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  “Stop,” Jackson demanded, the word a harsh reprimand in her ear.

  His voice was a powerful thing, washing over her like a balm, calming the raging beast inside. She stopped struggling when she looked down and saw she’d clawed his arm, drawing blood. She fought for breath, a level of sanity returning, her memories becoming muddled. Two men were helping Simone to her feet, inspecting the back of her head. As the red covering her vision faded, she realized she’d just instigated her very first fight.

  Holy shit.

  She had never been physical or violent. That was Rachel’s arena. But the mere thought of another woman touching Jackson had shattered her control, turning her into someone she didn’t recognize. She couldn’t believe she was responsible for Simone’s busted mouth. A steady stream of red trickled from a split in the woman’s upper lip.

  One of the men assisting the female looked at her. Like Andy, he seemed to recognize something important about her. Giving Jackson an odd look Chloe couldn’t decipher, he said, “It appears you have a lot of explaining to do.”

  “Not to you,” Jackson replied, his growl sending vibrations along her spine. “Take your daughter and leave. You’ve overstayed your welcome.”

  The man who hadn’t spoken swept Simone into his arms. He walked to a large SUV and sat her in the backseat. The other man followed suit, waiting until everyone was safely inside the vehicle before he climbed in. He glanced back before he closed the door, his eyes a bright shade of yellow. The vehicle drove from the back lot. Red taillights flared as it disappeared around the corner of the building.

  Jackson didn’t release her, standing in the same spot.

  “If Gavin doesn’t know about your mate yet,” Declan said from behind them, “he will before the night’s over.”

  Jackson spun around and faced his Beta. To her utter mortification, Chloe discovered the entire pack had somehow managed to overcome their Alpha’s order. No doubt they’d seen everything that had transpired between her and Simone. They studied her with a combination of disapproval, concern and what she thought was a hint of pride.

  “Wade isn’t stupid,” Jackson grumbled and lowered her to her feet. “He noticed the resemblance. I could tell by the way he looked at her.” Chloe gasped when Jackson yanked her around, the fingers he wrapped around her chin forcing her to look into his face. “We’re going to have to talk about that temper of yours, baby. You’ve just bitten off more than you can chew.”

  Anger returned but thankfully she didn’t feel homicidal. She met Jackson’s gaze, uncaring that his irises had started to glow.

  “Don’t give me that crap. I am not something you can command at will. Stop handling me with kiddie gloves. I don’t like bull, so stop trying to sell me shit.”

  Jackson’s jaw clenched but he remained silent.

  “Oh man,” Declan laughed. “I knew I liked her.”

  “It’s not funny.” Shane joined the conversation, shouldering around the people in his path. “Everyone will know our pack has a new Lupa who happens to be a Halfling. If the shit hits the fan she’ll wish she’d kept control of her beast.”

  Oh no he didn’t.

  “She,” Chloe said, glaring at Shane, “is standing right here. If you have something to say to me, say it.”

  “He’s not insulting you,” Elsie offered softly, moving so Chloe could see her clearly. “He’s just stating fact. If the bitches from other packs find out you’re half-human, they can challenge you for the position of Lupa. It’s law.”

  That was news she certainly didn’t expect. “Challenge me?”

  “To the death,” Shane clarified. “It’s how the bloodlines remain strong.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” Declan glanced at Shane and rolled his eyes. “You just shitkicked Simone Wilson. Females talk, so they’ll know you’re not a puff cake. Challenges only happen when a female thinks she can win a fight to the death. You’re a wildcard. They’ll steer clear.”

  “You’d better hope they do,” Shane muttered and dry washed his face with his hand. “Otherwise we’ll all be neck deep in the shit.”

  “How do you figure?” Declan asked.

  Slowly Shane lowered his hand and looked at her. Dread felt like an iron weight in her stomach. The worry in the male’s eyes brought the situation into painful focus. If the emotion had come from Declan or Clint she might have blown it off. But not from Shane. She didn’t know him, but she realized he wasn’t one to play games. It didn’t help that Jackson still hadn’t spoken, allowing his pack to impart the ugly truth.

