Page 81 of Protected Promise

“I’ll hold them off. Run!” Tobi yelled.

My nose was flaring in anger. “I am Pack Mother. This is my territory, and I will defend it against all threats. Go get Landon and the others.”

Tobi just stood there in shock, staring at me.

“Go, Tobi!”

She didn’t hesitate this time as she took off running. Maybe that was dumb. I had no backup and was up against seven she-wolves all determined to take my position in the pack. I’d faced worse.

Maybe to some I appeared weak from all I’d been through. There was a part of me that wondered why I had allowed it to happen at all, but the truth was, I had been a kid. It hadn’t been my fault. Maybe it had taken me a long time to come to terms with that fact, but I knew in my heart it was true.

The one thing that nightmare had done was make me strong. I was a survivor. If I could survive my uncle, I could survive anything.

“This isn’t right,” Abby protested.

“I can’t stand here and watch this,” Clover said as she stormed back into the cabin. “You’re all crazy. This is going to end badly. I won’t be a part of it.”

“One down,” I taunted. “You all might want to reconsider this.”

“She’s right. This is going to end badly, for you,” Jasmin said.

“You’re outnumbered. You don’t stand a chance,” Maria added. “There are six of us, and only one of you.”

“Five,” Abby said. “I’m not doing this.”

“Me neither,” Cadence said. “This is wrong. There are rules to the Challenges.”

“They’re wrong, Cadence,” Mallory said. “Can’t you see that? They’re never going to give us a fair shot.”

“She’s histrue mate,” Cadence argued.

“How can we be sure of that?” Mallory insisted.

“It’s true,” I said. “Landon is my one true mate.”

“Says you,” River snarled. “There’s still four of us. You’re as good as dead.”

Stall.I just needed to stall until help comes.

“And then what? So the four of you gang up on me and win, what happens next? You can’t all take my place as Pack Mother.”

“I’m going to be Pack Mother,” Jasmin announced.

“Like hell,” River said.

In a flurry of tempers, flesh turned to fur. The two wolves started to fight as they tumbled off of the porch and down to the ground. I kept my eyes on my remaining two threats while they were occupied.

The fight didn’t last long before a loud yelp was followed by the snap of a neck.

“River, no!” Maria screeched.

It was too late. Jasmin’s wolf laid still on the ground with River standing over her, blood dripping from her mouth.

“What have you done?” Mallory screeched. “You’re going to ruin it for all of us.”

“What? You did this. You made them believe this was a good idea, that they could just take whatever position they wanted. This is all your fault. You have to stop her.”

Mallory froze. “I only wanted a fair chance. That’s all, just a chance.”