Page 29 of Forced Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #3)

As I watch Regina enter the ring, I feel like my entire life has come full circle to this moment. Every battle I’ve faced, every hardship I’ve lived through, has led me to this place.

She stalks around the perimeter of the circle, her eyes on mine. Both of us are still in our human shapes, sizing each other up. She looks pretty confident. This surprises me, since she avoided the alpha’s challenge before this.

She murdered her squad of guards, as well as a handful of my brothers. She’s more dangerous than she looks.

“What kind of savagery does it take to murder your own people?” I ask her. “How deep is your hatred?”

“I always do what needs to be done,” Regina hisses. “And the accusations against me are ridiculous. You saw how I reacted when my men were brought in.”

“Yeah, I did. And that was a damn good act, Regina.”

A small, vicious smile curves the edges of her lips, and I know for sure she really did murder them.

And she loved it. She’s a monster!

“Those who know me will trust me,” she says. “Especially when I kill you and claim the alpha position. I should have done this the moment Roderick died. It was a mistake on my part to allow tradition to dictate my moves when the pack so clearly needs me.”

“No one needs you and your twisted ways!” I hiss, getting angry. The idea of what she would do to Gryphon Eyrie, as well as the innocent people of Valentine Creek, fills me with a desperation that fuels my rage.

I can’t let her hurt anyone else.

Regina shortens her circle a little, using slow, graceful steps to get closer to me, but still staying out of range.

“I’ll cleanse the pack,” she says. “Traitors will be executed, and only people I trust will be members of the council of my choosing. Then I’ll take down Valentine Creek and end the threat forever.”

She’s getting an almost dreamy look in her eye, and I have to wonder how someone stays functional that long when they are clearly fucking deluded.

“I’m done listening to you!” I yell. “Let’s get this over with!”

I shift into my wolf shape and charge at her. Regina turns towards me, standing still as I race in her direction. She’s still wearing her cruel smile, and I wonder if she’s crazy enough to just stand there while I rip her throat out.

Makes my job easier.

At the last stride, I leap towards her. It seems like my victory is assured, and I bare my teeth, eager to sink them into her neck.

Regina moves so fast, I don’t even see it. Her hand cuts through the air, catching me across the cheek with the force of a concrete wall. I hit the ground hard, all the breath blasted out of me, my head ringing from the blow.

What the fuck?

“Oh, little pup,” Regina taunts, circling me. “Never fought an elder before?”

I get up slowly, drops of blood leaking from my mouth. I keep my eyes on her, realizing now just how dangerous she is.

No, I haven’t fought an elder before. Is it common knowledge that they’re this strong? Why the hell did she avoid the challenge?

As I back slowly away from her, I realize that taking the alpha challenge would not have served her needs. It would have been unusual for a woman to compete for the alpha spot, and she would have had to kill or maim all the challengers who were from the first families. Her allies.

No, far better to prop up a puppet she can easily control and rule from the sidelines. Cunning, clever bitch.

“How you doing over there, pup?” she mocks. “Feeling okay?”

I growl low in my throat as my eyes follow her. She’s staying back, trying to force me to rush her again.

Then she’ll just smack me until I can’t get up and tear my throat out.

I shift back to my human shape, slowly turning so I can keep my eyes on her. “You going to stay all the way over there, or are you going to fight me?”

Regina laughs. “You’re a fool, Damon. Taunting me won’t work. Not like it does on you, anyway.”

I rush towards her while she’s talking, hoping to catch her off guard. Coming in with precise hits and kicks, I use all my strength and speed in a combination attack that should be unstoppable.

She blocks most of my hits, spinning and turning as her hands flash out to intercept mine. Right at the end of my attack, I manage to land a hard punch across her chin. She staggers away as blood splashes from her mouth.

She’s not invulnerable, and she’s slower than I am. She must have put everything into that first hit. She won’t be able to keep it up.

Regina spits blood, recovering quickly and facing me again. She keeps her hands up, flat and straight like steel blades as she rocks a little on the balls of her feet, putting her weight back on her heels.

We dance for a few seconds before I rush in, aiming a kick at her head. She blocks it, and my other hand smashes into her ribs. When she buckles over, spraying blood from her mouth, I swing downwards and kick her legs out from under her.

Regina hits the ground with her shoulders, letting out a large grunt as the wind is knocked out of her lungs and her skull hits the stones. I leap to land on top of her, but she throws her legs up and tosses me straight over her.

With a duck and roll, I come up on my feet, turning to see her getting up, her eyes beginning to glow with the power of her wolf.

Blood pours from her mouth, staining her chin. I can see her white fangs gleaming between her lips, and her fingers are sharpening into claws as I watch.

“Always meant to tell you something, Damon,” she mutters. “You were a weak, whiny little brat, you know that?”

I clench my fists, squaring up.

I won’t let her get to me.

“I should have driven you out of town the second Sara brought you back with her. Roderick, though, had a soft spot for Sara. Couldn’t forget how her grandfather helped him win his place and run the council. Until he died, of course. Very mysterious how all of his family died, in fact.”

She cackles, catching my eye with a mad, unhinged look.

