Winter of the Wolf (47 page)

“No,” she said decisively and saw three faces fal. “I mean,
no, that bitch won’t take my men
. Not without a heck of a fight.”

Bonnie let out a yip of joy.

Angie grinned. “I knew it. Let’s get started.”
Chapter Thirty-three

The yelp of pain filed the sunny clearing.

Bree released her hold immediately. After shifting to human, she knelt beside Bonnie. “Oh God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

The fluffy blonde wolf snapped her teeth in Bree’s face, then trawsfurred. Sitting on her heels, Bonnie scowled. “
Bad
wolf. Don’t you ever stop fighting because your opponent screams. Honestly, Bree, you did that karate stuff before; you’re supposed to know better.”

“I do, but I
bit
you. I can’t stand hurting you guys. You’re my friends.” And they were filing the hole Ashley had left in her heart.

Bonnie examined the red marks on the pale skin of her foot. “You didn’t even draw blood, and that’s another problem. Somehow, you need to practice ripping without maiming.”

“That just sounds ugly.”

“That just sounds ugly.”

“You think Thyra wil tuck her tail for a puppy mark like this?”

“I’d bite harder if it was her.”

Bonnie shook her head. “You need to—” As something crashed through the brush uphil, she jerked around. “Who

—”

A tawny cougar bounded into the clearing, sending both Bonnie and Bree to their feet.

Bree stepped in front of Bonnie, then relaxed as Bonnie laughed and said, “Hey, Vicki, what’ve you got there?” The cat stalked over and dropped a smal deer on top of Bree’s feet.

“What, do I look hungry?” Bree asked.

Vicki shifted and stood. “Nope. But Angie told me you don’t know how hard to bite. Alec said young males sometimes practice on dead animals.” She motioned to the deer. “So I brought you a toy to play with.”

“That’s clever.” Repressing her need to say
eeewww
, Bree added, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Vicki took a seat beside Bonnie.

Great, an audience. Bree shifted, backed up a few feet, then sprang at the deer.
Pretend it’s Thyra
. Grabbing a hind leg, she bit down, released, and darted away. After turning, she trotted back and checked the leg. Heck. No blood.

“Nice dent marks, kiler.” When Bree flattened her ears at Vicki, she only snickered. “You gotta do better than that, Vicki, she only snickered. “You gotta do better than that, wolf girl.”

* * *

Four days later, Bree walked down the stairs into the cave under the Wild Hunt. People miled around, undressing, and shifting into wolf form. Shay had ordered weekly runs, setting a time soon after sunset so the young ones had time to party afterwards and the mated ones could get home to their children. Another example, Angie said, of how good Shay was at being alpha.

He was, and she was so very proud of him. He needed to stay here and lead them.

No matter what happened tonight.

The scents and the noise were too intense, and her stomach roiled as if she’d eaten something rotten. She shoved her clothing in a niche and hurried outside, staying in human form. The cold air hit her bare skin in a welcome slap.

Her instructions from Angie filed her head, “
It must be
done in front of the pack. Be loud. Be aggressive
.” The sun had set minutes before, and a light mist swirled in the breeze. Grass alternated with mud that squished coldly between her toes. She looked around.

Zeb was already in wolf form. He caught her scent and started toward her.

started toward her.

Shay and Thyra hadn’t trawsfurred yet and stood together on one side of the clearing. Thyra kept rubbing herself on him like a starving farm cat, folowing when he’d step away.

Jealousy—and anger—surged through Bree, lighting up her nerves. Biting the bitch was
so
not going to be a problem.

She walked into the center of the smal clearing.

This was it. Showtime. Her hands felt sweaty and her stomach churned unhappily. Too bad, body, she told herself, no time to puke. She straightened her spine.

“Thyra.” Her raised voice echoed from the mountains. “I chalenge.”

Surprised whispers ran around the clearing like a gust of wind.

Thyra peeled herself off Shay. Her snooty expression just begged to be slapped off. “You? Get real!” Concern filed Shay’s face. Zeb tilted his head, ears forward.

Bree set her focus on Thyra. “Do you concede?”

“To a scrawny rabbit like you? Hel, no.” After stretching for the benefit of the men, she said, “Don’t worry, my alpha.

I’l win.” She rubbed her breasts against Shay.

