Page 8 of Corbin (Wild Wolf Pack from the world of Gallize Shifters #2)

Corbin dodged a claw and spun around to stop. He flicked wet hair out of his eyes and counted another day of living free.

Badger slashed at him with claws out. Crazy Head is begging for death again by breaking the practice rules. How many times had Adrian said to fight in human form only?

Claws were not human attributes.

Corbin lifted his hands to end the mock battle. “That’s it. I’m done for the day.”

Badger shook his head. “Nope. No one stops while everyone’s still fighting.”

That was not the rule. A day ended once the six male wolf shifters in the pack had battled each other in human form. Those six included Adrian, who set up these exercises. That’s how the rest of them understood the plan.

Who knew what Badger believed?

Stepping away by walking backward, Corbin clarified, “I’m getting water. You know the rule. No jumping anyone who’s not actively battling you.”

Would that even register with this idiot?

Their pack had issues thanks to the former sick-in-the-head alpha who had ruled a huge pack, but after Jaz killed him in self-defense, she became alpha.

Some of the pack had run and been captured by shifter law enforcement.

Others had to be put down. She and Adrian had treated him and the others fairly since day one.

Corbin didn’t need much to be happy after what he’d endured for years.

But he could do without Badger’s constant crap.

Not even that crazy was going to cost him the new level of respect he’d earned with Adrian after climbing a mountain and fighting a grizzly.

The slaps of flesh hitting flesh died down as the rest of the group ended their practice battles. Mock battles sounded harmless, right? Maybe for another wolf pack, but this one had too many who lacked control, including Corbin on some days.

Bosse had the best control. He’d recently joined the pack and was in the process of getting settled with his mate. Corbin envied the happy guy. He’d never have a mate. Any mate worth having would not have him with a crazy wolf.

“You all better after your water, pussy?” Badger stood with his arms crossed and sweat streaming down his bare chest. “See how wonderful I’m being?”

You pussy. Not me, Ares accused. Let me out!

His wolf hammered Corbin’s insides. He tightened muscles from neck to toes, doing his best to stay in human form. Why hadn’t Adrian called it a day yet?

Badger started circling him.

Corbin mentally sighed at the train wreck approaching. He stepped away from the water cooler to avoid damaging something Jaz had set up for them.

Looney bastard shook his warped head. Rust colored hair stuck out in short chunks as if he’d cut it himself with a dull axe. He mumbled angry words under his breath. Claws curled when he formed a fist.

Corbin took a quiet step back to slip away.

Badger’s gaze jerked to him. He pulled back his lips, showing off incisors now lengthening.

Damn. Corbin urged, “Stop it, Badger. Don’t be an idiot. Do you want to die?”

Ares weighed in. Let me out. Crush stupid grin . Sick in the head. Put that one down. I need exercise. Fun, too . I fight them all.

Shut up, Ares , he sent back so he could think. Corbin had named his wolf Ares, aka the god of war, because Toxic Chatterbox was too kind.

Welcome to his screwed-up life stuck between two wackos.

Ares pounded his insides. Let me out. Let me out. Let me out!

Corbin warned his wolf, Keep talking, and I’ll let Badger’s wolf rip me apart before you can get out.

Ares clammed up.

That threat had been one of Corbin’s recent ways to stifle his wolf, but it wouldn’t work for long.

Ares growled and clawed at Corbin’s insides. Clenching his jaw, Corbin sent back, Stop it, asshole. Got a cracked rib that’s not healed. You could help with that.

Shift and heal, Ares smarted back.

No shifting or Adrian’s big red wolf will rip you into pieces.

Ares made a scoffing sound. Arrogant POS.

Corbin shut his wolf out to focus on one problem at a time. Why waste energy trying to explain that they were not the biggest predator here?

Ares had a deaf ego.

“Where ya going? Come out and play, pussy wolf,” Badger whispered in a creepy sing-song voice. He hunched forward as if in some strange attack mode.

Ares howled a murderous sound.

Corbin hissed at the pain in his ribs. Ares tried to break free again. Son of a bitch! Corbin twisted and clutched at his aching body.

Patience shredded, he yelled, “You want to fight a wolf, Badger? Then go rattle Adrian’s chain.”

Standing upright, Badger lifted his head. He stretched his neck to look past Corbin as if he hadn’t realized a shifter named Adrian was present.

Nodding, Badger headed in Adrian’s direction.

Corbin cursed his mouth for spewing a stupid suggestion.

He could feel the restraints on his control snapping one at a time.

