Chapter 20

Despite loving her wolf form, Bella thought she could live without it forever if it meant she and Devlyn would not have to face Volan’s wrath; after all, keeping her wolf form meant that she could possibly lose the gray she dearly loved.

As before, she would be the dutiful mate and sit on the sidelines, relaxed and quiet, giving the illusion that she didn’t worry about Devlyn’s strength.

But as soon as the grays gathered for the evening spectacle, her heart sank. Crickets sounded their raucous tunes, frogs riveted from near the stream, and a breeze stirred pine needles with a whooshing sound. Cold and crisp, the smell of an expected snow touched the air. She wished the whisper of frost would harden Volan’s joints and make him unable to dodge Devlyn’s lunges. That Volan’s teeth would fall out from disrepair. That his eyes and hearing were not so keen and he would make fatal mistakes, giving Devlyn the advantage. But he was not an old wolf, only in his midthirties, and he was a threatening figure.

Vernetta inched toward her in her wolf form, her dark-brown hair standing on end, warning her the move wasn’t a social call. Suddenly, the idea dawned on Bella. If Devlyn succeeded in beating Volan, Vernetta would want to be the alpha female and his mate. Bella had been so worried that Devlyn would win, she never considered she might have to battle a bitch for the female alpha role. Especially since she had already mated with Devlyn, and she figured it was a done deal.

Devlyn cast a wary glance at Vernetta while he waited in the center of the circle alone, the grassy clearing surrounded by thick pines and a smattering of oaks shivering in the chilly breeze, a peaceful meadow any other time. Volan was the only wolf of the pack not in attendance. Now it was she, Bella, who had her mate worried. Not the other way around. He feared for her safety. Then alarm filled her soul. Would he give in to Volan, concerned that, if he did not, Vernetta might rip her to shreds?

Vernetta stood two inches taller than her and was heavier besides. Bella had never tangled with her, or any female before. Well, except for the time Vernetta had knocked Bella’s baby teeth out, but Bella had been so much younger and smaller it really hadn’t been a fight. For the first time that a wolf had tackled her in years, the red male had sufficiently pinned her down, but Vernetta wouldn’t just wrestle her to the ground. She’d want blood to ensure Bella got the point. No lupus garou but her would be Devlyn’s mate.

The smell of Volan pelted Bella before she caught sight of him. Turning, she found he’d sneaked up behind her, sniffing. She was sure he tried to see if Devlyn was still keeping her well satisfied. She snarled at Volan. He shoved his way between her and Vernetta, his black fur standing on end, his neck just as thick as she’d remembered it, his body hefty and deadly.

He glanced at the gray and then gave Bella a look of menace, the same kind of evil look that he gave Devlyn the day he’d kissed Bella so long ago. Vernetta wouldn’t fight Bella to have Volan as her mate. This was clear in her posture when she slinked away, her tail tucked between her legs, but what disheartened Bella most was the way Devlyn’s ears flattened slightly.

She wanted to scream at him not to give in. She’d fight the bitch with tooth and claw, but damn him if he gave up the fight before it even began.

His ears rose, and she bowed her head to him, trying to show she would fight for him as well as he fought for her. That she wouldn’t give the matter a care when it was her turn to wage war, just as she’d struggle to keep her own emotions in check while he fought his battle.

Volan swung his head around and licked her face. Instantly she bit him, nipping his cheek. A love bite, that’s the way he treated it. If a wolf could smile, he grinned at her. She snarled at him.

With a heavy lope, he ran into the center and confronted Devlyn.

Now was the moment of the face-off she’d dreaded all her life. Larger than most wolves, Volan was heavier-set than Devlyn, although Devlyn stood taller.

The hair on the backs of both wolves stood erect, as did their tails. They held their heads high and sniffed the air, attempting to sense signs of fear. They twitched their ears back and forth, listening, each anticipating the move of the other.

