stand in front of her anymore.
Grant, the current alpha, looked Caleb up and down slowly before turning his gaze to her.
His voice was dry and full of amusement. “No broken bones or blood. I'm not sure if I should be relieved you let him live or worried he won't survive the night.” Caleb barked a laugh and rubbed his chin on the top of her head. “She likes me enough to let me live at least a couple more days, Pop.”
Her dad grinned and winked at her. “You sure about that, boy? Never known our girl to back down from a fight.”
They hadn't closed the office door, and she might have jumped just a bit when she heard the hard, angry voice behind her.
“What fight?”
Zach entered and Caleb let him pull her away and into his arms. After a short kiss that curled her toes, he stood behind her and put his hands in her front pockets, tugging until she leaned her back against him.
“What fight?” he asked again, softly, leaning close to her ear. His warm breath against her skin made her shiver. She shook her head, forcing her body to behave.
“Nothing. It was a joke.”
“Bad one,” he said, sliding one hand out of her pocket and under her sweater. His palm rested flat against her abdomen. The simple contact was enough to make her heart pound. Her subtle move to extricate herself only garnered a tighter hold and a low growl. She jabbed him with her elbow but didn't try to get free again.
Grant chuckled but didn't tease her about her predicament. Good thing. She was off balance enough as it was. Getting pissed at her alpha wouldn't help matters. Though, she thought, frowning, how exactly was that going to work when Caleb took over? He spoke before she could worry about it.
“Since you apparently have mated with
“Not so fast, boyo,” Henry said. “There're a few formalities to take care of first.” Jonas stood and gave her a malicious smile that made her want to bare her teeth. “That there are,” he said, holding her gaze but speaking to her father. His challenge had to go through the pack beta. “I claim challenge rights.”
Zach jerked, but she held onto him and dug her boot heel into his foot. “Still,” she hissed.
Jonas could make a challenge against the new alpha, but it would first go through the existing hierarchy, starting with her.
“The last time you challenged me, you limped out with a broken arm and four shattered ribs,” she reminded him with saccharine sweetness.
Her statement only gave him a moment's pause. “In an alpha challenge, you can't use any weapons.”
Idiot. She'd only used a short asp last time because she'd been trying to head off future problems by allowing him to save face, to let him believe she'd defeated him with help.
“I don't need any. But you'll need a body bag if you don't withdraw.” She shook her head in mock concern. “After I make you yield, and you
“I don't think so.” He clearly thought he had the advantage. “Let me know when and where.” He left with Baker following him. Her two remaining soldiers stood and approached.
“You want me to make the arrangements?”
“Yes. Tomorrow afternoon. Let's get this over with.” They left. She could feel the outrage pouring from both Caleb and Zach, but waited to speak until she heard the front door close. Zach let her pull free, and she went to perch on the edge of Grant's desk.
“This is the way things are,” she said to them before either could find his voice.
“No fucking way.” It was Zach who spoke, anger and concern and dominance thickening his voice.
She sighed and turned her gaze to Caleb. His conflict was easy to read. “Tell him,” she said softly. His snarl filled the room, and he paced before responding.
“She can do it,” he finally told Zach, who looked completely incredulous.
“She's human.”
“She's a little more than that,” her father said softly, and she turned to find him sitting in the ugly green chair he'd claimed for his own years ago, one leg crossed over his knee and a mischievous grin on his face. Something in his tone got everyone's attention. When the room focused on him, he continued. “She's a latent werewolf and a witch who's come into her full power, right, baby girl?”
How did he know? She nodded. “So it would seem.”
Instead of responding to her, Henry turned to Zach. “Which means, as good a fighter as she was before, she'll be better now. Faster. Stronger. Smarter.” Caleb cocked his head to one side and looked her over. “Is that true?” She didn't really know, but it felt right. “Yeah. I think so.”
Zach shook his head. “That's not good enough.”
“Well, we'll find out tomorrow, won't we?” she snapped.
His eyes turned hot and carnal. Promised to follow through. “Watch it, kitten. I'm your mate, not one of your soldiers.”
If her father and alpha weren't sitting in the room, she'd have ripped her clothes off and offered herself to him. And he knew it too, the big jerk. His nostrils flared and he strode toward her. She skipped out of way just in time.
“That can wait,” she said forcefully.
“The longer you put me off, the worse it's going to be for you, kitten.” His smile was all kinds of devilish
