Shattered Alpha Page 7

  “If they’re old enough to shift, they’re old enough to fight for what’s best for Chicago,” the bear Alpha assured me. “No one is being forced or ordered here.”

  Well, that took the wind out of my sails.

  “What are the rules on shifting?” I worried, and Reagan called Haton back.

  “Anyone who shifts automatically forfeits and is to immediately remove themselves from the fight,” she stated clearly, back on speaker. “If you are not strong enough to hold your shift in a fight to prove strength, you are not allowed to compete.”

  “Wait, is that how it’s worded?” I checked, sharing a look with Reagan.

  “Yes, why?”

  “That doesn’t say defending me can’t shift,” I chuckled, smirking at Lyon. “You’re so fucked, dude.”

  “Wait, the rule is no one shifts or they’re out.”

  “No, Alpha Sera is right,” Haton snickered. “It says that they are not allowed to compete if they shift and must remove themselves. It does not say that anyone defending the Alpha Bitch can’t shift. Your side has to stay in human form. Her side doesn’t. Do you wish to recant your invocation?”

  “Fuck no, she’s mine ,” he growled, but I just snorted.

  “I almost wish I was there to see you lay waste to him,” she taunted him, saying goodbye again.

  The next problem came when Ashley said she was ready.

  “No, no you are not fighting,” I argued.

  “Alpha, with all due respect, you can’t decide that,” she said, jutting out her chin. “You risked everything to protect me. You’re in this position because you became Alpha to save me. I could never look myself in the mirror again if I didn’t do the same when it was my turn to help you be saved.”

  “Shit, I can’t even argue with that,” Brian murmured from behind me. “Damn. Kick some ass, Ashley.”

  I spun around to face him. “You are fucking insane to be here.”

  “I love you.”

  I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from others. “Brian, do you get what’s going on here?”

  “No, but I’m not letting someone fucking claim you like a possession and not do what I can to help.”

  I swallowed down my embarrassment and met his gaze. “Brian, if we don’t win, they will hold me down and he will fuck me all night, however he wants, bite me and force me to submit in ways you do not want—”

  He grabbed my face and mashed his lips to mine, kissing me breathless. Then he pressed his lips to my ear. “I will never let that happen. I will shoot him dead and call a foul before I let him touch you.”

  “You’d be dead next, boy scout,” I warned him under my breath. “And you have the wrong bullets.” He flinched. “No one can know, Brian. We don’t ever tell humans.”

  “Your guns have them?” he checked, sighing when I nodded. “Okay, well, I’m still not running. I love you, and I will protect you however I can.”

  “Get a good kiss and grope if you want, Chief Havers, because it will be the last time you touch my bitch,” Lyon taunted. “Let’s see the titties that will be mine soon.”

  “I’m gonna fuck you up—”

  “Don’t let him egg you,” Brian murmured, hugging me to him. “Stop, you’re smarter than this. Fuck him.”

  “Smarter, sure, but you haven’t heard half of what he’s been saying or process this is legal as I’m about to watch the people I promised to protect become fucking cannon fodder for me.”

  “That’s not what’s happening here, so thank them for loving their Alpha enough to fight for you. Don’t take that away from them. Let them fight now that they can as you fought for them when they couldn’t.”

  “Well damn, now I can’t complain,” I grumbled, sagging against him. “I cannot believe this is happening. This is so fucking surreal.”

  “Can I say something?” he asked, waiting until I nodded. “It almost makes what we were upset about seem stupid when there is this sort of shit in the world and we love each other.”

  “Damn,” I sighed, sort of agreeing with him. “Bastard.”

  “Yeah, but it just hit me, so it wasn’t planned. More a ‘ what the fuck?’ moment that this is really happening.”

  “Yeah and I’m seriously scared no one will show,” I admitted under my breath.

  Apparently sometimes I could be really stupid because that so wasn’t what happened.

  6

  Everyone came. I mean everyone .

  All my wolves were already there, plus the Greek wolves visiting. Hestia arrived with Milo who she’d been working with along with Christos and the other new wolf of Milo’s group. The humans didn’t come. They were late because they were handling club stuff before they were supposed to join us.

