Catalyst
Clayton
Sweat trickles down my forehead, burning my eyes.
“All you have to do is beat me and I go away.” Caleb’s irritating voice taunts. Circling around, I have no choice but to follow his movements.
The wolves around us are watching, expectations in their eyes. They know the struggle I’m facing day after day.
I feel stronger, bigger, better.
“If you beat me, I’ll stop treating you like a willing female.” He leans in close, his words low, for my ears only. He’s huffing hard himself, wiping away the blood from his split lip with the back of his hand.
“You’re always saying the sweetest stuff, darling.” I knee him in the side, and he almost goes down with a long groan.
“Hey easy, this is a learning experience. No need to get full out violent.” This male is something else. It’s hard to fight him when he makes me laugh all the time now.
We’ve been at it a good thirty minutes before Rya and Dallas walk into the training center. He’s holding her hand, saying things in her ear. Her eyes look at me, and I have to hold myself still for just a second. That’s all he needs to pin me to the ground hard, forearm coming around my neck, choking my air off.
“What have I told you about looking away from me? This is what happens when you don’t pay attention to the prettiest one in the room.” His words are whispered to me. No one else can hear his taunts. He only lets Dallas hear them, saying he doesn’t want to shame me too bad in front of these males that I need to lead.
Her eyes don’t leave mine as I tap Caleb on the arm. He lets go and I choke on the air that’s trying to rush into my lungs too fast.
Shame washes inside, and I feel like I will drown, having Rya here to witness this.
I can smell her, that nectar that’s made just for me. I should be tasting what was made for me. Her smell sends tremors into my very fiber. His sick scent saturates into her like a thick cloud. It’s encasing her, permeating out. This must be how she felt, smelling Kennedy all over me. I want to scream, throw my fists through his face. Her eyes just look at me, tingling my skin. My breath quickens in my sore chest.
I would do anything to have just one minute with her, a chance to talk.
Getting off the ground, my hand rubs my sore neck. I try not to let it show how bad it hurts. I walk away slightly, just trying to get away from her presence. It’s easier if she isn’t around, standing too close, looking so good.
“Rya, you want to go a round? He was just keeping me warm for you.” I have never wanted to destroy him so bad as I do right now.
Watching, Dallas puts a hand on Rya’s shoulder. He turns away from us, whispering words in her ear. I can see her head nodding up and down with the things he’s telling her.
A slyness in the way Dallas looks at Caleb, who’s not smiling anymore.
“I don’t think I can, Dallas.” He takes a little step away from her, breathing through his mouth as if a smell is offending him for some reason. All I can smell is her; that’s all that surrounds me at the moment.
“Caleb, she beat Cash, and his mate is pregnant. It’s almost like she was fighting you.” Caleb doesn’t like that too much with his irritated look. The mention of Kennedy hurts my heart. I know we can’t be together, but she is still a big part of me, and I want her to be happy. That’s all I want for her is to be happy.
“Cash is not me.” Caleb is now physically annoyed with Dallas’s words.
“You’re going to be able to handle this, right?” Caleb points his finger at Dallas, his voice rising slightly, waiting for a response.
“I think so?” That does not sit well in my stomach. How could he let her in there with him?
Rya rolls her shoulders out, giving a few little jumps, trying to shake out her extra energy the way fighters do just before they start a fight.
Except she isn’t a fighter.
“Are you for real?” No hiding the shock that’s in my voice. “Dallas, really? You’re really going to let her fight him?” I’m starting to pace the length of the floor as she approaches Caleb.
No one answers my words.
“I’m not Cash.” Caleb laughs out to her, yet his eyes are not laughing; they are totally focused on her movements.
“I’m not him.” Her eyes go toward me, and Caleb’s eyes look where she’s looking. Instantly, she attacks, while his attention is on me. Smart female. She’s fast, striking hard, bending down, shoulder in his gut. She lifts him off his feet, slamming him down on his back belly up before she backs away as if she is toying with a juvenile wolf.
“You need to pay attention, number two.” Rya’s voice is antagonizing Caleb, ruffling up his fur.
Dallas laughs hard. “Good job, my meat eater.” His words puff her up.
Caleb goes to grab onto her, and she moves as if she doesn’t have bones.
Flexing.
Twisting.
Bending out of his way.
They start a dance of steps, the whole time her mouth running over Caleb’s ego.
Taunting him, she lands another blow to his side before side stepping a near-hit to the face with his elbow.
Her knuckles mold into his flesh, landing another punch to his stomach. She’s really fast, but she doesn’t have the strength of a male wolf.
He growls, showing teeth towards her. Dallas takes a step toward his brother.
“No teeth, Caleb.” A harsh command that Caleb shakes his head out from.
The rest of the male wolves are staring, really looking at her now. Their noses flare, taking in her smell. I don’t like the way male eyes are devouring her. A few of them start to shove each other to get in the front row of this show.
Taking her smell in, sweet nectar and sunshine, it’s always the same since she’s been back, except maybe just a touch sweeter. I can see how it affects these males.
