Chapter Ten

Pearl

I was nervous. The idea of Rylan accepting challenges to gain loyalty and respect was admirable, but it made my chest clench.

“Have you ever seen him fight?” Arden asked, walking with me outside behind the cabin, where there was a clearing in the woods.

“Not recently,” I admitted, wishing that I had so maybe it would calm my nerves.

“I’m sure you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

I knew she was trying to make me feel better, but all it did was remind me of the years I spent hating him. I had no idea what he’d endured during that time. I assumed he continued his training to become the beta of our pack, but what did that even intel? Did he have to fight other betas? Just the thought of him in a shifter fight club situation made me and my wolf antsy.

The crowd from the house was outside now and spread out in a circle. Some were stretching while others were chatting. There was an even mix of female and male wolves. Teo was one of the biggest, but there were a few more eyeing Rylan like they’d like to break him in half.

It made me unreasonably angry.

I glared at every wolf that looked at me as I made my way toward Rylan, who stood with Deacon. His shirt was off, revealing all the delicious planes and ridges of muscle that I wanted to explore with my hands and tongue. I knew he was handsome—I even knew he was fit—but seeing him in the light of day in the middle of a forest shirtless made my heart palpitate.

Green irises flicked to me like he knew what I was thinking, and I swore my ovaries jerked to attention.

“Oh… fuck.” I exhaled, needing to stop for a moment to catch my breath since he literally took it away.

“Are you all right?” Arden asked, concerned.

I’d explained what had happened the night before and how I was healed, but she was still worried. She couldn’t get the sight of her best friend with a knife lodged in her neck out of her head. I understood that and would allow her to treat me with kid gloves. For now.

“Yep. Totally fine,” I answered, very aware that I was being watched.

Arden gave me a disbelieving look, but I ignored her. Rylan had turned away from Deacon in order to watch me walk toward him. As I drew closer, I could clearly see the hunger in his eyes.

Rylan held his arms open for me to walk into, so I did, feeling an instant calmness. I could still feel eyes watching my every move. So, I stood on tiptoe and plastered my body against him. My lips found his, and I kissed him like I was dying. He kissed me back, moving against me hungerly, like he couldn’t get enough. His hand found my ass, his fingers squeezing the muscle almost to the point of pain.

We parted, lips swollen and red from our kiss. I licked mine, savoring his taste while he watched my tongue. It was sexy, leaving me breathless with need. I’d never been so turned on in my life.

“You’re mine,” my wolf told him with all the confidence of a woman who’d found her mate.

“Ditto,” Rylan replied, smiling then giving me a quick peck on the cheek.

I laughed at his simple answer, enjoying the encounter more than I probably should. Looking around, most wolves avert their eyes while a couple females held my gaze for a moment or two in challenge. My wolf peeked out at them, not about to play some dominance game. That was saved for the boys. These bitches needed to know what he was mine. I just showed them.

Smirking, I withdrew, stepping back to Arden’s side, who eyed me like I’d just grown a second head then cut it off myself.

“What?” I snapped at her, irritated by the look she was giving me along with everyone else.

“You just… Pearl, never in the years we’ve been friends have you ever drawn attention to yourself.”

“Oh… well, they need to know where I stand.”

“I’m pretty sure everyone got the memo. Loud and clear.”

“Good.” I smiled, loving the exhilaration I felt at claiming him publicly.

“You’ve changed,” my longtime friend said, a wicked smile spreading across her lips. “I like it.”

I winked at her before turning my attention to Deacon, who had stepped forward, looking ready to speak.

“This is a chance to test Rylan as the alpha. The winner is decided by tap out. No unnecessary violence will be tolerated. Let’s keep this clean.”

Everyone gathered nodded their heads in understanding while I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt.

Rylan stepped forward into the circle, determination written clearly on his face as he waited. No one moved for at least thirty seconds, then Teo took a step forward like he was going to rush him, which set off a chain reaction.

Two wolves came at Rylan, one from each side. He sidestepped the first, letting his momentum carry him away while simultaneously blocking the second wolf’s jab. Quicker than I’d ever seen him move, Rylan spun, kicking the second wolf in the back of his knees and making him buckle. By this time, the first wolf had recovered and rushed back, presumably intending to tackle with brute force.