  My entire office came.

  Both panther clans.

  Noe and his hawks.

  The bears.

  The herd of herbivores.

  Nina and her witches.

  All the fairies, Dain, Alok, and Tasar taking charge of them.

  Goran, Zlat, and Noah… And some of Noah’s friends that were Vlad’s vampires, but he didn’t tell or ask Vlad, just his buddies who liked me.

  “This is who you are to all of us,” Hagan said gently as I stared out at all of the people getting ready. “You brought us all together and gave us a real future. They’re willing to fight to keep that and you in power, protect you to protect us all. Let them.”

  “Just don’t die,” I whispered, praying no one got mauled. Everyone already knew the stakes and rules. I glanced over to Lyon. “Last chance. You can still leave and live through this. You get our side had more than you thought, so tuck your tail between your legs and scurry home.”

  “I still have over five hundred wolves with me, Alpha Bitch.”

  “Enough with that,” I cut in. “We both know I’m not, so just enough. You sound like a broken record who doesn’t get he’s done yet.” I held up my hand when he went to quibble, looking out at everyone on his side. “My side has permission to shift and no rules against maiming or killing you. You die if you do that to my side. You might have to fight because he orders it, but nothing says you can’t drop after a hit.

  “Hell, those of you who don’t will have words with me later for wanting to be on the side of someone planning on forcing me against my will when we all know this is bullshit. So be smart and take a knee. Your lives or the hell I will rain down on you later is not worth fighting in a losing battle.”

  “And for everyone on our side, the moment we finish and shift back, we’re having a fucking party at the club tonight, everything free,” Simone announced, lots of cheers going up, and then she smirked at Lyon. “You’re a stupid fuck. You wouldn’t even get the club if you won. If she ever dies or is held against her will, I get the club outright, worded that way in our contract so no one would ever use her to get it. And I’m an Alpha you can’t touch.”

  “She’ll undo it when she’s my bitch,” he sneered.

  “No, because I’m her attorney and hers,” Dain chuckled. “You’re so fucked. Hope your estate is in order because it’s hers in a few minutes.”

  “You won’t be hers when I’m done showing her her place in life and beneath me.”

  “What a fucking tool,” Brian grumbled, shaking his head. “He makes all men look like knuckle dragging douches.”

  I snorted, smirking at Lyon. “You’re a chicken shit, Lyon. If you were a real Alpha, you would never allow this. You want to show me you’re a real man? Fuck, a real man, woman, wolf, or Alpha would never throw their people out in front of them and let them take a beating for what you want nor order this of them. They deserve better than this. They deserve better than you .”

  “Enough of this!” Lyon roared, pissed which helped me feel better he cracked. “Start the Wild Salvation now!”

  Two witches who did not look like they wanted to be there shot glances to Nina as if asking her to forgive them. She nodded, and I left that to her. Something was there I didn’t get,
and it wasn’t my thing.

  His people layered up on the south side of the main section of our land while mine took the north side. It looked ridiculous if it wasn’t a barbeque game of capture the flag. Knowing it was real and this was serious as we lined up like that was just fucking ridiculous.

  And terrifying. Watching my side get ready, most undressing and shifting, was fucking terrifying.

  The witches pulled out some book and chanted as they held hands, then one went over to Lyon and cut a mark over his heart, letting the blood on the knife fall to the ground. After several drops, I felt magic flair as the mark on his chest healed. It took my breath away, and I saw the others reacted about the same.

  “It begins!” one of the witches announced, and immediately everyone on his side rushed towards ours.

  I blinked, and two strips of wolves got plowed over as Goran took one side and Zlat the other. Noah and his friends went up the middle, and those left faced Dain, Alok, and Tasar who were magnificent . I watched as they hit people in the head with the hilts of their swords or used them to punch in the face, careful not to cut anyone. That was nice of them because they’d come to kick our asses.

  Winning didn’t mean death besides for the Alpha, so I got why they didn’t do it.

