Chapter 30

If there's one thing a pack understands, it's honor.

Tak had already fought one enemy of mine, but this was a battle no man could fight for me, nor would I let him. This had nothing to do with my past with River. He'd threatened my livelihood, stolen our hard-earned money, and hired someone to stalk me. I would never be able to hold my head up if I didn't challenge the adversary who conspired to ruin my life.

My fate was not for him to decide.

I exchanged a meaningful glance with Tak, and he made no further attempt to intervene. That meant more to me than he could possibly imagine. He inclined his head and veered left while my father went right. Challenging River was about salvaging my honor and standing up for my convictions. And yet it was more than that. River suddenly became the wolf who'd attacked me all those years ago. He became the judgmental eyes of my peers. Facing him gave me just enough hope and courage to believe that I might one day become a stronger person.

River's fingers twitched as his gaze flicked back and forth between the Shifters who encircled us. But when his eyes steadied on mine, he showed no sign of fear. I knew in that moment he wasn't afraid of losing—he was afraid of winning.

I'd never fought anyone before, but I could feel my wolf lending me her courage. This was a challenge between wolves, so I waited for him to make the first shift.

River put his hands on his hips and lowered his head. "I don't want to hurt your daughter. This is a misunderstanding."

"You hurt my little girl a long time ago," my father said, his voice controlled and dangerous. "The only misunderstanding is that you thought you could do it again."

I snatched a rock off the ground and threw it at River to get his attention. It bounced off his head, drawing laughter from the crowd. "Are you going to shift or stick your nose farther up my father's ass?"

There were raised eyebrows and a couple of oohs.

My mother struck the ground with her cane and silenced everyone.

Tak moved behind River and, with a hard shove, pushed him toward me. "A warrior doesn't beg for his life."

I kicked off my shoes, and when I saw a hint of a smile touch River's lips, I gracefully shifted. I only had a few minutes before blacking out. My wolf stalked toward him, head low and teeth bared. I savored the fear in his eyes, and when he stumbled backward, Tak shoved him into the center again.

"Fine," he growled, tearing off his shirt. "Have it your way." Clothes fell away as River transformed into a dirty-brown wolf. His size was unremarkable in comparison to other males, but strength and agility counted more in a fight.

The concrete heated the pads of my paws, and energy from the crowd buzzed against my fur like static electricity. I relinquished all control to my wolf, trusting her instincts as the quiet voice within me rose to a thundering roar.

River's wolf pulled in a scent and hesitated. Seizing the opportunity, my wolf lunged and went for his throat. He dodged the attack and tried to scuttle behind me, but I snapped around and sank my teeth into his back.

River yelped and pivoted around so fast that he bit my muzzle before I knew what was happening. I reared up and knocked him to the ground. He was bigger and stronger but not half as determined.

Not by a long shot.

We fell into a roll, jaws snapping and puncturing the skin. When he tried to blind me with a savage bite, I drew back and sank my teeth into his leg. They ripped through muscle and bone. River's wolf yelped, and when he tried to escape, I trotted around him, blood dripping from my tongue.

A hot wind blew, scattering dirt across the asphalt. My heart was beating like the drum of my ancestors, filling me with the wisdom of who I was. Not just a woman with dreams but the descendant of wolf warriors.

Words tumbled around me like meaningless noise, and all I could understand was the emotion behind them.

Fight.

Fight.

With all the power I could harness, I crashed into River, my rib cage rattling from impact. The metallic taste of blood was salty on my tongue, and I thirsted for more. His overconfidence made him weak. Because of my size, I could get at his throat more easily than he could mine.

When his fangs tore through my back, I growled as he took the dominant position. Shaken, I looked at my father… my mother… so many of my friends and family.

And then I saw Tak.

He nodded at me once, and I saw everything in that look. But most of all, he looked at me as if he saw no weakness. That stirred a fire in me like nothing else. I scurried backward and charged River again—this time snapping my jaws around the soft part of his throat and eliciting a growl that vibrated in my mouth. I had him in a lock, and the more he squirmed to free himself, the more it ripped his flesh. I tightened my jaws into a steel trap. When he tried to escape, I threw all my weight on him and knocked him to the ground.

I stood astride the wolf, my hold even tighter, until he quit struggling.

As he lay there panting, his eyes closed, and his body stilled. I hadn't severed the artery, but I didn't have to.

River was submitting.

Once he turned up his belly, I released my death grip and shifted.

