“You knock those other two down and I just might have to tap you in for a game of horse.”
My brows furrow. “Horse? That sounds like a game for wasted old men.”
“Old men don’t play my version.”
“And what would that be?”
“For each shot you miss, you have to strip.”
“That’s a little one-sided, don’t you think?”
Axe crosses his arms. “Fair’s fair. If you succeed, I’ll ditch a layer.”
Snorting, I pivot to face the target. I do love a good competition. “Hope you’re prepared to lose.”
Raising the pellet gun back up to my shoulder, I cock it, setting my sights on the dead-center can. Behind me, I feel the Alpha step closer. Too close.
Right as I pull the trigger, his voice drops to a bottomless depth. “Shall I try to guess the color of your underwear?”
My shot diverts to the base of the stump. I whirl around to face him. “Has anyone ever told you you’re a completeAxehole?”
“There’s an H.” Axe clicks his tongue. A lofty grin is plastered on his face. “I think the real lesson you need is mastering the art of distraction. Now strip.”
Scowling, I shrug off my vest, shivering as his eyes rake over my tight bodysuit. Falling back into my stance, I obliterate the other two cans shot for shot. “The only distracted person here is you, Commander. Now strip.”
He removes his hat first and underhand tosses it behind us. Next, he raises his arms, peeling the shirt slowly, drawing extra attention to his chiseled physique.Relax, Ves. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.
“If that’s true, then I’m sure this next round will be a breeze for you.”
Axe empties the pellet gun and sets it on the table. My breath catches when he seizes my hand and walks me over to the awning structure where a portion of Qinnu’s unit observes, sipping their beers. From under the adjacent pine, he pulls out three cement blocks, arranging them in the open field. He then snags three glass bottles discarded by the men, placing them on top. I try to block out the males when he guides me to my position—sixteen meters from the staggered targets. Cocking a brow, he places something slick and cool into my hands. A revolver.
“This here is loaded with six rounds,” Axe states.
I step back, almost smirking as I press two squishy plugs into my ear cavities. Easy enough, right?
Leaving my side, Commander Axehole takes a seatrightin the middle of my firing zone.
And yet, he doesn’t move. Apprehension hums in my blood as I raise the gun to my eye level. For a small thing, it sure feels like I’m clutching a dumbbell. Still, the revolver in my hands feels like it was fated to be. I release a slow stream of air. The forefront of my mind quiets, wiping away all other trivial thoughts. Axe’s face becomes a blur.
Three seconds is all it takes for me to execute. Exploding around the Alpha’s head, the glass bottles shatter, one after the other.
A hearty round of applause follows, breaking me from the trance. I set the revolver down, only for Axe to lift me off the ground, spinning in a celebratory circle.
I have half a mind to swat him when my feet return to the ground. “That was the most reckless thing I’ve ever seen.”
Adrenaline pulses in his eyes as he promptly tugs off his belt. “Shall we continue?”
I vehemently decline, instead asking for a promotion to a real, heavy-duty weapon.
His acquiescent wink isn’t an official answer, but nevertheless, I hold out hope for something better tomorrow. Surely enough, the next morning he meets me, I’m given a nine-millimeter pistol to test out.
Having a gun back in my hand has oddly given me a sense of clarity. And confidence. Perhapsthisis what Tesni intended for me to discover before seeking her guidance. I may never be a lycan warrior. And I can accept that. I want to believe that these people will cast aside their judgments, should their Alpha choose to accept me in spite of the burden I carry. By design, I have always been different. I have always been capable of forging my own way.
Chapter 21
AXE
In the secluded conference room of Sonic Jungle, six chairs are occupied around a grey marble table. Preston Caulder, a forensic scientist, scribbles on a notepad next to Jabir and Dom, who is clad in his finest brown suit, briefing the room on the nightclub’s security operations. Opposite of him sits Paul Childers, the seasoned Alpha of Glacier Meadow pack, and Demitrya.