He put his hands on her arms—whether to pul her closer or push her away—Bree couldn’t tel.

Thyra put her arms around his waist. “After this, we’l laugh about her sily lovesickness for you…like we did last laugh about her sily lovesickness for you…like we did last night.”

The verbal blow shoved Bree back a step. Had Shay realy laughed?

As the pack—human and wolf—formed a circle in the center of the clearing, Bree lost sight of Shay and tried to put it out of her mind.
No emotions. The fight is all
.

Thyra stepped into the circle. “You’re obviously too dumb to learn anything, rabbit. This time I’l leave scars.” Fights are won in the head, Sensei would say, and Thyra had already used Shay to score a point. No more of that.

Bree gave her a pleased smile. “That’s fair since I intend to do the same. When I’m done, gnomes wil look at your face and puke.”

Oh, snap
. Worry flickered in Thyra’s eyes, before turning to sheer hate. She shifted to wolf and snarled.

Bree trawsfurred quickly and checked the air. No scent of fear from Thyra, but plenty from Shay and Zeb. For which woman were they concerned? She stomped on the thought.

Not her concern right now.

In wolf form, Angie had positioned herself next to one of Thyra’s buddies, who’d also shifted.

An elusive scent drifted past—a cougar. Vicki was probably perched in a nearby tree. It was good to have friends.

Bree shook herself, settling her fur, settling her mind.

Bree shook herself, settling her fur, settling her mind.

Females didn’t play the same dominance games as the males, and she had no wish to prance around as the men had. She wanted to get down to business.

With a snarl that exposed her sharp fangs, Thyra lowered her shoulders slightly.

Bree lifted her upper lip to show her own teeth, then snapped her jaws—something that had always goaded Bonnie into attacking. .

Thyra sprang.

Bree dodged, twisted quickly, and bit the bitch’s hind paw hard enough to get a yelp and the taste of blood in her mouth.

She darted away and Thyra’s jaws snapped on emptiness.

They circled. The alpha’s gait was uneven. The scent of blood on the grass sent wildness raging through Bree, and she struggled not to lose control to her animal instincts.

Again, Thyra charged—the danger would come if she stopped—again Bree evaded, snapping this time at the large muscles on the same leg.
Score
. Bree danced away, feeling the scrape of Thyra’s fangs against her back leg, folowed by burning. A line of blood trailed down Thyra’s leg.

Enraged now, Thyra stalked her around the clearing, and Bree let her, moving only quickly enough to escape the constant attacks. Another and another…

With a snarl, Thyra lunged again. Dodging, Bree slipped in the mud. The huge body struck, knocking her down. As she the mud. The huge body struck, knocking her down. As she roled to her feet, teeth slashed her shoulder. She yipped at the blast of pain.

She darted away. The fire in her shoulder streaked her thoughts with red, and each movement of her front leg brought a stab of agony.
Block it out
. Fear sparked alive in her gut.

Thyra headed for her. Feinting a dash away, Bree charged instead, ripping at Thyra’s ear on the way past. A horrible snarl folowed her.

She spun and braced for the next attack, pain and exhaustion weighing down her legs.

Thyra was panting and limping too, but she was so darn big. After taking a step toward Bree, she stopped and stood.

Not moving.

Bree’s heart sank. The alpha bitch had kept up her stupidity longer than Bree’d figured she would. Long enough to exhaust herself. But now she’d wised up. As Jody had pointed out, Thyra could stand there al night, and she’d win.

It was up to the chalenger to take the alpha down. Darn it.

Before Thyra could realize the tactics had changed, Bree charged her straight on. At the last second, she veered to slash and—
Crack
! Pain burst over her left eye. A blizzard of white filed her vision, and Bree staggered, blind and dizzy.

With a terrifying snarl, Thyra was on her, knocking her over, snapping and biting.

Bree couldn’t see, pain screamed everywhere. She tried to Bree couldn’t see, pain screamed everywhere. She tried to fight, to get up. Couldn’t. Teeth dug into her throat, cutting off her air. Panic filed her, and she started to go limp.

Zeb’s furious yel and Shay’s below broke through the roaring in her ears.

My men. Fight
. Ignoring her need to breathe, Bree franticaly clawed at Thyra’s bely with her hind legs. The bitch winced. Moved. Bree ripped away, tearing the skin at her throat. Pain burned down her neck, but she was free.

