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We parted, lips swollen and red from our kiss. I licked mine, savoring his taste while he watched my tongue. It was sexy, leaving me breathless with need. I’d never been so turned on in my life.
“You’re mine,” my wolf told him with all the confidence of a woman who’d found her mate.
“Ditto,” Rylan replied, smiling then giving me a quick peck on the cheek.
I laughed at his simple answer, enjoying the encounter more than I probably should. Looking around, most wolves avert their eyes while a couple females held my gaze for a moment or two in challenge. My wolf peeked out at them, not about to play some dominance game. That was saved for the boys. These bitches needed to know what he was mine. I just showed them.
Smirking, I withdrew, stepping back to Arden’s side, who eyed me like I’d just grown a second head then cut it off myself.
“What?” I snapped at her, irritated by the look she was giving me along with everyone else.
“You just… Pearl, never in the years we’ve been friends have you ever drawn attention to yourself.”
“Oh… well, they need to know where I stand.”
“I’m pretty sure everyone got the memo. Loud and clear.”
“Good.” I smiled, loving the exhilaration I felt at claiming him publicly.
“You’ve changed,” my longtime friend said, a wicked smile spreading across her lips. “I like it.”
I winked at her before turning my attention to Deacon, who had stepped forward, looking ready to speak.
“This is a chance to test Rylan as the alpha. The winner is decided by tap out. No unnecessary violence will be tolerated. Let’s keep this clean.”
Everyone gathered nodded their heads in understanding while I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt.
Rylan stepped forward into the circle, determination written clearly on his face as he waited. No one moved for at least thirty seconds, then Teo took a step forward like he was going to rush him, which set off a chain reaction.
Two wolves came at Rylan, one from each side. He sidestepped the first, letting his momentum carry him away while simultaneously blocking the second wolf’s jab. Quicker than I’d ever seen him move, Rylan spun, kicking the second wolf in the back of his knees and making him buckle. By this time, the first wolf had recovered and rushed back, presumably intending to tackle with brute force.
Rylan jumped over him, landing behind him and punching him square in the jaw when he whipped around. The wolf fell to the ground dazed while the second recovered.
Another male with long brown hair and a mean expression ran forward, jumping over the downed wolves. His hands had shifted partway, so he could use his deadly claws. Rylan blocked the first punch then the second while backing up to give himself more space. Catching the next jab, he grabbed the man’s wrist and twisted under it, forcing the shifter’s hand behind his back. The wolf snarled when Rylan applied pressure. I could only imagine the pain traveling up his arm.
The fighting only got worse after that. A female snuck behind Rylan while he was engaged with two wolves and slashed his back with her shifted claws. I growled, angrily letting Arden hold me back before I charged into the mele and ruined everything. With an angry snarl, Rylan grabbed the woman by the throat and hurled her into a group of charging men, knocking them all to the ground. I smiled satisfied and proud of his actions while also wishing it had been me with my hand around her throat.
Standing on the sidelines, Teo watched Rylan face off with wolf after wolf before he whistled a sharp note. Everyone stepped back, like the order had come from an alpha.
Rylan turned, ready to face whatever the leader was planning to throw at him. Teo paced in front of Rylan, who was tense, coiled, as he waited for the man to make the first move.
Suddenly, Teo began to shift. Fur erupted all over as his body grew and contorted. At first, I thought he was simply shifting into his wolf form, but after a moment I realized he wasn’t. His legs grew then snapped as the joints changed to those of a wolf. I watched in horrified fascination as he became a beast-man—partially shifted while remaining on his hind legs.
Teo reared his head back and roared, a guttural sound that made a chill run across my shoulders. A beast-man form was extremely difficult to do. The fact that Teo could manage it meant that he had alpha potential.
It was awesome and terrifying to witness. The control he had to have over his wolf would have been as strong as iron.
Rylan eyed him like he was reluctantly impressed.
“Did you know he could do that?” I asked Arden, nervous that Rylan wouldn’t be able to match his opponent.
“Yes. His control is unmatched.” Arden watched intently as Teo finished.
All eyes turned to Rylan, who just stood there. He shot a glance at me before he visibly relaxed. Taking a single step backward before closing his eyes, coming as still as a statue.
Everyone seemed to collectively hold their breath, waiting to see if Rylan could match the power and control that Teo had just displayed. My heart pounded in my chest ready for my mate to make his move. I wanted to reach out to him and lend him our strength, but I knew he’d never accept it. This was a battle he and his wolf needed to face alone.
My eyes were fixed on Rylan’s shoulders, so I saw the exact moment that the change began. Black-grey fur sprouted from his skin, coating him from head to toe. His face contorted into a snout while his legs grew and shifted to the correct anatomical joints. The sound of bones breaking, and cartilage popping was enough to make me grit my teeth. I couldn’t look away because within a few short seconds, he had completely shifted.