Stinking sweat poured down his chest, cutting lines through dirt on his skin.

He mentally dangled a shower in front of his nose as a carrot.

For anyone who’d spent weeks at a time without one, the feel of hot water on his skin and scrubbing with a bar of soap in the pack bunkhouse ranked as a luxury.

An image of the water running red with his blood filled his head.

Nice vision, wolf.

Ares rumbled with discontent.

Badger growled and hunched his shoulders again, this time in a bodybuilder pose.

Thick forearms curved toward his stomach, ending with hands enlarging to the size of cantaloupes clenched in white-knuckle-tight fists.

Muscles bulged and rippled across his upper body.

Jeans that had sagged on him weeks ago now clutched his bulky thighs.

Quiet fell over the training area.

Corbin glanced around at the group. His gaze stopped on Adrian, who waited in a casual pose with his arms crossed. Nothing casual about his gaze, now focused on everything with razor-sharpness.

Bosse, with his peanut-butter brown hair and no-nonsense attitude, stood well over six feet but had no issue with controlling his wolf.

He had an even temperament so long as no male looked too hard at his new mate, who was gone visiting family in another state.

Ladrón usually kept to himself, but Corbin knew him better than the others after the mountain climbing.

His wolf felt strange. Corbin couldn’t put his finger on why.

Then there was Hammer, a bruiser with thick muscles on top of huge muscles who wore his blond hair loose to his shoulders and a pair of dark sunglasses when in human form.

Hammer had threatened the pack lunatic, Badger, with his life for trying to take off his sunglasses.

Those three fanned out, anticipating entertainment.

Ares made another push to break free. Corbin’s jaw muscles bulged from fighting the change. He caught a breath when his wolf backed off.

Corbin took in Adrian again. His attention had sharpened on Corbin. Way to go, Ares, you self-centered jerk .

The hell with this. The hell with Badger. Corbin was done being understanding. He ground out, “None of us want to pay for you screwing up again , Badger.”

“I’m not listening to you, loser,” Badger smarted back, puffed up like he owned this place. “You aren’t my alpha either .”

Claws poked through Corbin’s hands again, digging holes where he clutched his sides. “ Argh! ” Stupid wolf still trying to have his way.

Stupid human trying not to be a wolf , Ares sent back.

Clearly catching scent of how close things were to going apocalyptic, Ladrón and Hammer became visibly agitated. Bosse stood still, observing.

Couldn’t Adrian diffuse this?

Badger’s eyes rounded and bulged.

“Back off, Badger. We’re done for the day,” Adrian finally called out.

Corbin relaxed enough to breathe. Fighting his wolf had been so much worse than sparring with any of the pack. He slowly unwrapped his arms, waited a second, then stood straighter.

Looked like he’d made it through another day.

Staying with this pack may not be such a good idea at times like this, but it was better than being caught as a lone wolf by the Shifter Criminal Investigation Service or SCIS.

His wolf would be locked in an underground titanium-encased cage where Corbin would go mad with him.

If he faced dying before he turned twenty-five, he could think of better ways.

Badger suddenly lowered his arms and wiggled his fingers until the claws receded. He stepped past Corbin and turned to Adrian. “Come on, non-alpha. I can take you.”

“No.” Adrian’s command had been uttered in an even voice.

Badger’s animosity vibrated the air. He lowered his voice to a vicious sound. “You’re denying me the right to kick your ass to be alpha? Who looks weak now, wolf?”

Adrian rolled his eyes. “How many times do I have to tell you that I am not the alpha? We’ll train tomorrow. You can show me what you have then. No shifting until after dinner when anyone who feels the need can have at it.”

Every day, Adrian had them waiting later to shift. He wanted to give them a chance to build control, which had been working for the group. All except Badger, who had gotten bolder as his strength returned with Jaz feeding them well.

Badger snarled, sounding more wolf than human.

Adrian’s next warning came out in a low, chilling voice. “You know the rule, Badger. Shift now, and no one eats what Jaz has cooked or gets beer.”

Every pack member began growling, a chorus of deep-throated warnings.

Badger frowned at the others, then told Adrian, “If you’re scared, say you’re scared.”

Adrian’s expression said his patience had run out. “Remember, I gave you fair warning. This is about all of you learning to make better decisions.”

Corbin couldn’t fault Adrian if he ended up having to put down Badger’s wolf, but something inside of him felt sick at watching a broken shifter die from demons riding shotgun on his shoulders.

Had he not escaped the Romanian, that could have been him.

Badger teased, “Or maybe you’ll die, and I’ll be alpha.”