Striking his ribs, she makes him groan. She’s quicker, faster than him. She doesn’t have his strength. If he pins her, it’s over.
He lands a few hard punches to her back, catching her before she spins out of his way. Dallas growls out, pacing the floor now, watching with eyes of his wolf. He looks as if he’s having as much trouble as I am when she gets hit. My need to protect her is running high, instincts kicking in. I need to restrain myself, saying she really won’t get hurt. He won’t really hurt her, will he?
He connects a fist to her face, and Dallas rages on the sidelines, a growl of warning so powerful it quakes the rest of the wolves.
Caleb stops, looking at Dallas. “I think we should stop.”
“Why?” Rya has her hand on her hips. She’s bent forward slightly, chest heaving up and down. A small trickle of blood comes out her mouth that she spits on the ground, as if she’s a male.
“Because number one can’t handle this.” Caleb looks relieved in a way.
“Go on, I’ll be fine.” Dallas grits his teeth along with me.
Caleb looks like he’s trying to wear her down with kidney shots. I grimace every time he lands one. Dallas is pacing up and down, his eyes completely white, scary as crap. I read that her mate’s eyes will turn her color as the bond between them gets stronger. In a way, I’m happy for her, but at the same time, I want what he has.
She’s my fighting rejected desire.
Her skin reddens in exertion, flushing her cheeks. I try to buffer my defenses against her.
Rya’s smell seems to be getting stronger the harder she’s exerting herself. Caleb catches her in his arms and slams her down on the ground belly up. He’s quick to try for a hold, except she squirms her body to the side. He’s on top of her, trying to pin her down on her stomach. He has her by the hands, putting all his weight on her body, pressing her further into the mat. He’s using his entire body weight now to pin her in place.
Her ass presses into his groin, trying to flip him off her. This is breaking my resolve. I take a step toward this scene, unable to control myself. Another step, my hands clenching into fists. Caleb’s eyes glaze over as he grabs onto her hips, pulling her into him. His canines are descending, angling toward her neck. The wolves in the crowd start to shove, showing their own teeth.
Combustible.
Growls tumbling out of throats, Dallas runs toward Rya, who’s desperately trying to get out of a grip that’s hooked into her flesh, keeping her in position.
“Dallas.” It’s a cry for help. It’s his name she uses, not mine. Her nails are now coming out, clawing at the ground, trying to get away from this aggressive male wolf. Taking a running leap toward Caleb, both Dallas and I hit him from both sides. We knock him off, probably harder than he has ever been hit in his life.
She scrambles away, into the arms of her chosen.
“Caleb, what was that?” Dallas is in his brother’s face.
Before he can answer, I’m on Caleb. I can’t control the way I want to destroy him, punish him for touching her in such a dirty way.
I can actually see myself breaking him in half, tearing his head from his body, and that’s what I try to do.
He’s on the defensive, trying to evade my punches, kicks. The old me is surfacing, before the whipping.
Powerful.
The feeling of my muscles filling with blood is powerful, the need to teach this second born what a true first born can fight like.
A hush falls over us, the wolves all gathering around. I think they can sense that this is different. Caleb has no smile, no stupid words being flung from his mouth; he’s really paying attention to me.
His eyes are not leaving mine.
Both of us charge at the same time. He will get my perfect effort.
Crunching.
Breaking.
Bleeding.
That’s what we do as our bodies collide. He’s not faster anymore; he’s not able to maintain the upper hand because I believe that I can overcome him.
Blood sprays the surface of the floor, while our footprints smear it everywhere.
Getting him on the ground, in the same hold he often uses on me, I wrap my arm around his neck, my thighs wrapping around his middle, and I squeeze with everything I have. My jaw clenches so tight with the effort I’m producing, I’m afraid my teeth will snap.
Applying more pressure on his neck, I can feel his throat crushing against my forearm.
It’s just a matter of minutes before he passes out if he doesn’t tap out.
I find Dallas’s eyes looking at me, watching. Applying more pressure on Caleb’s neck, I wish this were Dallas in my arms.
His eyes dilate at how I’m staring at him. He must understand the language I’m using without words.
Feeling the tap on my head, it’s light, but it’s a tap. Letting go, I get myself off the ground and face Dallas. I’m puffed up from all the testosterone flowing in my system. Flying high off this win that took me months and months to do.
My pack males start to clap. It’s soft at first, but it starts growing louder and louder.
Paying it no mind, I can’t look away from Dallas, who’s slowly putting Rya behind him.
“Time for you to go.” That’s all I say to him as I try to compose myself, try to control all the urges I feel toward Rya.
“You need to take her with you. She can’t stay in this pack. She’s not wanted.” I’ve dug our grave with my own hands. This is just the last nails in our coffin.
I’ve failed her in every single way. This is my only redemption. May the moon forgive me.
A single tear makes a trail down her cheek before dropping on the ground, and I have to fight mine from coming out.