Rylan jumped over him, landing behind him and punching him square in the jaw when he whipped around. The wolf fell to the ground dazed while the second recovered.

Another male with long brown hair and a mean expression ran forward, jumping over the downed wolves. His hands had shifted partway, so he could use his deadly claws. Rylan blocked the first punch then the second while backing up to give himself more space. Catching the next jab, he grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted under it, forcing the shifter’s hand behind his back. The wolf snarled when Rylan applied pressure. I could only imagine the pain traveling up his arm.

The fighting only got worse after that. A female snuck behind Rylan while he was engaged with two wolves and slashed his back with her shifted claws. I growled, angrily letting Arden hold me back before I charged into the mele and ruined everything. With an angry snarl, Rylan grabbed the woman by the throat and hurled her into a group of charging men, knocking them all to the ground. I smiled satisfied and proud of his actions while also wishing it had been me with my hand around her throat.

Standing on the sidelines, Teo watched Rylan face off with wolf after wolf before he whistled a sharp note. Everyone stepped back, like the order had come from an alpha.

Rylan turned, ready to face whatever the leader was planning to throw at him. Teo paced in front of Rylan, who was tense, coiled, as he waited for the man to make the first move.

Suddenly, Teo began to shift. Fur erupted all over as his body grew and contorted. At first, I thought he was simply shifting into his wolf form, but after a moment I realized he wasn’t. His legs grew then snapped as the joints changed to those of a wolf. I watched in horrified fascination as he became a beast-man—partially shifted while remaining on his hind legs.

Teo reared his head back and roared, a guttural sound that made a chill run across my shoulders. A beast-man form was extremely difficult to do. The fact that Teo could manage it meant that he had alpha potential.

It was awesome and terrifying to witness. The control he had to have over his wolf would have been as strong as iron.

Rylan eyed him like he was reluctantly impressed.

“Did you know he could do that?” I asked Arden, nervous that Rylan wouldn’t be able to match his opponent.

“Yes. His control is unmatched.” Arden watched intently as Teo finished.

All eyes turned to Rylan, who just stood there. He shot a glance at me before he visibly relaxed. Taking a single step backward before closing his eyes, coming as still as a statue.

Everyone seemed to collectively hold their breath, waiting to see if Rylan could match the power and control that Teo had just displayed. My heart pounded in my chest ready for my mate to make his move. I wanted to reach out to him and lend him our strength, but I knew he’d never accept it. This was a battle he and his wolf needed to face alone.

My eyes were fixed on Rylan’s shoulders, so I saw the exact moment that the change began. Black-grey fur sprouted from his skin, coating him from head to toe. His face contorted into a snout while his legs grew and shifted to the correct anatomical joints. The sound of bones breaking, and cartilage popping was enough to make me grit my teeth. I couldn’t look away because within a few short seconds, he had completely shifted.

Teo was a large wolf, but Rylan had him beat by over a foot. He looked exactly like his wolf, just upright like a man. Black ears jutted from his skull while his tail swished back and forth with excitement.

In moments, my mate had completely transformed from a man into a beast form. Arden sucked in a breath while I secretly smirked at all the wolves who were taken aback. Rylan was magnificent. He held this partially shifted state with an ease that even I was impressed by. He’d just proven without a shadow of a doubt that his control was steadfast, and his power was limitless.

The marks on my left arm began to tingle as Rylan straightened to his full and incredible height. He looked just as surprised by the change as everyone else. My chest swelled; pride filled me up until tears gathered in my eyes.

Rylan was the alpha. There was no denying it now.

Every wolf in attendance bowed their heads respectfully at the shifter who was truly the very best that had ever lived.

I was so overcome with pride and love that it didn’t immediately register that my arm had stopped tingling and was now burning. When I finally did notice, it was too late.

The sharp cold bite of a knife rested against my throat, making my heart gallop like it was trying to escape my body.

Rylan’s massive head turned toward me when I gasped, surprised by how the situation had shifted. His green-grey eyes darkened as he took me in, then his irises moved to the knife wielder, and a shiver of pure fear raced down my spine.

Every speck of humanity disappeared, leaving a predator behind who was more powerful than any shifter before him.

I took a shallow breath, wondering how we were going to get out of this situation without killing anyone.