  I gasped as a polar bear plowed through several more, wolves going for any who tried to get back up. I knew Jacqueline’s wolf and watched as she went right for one of Lyon’s Betas, taking him down in an impressive move. Ashley was right on her and helped before they moved onto another one, my Betas hanging back to hold the line in case any got through.

  Except I was never going to let it get to that. I might not be able to drape my influence over hundreds of people to control, but if they got near us, I was going to fuck them in the head big time. One broke through, and I thought I was going to have to, but suddenly Dain was there and sent the guy flying before jumping back into the fray.

  “He’s seriously kickass,” Brian murmured quietly, more so he didn’t distract anyone than he was embarrassed to admit it.

  “They all are,” I whispered, watching all these people fight to protect me, touched in a way I’d never been before.

  Shaw froze a group of them and held them while Monroe, Cooper, and the other vamps of my office punched people out, moving through ten at a time that way until I knew she was out of juice. It was smart though. Zlat and Goran ran around the edge of the group laying people out with their strength and speed, making sure they kept the situation contained so no one could dart around our side.

  But his side was good too. I winced as several of my wolves got tossed like dolls, hurting for them as they landed in pain. He’d brought muscle and people who knew how to fight wolves even in human form.

  Maybe just not cats. Then they were fucked.

  Simone and the other clan leader led their people well, Harris taking out several when they went for my weaker wolves who were trying their best. The only consolation I had was about half the people on his side were listening to what I’d said. They stayed down once they were hit, most giving me looks like they really hoped I wasn’t all bluster and finished this so they weren’t dead meat when the dust settled.

  I smirked at Lyon, which seemed to only enrage him more. He started moving towards me, still using his people as a shield.

  “Don’t,” Reagan growled when he felt me react. “Don’t let him egg you to leave this side. Please , Sera? Let us protect you.”

  “Fine, but I will kick your asses if any of you get hurt,” I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest. Then I thought of a way to help. I yanked off my shirt and pants, standing there naked, gesturing to my breasts. “You wanted to see them, right? Want to see what you’ll never fucking touch but my human lover gets to all the time?” I let my power flare, knowing they would all feel it even if I couldn’t drape it over them.

  And they weren’t used to it whereas my side was. It worked, and people couldn’t block it out and were distracted by it.

  I felt the worry leave me when I saw we would obviously win. There were maybe fifty people left, and they were getting picked off and knocked out fast.

  “Face me like an Alpha and not a bitch then!” he roared as a last ditch effort when there were only a few on his side still standing.

  “Gladly,” I snarled, shifting to my third form and taking off for him, leaping over my line of Betas and landing in front of them. It didn’t even slow me down. Lyon shifted as well and was bigger than me, taller and wider. It didn’t matter. He’d seriously pissed me off.

  I dodged his lunge for me and slid on the snow so I went under him, flipping backwards to kick him in the chest when he turned around. He went flying, and I realized my mistake as he went towards the only human we had there. Luckily my Betas saw it too and moved to block Brian from danger. I nodded to them in thank you, and then Lyon recovered and came for me.

  I threw my power around him, and he stumbled. “Kneel before the true Alpha here, the Alpha you had no chance to challenge so you cheated. Cheating isn’t allowed in Chicago. We prosper because we play fair and fight together.”

  “I will never kneel to a female Alpha,” he snarled. “You’re too weak to lead.”

  “Bitch, you’re beat, so who’s weak here?” I taunted, storming over to him when he struggled against my power. I thrust out my hand, breaking his sternum and a few of his ribs before taking out his knees. I smiled down at him as I cranked up my power, shifting back. I did something new and forced him to shift back as well, smiling when it obviously hurt. “Show me your neck, and I’ll kill you quickly.”

  “Bitches don’t have it in them,” he spat at me, coughing up a bit of blood from the hit.

  “How do you think Engle died?” I drawled, blinking when I saw the confusion in his eyes. “Oh, did wolfie elder not tell you how I ripped out his heart when he cheated?”

  “The council killed him for you and then brought him back to be buried.”

