“Alright, everyone, I know we had a late one last night, so we’ll take it easy today,” Jackson calls out before smirking at the group. “Two laps of the lake in human form.” I’m not the only one to groan. We might be shifters, but in what world is a twenty-mile run taking things easy?
“You could train with me instead,” Luca murmurs in my ear, voice like gravel and silk. Goosebumps erupt down my arms, and a completely unwanted shiver runs down my spine.
He’s not touching me, but he stands so close to me he might as well be. His scent floods me, intoxicating me with every inhale. My stomach flips and my nipples pebble in my sports bra. I silently curse my treacherous body for reacting to his hot breath on my neck.
Think unsexy thoughts, Fia: frogs, clowns, the gross sweaty smell in this room after training.
Okay. I’m good again.
I ignore Luca completely but shoot a death glare at Jackson. He knows running is my least favorite type of training. This is intentional. He’s trying to encourage me to bow out so that Luca can get me alone and what? Tell me I’m weak, but he’ll accept me anyway.
Fuck that.
Fuck this.
I take off for the run without sparing Luca another glance. I do take the time to send Jackson a mindlink, though. “Nice to know you’ve picked a side.”
At least he has the decency to look sheepish. Not good enough. He knows how I feel about Luca, even if I haven’t told him much. I’m sure Emily has. And I had his back when Luca and Ryan fucked him over with Aidan. They may have made up, but he should still be on my side here.
I sprint to the front of the group, where my friends Simon and Mike are setting the pace. They are both warriors a year older than me. We’ve been close since I started training with the warriors at eighteen and promptly kicked their asses. They underestimated me too, but at least they learned quickly and have never made the same mistake again.
“Hey, Fia,” Simon calls as he shoulder-bumps me. “Bit of a shock last night, eh?”
“Ugh, don’t even start,” I say with a groan. My muscles already burn slightly after my exertion last night and today’s run is going to be torture on top of that. “Ryan wants me to hold off on the rejection for now, but I can’t see myself lasting long.”
“Shit, you’re seriously thinking of rejecting him?” Mike asks as he gapes at me. He looks comical, running with his eyes bugging out and his mouth hanging open. And I get it. Rejection is a big deal in the shifter community, and it’s pretty unheard of for someone to reject their fated mate unless they already have a chosen mate.
Most of the pack doesn’t even know about Emily’s first mate.
“Luca is an asshole. I think I’ll take the gamble with a better option for a second chance mate,” I say while shrugging my shoulders like it’s no big deal. Like a rejection wouldn’t put us both in thepack hospital and run the risk of never having another chance at a fated mate.
What happened with Emily and Jackson isn’t the norm. You don’t normally get a new bond as soon as the previous one is broken. Unless… unless that was fate’s plan all along.
“So, what I’m hearing is there’s still a chance for me,” Simon jokes, pumping his eyebrows up and down. We laugh as Simon throws an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him and allowing the other warriors to run past us. I let out a giggle, and my hands land on his bare chest.
Simon is cute. In a boyish, wholesome kind of way. Blond hair and blue eyes, muscular build. We’ve fooled around a couple of times before, but there’s never been anything serious between us, and, realistically, I doubt there ever could be. I just don’t feel that way about him. There’s no real electricity. No spark. No primal need to rip his clothes off.
But I love it when he spins me around and we all laugh. A carefree moment cutting through the heaviness of last night.
Until the ground shakes and a thunderous growl cuts through the air. Simon’s arms drop immediately as he separates from me. Luca’s enormous black wolf barrels between us, snarling at Simon and knocking me on my ass. Simon’s face pales, and his gaze darts around as he takes slow steps backwards with his hands held up defensively.
“Luca!” I screech at him, scrambling to my feet. But he’s still snarling at Simon. He doesn’t react to my voice in the slightest. His lips curl back to bare his teeth, his ears are straight up, and hishackles are raised. His intention is obvious as he draws back into a crouch, ready to pounce.
I don’t think; I react.
I lunge towards him, shifting into my wolf form mid-air. My muscles bunch and my fur bristles as I slam into Luca, sending him sprawling. He recovers quickly and again stalks toward Simon. I tackle him again, and we tussle until he lands on top of me, pinning me to the ground. He shifts back into his human form.
“Mine,” he growls as I shift back underneath him. Luca lowers his body, pressing against me and pinning me to the dirt and leaves of the forest floor. His body crushes against mine, igniting a fire under my skin.
“MINE!” he roars at Simon. His eyes are icy silver instead of their usual blue, gleaming with a feral, possessive edge, and his canines are still extended, showing how little control he has over his wolf in this moment.
“You touch her again. I’ll fucking tear your throat out,” he snarls. His voice is gravelly, and his breathing comes in ragged, shallow gasps. The sheer force of his anger is almost palpable, a tangible thing pressing against me. “You fucking look at her and you’re dead.”
His chest heaves, brushing against my breasts while he snarls and growls at Simon. My skin tingles. My pussy clenches, humiliatingly eager for any contact from the man currently on top of me.
“Just go,” I grit out, and Simon slinks away, muttering apologies, with the four other warriors who had stayed behind to watch the carnage. Or enjoy the show.
Wolves respect hierarchy; no one else would have defended Simon in a direct challenge from their beta. Had I not intervened, my friend could be dead right now. But does that make me feel less stupid for ending up naked and pinned to the forest floor by Luca Taylor? Absolutely not.
