“Because he’s mine to challenge.”
Chapter 30
If there’s one thing a pack understands, it’s honor.
Tak had already fought one enemy of mine, but this was a battle no man could fight for me, nor would I let him. This had nothing to do with my past with River. He’d threatened my livelihood, stolen our hard-earned money, and hired someone to stalk me. I would never be able to hold my head up if I didn’t challenge the adversary who conspired to ruin my life.
My fate was not for him to decide.
I exchanged a meaningful glance with Tak, and he made no further attempt to intervene. That meant more to me than he could possibly imagine. He inclined his head and veered left while my father went right. Challenging River was about salvaging my honor and standing up for my convictions. And yet it was more than that. River suddenly became the wolf who’d attacked me all those years ago. He became the judgmental eyes of my peers. Facing him gave me just enough hope and courage to believe that I might one day become a stronger person.
River’s fingers twitched as his gaze flicked back and forth between the Shifters who encircled us. But when his eyes steadied on mine, he showed no sign of fear. I knew in that moment he wasn’t afraid of losing—he was afraid of winning.
I’d never fought anyone before, but I could feel my wolf lending me her courage. This was a challenge between wolves, so I waited for him to make the first shift.
River put his hands on his hips and lowered his head. “I don’t want to hurt your daughter. This is a misunderstanding.”
“You hurt my little girl a long time ago,” my father said, his voice controlled and dangerous. “The only misunderstanding is that you thought you could do it again.”
I snatched a rock off the ground and threw it at River to get his attention. It bounced off his head, drawing laughter from the crowd. “Are you going to shift or stick your nose farther up my father’s ass?”
There were raised eyebrows and a couple of oohs.
My mother struck the ground with her cane and silenced everyone.
Tak moved behind River and, with a hard shove, pushed him toward me. “A warrior doesn’t beg for his life.”
I kicked off my shoes, and when I saw a hint of a smile touch River’s lips, I gracefully shifted. I only had a few minutes before blacking out. My wolf stalked toward him, head low and teeth bared. I savored the fear in his eyes, and when he stumbled backward, Tak shoved him into the center again.
“Fine,” he growled, tearing off his shirt. “Have it your way.” Clothes fell away as River transformed into a dirty-brown wolf. His size was unremarkable in comparison to other males, but strength and agility counted more in a fight.
The concrete heated the pads of my paws, and energy from the crowd buzzed against my fur like static electricity. I relinquished all control to my wolf, trusting her instincts as the quiet voice within me rose to a thundering roar.
River’s wolf pulled in a scent and hesitated. Seizing the opportunity, my wolf lunged and went for his throat. He dodged the attack and tried to scuttle behind me, but I snapped around and sank my teeth into his back.
River yelped and pivoted around so fast that he bit my muzzle before I knew what was happening. I reared up and knocked him to the ground. He was bigger and stronger but not half as determined.
Not by a long shot.
We fell into a roll, jaws snapping and puncturing the skin. When he tried to blind me with a savage bite, I drew back and sank my teeth into his leg. They ripped through muscle and bone. River’s wolf yelped, and when he tried to escape, I trotted around him, blood dripping from my tongue.
A hot wind blew, scattering dirt across the asphalt. My heart was beating like the drum of my ancestors, filling me with the wisdom of who I was. Not just a woman with dreams but the descendant of wolf warriors.
Words tumbled around me like meaningless noise, and all I could understand was the emotion behind them.
Fight.
Fight.
With all the power I could harness, I crashed into River, my rib cage rattling from impact. The metallic taste of blood was salty on my tongue, and I thirsted for more. His overconfidence made him weak. Because of my size, I could get at his throat more easily than he could mine.
When his fangs tore through my back, I growled as he took the dominant position. Shaken, I looked at my father… my mother… so many of my friends and family.
And then I saw Tak.
He nodded at me once, and I saw everything in that look. But most of all, he looked at me as if he saw no weakness. That stirred a fire in me like nothing else. I scurried backward and charged River again—this time snapping my jaws around the soft part of his throat and eliciting a growl that vibrated in my mouth. I had him in a lock, and the more he squirmed to free himself, the more it ripped his flesh. I tightened my jaws into a steel trap. When he tried to escape, I threw all my weight on him and knocked him to the ground.
I stood astride the wolf, my hold even tighter, until he quit struggling.
