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“That’s not an option. I’m the Alpha’s bitch, and I’ll prove my place beside him today.”

The silence stretched. Faolan stared at her, assessing her with his intense amber wolf eyes as if he could see the heart of her.

Her wolf rose inside of her and assumed a static pose, muzzle relaxed but parallel to the floor, ears in a neutral position, spine straight, and her tail slightly raised, but there was an iron will in her soul, as if Morlie’s wolf dared Faolan to find her lacking.

Morlie’s chest filled with pride. She’d need that same level of confidence when she faced her opponent today.

Faolan gave a sharp nod and straightened himself to his full height again. “Okay. The advice?”

Here it goes. “I know she’s your mate. I can smell Minsi’s scent on you.”

The same scent Morlie had gotten a whiff of yesterday when she was chasing the rabbit in the woods. Minsi had been there, watching her and possibly plotting her demise to take the position beside Chanin.

“Mated. Not claimed. Yet.”

Hearing his declaration solidified Morlie’s decision.

A part of Morlie felt for the pair. The same way Morlie’s heart was heavy for all the shifter mated pairs.

When they finally claimed each other, unlike what possibly happened when she and Chanin came together multiple times through the night, the act with a born Lupine female had no possibility of producing an heir.

However, her grief toward the other female’s womb wouldn’t stop Morlie from taking her down.

Morlie nodded, acknowledging his statement. “I’d hate to take something so precious as a mate from you, but is killing Minsi my only option to get her to recognize my dominance, my leadership in this Pack?”

She realized the entire conversation placed Faolan in a conflicted position. Whatever advice he gave her could be seen as disloyal to his mate. But it was the position Minsi had put them in.

“No. When you have the opportunity to go for her throat, either with your teeth or claws, do it. Draw blood. Don’t hold back. To bring her to heel and make her submit, Minsi must understand you have the right and authority to end her life. However, choosing not to do it is your mercy to grant.”

“Alright.” Morlie took in the Fang leader's words. Feeling edgy, she began to drag her hands down the fabric of her shorts, but she realized her hands weren’t trembling or sweating. A serene calmness enveloped her body like a blanket.

“Hey, Morlie! You asked me to come—” Rudie burst into the door, pulling up short as she almost ran into Faolan’s back.

Faolan didn’t even flinch at the runt of the Pack’s intrusion, just slightly cocked his head in her direction and locked his gaze on Rudie.

However, it was that subtle precision that allowed Morlie to see the deadliness of the Warrior.

“Um...Faolan?” Rudie was dressed in a mini, yellow, light-cotton spring dress with a matching dandelion flower woven into one of her short twists adorning her head.

Rudie looked feminine and soft, the joy around the runt rivalling the midafternoon sun that was creating a halo effect around her.

Rudie took a few steps away from Faolan, placing herself midway between Morlie and the half-wolf male.

“Everything's fine, Rudie. I had Conri call Faolan and ask him to come.”

“Oh...okay.” Rudie's forehead was bunched, still not appearing sure about the situation. “Are you not happy with Conri?”

“He’s fine. If I have to be guarded, any Fang or security team member doesn’t make a difference.” Morlie paused. “I’m hoping that after today, that won’t be necessary.”

“Whyyy?” Rudie dragged out, as if bracing herself for whatever Morlie would say.

“I’m going to fight Minsi today.”

“What! What?” Rudie rushed in, moving closer to her, concern etched around her eyes. “Why do this now? Has she attempted an attack since Chanin left? Should I radio him?” Rudie gripped the radio in her pocket.

“No, please don’t.” Morlie placed a staying hand on Rudie’s wrist. She didn’t want the Alpha’s assistant to contact him. It would just cause Chanin to leave an important meeting. Besides, he wouldn’t make it back in time to stop it anyway.

“Minsi has not approached me yet.” Morlie wouldn’t put it past Minsi since Chanin being on the opposite side of the Drahk territory at the council meeting was the furthest he’d been away from her. It gave Minsi plenty of time to plan an attack.

It was one of the reasons Morlie had decided to do this now.

Rudie, still holding her radio, looked from Morlie to Faolan, then back to Morlie. “Then why?”

Morlie pulled her hand away and lifted her chin, meeting Rudie’s gaze. “It’s time.”

She didn’t say more. If she was going to fight to stand as the Alpha Female in the Omega Pack, then she had to start now by believing her word was law and not feeling the need to explain herself or having to sway others to comply with her decisions.

Rudie’s eyes flared, a flash of amber.