  I snorted. “Not what happened. I punched through his chest and ripped out his heart in one shot just like I’m going to do to you when you show me your neck. Now do it because it’s cold and I want to party.”

  I checked for the one thing I needed to know before ending him, that buyer he had lined up for the boys. Once I knew everything about that, getting faces and seeing what had happened, he was so agitated, I was done. I threw another wave of power at him, and he did it, fighting me every inch. Well, it did nothing for him.

  “Fuck and you, and everything you have is now mine.”

  And then I punched my claw through his chest and yanked out his heart.

  I threw back my head and howled in victory, everyone on my side doing the same in their animal forms or just cheering.

  “Sera!” Hagan roared, looking behind me. I turned to see what it was and instead got slammed out of the way as Dain crashed into me. I watched in horror as one of Lyon’s Betas slashed Dain’s throat with his claw that was meant for me, blood spraying everywhere, shredding his skin and everything under it.

  Goran went for the Beta as I went for Dain, catching him before he even landed and feeding him energy as I put my hands on the wound. I fed more and more into him, not stopping even when people shouted for me to.

  “Sera, Sera, he’s okay,” Monroe yelled, shaking me. “Stop. He’s healed!”

  I pulled away with a gasp, checking for myself. “You stupid, stupid man! Don’t you ever do that again!”

  “I love you,” Dain choked. “Feed her.”

  I didn’t know who he was talking to, but Zlat’s lips were on mine then, and I fed big because I’d used a ton of energy on Dain. “Thank you.”

  “You are so much fun,” he chuckled, giving me another quick kiss.

  I checked and saw the Beta was dead, nodding to Goran as a thank you. He came over and gave me a kiss too, and I fed some more, feeling better then. I thanked my siren for being so fast in healing Dain, and she mentally nodded at me, reminding me we were a team and she wanted him safe t
oo.

  Fair enough.

  I leaned my forehead to Dain’s, tears filling my eyes. “Don’t ever do that again. I cannot go through the pain of losing you, and I don’t just mean to bond.”

  “I love you too, my wife,” he breathed so only I would hear him.

  Fuck, he could call me whatever he wanted. I didn’t give a shit about that anymore as long as he was alive because I’d thought for sure he was dead when I’d seen the claw strike. He hugged me to him as I got myself back together, peppering his face with kisses.

  “You’re so getting laid tonight. I mean, serious sex all over and however you want,” I rambled as I tore his shirt and cleaned up the blood, making sure the wound was completely healed.

  “You’re already naked,” he teased me.

  “Not funny. I thought you were dead,” I whispered, wiping my eyes.

  “I’ve seen him heal from worse than that,” Alok murmured, kissing my hair. “But thank you for healing my friend, instantly tending to him. You are a wondrous woman and an even better Alpha.”

  “I have my moments,” I sighed, pulling the recovered Dain onto my lap and fussing over him.

  “My love, you are naked, you haven’t pulled back your power yet, and you practically smothered me with your perfect breasts earlier. If you don’t stop, we’re about to have sex right here,” Dain warned.

  “Whatever, just don’t leave me,” I choked out, lowering my forehead to his again.

  “I’m fine, I promise I’m fine,” he murmured until I calmed down.

  I wasn’t freaking out without reason. It had been a bad wound. I honestly thought Alok had been fibbing because Dain’s throat had been just gone with that one strike. Not even one of us could heal from that without help.

  Apparently I was the help, and I was really grateful I’d been that close to give it.

  “Thank you for saving me,” Dain whispered when I calmed down.

  “Thank you for saving me,” I threw right back.

  “Do I get to pick what you wear tomorrow for New Year’s?”

  “About that, I received word—”

  “Not yet,” I interjected, cutting off what Goran was going to say. I knew I needed to hear it but not just yet. Dain and I got to our feet, and I remembered all the others that were hurt. I gave him a quick kiss and started checking on our people. Most were fine, Ashley giving me a lick as she limped off the broken leg that would heal in a few minutes. “You were kickass, kid. Seriously kickass.”