Chapter Thirty-One

Dom

Smokey was already there the next morning, of course. Daylight barely shone over the clearing. He was wearing pants for once, standing on top of the boulder in the center to face the sunrise.

I grunted. "Smokey."

He hopped down and walked over. He eyed June up and down, nodding slowly. "Hmm, yes. Now that I get a good look at you with your wolf in there, you're a strong one."

A growl passed my lips, and I shook my head to pull my wolf back in. Smokey wouldn't do anything to hurt June. Well, anything to hurt her badly. His methods could be a little intense, but nothing she couldn't handle.

"What do I do?" June asked.

"We'll go for a run," Smokey said. "Lift some things. Push some things. Dodge some things. A bit of light exercise so I can observe."

I snorted a laugh. Light exercise, my ass.

"And what will you be doing, big fella?" Smokey asked. "Watching over her like a mother hen?"

"I'll be close by. At least in the near area here. I want to get some training in, but June can handle herself." I looked down at my determined mate and smiled.

That made her happy, which made me happy.

"Yes, b'y. Well, get a-goin' while we trot her around and see what she can do." Smokey made a shooing motion at me. "Go on, get. Nathan wanted to see you."

Nathan?

"All right," I said. "June, I'm close if you need me."

I leaned down and kissed her. She had to be the one to pull us apart, though, and she grinned at me as she patted my chest.

"I'll be fine," June said. "I used to do track, remember? I can handle a little exercise."

"Track, really?" Carson and Aaron came into the training field, Aaron looking tired, but Carson suddenly perked up with excitement. "That's kick-ass, June. Did you have a sports nickname? I bet you did," Carson said.

"That's not a thing." Aaron nudged Carson. "Sounds like a bunch of nonsense you'd see on television."

And I would have agreed with Aaron, but when I turned to look at June to say as much, I noticed she was bright red. Neck to ears red. I grinned, a wolfish smile across my lips as I leaned down to murmur in her ear.

"You did, didn't you?" I asked.

"I knew it! What was it?" Carson asked.

"I . . . uh . . . oh god." June put her hands over her face. "Shotgun."

"Shotgun?" I asked with a frown, then it all snapped into place and I grinned. "Gunn. Juniper Gunn. Shotgun."

"Please don't. High-school kids are dumb and the nickname was dumb and it's embarrassing."

"It's cute," I said.

"Cute?" Carson exclaimed. "It's badass!"

"Hey, you two. If you've got enough time to mess around, you've got enough time to run twenty laps," Smokey said.

Carson's amusement fell from his face. "Now," Smokey added.

Aaron and Carson stripped and put their clothes to the side of the field. I leaned in and gave June one more kiss before walking away.

"Good luck, Shotgun," I said, and she groaned as she walked away.

Nathan and Anna were helping each other stretch, probably getting ready for others to show up.

"Dom." Nathan stood, brushing off his dusty knees as he did so and extending a hand. "Congrats, man. June looks like she can keep you on your toes."

Shaking Nathan's hand, I looked back over my shoulder to where June was currently trying to shift under Smokey's supervision.

"Yeah, that's for sure. Smokey said you were looking for me," I said. "How long are you sticking around? I know you probably need to get back to Salt Fur."

"About that," Nathan said. "I know you wanted us to help get you back in shape, and I'm thrilled you guys are back home, but I have a bad feeling you're up to something. We need to talk."

I frowned, eyes sliding around the field for any ears perked our way.

"Come with us," Nathan said, picking up on what I was looking for.

"Where? I told June I wouldn't go far."

"Just the next clearing over," Anna explained. "Somewhere empty, no equipment."

Through a few trees and into the opening, the first thing I saw was a large gray wolf standing and facing us. I knew exactly who it was too. Her new mate stood to the side stroking Amelia's fur.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Dom, you're a good wolf and a loyal beta to Amelia," Nathan said.

Anna stepped next to Nathan, hands on her hips. "But you're a level above me too. When it comes down to a muscle-to-muscle fight, I don't win."

"What are you asking?" I asked calmly.

"I think you know." Nathan sighed, patting my shoulder. "Amelia wants to fight you. Now."

Pulling off my shirt, I walked toward Amelia.

"Why would you fight me?" I asked. "We're so close to what we've been after for a decade. Why now?"

Amelia's big wolf huffed, nudging her head toward her mate next to her. With a lick of Bianca's face, the petite woman walked away with a smile to stand near Nathan and Anna.

"Ah. Mates do change things, don't they?" What had I said the night I found out I belonged with June? She deserved the best, so I would become the best?

You've changed , Amelia said. Or maybe it would be better to say you've grown.

I could say the same for you , I replied, letting the link keep it between the two of us.

I don't think you're just beta material, Dom. No one does anymore , Amelia said . Our problem has always been that there are two alphas here. You're my closest friend, Dom. But if we're really both alphas, we have to settle this right now.

There's nothing to settle, Moonpeak is yours and I'll follow your lead , I said. What is there to settle?

Everything . Amelia's head shook toward the village. Only room for one alpha in Moonpeak. We're making the decision right now.

All you've wanted for the past ten years is to take your father's seat back.

No , she seethed. All I've wanted for the past ten years is to tear out the throat of the devil that killed him. And my mother, and my pack.

And the loser? Where do they go? Moonpeak is home.

Amelia was silent.