The standoff continued, and although most of the wolves remained tensed, waiting for the clash to begin, everyone kept deadly silent. Bella sat down, her back aching from holding it so laboriously taut, worrying that, if she didn’t relax, she would cause her body to stiffen so much that she’d be unable to take on Vernetta.

Volan waited for Devlyn to make the first strike. Was that the reason Devlyn had waited for the reds to attack him? Because he’d learned it from Volan?

Never having witnessed fighting for the alpha male position between grays, she wasn’t sure of the best way to win. She’d only seen the aftermath of the kill, when Volan had finished with the rogue wolves years earlier. Bella panted hard, trying to contain her nervousness, hoping that Volan would collapse and die right on the spot before either of them did anything.

Once she sat down, several others did, too, as if she’d clued them in. To her surprise, the old pack leader was watching her. When Argos caught her eye, he bowed his head slightly and then lifted it.

Taking a deep breath, Bella faced Devlyn and Volan, more confused than ever about pack politics. She’d been away much too long. Living with humans had caused her to forget some of the pack ways, and now she regretted it. She would raise her children in the pack and never again forget where she came from.

Devlyn flattened his ears again slightly. She wanted to bite him in the butt and make him quit it, but before she could think any further about it, Volan lunged for him, his canines extended viciously.

Devlyn dodged his action, swung around, and bit him in the shoulder. Volan yelped. She wanted to cheer Devlyn on, to jump up and down, but the battle had only begun.

The two parted and ran away from each other for a moment, gathering their wits and readying themselves for the next confrontation. Devlyn glanced at her, and she bowed her head to him again. He turned quickly when Volan flew across the center at him.

Had it irritated Volan that Bella showed her favoritism for Devlyn? It did. She’d rattled him. Yes!

What else could she do?

Volan hit Devlyn so hard with a frontal assault that each raised up on his hind legs and snapped and snarled at the other’s muzzle. Bella jumped to her feet. Then, not wanting Devlyn to see her worry, she lay back down. Neither of the males won. Both dropped to their paws and separated.

This time, Volan paced along the edge of the wolf circle, his black fur glistening with sweat except for the patch of blood at his shoulder. He paced like the reds who couldn’t beat her mate.

Devlyn stood still, watching him, wary of the next move, but seemingly in complete control. His chest heaved with exertion, but she sensed he wasn’t tired yet. Not with the adrenaline coursing through his body. Not with the knowledge that he wanted her more than he wanted anything else in the world.

She glanced over at Vernetta, who was watching not the fight, but her, as if to say it was Bella’s turn next. Bella lifted her head higher and turned to face Devlyn.

Volan conserved his energy this time. He didn’t jump into the fray but instead trotted across the circle and again attempted a frontal assault.

This time he managed to bite Devlyn’s cheek. The blood dripped from his face and Bella bolted into the circle. Instantly, Vernetta charged her. Before they could clash, several males forced them back out of the circle. The position of alpha male had to be determined first. The females’ fight would follow.

Now Bella wanted to pace, but she couldn’t unless she did so outside of the circle. Then she couldn’t see the fight. She forced herself to sit.

Devlyn and Volan had separated again, like boxers returning to their own corners of the ring.

Volan charged Devlyn again, not waiting such a long while in between this time. His action disheartened her. Worse, when he struck at Devlyn, her mate fell. She nearly died. Intent on protecting her mate, she dove into the battle, risking the grays’ wrath.

Devlyn’s cousin, Tanner, slammed into her from the sidelines, knocking her off her pads. The brief distraction allowed Devlyn time to get to his feet, and at once he lunged at Volan. Tanner snapped and snarled at Bella to get her to move to the outskirts of the circle. She growled back at him, the lowest, angriest growl she could manage, and then trotted back to her place.

The grays were too big for her to handle. How could she even think she could deal with Vernetta successfully?

Devlyn had managed to catch Volan’s cheek with his canines and ripped a chunk from his face, the fur-covered skin hanging loose, covered in blood.

