Lindsey ripped off her dress and shifted into a brown wolf. She was smaller than the two wolves tussling on the ground, but it didn’t matter. Kaden’s back was to her, and she looked like she was getting ready to attack him. Her muscles bunched as she readied herself to leap, and I made a split-second decision.
Fuck no, I thought, and let go of Stella’s hand. I wasn’t going to let Tanner’s mate mess this up, not when Kaden was fighting fair and square. As she lunged forward, fangs bared, I began shifting without even stripping out of my clothes. My white wolf body slammed into Lindsey’s before I even had time to fully comprehend that I was completely shifted. I'd never done it so fast before, but then again, I'd never been fighting to protect my alpha before. My mate.
I pinned her down, but Lindsey twisted out of my hold before I could get a solid grip on her to keep her away from Kaden. She tried to continue on her way to attack Kaden, but I bit down on her tail and dragged her back. Lindsey snarled and turned her attention to me finally.
What the fuck are you doing? Kaden's voice in my head made me jump.
Protecting you, I sent back. The only thing I got in return was an impression of Kaden’s complete distaste with that idea. He thought he was the one who was supposed to be protecting me, but he had his own hands full with Tanner. Lindsey had been the one to break the rules and try to join in, and I wasn't going to let her throw the match. And as she faced me with her ears raised and her fangs bared, a new sense settled over me.
I wasn't just fighting for Kaden. I was fighting to be the alpha female of this pack.
Just stay out of my way and don’t get yourself killed, Kaden said.
No shit, I thought, and then threw myself back into fighting with Lindsey. I was larger than her, but she was slippery, like an eel. I could pin her down, but not long enough to get her to submit. She would always manage to find a way to break free of the holds I’d put her in.
Finally, I just flopped down on top of her. She couldn’t escape me this way, and though it wasn’t the most elegant way of pinning her, I had her in a vulnerable position. I didn’t know what to do next, but Lindsey continued struggling.
Submit, Kaden told Tanner. He had Tanner pinned, his jaws around the other shifter’s throat. Even though Tanner was moments away from death, he snarled at Kaden and snapped his jaws, back paws trying to catch purchase on his belly.
You’ll have to kill me, Tanner growled back, and his voice sounded defiant, even though I heard the fear underneath it. He believed Kaden really would end it all, right here, right now. It was within Kaden's right, especially since Tanner wasn’t conceding.
I’ll kill you, and Ayla will kill your mate. Do you really want that? Kaden asked. He snapped his jaws at Tanner’s throat in warning.
I looked down at Lindsey, who didn’t look ready to die. She looked scared, eyes wide. She wasn’t even fighting against me anymore. I didn’t want to kill her. This was supposed to be my pack sister, someone I could rely on to have my back when things got tough. But she was challenging Kaden as alpha, and as such, she was challenging me. If it came down to it, I would sink my teeth into her neck and watch the light fade from her eyes.
Lindsey must have seen that reflected in my face because she began struggling again. Not to fight, this time, but to free herself. Please, she sent out, but it was directed at Tanner, not at me.
Tanner’s eyes flicked over to Lindsey, and then he dropped his head. I concede.
Kaden immediately let go of Tanner, who leaped up out of biting distance. I let Lindsey wriggle out from under me a final time. Tanner waited for her to join him, and then the circle of Ophiuchus pack members parted to let them through. They ran into the woods without shifting back to human form.
“Kaden remains alpha,” Clayton said, sounding relieved.
Kaden raised his dark head and let out a long howl that seeped right through my skin, into my bones, down all the way to my soul. On instinct, I lifted my snout and released my own howl, which joined in harmony with his, a song of both triumph and relief, along with a dash of sorrow. A few seconds later, other members of the pack, both human and wolf, began to howl with us too.
When the howls died down, Kaden shifted back to human form, and I did the same. We were both naked and covered in blood, but it didn’t matter. A roar went up around the circle of Ophiuchus pack members. Most of them cheered, looking happy to see their alpha triumph. Stella was one of the loudest, jumping up and down.
Not everyone looked overjoyed to see Kaden win though. Some of them turned away and followed after Tanner and Lindsey. Clearly, Tanner hadn’t been the only one who thought that Kaden was taking the Ophiuchus pack in the wrong direction.
Kaden looked around, surveying the remaining members of his pack. His eyes burned with fire, the kind that came from the victory he’d just won, and that same feeling poured into me. “Is there anyone else who wants to challenge me?”
The Ophiuchus pack grew silent, and I saw a few of the shifters look down, as if ashamed. No one stepped forward to challenge Kaden. I wouldn’t have wanted to either. Every line of his body sang with the power he held, and just from standing next to him, I knew he was a force to be reckoned with.
Kaden spread his arms wide. "Everything I do is for you, for this pack, and I will always lead us as I see best. If you have an issue with what I'm doing, you're welcome to speak with me about your concerns. And as for Ayla..." He grabbed my hand, and a shock went through me at the contact. “She is my alpha female. She proved herself worthy of that tonight. Together, we will take down the Leos, rejoin the Zodiac Wolves, and lead our pack into the future."
I gazed across the gathered shifters, trying to steady my racing heart and trembling hands. One by one, they lowered their heads in a sign of submission. I was being accepted as alpha female. I could hardly believe it. I hadn't wanted the job and had never imagined I would ever have a shot at it, yet when the time came to fight for my place, I'd taken it. And I'd have done it a thousand times over, to keep Kaden safe.
I looked up at Kaden, the victory resounding in my blood. This was right. This was what I’d been looking for my entire life. I was Kaden’s mate, and I was the alpha female of the Ophiuchus pack.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Kaden and I left the crowd behind, our hearts still pounding, the battle still fresh in the air. Adrenaline raced through my veins, making me borderline jittery. I looked over at Kaden and opened my mouth to ask him what do I do with this feeling?
The resounding lust I saw echoed in his eyes made me realize what I was feeling wasn’t entirely the aftermath of the fight. We’d battled together, won together, and we both felt the need to experience that victory together, to reaffirm to each other that we were still truly alive.