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"Did someone forget to tell you that I am the Alpha of this pack? That you are nothing more than a lone shifter? Watch what you say, Liam, because I won't be held responsible for what I do next."
"Sounds like you haven't been held responsible for any of your actions. You act like you have all the power in the world, but you are a fake and a fraud. You use fear and manipulation to get what you want; that's not real leadership. That's a boy who doesn't know how to play with the men."
Mic is visibly breathing heavier; he steps closer to Liam just as Liam tugs me behind him.
"Aw, are you afraid a real man is going to steal your pathetic mate? She was mine first; I was arranged to marry her before you, which makes her rightfully mine."
HIS! What the hell! I am no one's property. "Fuck you, Mic! You come anywhere close to me, and I'll cut your dick off."
He looks at me and gives me a satisfied smile. What the hell is wrong with this guy?
"Ooh, I like them feisty; you'll be a lot of fun in bed." He winks at me, but before he finishes closing his eyes, Liam steps forward and punches him. He trips and falls into the shifters behind him. They right his position, but Mic is pissed. Liam doesn't give him a chance to respond.
"Paige is my true mate, you fucker. Now, let's not mess around anymore. I'm here to challenge you for the position of Alpha. The fight is to the death. There are council representatives here to make sure the fight is legal."
Mic rights himself, dusting off invisible dirt.
"Accepted," Mic snarls. He turns and stalks to the other side of the fighting area while Liam turns to me. Gently, he cups my face and leans down to place a chaste kiss on my lips. I grab his forearms with my hands, squeezing them to remind myself he is real and here.
"I love you, sunshine. Don't be afraid, okay?"
I nod, trying to keep the tears from falling. "I love you too, now go kick his ass."
Liam smirks at me as he turns to face Mic.
Looking around, the crowd is big; more people must have shown up. A lot of people seem to be sticking to Liam's side, giving a nonverbal show of support. More people are on his side than Mic's, which makes me happy. Thorn steps up beside the fighting area and yells over the murmuring voices.
"This fight is observed by the council; the winner will become the Alpha of the Pointsmill pack. This is a one-on-one fight between Mic Larson and Liam Gates to the death."
Tension builds in the crowd and rises in my chest. Liam rips his shirt off and tosses it off to the side; Mic does as well. Absently, I fiddle with the bottom of my shirt. I never thought we would get to this point, where Liam would be fighting to become the pack Alpha; hell, I never expected to be mated to an Alpha. I hope Seluna knows what she's doing.
Mic makes the first move, heading straight for Liam, shifting into his wolf mid-air. His light brown wolf soars through the air, anger flickering in his eyes. He tries to take Liam by surprise, but is unsuccessful. Liam shifts, ripping his jeans in the process, his brown wolf breaking free to face his opponent. I will need to go get his spare clothes after this.
Liam's wolf is bigger than Mic's and likely stronger. Mic slides on the sand, having a hard time turning around to face Liam. Liam takes the opportunity to clamp down on his back with his jaw. Mic rolls, crushing Liam underneath him, forcing him to release his hold on his back. My heart is pounding in my chest as I watch them circling each other. Liam's lips pull back, saliva dripping from his fangs. Mic runs at him, aiming for his legs, but Liam sees it coming and jumps over his head; back legs flipping around, Liam clamps down, piercing the skin, blood dripping down his light brown coat. Liam yanks his head to the side, pulling on his leg and causing Mic to yelp out. Everyone watching is completely enthralled with the fight. Many are shouting and cheering Liam on as Mic tries to regain his balance.
Mic's little entourage is backing up, trying to get away from the inevitable demise of Mic, but two of Thorn's guys come up behind them, keeping them from running away. It is astonishing how terrible Mic is, and that no one has challenged him before, but I guess when you are living in fear, there is much you won't do; I remember it all too well.
Liam faces Mic head-on, lowering his head. Mic is limping, trying to find an opening. Liam focuses his attack on Mic's neck, but by some miracle, Mic evades his attempt, spinning back around with agility I didn't know he had. Liam uses his body's momentum to throw himself back at Mic, finally grabbing the underside of his neck, and in one vicious shake of a head, he rips Mic's throat out. Liam's wolf spits the remnants of Mic on the ground, still growling at the lifeless corpse, while cheers and shouts ring out among the spectators.
Liam looks through the crowd, finally landing on me. He shifts heading toward me, pride and satisfaction in his eyes. But then it changes to anger and fear. I don't know what he is thinking. Is he mad at me? What did I do? But those questions only live in my mind for a moment before a strong hand clamps around my neck. I'm yanked back violently as Liam picks up pace to get to me.
"Let her go!" Liam bellows. The cheering stops as everyone looks around, finally seeing me held by some unknown person.
"You don't deserve to be Alpha! You're a pathetic boy. You don't want to raise our pack up; you want to tear it down. You're going to dismantle this pack and make us all rogues." Arthur Gates. His icy voice causes a shiver to run through me. This man exudes instability and insanity.
"If you don't let go of my mate, I will kill you, too. I don't care if you are my father." Liam is closer, but Arthur hasn't let me go.
A million things run through my mind; what could I have done to see him coming, why wasn't I looking around for threats? I feel stupid and naive.
"You try and kill me, and your precious mate will die too."
My heart is beating erratically at this point. Before Liam is able to respond, Arthur is tackled to the ground, which causes me to stumble, too. I hit the ground hard on my side while I hear a scuffle behind me. Liam is by me in record time, picking me up and walking away from the fight. I look over his shoulder to see Thorn punching Arthur in the face before rolling him over to subdue him and bind him with silver chains.
Liam walks me over to a log to sit on. Kneeling before me, he looks at my neck, the ghost of his hands hovering to see the injuries that were caused by Arthur.
"Paige, I'm so sorry. I should have gotten to you quicker."
"It's okay; I'm fine, promise." It hurts a little to speak, but I don't want Liam to be more worried about me. "Are you okay? Mic got a couple of good blows in."