  “Jackson—our Alpha—won’t stand by and let anyone kill his female. That little smackdown of yours just put all our asses on the line. If it comes down to a challenge, you won’t face the firing squad alone.” Shane made sure their gazes met, as though he wanted his words to hit their mark. “We’re all going to bleed.”

  Chapter Nine

  Jackson climbed out of his car and walked around to the passenger side to face his female. She’d been quiet after her altercation with Simone—staring out the window as they drove to the cabin—the impact of Shane’s revelation no doubt sinking in. He’d been so angry that she’d put herself in harm’s way he’d been unable to discuss what had happened. Instead he waited, hoping his temper would die down.

  It was so hard not to touch her, his desire rising along with the moon. God help him, he wanted to bust her sweet little ass and fuck her so bad his palms itched and his dick throbbed.

  A part of him knew it wasn’t her fault. He’d heard her snarls, realized her wolf had taken control, but it didn’t ice his temper. She could have been seriously hurt. Thankfully Simone was about as threatening as a fucking Chihuahua—all bark and no bite. Otherwise he would have had to intervene, and it went against the rules for a male to break up a fight between females.

  Chloe glanced at him, worrying at her lower lip and fiddling with the sleeve of her jacket. Good. She should be nervous. He’d decided on the ride over that the best way to deal with the problem was to show her beast who was boss. All he had to do was to bring the animal to the surface. Once it appeared he’d show his mate who was in charge.

  Chloe hesitated when he opened the door and gave her a nudge. “Jackson…”

  He didn’t respond, building the tension. If he wanted the wolf to heed the call of the moon he needed to keep his mate on the edge. When he pressed his hand into the small of her back she took the hint, stepping inside. He closed the door behind them and slid the deadbolt into place. His cock refused to soften, straining against his zipper, tenting his jeans.

  Fuck.

  He didn’t want to guide her on the right path at that moment. He wanted to take her on the bed with the curtains parted wide, allowing the white rays from the moon to cover their bodies. The wolf inside him roared in his head, searching for Chloe’s scent.

  Despite her anxiousness, he knew she felt the effects of the moon. The musky and alluring scent of her pussy had teased and taunted him for hours. If he reached into her pants and pushed aside her panties he knew she’d be hot and slick, ready for whatever he wanted to give her.

  “Go to the bedroom, remove your clothes and wait for me,” he growled, trying to maintain his composure.

  Chloe froze, her back to him. Her shoulders tensed and he watched as she slowly turned to face him. A small light had entered her eyes, making her irises brighten.

  “You’re not spanking me,” she replied with a throaty growl of her own.

  “No?” he asked, studying her, angling his head to the side. He goaded her intentionally, knowing what he had to do. Chloe’s irises changed from the pupil outward, shifting color, her wolf responding to her distress. Heightened emotion always brought the animal from the cage.

  Always.

  “No.”

  He moved, snagging her around the waist. Even though she fought, it wasn’t hard to carry her to the couch. He took a seat in the middle, turning her so her ass was exactly where it needed to be. Before she could say a
word he gave her the first lick, using the flat of his palm to deliver a hearty slap to her right cheek.

  “It’s time you learned your place, mate.”

  He sounded a helluva lot calmer than he felt. This was about teaching Chloe something important but he wanted her so bad his dick was hard enough to hammer nails. When he finally went at her she’d be lucky if she could walk straight the following day.

  “Let go,” she snarled, swinging her arms and legs.

  “Make me.”

  She tried, fighting to get free, screaming when he continued busting her perfectly rounded bottom. He steadily increased the force of the blows, making sure each swat landed on the softness of her ass. It didn’t take long, perhaps a half-dozen smacks, before he felt her wolf. He wasn’t surprised at how powerful her beast was. Since she’d broken free of his earlier command and, in turn, broken the hold he had over the pack, he knew she was going to be a handful.