Moonpeak is home , I insisted. Your pack is here, your sister is here. I'm here.

I'll never make you leave this place, you know that. But I'm not going to go through with you being my beta without testing your limits. Amelia glanced at her mate. Did you know Bianca is from Winter Wind?

That delicate, petite wolf was from Winter Wind? An arctic pack, constantly in battles, known for their aggression for survival. And Amelia's way of handling things would gain her nothing but praise there.

She's Alpha Bernard's only child, Dom.

Floored, I stared openly at the petite girl standing by Nathan until Amelia snapped me back to the present.

I have no reason to be proud of how I left this place. I get that now. You want the truth of it? This place hurts. What would I do, take over this peaceful mountain village? Sleep in the bed of my dead parents? Hell, maybe he's changed out the furniture. I'll rest real easy on the bed my enemy slept in.

It doesn't have to be that way , I insisted.

It already is, Dom. Don't think for a second that I'll leave without that bastard's blood on my hands, but this isn't what I crave. I can give Bianca a life she deserves in Winter Wind. This fight isn't about me, it's about you. Now, fucking shift, Dominic.

Reeling from her words, I rolled my shoulders, dropped the rest of my clothes on the ground, and shifted. I was ready to accept what Amelia, Smokey, even Nathan and Anna were saying. I did need to push myself and let go of the barriers in my head that I hid behind, convincing myself that I couldn't be more than a beta. If I was meant to serve my people in another way, I owed it to them to give it my all.

No sooner was I finished than Amelia lunged. It was a good one, too, because she nearly had my throat in her teeth. I turned at the last moment and shoved my shoulder under her chin.

We circled each other. Amelia was sharp today, but I could still sense the otherness around her of Jerod and their connection. It was a distraction to her, a constant tug in the direction of the warlock.

In a flash, Amelia was on me. A gleam of teeth as she pounced. I thrashed upward, slicing her chest with my claws as we tumbled, growling and snarling, into each other.

Amelia snapped down, tearing a part of my ear as I shouldered her weight off of me. We circled again.

You would have been the perfect beta , Amelia prodded. All the backup I could ever need for anything. You make my job too easy.

I snarled, lunging at her and scraping across her side before we both jumped away.

Then why push for this fight? I snapped.

If you're really up to the task of alpha of Moonpeak, then I won't get in your way. As my beta you'd just be a crutch for me to lean on!

Amelia barreled into me, too fast for me to dodge. Instead, I leaned into it and we both rolled over each other. Tumbling in the grass, gnashing teeth and swiping claws until we were both sprinkled with thin, bloody ribbons.

I pushed back as she snapped up at my neck, then lunged forward and wrapped my jaws around her own throat while pinning her wolf down with my weight.

What happened to us, Dom? Amelia asked. When did we stop sparring? When did I not notice what you were becoming? Why I was growing stagnant, and you were holding back.

I gently moved my teeth away and took a few steps back. Amelia began shifting, Bianca running up to her and gingerly touching the bigger wounds that weren't already closing up.

With Amelia taken care of, I began shifting myself. Anna and Nathan walked over to me, and Anna handed me my shorts.

"I didn't want to believe Amelia when she told me," Nathan said. "But damn, Dom. You might just be alpha material yet."

I had just barely acknowledged myself recently that I could be something more than a beta, but it was entirely different when Nathan said the words out loud.

"Don't celebrate too soon," Anna murmured. "Amelia still has a handicap."

"And Dom still needs polishing," Nathan agreed. "A lot of polishing. Hey, Dom, what are the chances of you coming down to Salt Fur for a week with me and Dad? I think if anyone could whip your ass into top shape my old man could."

"Maybe, everything hinges on June," I said. "I don't want to take her so freshly changed to a whole new territory."

"Yeah, makes sense," Nathan said.

"Dom," Amelia said. She had on loose shorts and a big shirt, her preference for training days, but a stark contrast to Bianca in her white sundress.

"Amelia."

"What a mess," she said softly.

That dropped some of the tension in my shoulders, and I walked over to give her a hug. When was the last time we'd done that? An embrace of two wolves who'd grown up together. Knew everything about each other. There was no fight around the corner unless you counted Evander. No vampires to keep us on edge. No bounties, no enemies. Just us.

"Things change. I still want to floss Evander's teeth with his own entrails, but . . ."

"But after?" I prodded.

She turned back to face me again. "Can't say I've thought too deeply past the revenge, you know that."

"Naomi?" I asked.

"Obviously I'm not going anywhere until we make sure she's safe," Amelia said. "Bianca says we're only a couple of days away if we fly, they have a couple of tiny planes up there for important things."

"I'll take the best care of her, if it comes down to leaving me with Moonpeak." I still wasn't sure how I felt about it, but this place, this was home. I never wanted to be anywhere else, and the fact that Amelia could even entertain the idea of moving to Winter Wind—the moon really does pull us in strange directions.

"We're almost ready," Amelia said. "Jerod said he had a solution to our entanglement problem. But it has to wait for the middle of the night."

"Finally," I groaned.

"Second, we need to tell the others what we decided here today. Blightfang, Bianca, June, and if you'll come, too, Nathan and Anna, you're welcome to be there."

"Absolutely," Anna chimed in. "I want our neighboring pack back to normal."

"Agreed," added Nathan.

Agreed. It was time to take Moonpeak back.