Heat infused Morlie’s eyes as her beast responded and raised its head, ready to come forth.

The smaller female’s gaze settled back to a soft brown as the amber of Rudie’s wolf faded. Proof the runt wolf accepted Morlie’s authority. More because Rudie was family, and it was easier for Rudie’s wolf to feel the claiming bond between Morlie and Chanin and bow to it.

“Alright. What do you need from me, Morlie?”

“Radio Lovel and Amira while I get ready. But only let them know we are headed to them and I need them to come with me to do something.”

Rudie walked to the living room to reach out to the other she-wolves.

“Faolan, I appreciate your time. Thanks for your advice.” Morlie glanced at the Warrior.

Just as silent as always, Faolan offered her a sharp nod before he turned and left the house, closing the door behind him firmly.

Snick.

Morlie went to the room to change into a sports bra and leggings, something she could still move in. The combat boots she slipped her feet into would help her stay grounded and provide more power if she kicked.

Ten minutes later, Morlie and Rudie strolled down the house’s front stairs.

“Congratulations, by the way.” Morlie bumped her friend's shoulder as they headed over to the Beta house, with Conri following behind them. “Wolcott is a perfect mate for you.”

Claimed mate, by the intense scent of the rabbit breeder all over the shorter female. Rudie smelled like lemon-mint sugary cookies, a saturated combination of Wolcott’s lemon-mint and the saccharine sweetness that was Rudie’s own.

“Um...thanks.” Rudie bowed her head, but not before Morlie saw the deepening of color and the broad smile on the other female’s face. “It’s strange.”

“What is?”

“Having someone so intimately inside my heart, feeling him through every part of my body all the time. Most of my life, since Chanin found me and marked me.” Rudie held up her wrist with Chanin’s wolf’s mark.

“I’ve heard his voice in my head. But now, with Wolcott, it's different. It makes me feel whole and at peace and...”

Rudie’s voice drifted away as she lifted one hand to the space between her shoulder and neck and the other hand ran along the bend of her thigh—standard wolf-marked places.

“Horny. I believe that is the word,” Morlie teased. She knew firsthand how the claimed mark made her nipples and clit pulse and the walls of her sex clench as if begging for Chanin’s hard shaft...practically with every breath.

“Exactly.” Laughter rang out from Rudie.

Morlie joined in as she took the steps up the porch to get Lovel and Amira. With the coming event, she allowed herself to be present in the moment with her friend.

“What’s so funny?” Lovel pulled the door open after Morlie’s knock.

“What are you all talking about?” Amira, with her protruding belly, stepped into the open doorway beside Lovel.

“Rudie being claimed and fucked and the all-consuming horniness of it,” Morlie shared.

“Know it never goes away.” Lovel glanced at Amira as she linked her hand with her shifter mate.

Amira winked at Lovel then glanced back at Morlie. “What’s the plan for today?”

Morlie met their gaze and declared, “I’m going to fight, Minsi.”

Forty minutes later, Morlie stepped into the center of the clearing of the Pack meeting ground.

A few people had followed Morlie and her small band as they spotted them moving with haste through town, more curious about what they were up to.

Her friends took their positions on the front bench before her.

They were there for support, but Morlie had asked them not to get involved.

Rudie and Amira had quickly agreed, but Lovel had promised that if things went wrong, she’d step in before she allowed Minsi to take lethal actions.

Because as Lovel put it, ‘The Alpha won’t have my ass because I let you die. ’

However, Morlie had to believe that it would not come to that. That neither she nor Minsi would die today.

Morlie rotated her shoulders back as she saw Reika and Conan enter.

Reika was the only other person Morlie had asked Rudie to radio.

Chanin’s mother and father climbed the bleachers to the center of the top row where Rieka stood, arms folded and her back against the half wall. She offered a sharp gaze and a subtle nod to Morlie, which told Morlie to ‘finish it.’ End what Minsi had started.

“Minsi!” Morlie bellowed.

Morlie tipped her head back and allowed her wolf to howl through her.

The sharp, piercing call brought wolves and shifters out from various corners of the territory, and they began to move toward the clearing.

Among the multitude was Boris, Raul, and the Fang Warriors, who seemed to spread themselves out at certain points around the clearing—defense or general security, Morlie wasn’t sure.

She just hoped they wouldn’t step in or that none of them would call Chanin until it was over.

However, the others filling in the bleachers, Morlie knew it was inquisitiveness that brought them out, not because they supported her leadership over them as their Alpha’s claimed mate.