rushing at me and tackling me. The air catches in my lungs as I’m flung airborne in his grip . I’m waiting for his substantial weight to smash me into the ground, but at the last second, he twists and I crash on top of him instead of being crushed under him. I sit up, shocked, and punch him even as he pulls me closer in a headlock that leaves me struggling to get out of it. My fists connect with his ribs and the side of his head, yet Dad is only holding me.

“Fight back! I am not a little girl!” I tell him.

“Wrong! You're my little girl! Mypregnantlittle girl!" he snarls before rolling me off him.

I get to my hands and knees, then push to my feet.

“What are you doing John?!” Nixon roars from the sidelines. My father ignores him and gets to his feet, glancing at the clock.

“Stand down! Submit!” Dad says and I clutch my knees while he tries to catch his breath.

“I can’t!” I tell him, looking at the crowd of rogues.

“John! Stop playing with her and take her the fuck out!” Nixon booms across the field and I glance over my shoulder at him. My mother is standing beside him, her face pale as a ghost and I turn my attention back to my father. He looks torn.

“Please, Evie,” he whispers.

I take my stance and he growls, taking his before we start fighting again—or I do while he continues playing this stupid game of just blocking and dodging.

ChapterFourteen

Valen

This is not what I expected. Everly is on the attack the entire time, yet the longer I watch, the more I realize John isn't even fighting. He could have landed multiple blows on her, and she even left herself open a couple of times when he could have taken her out, but he didn’t. Ava stands beside me chewing her nails nervously, her eyes glued to the match. Macey and Zoe are rigid beside her with the same frightened expressions on their faces.

Something is going on. It’s almost like John is deliberately throwing the challenge.I’veput up more of a fight when training with her, yet John almost seems scared of hurting her, and Everly is also holding back. He hit her once, but it was only in the thigh—he’s had ample opportunity for body and headshots, but never took one of them. But Everly is becoming tired, and she only has two minutes left before they have to shift.

"Why isn’t he fighting back?” Marcus whispers and I shrug. Nixon is screaming at John to take her out—screaming like a damn banshee and distracting both of them.

The siren blares, signaling it’s time to shift, and I notice Everly glance at Ava nervously. I could see John talking to her while they were fighting, but now that horn has gone off, he has no choice but to shift.

However, Everly doesn’t.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING! SHIFT!” I scream at her and I see Ava take a step forward to the pit. Macey grips her arm and shakes her head. Ava's body trembles like she was about to shift herself and run in there if Macey hadn't stopped her.

‘Everly, shift!’I Command through the mindlink. She tenses and looks at me over her shoulder, fighting my Command. When Ava notices my Command over her, she yells at me.

“She can't! Drop your Command! You’re distracting her!” she snaps at me. My brows furrowed in confusion and I’m about to ask what she’s talking about when John’s huge wolf stalks toward Everly. She backs up, turning to her side, making herself a smaller target, but still, she doesn't shift.

Ava walks the sideline with me.

“Everly, back out!” she snarls at her sister, but Everly shakes her head, not turning her gaze away from the fight.

John charges at her and I hold my breath. Everly jumps back and pivots, her foot connecting with him under the ribs only for him to turn and slash her thigh. She staggers back and he pounces on her at the same time her fist connects with the side of his head. He shakes his head and backs up, snarling and snapping his huge teeth at her.

“EVERLY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? FUCKING SHIFT!" I yell at her as her pants become soaked with her blood from his claws slashing her outer thigh.

Nixon screams at him, distracting him for a second. She seizes the moment and jumps on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso, but he rears up, trying to throw her off. Once again, he nearly lands on top of her but twists at the last second, bouncing lightly off her before his weight can crush her. She rolls out of his way before he can snap his teeth at her face but he makes no move to, and doesn’t attack when she tries to get to her feet which leaves her wide open.

“Fucking take her out, John!” Nixon snarls angrily on the other side. He’s so furious his canines slip from his gums, and I glare at him. John looks in Nixon’s direction and hangs his head when I notice Claire beside the other man. Tears stream down her face as she watches her daughter and her mate.

“It’s ok, love,” she yells at him.

Everly circles around him but he hangs his head, then finally charges at her. My breath lodges in my throat as she runs at him too and I wait for them to collide—claws, teeth, and skin don't mix. Ava screams out and runs toward the circle just as Marcus snags his arm around Ava's waist, hauling her back.

My heart races. Suddenly, John jumps clean over her. Everly spins, her feet losing traction on the grass and she falls on her hip. Get up! Get up!

John turns around and moves toward her, snarling and snapping his teeth. Everly backs up on her hands and feet in a strange crab-walk. As he stalks toward her, she raises her foot to get ready to kick him just as he pounces on her. My breath lodges in my throat and I move to run onto the arena but stop when John suddenly drops on his belly and she halts.

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