No more running. Bree spun and attacked, trying for Thyra’s neck. Missed. The bitch twisted, but Bree’s fangs caught the skin under her eye and raked downward. The taste of coppery, hot blood filed her mouth.

Thyra yanked free, but her high yelps chiled Bree, and she hesitated. She didn’t want to hurt—

“Get in there!” Jody’s yel.

No pity
. Bree used al the power in her muscular legs to slam into Thyra. It felt like hitting a wal, but the alpha staggered. Bree snapped her teeth upward onto the exposed throat. Thyra tried to break free.

Bree shook her head, the movement driving her teeth deeper. She tightened her jaw until blood ran into her mouth.

Snarling, shaking, clawing, Thyra went mad.

Bree held.
Can’t kill her, can’t maim her, can’t let go.

Tightrope
. She gripped harder, terrified she’d hit the jugular.

Suddenly the wolf went limp, dropping to the ground. Bree Suddenly the wolf went limp, dropping to the ground. Bree folowed, holding, holding, holding until the whining sounded sincere, and Thyra’s tail curved between her legs in submission.

After releasing her grip, Bree raised her head two inches and waited with teeth bared. Growling.

Thyra stayed put.

A second later, sound erupted around the clearing. Jody’s,

“Wahoo!” Bonnie screaming, “Bree, Bree, Bree!” Exhilaration hit like a blast of internal fireworks.
I did it
!

Holy moly, I’m the alpha female now
. Riding on the victory, she stood in the center, head and tail high—Miz Dominant Bitch—waiting until Thyra staggered out of the circle and her scent wafted away.

Two women were shouting.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it!” Screaming shrily, Thyra’s friend, Candice, fled from the crowd.

“You like throwing rocks? Me, too!” Jody yeled. Two hard-flung stones hit Candice on her naked butt before she disappeared into the tunnel.

A stone. No wonder my head hurts
. Bree looked at the miling shifters, trying to locate Zeb and Shay, and her heart started pounding harder than it had in the fight. Were they upset? Did Shay realy want Thyra? Would he—

A hard body hit her from the side, roled her completely over, and she snarled. Then the scent of Shay engulfed her, over, and she snarled. Then the scent of Shay engulfed her, as the huge wolf placed one paw on her ribs and proceeded to lick her muzzle enthusiasticaly. Lovingly.

God, she wanted him. Fire swept through her.

The pack took up a chant:
alphas, alphas, alphas
.

Bree whined up at him, accepting his ministrations, ready and wiling to accept much, much more. From his bone-shakingly carnal growl, he could smel that on her.

Zeb shoved him aside, nipped her ear gently, and licked her nose. His deep growls sounded like a cat’s purring.

No, they weren’t unhappy. Her heart filed until it felt as if joy was fountaining al around her.

A second later, they both stepped back. Bree roled, scrambled to her feet. Waited.

With a long howl of delight, echoed by Zeb, Shay led the pack out of the clearing. When Bree caught up, he moved over. New alpha female on one side, Zeb on the other.

The three of us
. For a second, Bree tried to remember if she’d ever been so happy, then gave up and ran the mountain.
My men. My pack
.

* * *

That night in the tunnel entrance, Shay stood beside Breanne—carefuly not touching her—as the pack members bowed slightly to him. He was delighted when they did the bowed slightly to him. He was delighted when they did the same to Breanne. The older ones had begun using the gesture of respect soon after he’d become alpha, then the younger ones had taken it up. No one had ever bowed to Thyra.

Shay’s mouth tightened. There was yet a lot to fix with the pack. His thoughts broke off as Zeb walked up, the last to leave.

He stopped in front of Breanne, gripped her bare shoulders, and gave her a hard shake. “Little female,” he growled. “You fucking scared me to death.” She opened her mouth.

“No,” he snapped and took a breath. “I’m damned proud of you, but do not ever do that again.”

After releasing her, he shot a glance at Shay, and his lips quirked. “Have fun, alpha.”

As Zeb headed up the stairs, Shay looked around. He’d seen… Ah, there it was. Taking Breanne’s hand, he tried to ignore the way the alpha bonding soared between them—as it had every time they’d touched during the run.

Control. Maintain control. He grabbed a blanket from a rock shelf and puled her out of the cave.

“Shay.” She tried to drag her heels.