Devlyn lunged again. He grabbed the gray’s thick neck and held on for dear life. Volan snapped his jaws in an attempt to get loose. He finally shook Devlyn off. The two parted company.

But this time…Devlyn paced.

By jumping into the ring, she’d shaken him. Seeing his cousin tackle her and the powerlessness she had against the grays…undoubtedly, Devlyn worried about her ability to fight for the place of the alpha female.

Her heart sank. She couldn’t help it. When he was hurt, she had to protect him. She had to.

Okay, she wouldn’t do it again. Just quit pacing, Devlyn, damn it!

Volan leapt through the air and knocked Devlyn down. She could almost hear the breath in his lungs whoosh out. She waited, breathless, while Tanner watched her. She gave him the evil eye. Apparently, he thought it his place to keep her in line, but she wasn’t having any part of it.

When Volan dove for Devlyn’s throat, Bella went for Tanner’s. She couldn’t hurt him, and he wouldn’t risk harming her or face whoever was the victor as the alpha male, but for the moment, she would be the distraction.

As soon as she sank her teeth in Tanner’s neck, he yelped. Volan snarled at them. He wanted the show centered on him, but she wouldn’t release Tanner’s neck despite his attempts to break free from her. Another of Devlyn’s cousins bit at her backside. That did it.

She swung around so fast, he didn’t have time to retreat. With her teeth snarling, she quickly bit his leg. He yipped and scurried off.

Devlyn made it to his feet and attacked Volan again, but instead of trying for his throat, he jumped against his back. With a powerful snap, he bit into the back of Volan’s neck, crushing the bone instantly. Volan didn’t make a sound, and his body fell to the pine needle–carpeted floor. Volan was the alpha leader no more.

Vernetta didn’t waste any time in attacking Bella, but Bella’s blood still boiled from Devlyn’s cousins having attacked her. She wasn’t in the mood for giving in to threats from anyone. Least of all from a female who lusted after Bella’s mate.

Bella grabbed Vernetta’s leg, biting only enough to make the female bolt away and limp off. Bella didn’t want to kill her, just show her she wouldn’t take guff from any gray female, not now or ever.

She hadn’t even time to see how Devlyn fared.

Vernetta turned and bolted for her. Bella jumped out of her path and bit her broader backside. Vernetta yelped, but she turned around and charged again. There was no waiting it out, no resting between bouts.

The image came to mind of the black bear that Bella had faced years ago when she’d run away from the pack. She didn’t back down then, and she wouldn’t now. Vicious perseverance was the key.

Vernetta hit Bella this time with her canines, slicing her neck. The throat. If Vernetta got hold of her throat…

Bella swung her head around and grabbed Vernetta’s neck and bit hard, not enough to kill her, but enough to show her that she was someone to respect. Vernetta tore free and then whipped around and lunged again.

Damn, the bitch wouldn’t yield.

And Bella was quickly wearing out. The size of the gray overwhelmed her, and fighting with Devlyn’s cousins hadn’t helped.

Still, she wouldn’t give up. Devlyn was hers…her heart soared with the realization. He was the alpha leader now!

Vernetta slammed into Bella again, and both rose on their hind legs with the impact, only Vernetta’s bigger size forced Bella down first. This time, Bella aimed low. Get the lower parts, like a wolf pup would do when tackling his mother.

Bella grabbed for Vernetta’s foreleg, but she wouldn’t nip it this time. With a powerful snap, she broke her leg in two. It would heal, but for now, it was the end of the game for the gray. Vernetta yelped, rolled over on her side, and then whined.

Bella turned to face Devlyn. He just stared back at her. Was he ashamed she could be so mean? That’s the way she felt for an instant. Mean and crotchety.

Devlyn stalked toward her and nuzzled her face with his. Their noses touched, and they licked each other’s wet cheeks. The wolves around the circle lay down and bowed their heads.

Devlyn had proved himself the new alpha male leader, and Bella had won her place as his alpha mate.