"I've won the challenge and spared your life," I said, reminding him that I had the authority to make demands. I stood beside River, my hair cascading over my breasts, blood staining my skin. "You'll leave the city tonight. If you ever return, you know what that means."

Death. I didn't have to say it. Everyone standing witness knew what it meant to back out on a demand made by the victor.

My father touched my brow, his dark eyes centered on mine. "You're a warrior now," he said quietly.

It wasn't a compliment—not the way he said it.

He implied my spirit wolf was too powerful and independent to mate. Shifters preferred strong women, but few—if any—would take on a woman willing to challenge and kill a male. It raised questions about stability, even though it was a double standard. Only an alpha could handle a woman that strong, and with my checkered past, that would probably never happen.

My father turned and spat on River. "Get that termite out of here."

River shifted to human form as two men hauled him away.

"What do you want to do with the white man?" my father asked.

I thought about Nash, who was still knocked out cold. "He's a Shifter, so turn him over to the Council. Maybe a few years in jail will give him time to regret his actions and ponder the importance of integrity over money."

My father went to take care of it.

A few men howled, still riled up from the fight. As the crowd dispersed, Tak placed his hands on my shoulders and looked me over with careful measure.

Most of my wounds had healed during the shift, but for the first time, I didn't care about the possibility of more scars. It felt like I'd conquered an old demon. The victory filled an emptiness inside me that I'd carried for so long—a dark corner of my soul that had always doubted my courage.

"We need to get off the street," Tak said, wrapping a thin tribal blanket around me. "Someone's bound to drive by and wonder if we're having a nudist party."

I stared into an open field, overcome with mixed emotions. Now that I'd delivered retribution for the wrong River had committed against me, I wondered if he would obey my demands and stay gone. Despite what he'd done, I didn't want him dead. I pitied the man he'd chosen to become.

Tak lifted me into his arms and carried me as if he felt no pain in his shoulder, but I knew that wasn't true. His wounds were bright red, and some open gaps were still weeping blood.

"Did you see how fast she took him down?" someone remarked. "Jesus."

I rested my head against Tak's good shoulder. "How did you find me?"

He continued his leisurely pace. "We knew something had happened when you didn't show up at the store, but I couldn't sense anything. Your family called for backup, and we all drove around… searching. Then all of a sudden, I just knew which way to go. The fates led me here."

"Do you really believe that? The fates have done an awful lot to keep us apart."

"Everyone needs to be tested."

I placed my hand against his necklace.

"Someone special gave this to me," he said, puffing his chest out. "I'm never taking it off."

"It might be difficult to shower with it on."

"At least it'll be clean," he quipped, a smile playing on his lips.

"It might be dangerous in bed. You'll knock someone's tooth out."

Tak rocked with laughter and stopped. The wind blew his handsome mane, and in some indefinable way, he seemed like a different man.

"What happens now?" I asked.

He pursed his lips and gazed off in the distance. "I take you home. Just you and me."

"What about Lakota and Melody?"

"They can get a motel."

"What for?"

Tak turned his head so slowly to look at me that I felt a flutter in my belly. "I'm going to run a hot bath, and we're going to bathe together."

My brows arched. "We can't both fit in that tub."

"We'll find a way to fit."

"Then what?"

Tak continued walking until we reached the truck. I climbed up in the seat and looked through the windshield at my father supervising the cleanup. After they loaded River and Nash into the back of Nash's van, they sped away.

Tak got into the driver's side and shut the door. When he started the engine, he blasted the cold air on me, which felt like bliss. Mel hastily gathered my clothes while two men searched the area for more evidence. One woman unscrewed the cap to a large water bottle and doused a bloodstain on the road.

Tak suddenly reached over and turned my chin to face him. "Don't you want to know what happens next?"

"Animalistic sex? Omelets? A movie? Snuggling? Dinner with my family?"

Tak put the truck in reverse. "All in that order."

"My father will never allow it."

He winked. "That's up for debate." Tak tenderly brushed my hair out of my eyes. "Do you remember everything from the fight?"

I nodded.

"Good."

Tak wasn't subtle with his entries or exits. After he circled around, he hit the gas and we tore off. The fact that no one had questioned my leaving with Tak left me wondering what my family's opinion was of this man.

This incredible man who had not only saved my life but helped me reclaim it from the ghosts of my past.

He'd taught me that the truth is the hardest obstacle to face, and because of his bravery and unwavering support, I was no longer afraid.