Did she really…?

“People just shouldn’t go wandering alone in the woods,” she says casually. “Especially when those assassins from Valentine Creek are everywhere, always waiting to kill the innocent and unwary.”

I glare at her. “You’re out of your fucking mind!”

“Oh, I’m quite sane. I’m the only sane one here,” she says, her voice carrying around the circle. “All I want is to protect us from Valentine Creek. From scum like you.”

She smiles, and through the splattered blood on her face, it’s a horrible expression. I know she’s just attempting to keep whatever support she has in the crowd, so I try to ignore her.

Regina takes a few steps closer to me, flicking her eyes around to make sure we’re not too close to the crowd.

“When I stalked your mother through the forest, I was coming for both of you,” she whispers. “Finding her without her brat was a disappointment, but I hoped you were already dead. Or at least, not stupid enough to ever come back here!”

A cold shock runs through me, freezing my heart in my chest and making me gasp for air.

“You didn’t,” I choke out. “You didn’t kill my mother!”

“But I did,” she says so quietly that only I can hear. “Roderick was too soft on her—on you. I had to step up and take care of it. At least right now, I have my chance to finish what I started all those years ago.”

A horrible roar rips out of my mouth as I lunge at Regina. She laughs, stepping back out of my way as I frantically try to grab her or land a hit. When I finally stumble forward, she kicks me in the back, and I end up with a mouthful of dirt when my face hits the stones.

I flip over immediately, seeing her heel coming for my neck. I barely have time to get away, rolling against the ground and springing to my feet.

Lunging towards her, I try to throw her to the ground, but she flips to the side and punches me in the face. Staggering against the impact, I shake my head, spraying blood from my mouth.

Breathing hard, I turn to face her, and we circle each other. The mad gleam in her eyes is worse than before, and as I feel the blood pouring from my wounds, I wonder for the first time if I can actually beat her.

Regina transforms, baying with joy as she lets her wolf take her over. She begins to pace around me, her tongue lolling out of her bloody jaws.

Her eyes still look frenzied, though. She’s nothing but a mad dog.

I shift, and she leaps at me the second I do, hoping to hit me when I’m vulnerable. I manage to jump out of the way, but she’s on me like a flash. Snarling, twisting, we wrestle together, trying desperately to get our teeth into each other’s ruff or throat.

When I feel Regina’s fangs sink into the flesh of my neck, I shake her off violently, throwing myself down and rolling to break her grip. She pounces, landing on top of me and going for my throat again.

This is it.

As Regina lowers her mouth towards my throat, I throw my front paws up towards her face—then I shift back to my human shape. I see panic flash through her eyes as she realizes what I’m doing. That she fell for my trap.

I grab both sides of her mouth with each hand and yank in separate directions as hard as I can, snapping Regina’s face in two. The move takes up all my strength, and for a moment, I just lie underneath Regina’s body, trying to get my breath back.

“Damon!” I hear a scream from outside the circle, and I know it’s Winnie. Gathering the last of my strength, I manage to push Regina’s body off me and struggle to my feet.

“Damon!” Winnie screams, running towards me. She barrels into me with so much force, she almost knocks me over. I rock unsteadily on my feet as she wraps her arms around me.

“Winnie,” I whisper. “I have to address the others.”

“Yes,” she says. “And we’re going to do it together.”

I take her hand, and we walk towards where the elders are gathered, with Kit and Galen on either side of them. All of them look shocked, and maybe even a bit scared.

“Regina has been defeated,” I announce. “And your positions will be examined to determine if you are fit to stand as council over Gryphon Eyrie. You have harbored this murderer, supported her, and allowed innocent lives to be lost.”

“We didn’t know!” Cora yells.

“So you say,” I reply. “That is exactly why there will be an investigation. I will also be making direct contact with Valentine Creek to see where they stand. This war has gone on too long.”

“Here, here,” Galen agrees. “If no one can remember why the war started, why are we still fighting it?”

Mitchell gives Galen a harsh look, but doesn’t say anything. None of the first families, warriors, or guards have any protests, so the council has no choice but to accept my orders.

Well, I did just win the alpha’s challenge—for the second time. Pretty sure no one wants to go up against me now.

“Are my orders understood?” I ask. “Elders will step down. My counselors will take control of the pack, and a full investigation will be conducted—with the help of Galen and Kit.”

“You have my support,” Galen says, followed closely by an affirmation from Kit.

“Then we are done for today,” I say before I gasp, grabbing my ribs as I stagger backwards. Winnie catches me as I almost fall to my knees.

“Damon. Oh my god, Damon!” she cries. “I thought I lost you!”

“I’m here, I’m okay,” I whisper, stroking her cheek. “I’m here, and I love you. There was no way I was going to die without telling you.”

Winnie’s eyes fill with tears, and her lip trembles. “I love you, too, Damon. Oh, my God, I love you so much.”

My heart swells in my chest, a feeling of such intense love, it makes my eyes sting and my knees weak. Wrapping my arms around Winnie, I let it flow through me, accepting it and finally believing I am worthy of it.

And I’ll keep earning it, my love. From now until eternity, I am yours.