Page 83 of The Alpha's Mates

He snarled and attacked. I easily dodged him, taking him down to his knees with a kick to the back of his legs. "You don't deserve the mercy of a quick death," I growled as I wrapped my arm around his neck, cutting off his air supply.

His hands clawed at mine as his body fought for breath. It took longer than it should have for him to lose consciousness. His body was streamlined for fighting and killing. It wouldn't help him here today.

I released him, letting his body fall into the sand. His eyes snapped open a moment later. He'd get no reprieve from me. I was going to toy with him before he died.

"What are you doing?" he gasped out, trying to get up and scramble away from me.

I circled him again, not answering him until I was standing in front of him once more. "You're going to die today, Haron. You've lost everything."

His eyes flicked behind me to where my mates stood watching us. "You can't kill me."

"Oh? Why's that?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

He swallowed hard and I could see the fear in his eyes. He knew that his Goddess had abandoned him and he was about to face the wrath of the rest of the gods he came across in death. He'd never be welcomed into their halls now.

"Because I'm your father," he said, a helpless look on his face as he tried to use that fact against me.

I shook my head slowly. "You spent my entire life claiming I wasn't yours. That you wanted nothing to do with me. The night you murdered my mother, your own mate, it was because you tried to kill me. And you think claiming we're blood is going to work now?"

"She may be your blood, Haron," Lyas said, her voice easily carrying on the wind. "But she doesn't belong to you. She's mine. Mine and Tenala's. She was born to fill a purpose for me, and to provide comfort for the woman you stole and forced pups on. You hold no claim over her."

Haron's chest was rising and falling rapidly as he tried to figure out how to prolong his life. I saw him for what he truly was in that moment, a fucking coward. He always had been. He forced my mother to stay with him. Forced his pack to stand by his side, not through love and loyalty the way Soren's pack did. He did it through fear and manipulation.

It was my turn to shift and launch a full frontal attack on him. I wasn't going to be a coward, like him, and attack from behind. I would defeat him fair and square. We collided with a crunch of bones, claws and fangs flashing.

I was stronger than him now, thanks to the years of surviving on my own. Because my mates gave me something to fight for. And because of the knowledge of why I was here. Why I was created. Only a powerful being could help protect a God. I'd grown so much from the time I'd run away from this man until now. He had no idea what he was up against.

He tried to fight back as best he could, but he was no match for me. Not anymore. My teeth found purchase in his hide as we battled. His claws raked down my side, but the pain and the wash of blood only fueled my anger. My anger. My purpose. It was all that mattered.

He staggered backward, looking down at my side, then back into my eyes. He read his death there. He was going to die the way my mother had. He turned to try to run. Where he thought he'd go, I wasn't sure. I jumped on his back, bearing him down into the sand. Those watching were silent. Every one of them was on my side. All his allies were dead or gone. There was no one left here to help him. No one who would dare defy the Moon Goddess's will.

My teeth clamped down around his throat as we rolled in the sand. His claws raked down my belly and I nearly let go, but I held on tight, refusing to give in to the pain. My own claws dug into his hide as I struggled to hold on while he thrashed wildly.

I couldn't let go until he was dead. Until he was gone from this world for good so that he could never threaten me or mine again.

Grinding my teeth down as hard as I could, I felt something snap. He fell limp beneath me, his body going still. I held on for another minute, just to be sure. When I finally let go, I staggeredbackward, covered in blood and sand, and collapsed onto the ground. There was no remorse. No grief. Only satisfaction.

Shifting, I cleaned off as best I could before changing back into my clothes. I had just finished when Shroul appeared on the beach again, between Lyas and I. My eyes widened when I saw the woman with him. Tears clogged my throat, making my words hoarse as I had to push them out. "Mom?" Her eyes met mine, and I was afraid to move. To breathe, because she might disappear.

I looked towards Shroul. "How?" I asked. He'd spent so much time explaining what his job was, and giving back the souls of people who died wasn't in the description. I knew for a fact he detested doing so.

"You have your Goddess to thank," he said with a shrug. With that, he was gone.

I wasn't sure who moved first. Who spoke first. Whose eye the first tear fell from, but suddenly, my mom and I were in each other’s arms. We clung to one another, crying and laughing and talking all at once. She was here with me again and I couldn't believe it.

My mates gathered at my back, but didn't try to interrupt the moment. Once we were calmer, I smiled over at them, then introduced my mother to the men I loved. She was just as quick to hug them as she welcomed them into her family.

She pulled back and looked me over. "You're not pregnant yet?" she asked, with a mock frown.

I shook my head, smiling at the thought of carrying pups. "No, Mom," I said with a laugh. "There hasn't been a lot of time for...things."

"I'm sure your young men would like to rectify that," Lyas said, walking up with a knowing smile.

My cheeks heated as everyone chuckled. There were far too many people, and Gods, overhearing this conversation, for my liking. "That can wait."

That's what you think.

I ignored Soren's growled statement. "I have so many questions."

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