  “There you are.” He gave her another hard slap. “Bring it, little wolf. I’m waiting for you.”

  “I’m going to kick your ass!”

  He clucked his tongue, bringing his hand down, his cock jerking when his palm made contact. He couldn’t wait to yank off her clothing and see how red her ass was. Even now her pussy was creaming. He could smell it—almost taste it. She might not think she liked being in a submissive position but her tiny gasps and the way she clutched at the sofa betrayed her.

  As soon as she stopped fighting he brought his hand down on her ass. He followed the seam until he came to her cunt. He palmed the mound, applying pressure. She cried out and pushed against him, shifting her hips up and down. Knowing the time had come, he released her and wrapped his fingers in her hair. He forced her head around so their eyes met.

  “You will never disregard my orders again, Chloe.”

  Green became almost neon, the vividness of her eyes nearly blinding. “You don’t tell me what to do.”

  Son of a bitch.

  Letting go of her hair, he resumed the spanking he’d started, the blows much harder than before. She howled—the sound one of pleasure and fury—and tried to bring her knees up to slide off the furniture. He didn’t allow it, using his free hand to keep her where she was.

  If Chloe’s wolf didn’t relent she’d be a danger to the entire pack. Wolves couldn’t think without the influence of their human half. They were too wild, their behaviors unstable. The beast had to accept his authority and embrace him as her superior. He hoped like hell this would work, bringing the wolf to the forefront so Chloe could communicate with the creature inside her. Without that all-important connection the woman and animal would be at odds with who and what they were.

  “Reach deep down, Chloe,” he instructed, sounding as livid and frustrated as she did. “You control your beast. It doesn’t control you.”

  At first he didn’t think she’d heard. She screamed and fought, clawing at his thigh. He considered taking her into the bedroom and tying her squirming ass to the bed so she couldn’t hurt herself. If he wasn’t careful she might pull a joint out of place or actually manage to break free.

  Then—subtly—he felt the shift.

  Trembling started in her shoulders, wound down her back and traveled to her legs. Her hands opened and closed as though she was attempting to bring out her claws. He softened the slaps, watching as her nails dug into the giving flesh of her palm, leaving behind deep red crescents. She growled, a low steady sound that carried through the room, and stopped moving.

  “That’s it. Don’t back down. Show the wolf its place.”

  Chloe’s coat had risen to her mid-back as he’d spanked her, allowing him to slide his hand from her ass to the base of her spine. He reached out with his wolf, sensing the uncertain connection between his mate and her other half. It was the perfect time to have them recognize each other prior to her first shift.

  “Your wolf listens to you and you listen to me. Take control. Show it who’s stronger. Don’t take no for an answer.”

  Another snarl tore from her throat, but Chloe wasn’t fighting him.

  Not anymore.

  “Back off,” Chloe barked, voice trembling. Taking a deep breath, she repeated herself, more calmly this time. “Back off.”

  While she hadn’t shifted and hunted with the pack, his wolf felt his mate’s despair. She was afraid she wouldn’t have the strength to fight her feral side. The power of the beast was more than she bargained for, so much more dangerous than she fathomed. Fortunately that fear served a purpose, driving her to work harder, to oppose the force that wanted to take over.

  They fought—woman versus wolf—caught in the same body but retaining their individuality.

  A part of him ached for his mate, knowing the battle she fought wasn’t easy. Being born into a pack, he’d had plenty of time to come to terms with his nature. The anger he’d tried to bury returned, his fury directed at the man who’d left Chloe to find her own way before she’d even been born. She never should have had to face things like this, experiencing a moon heat at the same time she came into her wolf.

  When I see the bastard, I’m breaking his goddamn face.

  A low whimper passed her lips. She went soft against him and he pulled Chloe to his chest. Her entire body shook, her teeth rattling. Her chest heaved as she panted for air. Cupping a hand under her chin, he lifted her head and carefully pushed sweaty strands of hair from her face. She looked dazed, her brows slanted together, but her eyes didn’t carry a trace of wolf.

  That’s my girl.

