Erman bristled at their bold display of affection. His disdain and anger were evident but he held no true strength. The aura around him was devoid of any power. Justice didn’t want to kill ruthlessly and the captain was no match for him. Justice was nothing if not fair. Linking his fingers with Wick’s, he walked down the steps to confront his opponent. He signaled for Ramon to join him, since he was pretty sure he was about to be Wick’s newly appointed captain.

Justice stopped a few feet from the seething vampire. “I have no desire to fight you, Erman. Chadwick is my true mate. You can see it and you can smell it. This challenge is ridiculous and you’re unnecessarily risking your life. You know you can’t defeat me. If you withdraw your challenge and leave my territories immediately, I will not put you down. But only if you leave now!” Justice thundered loud enough to make Erman wince, but he stood his ground. The stubborn fool.

“I’m not the one going down,” Erman hissed, his sharp fangs glistening in the moonlight.

“Idiota,” Ramon grumbled behind them. “You know King Bentley would die if anything happened to Justice.”

“Only if he was his true Beloved… and he’s not.”

Wick’s hand tightened in Justice’s a moment before he removed it. They could both see Erman gearing up to strike. Suddenly, disregarding Justice, Erman moved daringly into Wick’s space. Justice was surprised his wolf allowed it, in fact, didn’t even bristle. Maybe because Wick was too damn capable for Justice to fret about.

“So, you’ve made your choice.” Erman sneered.

“Fate chose. You must respect that,” Wick answered.

“I know nothing of fate. I make my own destiny.” Erman’s hard eyes softened as he gazed up at Wick. “Do you remember what your father used to say? We make our own destinies, we’re the controllers of our own fates. I am the captain of my destiny.”

Wick’s expression was bored. “My father never said that. A great poet did. Erman, you can recite all the poetry and limericks you want, it won’t change the fact that I’m in love with Justice Volkov.”

“That mark doesn’t mean you love him.” Erman slowly reached up to graze his fingers along the faint marks on Wick’s neck.

The ground trembled. Justice’s murderous growl sounded as his wolf burst from him, shredding the clothes he wore, sending the tatters scattering across the lawn. He could vaguely hear Ramon warning Erman to get away from Wick. Justice saw Wick had stopped the captain’s hand just shy of touching his throat. The grip his mate had on the captain’s wrist looked painful, so painful that it took Erman down to his knees. Wick’s eyes glowed like the brimstone in hell.

“Why would he mark me only for you to put your filthy hands on it?” Wick’s words were spoken politely and casually but his eyes revealed his frightening anger. With a viciously fast jerk and a minute amount of effort, Wick snapped the captain’s wrist. Erman fell back on the ground, screaming and clutching at the useless appendage. Wick turned and gave the captain his back, stating with finality, “You have no right to touch me.”

Justice stalked forward, his ears low and close to his skull, his tail rigid, sticking straight out behind him. Justice’s lips were pulled up high, showing his large canines dripping saliva as he pushed his snout right up to Erman’s face and released a deafening growl that made him cower, struggling to pull himself back with his one good arm.

Justice heard his brother’s warning a second before his huge white and gray wolf emerged from the trees, Alpha Mikel’s great black one a half step behind him. Justice never took his eyes off Erman as his brother’s reassuring presence washed over him.

Erman ducked and scurried off to the side. “This is an ambush! The challenge rules have been broken,” he yelled at the nearby vampires. “Attack them.”

No one moved.

“The Alpha Zenith has a right to have his betas or members of any of his packs present. No one is ambushing you,” Ramon spoke up.

Justice backed away from Erman and went back to stand next to Wick. His mate twisted his hand into the thick hair around Justice’s neck, massaging the muscles there. He would wait until the vampire healed before he forced his submission. Justice would always be fair, he knew no other way to be. There’d be no honor in beating a one-armed opponent. Erman’s yells of pain while he popped his wrist back into place only gave him a mild amount of gratification. Justice wouldn’t be completely satisfied until the jealous piece of shit was gone.

Alek was still snarling as he came over and brushed his big body against Justice’s, then stood at his left side. Wick would now and forever be to his immediate right. Mikel’s wolf was more composed than Alek’s, but his slightly curled lip and wrinkled snout communicated his aggression well.

“Thank you both for coming and standing with my mate.”

Alek: “I’m where I’m supposed to be.” He barked into their link, “And if you ever accept another challenge and try to fight without me there… I’ll fight you myself.”

Justice didn’t blink at the idle threat. His brother loved him and cared for his safety. Aleksei took his role as first beta seriously, but he took his role as Justice’s brother to a whole other dimension of serious.

“Your and your mate’s safety are critical to all our survival, Alpha,” Mikel told him.

What had Justice been thinking? Fighting could get dirty, and without Justice’s pack there to make sure the challenge stayed clean, he’d left himself and his mate exposed. Had he wanted Erman away from his mate that badly that he was willing to fight and leave his mate unprotected? That was irresponsible and unbefitting an alpha.

“Stop. You know I can protect myself.” Wick dug deeper into Justice’s scruff. “Keep your mind on combat, nothing else.”

Erman was back on his feet, flipping his rapidly healing hand back and forth, testing its ability.

“Last chance. Leave now,” Wick spoke Justice’s words for him “My Justice is reasonable and merciful, you should take advantage of his last act of kindness while you still can. He’s being compassionate… I will not.”

Erman squatted down next to a small leather case beside his other belongings and flicked open the lid. He turned to Justice, looking superior, as if he had an extraordinary weapon that he knew would take him out. Justice barked and growled, urging the vampire to bring it on. Erman jumped from his kneeling position and crouched into a unique fighting stance, wielding a titanium pair of claws of death. Justice would’ve laughed if his wolf was capable of it. Did he really think a pair of fake metal claws was enough to defeat him?

“No weapons in a challenge!” Ramon scolded angrily, looking at Wick to immediately disqualify the captain and order him beheaded.

“I’ll allow it,” Wick said easily, repeating Justice’s words.

Wick sent him a visual of Justice ripping open Erman’s throat with the vampire’s own damn weapon. It did have a sadistic irony.

The first thing Justice’s father taught him about fighting was that the greatest defense was a greater offense. As much as he wanted to tear through the vampire, he let him leap first and come to him.