Our faces are a couple of inches apart as we glare daggers at each other. His woodsy scent wraps around me, something I used to find so comforting and safe. Our breath mingles as we each wait to see if the other will back down first. I don’t get his problem with me. Or why he went from being this cool guy who was friends with my brother but looked out for me and had my back to whatever this is.
Why does he have this constant need to act as if I can’t hold my own? Like I’m some stupid kid who will get in the way while the grown-ups deal with the real problems. Assuming I can’t handle my shit.
“You don’t outrank me, Beta,” I grit out. “I’m going.”
Luca’s breathing is heavy as he continues to stare at me. The rest of the world fades to nothing. My hands are on my hips, and I stare right back. Screw him. He doesn’t get to decide what I do or where I go. The air crackles between us, and I can almost taste the discomfort of the warriors I was about to head out with.
“You don’t get to tell me what to do,” I say, interrupting the tension.
“That’s where you’re wrong, Princess.”
With that fucking nickname that drives me crazy, he sweeps a leg under me, sending me tumbling to my ass. What the hell? I kick out my leg, connecting with his shin and making his knee buckle. He lunges forward, landing on top of me, straddling my waist and grabbing my arms and pinning them down on either side of my head.
“The fuck is wrong with you?” I grit out as I push up with my hips and send him flying forward off me.
“Go without her; that’s an order,” Luca growls as he lunges towards me again. I roll onto my side, and he lands on the grass, but he keeps coming. The sound of hurried steps and car doors slamming closed lets me know that it doesn’t matter who wins the fight. I’ve already lost.
Un-fucking-believable.
He lands on my body again. This time, my stomach is on the ground, and he pulls my hands behind my back, twisting them up to limit my ability to get out of his hold.
“I’m not trying to hurt you,” he mutters. Like that makes it any better. Not trying to hurt me, just wanting to undermine me at every fucking opportunity. Wanting to humiliate me.
“That makes one of us,” I growl and throw my head back, but I guess he learned from the last time to protect his face. Pinned this way, I have very little movement, but Jackson’s words from training ring out in my head.
“Don’t worry about fighting fair. Use every advantage you have.”
I push back with my hips, not trying to buck him off like I did before. I can’t get enough traction from this position. Instead, this time, I push back against his groin, twisting my hips from side to side as much as I can. It’s enough.
He releases my hands and jumps back because he can spar with me, but touching me like that physically hurts him. I pull my legs in and push to a stand, stepping out of Luca’s reach. It’s the desired outcome, but shit, why does it still sting a bit how much he recoiled from me?
“W… what the hell?” he stutters, and I plaster a smile across my face. I never want to let him know how much his interference gets to me. How much his words slice me up more than a claw ever could.
“Careful, Beta. Don’t want anyone thinking you don’t hate me.” I glance down suggestively and smirk at him when the barest blush tinges his normally pale cheeks.
“I’ve never hated you,” he says with a sigh, looking away from me.
“Like I give a fuck,” I snap before turning on my heel and stomping off. My chest is heaving, and my limbs are tingly from adrenaline. Never hated me? What the hell does that even mean? All I know is he went from being someone I admired—and okay, crushed hard on—to someone who either left every room I entered or made some sort of snippy comment to me.
If he doesn’t hate me, he sure as shit has a weird way of showing it.
Ryan is home when I get back and throw myself down on the couch. Damn, he looks worn out. The bags under his eyes have taken up permanent residence. He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t comment on my sour mood. He’s alpha; he already knows what happened.
“Your beta is an asshole,” I finally say. Ryan chuckles and throws an arm over my shoulder. The familiar warmth of my big brother’s embrace calms my mood immediately.
“He’s only trying to keep you safe.”
“Ugh, not you too,” I groan. “You do realize I can fight better than any of the warriors. I’m stronger than Jackson, and I’ve only gone up against Luca three times, but I came out better in two of those.”
Ryan heaves a sigh and squeezes my shoulder before responding. “Have you noticed that we’re only sending male warriors?”
I have. And it annoys the hell out of me. We have some excellent female warriors, and even though male shifters are typically stronger than their female counterparts, it’s not like the females don’t have other strengths. Like not being fucking idiots.
“It’s because if anyone on a stakeout gets captured, what could happen to females is a lot worse than what could happen to the males,” Ryan continues. His voice is soft, careful, like he doesn’t want to spell it out. “The males could be killed. The females, who knows? But I’m not about to deliver any more victims to these monsters. They’ve only taken females… we might not know why with any certainty, but it’s hard not to make assumptions about the type of operation they’re running. Especially knowing how both Aidan and John acted towards Emily.”
“I wouldn’t get caught,” I say, huffing out a breath and rolling my eyes. I’m so over the casual sexism that’s far too common among wolves. “And I’m an alpha wolf, not an omega.”
“None of us are invincible, little sis. I’ve instructed the warriors that only males are to go. I’m sorry. It’s not personal. Or because I don’t value you; you know I do. I recognize how strong you are, but I need your mind on this, not your physical strength.”