  “It’s there. Inside m-me,” she stammered and started to rock, visibly in shock. “I knew it was but I thought it would be different. Before I couldn’t remember things. Everything was blurry or blacked out. Now I do. I remember it all.”

  Strike that. When I see Gavin I’m breaking his entire fucking body.

  “You’re connected now.” He glided his knuckles across her cheek. “There won’t be any more back and forth. You’re two parts of one whole.”

  “It doesn’t seem possible. I feel so different.”

  “Nothing’s changed.” Brushing his thumb across her lips, he murmured, “You’re in control. Things’ll be different. You’ll see.”

  “I can’t believe I wanted to hurt Gramps.” She dipped her head and buried her face in his neck. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Promise you won’t let me.”

  Damn it.

  He’d known her memories were jagged, but he’d thought she had access to slivers of them. Most had difficulty recalling certain events, especially during their first shift, but even then most retained a portion of what transpired when the wolf took control.

  “If you don’t want to hurt anyone, you have to rely on me to take care of you.” And he would take care of her, even if it killed him. “That’s the duty of an Alpha to see to those who trust him. Especially when it comes his mate. Surrender control. Put yourself in my keeping. I’ll never give you a reason to regret it.”

  “Surrender control?” She stiffened against him. “I thought mating was like a marriage. That a man and wife are considered equal.”

  He laughed against her hair, unable to prevent his response to the ballsy little armful who had just been through hell but met him head-on. “I thought human females vowed to honor and obey their husbands.”

  “You must be old.” He was grateful she didn’t sound as shaky, as though she was finally accepting the finality of her situation. “Women stopped promising that a long time ago.”

  “To hell with other women. The only female I’m concerned about is right here in my arms.” As much as he loved her nestled against him, what he wanted to say was best done looking her in the eye. He pulled away, gazing at her flushed face. “What do you want, Chloe girl?”

  “You,” she answered without pause, blonde ringlets cascading around her shoulders. “So much it hurts.”

  Possessiveness and pride slithered through him. “We can’t have that.”

  He rose in a fluid motion, bringing
her with him, keeping her against his chest with an arm beneath her back and thighs. Lowering his head, he breathed into the delicate shell of her ear.

  “And you have me. Whether you want to or not. I’m all yours.”

  I’m all yours.

  Those three tiny words meant so much.

  When she’d fought the raging animal inside her she’d been terrified she wouldn’t come out on top. The thing was harsh, driven by instinct. It thought in bursts, seeing things only as they pertained to the moment, living and breathing for each second. Now she understood why she’d attacked Simone. The wolf had simply reacted, taking control because it had been allowed to.

  That wouldn’t happen again.

  She’d confronted the voracious entity, forced it down and took charge. The thought of hurting anyone in the grips of a wolf’s rage terrified her. Remembering how angry the wolf had been when Gramps had threatened Jackson—how ready she was to go for his throat—put things into perspective. What had happened wasn’t something she asked for but it was up to her to deal with it. As frightening as the prospect might be, she had to admit it was also exciting. If she was going to start a new life she had to hit the ground running and face things on her terms.

  Beginning now.

  Sliding her fingers into the hair at Jackson’s neck, she tugged him down, lifting herself so their mouths met. He groaned into her lips, taking her next breath as his, their tongues touching as need, want and desire took hold. The heat that had rushed through her body returned, thundering through her system, making it hard to breathe.

  “I’m sore where you spanked me.” She gently raked her nails along his neck, smiling when he shuddered. “You should kiss it and make it better.”

  “Would you like that?”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  He growled, digging his fingers into the padded area above her hip, holding her in place. “Then I’m going to kiss you all over. I want to watch you melt.”

  If a person were capable of melting, she was certain she would have. The way he spoke to her—the way he looked at her—made her insides quiver and her heart skip a beat. There were so many things she could have said or done in that moment but one need drove her. Fire poured through her veins, the potent call of the moon whispering in her ear. A shiver shot down her spine, the memories of the night before rushing back, blinding in their intensity.