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“Yeah, so again, I get to be pissed when I came to just run and settle my wolf after pushing this off too long because I didn’t want shit like this.”

“I didn’t either,” she snapped.

“Yeah, you’ve made that abundantly clear,” I drawled, trying not to be offended. Fine, it was a bit petty, but no one liked disgust being the emotion someone felt when a match between them was suggested.

“It’s not about you,” she sighed, understanding where my head was.

She nodded while rubbing her shoulder. “I would feel this way if my perfect Prince Charming fucking showed up. It’s—my father took a scary, gleeful turn with whatever was said and just announced it to everyone.

My mother is also furious. He announced it before talking to her—either of us. ”

I snorted. “Because he thought it was a done deal then and he didn’t think you or your mother would ‘embarrass’ him by telling the truth.”

She sighed, so I knew I hit the nail on the head. “He makes Mom feel bad that she didn’t give him any sons to take over.”

“Glad he’s stupid and doesn’t know how basic biology works,” I drawled.

“Something I’ve brought up repeatedly and that I’m stronger than him and will take over as the eldest,” she said with just as much disdain.

“Well, good luck with that. I wish you the best. I’ll help if I can as a guest of the pack and only that. I will always be loyal to my family and—”

“You might want to rethink that because I’m pretty sure this was done with their blessing.”

I wanted to tell her she was mistaken and there was no way… But I was pretty sure there was. Somehow.

I let my wolf run so he wasn’t too keyed up, but honestly he was too keyed up to focus. I shifted back and went for the Alpha, glad he wasn’t running yet. He was frowning when he didn’t see his daughter with me.

“Let’s chat and with less ears because you’re not going to like what I say,” I told him bluntly.

“I’m not sure why when—”

“I’m not a fucking pup and stronger than you,” I snapped.

“So fuck whatever someone said for me. The fact you didn’t talk to me first before announcing whatever bullshit you did to your pack—fuck, I want to tear off your head for announcing it before you talked to your own fucking daughter.

And if I had wanted her and you’d done that, I would have ended you. ”

I was glad when he was smart enough to go pale. That meant he was close enough with his wolf to sense that I was telling the truth.

Yeah, I was, so good thing he was listening.

I didn’t wait until people couldn’t overhear because he was being childish and dragging his heels. “I should end you for trying to commit me to something you didn’t hear from my own fucking lips. Something completely bullshit and—”

He grabbed my arm and tried to drag me off now that he realized that I wasn’t going to play his games. He couldn’t remotely move me and I gave him a look that he was just compounding his mistakes. He let me go with a huff and jogged off towards where he’d been heading, knowing where I’d followed.

I rolled my eyes and sprinted in the direction. “Get your ass back here because I can fucking yell so everyone can hear me, fucker.”

Yeah, I could be just as petty.

“Shut up,” I said firmly when he arrived, putting all my power into the words and even on display.

He was trembling when he felt it and showed me his throat.

“You have no excuse . Your daughter was too upset to have put the pieces together—maybe she has now. She thought it all came from me, but we both know it didn’t.

“When she realized I was confused and ambushed by this—you should be in the ground for springing this on another Alpha wolf— any fucking wolf. My wolf wants you dead for trying to force your daughter who you are supposed to protect. You don’t know me.

You were greedy and used her like a pawn because you’re jealous a mere woman is more powerful than you. ”

And there it was. What this was really about. It wasn’t my last name or that he was truly worried about me taking over.

No, the petty, petty man was embarrassed that his daughter , who wasn’t even forty, was a stronger and better wolf than him.

I got the details from him and then I had only one thing to say.

“I will give you one chance to fix this elegantly and without shitting on my family. You are a duffer to have believed one of my siblings when everyone who knows anything knows we have issues. You have no honor and jumped at the chance to lock me in.”

He tried to argue, but I blasted him with what I sensed from his wolf.

“ You knew I didn’t know! ” I nodded with a smirk when he froze.

“I’m a wolf and Alpha like you’ve never seen.

My wolf knows lots. So shut the fuck up with the half-truths and bullshit.

You will gracefully fix this. You got overexcited that my sister thought a possible match.

I’m involved with someone I already introduced to my parents and they adore her. ”

He went pale.

“Yeah, do you want them to show up here and handle this bullshit?”

“No, no, I don’t,” he whispered, swallowing loudly.

“Wise because my mother would make an example of you so no one ever tried ever again to trap her children into a mating. And she has done that before .” I nodded when he wobbled like he might faint. I jabbed my finger in his chest. “And you will adjust your view on your daughter.”

“I can’t. I can’t be the weak man to allow—”

I backhanded him hard enough that blood exploded from his nose and he went flying. I walked the ten feet to where he landed and squatted down. “How disappointing that you’re so shortsighted.”

“I don’t understand,” he said genuinely, spitting blood but not in an aggressive way, accepting he was beat.

I sighed, hating when I had to explain to people that the sky was blue.

“You could go down in history as the Alpha who pushed for wolves to truly be as evolved as shifters say we are instead of closet sexists. You’ve done something right as a parent that your daughter is so fucking strong.

Start bragging about that and how fucking amazing your genes are! ”

After talking with him a bit more, I got through to the Alpha. Good because while my wolf was fine with killing threats and bad wolves, I had problems with it as a person and doctor.

I ran for a while longer and was glad that the Alpha handled it right there after most of the pack shifted back before leaving. I was still upset and took it out on Ellie.

Sexually, but… Yeah, I went way over the top.

That was going to be fun to explain.