AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You brought a human into the pack. This is all her fault. You’re not fit to lead.” Shota moved to stand chest-to-chest with Kodiak.
“You don’t want to do this.” Kodiak’s wolf strained to escape and start the fight immediately. But that wasn’t the protocol.
“Are you too scared to accept the challenge?” Shota raised an eyebrow and turned to face the others gathered around them. “He’s not fit to lead you. I am.”
“You are not.” Kodiak lifted his chin. “I accept.”
Kodiak had never been one to walk away from a challenge. If Shota wanted a fight, he would get one.
29
Tamaska
Tamaska stood outside,rubbing her arm where the vampires had marked her, as if enough friction could remove it. Fern had patched up the cut on her arm and covered it with a white bandage.
Inside she was shaking as the events kept washing over her, bashing her against sharp rocks, and after all that had happened, with all the violence and loss, these two wanted to fight?
She got it. Understood that Shota wanted to challenge Kodiak’s leadership position, but she didn’t see how or why this shifter was out for more blood and violence.
There’d been enough.
She wanted to say that. Scream it.
But she didn’t.
Something told her that would be bad, it would undermine Kodiak, so she kept quiet. Her mouth firmly shut. It went against the grain of her being, but she did it.
No matter how stupid, how wrong, how fucking Neanderthalic and male this was, she kept her mouth shut.
Shifting, she huffed out air.
“Hey, he’ll win,” said Ash quietly as she stepped to Tamaska’s side, clearly misunderstanding her disquiet. Ash’s loose pants and long-sleeved top were all black. The outfit complemented her toned body.
Almost.
Tamaska nodded, pretending that was what was on her mind. She curled her hands and shifted again. “I just don’t get it.”
In a way it was like that fear she’d had of dogs…probably still did, with actual dogs. The primal, pagan element of these shifters bore resemblance to that mentality she’d seen in canines. That’s the thing that scared her. How the wild creature always lurked from the tiniest to the biggest of dogs. And they were displaying that element at this moment.
Oh, she didn’t think these people would hurt her. Kodiak had been right. They’d talked a tough line, let loose with rough emotion, but they’d also protected her.
Even Shota, though she suspected that was because Olcan had ordered him to.
Olcan, who was gone, and these idiots were going to disrespect him.
Or…idiot. She suspected the alpha was more complex than in a pack animal; the alpha here had to navigate all kinds of waters, make tough, and sometimes unpopular, decisions.
But she wanted to yell at them both. They’d just buried their loved ones and now this…
She closed her eyes for a moment. Was this life in this place, as part of a pack, or was this just the aftermath of all the horrors of the evening? With the burial she’d weirdly connected with the pack. It might only be in her head, but a real attachment had formed.
And when Kodiak stepped up and took control, like he was born to it, she was both proud and scared.
Leaders were targets, and she couldn’t help but see Olcan’s lifeless body every time she closed her eyes.
What if Kodiak… What if something happened?
It was bad enough knowing it could out in the world, but right now? With Shota?
