Reina's Mate Read online

  My eyes focused again as he twisted to get them off my ankles.

  His erection bobbed with the movement, thick and hard and obviously more than ready to go.

  My hand was reaching for it before I even realized it.

  Griff hissed out a breath as I wrapped my hand around his cock. He pushed into my hand watching as I tightened my grip.

  I heard my phone buzz with an incoming text message.

  My body almost staged a rebellion as I let of Griff to reach for my phone on the bedside table.

  I swiped to the texts and found one from Bar.

  “What does it say?” Griff asked, putting his hand on my thigh.

  “We have an hour to get into place.”

  We headed down to wait in the car. The others said they'd be there within the next ten minutes.

  I'd given my body a stern talking to and it had decided to subside with a whine and a grumble.

  It was just some bad fucking timing.

  “So, what's the plan?”

  “Bar's called in a few favors to get the guards over toward the edge of the territory. But that means she can't stay- she's going to be coming with us.”

  Griff nodded.

  “We're going to have to get past the normal patrols on that side, which shouldn't be a problem now that we have some backup. We don't have enough time to coordinate a way to get through without being seen- we're just going to have to play it by ear.”

  “And once we have them?”

  I turned to Griff with a sardonic smile.

  “We run like hell.”

  He nodded.

  “Alright. I like the simplicity- less chance of screwing shit up. But where are we running to?”

  I took a deep breath and let it out.

  “Back home. I'm not an idiot- people are putting their faith in me for a reason. And I have no desire to let anyone down.”

  And if he was the first person on that list in my head, so be it.

  Griff put his hand on mine. I turned mine over and squeezed his.

  We switched gears as the guys showed up.

  Then we drove back into Manny's territory, heading for the area Bar had told us to. Once we got there, we parked on the side of the road and stripped.

  It was more practical to head in deeper on all fours.

  I stripped and let the burn of the change sweep through me.

  I shook myself, my fur ruffling out before setting down smoothly.

  Griff raised his head next to me, his silvery coat tipped with a darker edge. He looked at me with the same eyes he had in his human form.

  Turning, I saw the rest ready to go.

  Now or never.

  I led my small army into the forest, knowing we would probably get out by the skin of our teeth.

  If at all.

  The point we were supposed to meet at wasn't far on foot.

  Griff and I took point with Singh, Saccone, Xavier, and Donald following close behind.

  According to Bar's info, we were going to hit the patrol perimeter right about now.

  I pricked my ears as I slowed down, not wanting to be caught off guard.

  Maybe we would be lucky and manage to slip past.

  The sound of a howl broke the soft silence.

  There went that hope.

  We'd been spotted. And now everyone knew where we were.

  Wonderful.

  I didn't have time to wonder about how they'd found us so quickly.

  Two wolves appeared from opposite sides ahead of us and ran straight for us on silent feet.

  Griff and I separated, taking one each.

  I ducked under the wolf's flying leap and he skidded as he landed. He turned around with a distinctly annoyed look on his canine face.

  He he.

  I met him when he came at me this time.

  Ducking my head to protect my neck, I used the advantage of my extra bulk to slam him to the ground.

  He wiggled away before I could pin him, dancing away with a more cautious air.

  We circled each other before he snapped at my hind leg.

  I let him get close and then I jerked it away, clamping down on the back of his neck and shaking him hard.

  When I let go, he was a little dazed. I took the opportunity to push him down and pin him.

  My breath left me in a huff as a freight train hit me in the side and sent me flying.

  I hit a tree and landed with a thud.

  It was my turn to be dazed.

  Getting up on shaky legs, I moved my head from side to side, trying to get rid of the double vision I'd picked up.

  The two images melded into one and I saw a familiar silvery coat fly by to tackle a wolf with a reddish hint to his tawny fur.

  But that was...Xavier.

  I was betting he might have been the reason why we'd been caught so quickly. Though why he'd wait so long to make a move was confusing.

  The sting of betrayal didn't have a chance to settle in too deeply because about ten other wolves descended on us in the next moment.

  Fuck.

  I threw myself into the melee, slashing and tearing, using everything I could to ensure maximum damage.

  We needed to retreat. Even if we were able to get through this wave, there was a lot more where it came from.

  I let out my own howl, the taste of fresh blood coating my mouth and throat.

  Then I started making my way back.

  Everyone but Xavier fell in around me and we pushed forward as a group.

  We had somehow managed to put everyone down except for two. They hung back now as they saw us retreating, probably waiting for more reinforcements so they'd have a better chance.

  I took stock of us as I pushed us forward faster. There was no way we could keep fighting at this pace. If fresh wolves showed up now, we couldn't take them.

  I pushed us harder, not wanting to lose anyone.

  My heart hurt as I thought of Sofia still back there, trapped.

  But staying and dying wasn't a good way to help her.

  We burst out of the trees, the road sprinting distance away. We needed to get into our cars and hightail it out of here, regroup, and try again.

  But I froze as I caught sight of the car, my heart leaping in my chest.

  Then I ran the rest of the way.

  Changing as I got there, I pulled Sofia into a hug.

  “How did you get out?” I asked, pulling back and looking her up and down.

  She looked fine. Some bruises and scratches, but nothing crazy.

  “Well, you guys were making so much noise, my guards were distracted. Bar and I put them down and made a run for it.”

  That's when I noticed Bar's much shorter frame a couple of feet away. She gave me a sloppy salute.

  “We better head out before they realize something's missing,” she said lazily, her eyes sharp on the trees.

  “Right.”

  Giving myself a mental slap, I got into the driver's seat and Griffith and the girls piled in while the other guys got into their car.

  I started up the car and drove away.

  I glanced at my rear view mirror to find a massive wolf standing in the middle of the road behind us, slowly getting smaller.

  Manny.

  Looking away, I pushed down on the accelerator.

  Chapter 3

  Griffith

  We got a good distance away before Reina would stop to put on some clothes.

  “So...Griffith.”

  I turned back to look at Sofia.

  It was a trip seeing her as a grown woman. She looked so much like Reina that you'd have to be blind not realize they were related.

  “Yeah?”

  “You and my sister have a thing going?” she asked with a raised brow.

  Bar snorted.

  “Sofia. Shut up,” Reina said, getting back into the driver's seat fully clothed.

  “Why? I think you guys should make up for lost time.”

  “You really want to go there? Want me to d
elve into your personal life?”

  “Yes,” Bar said perking up.

  “No,” Sofia said at the same time, giving Bar the side eye.

  She just shrugged and sat back with a wink and a smile.

  Hmm. Looked like someone might be interested.

  Reina shook her head as she stepped on the gas pedal again.

  Xavier's turnaround was like an itch I couldn't scratch. Why didn't he just turn us in earlier?

  “Do you know a Xavier?” I asked Bar, looking in the rear view mirror to see her face. “Blond, dark eyes, on the slim side, about five eleven?”

  “Don't know about the name, but sounds like someone I used to know. Was one of Manny's henchmen until a year or so ago. Why?”

  That was a long game to play.

  “Is that when Xavier joined the pack?” I asked Reina.

  Face tight, she nodded.

  “So it was a trap. Manny probably figured better to lure you in and take care of the problem himself than worry about it indefinitely.”

  “And I fell right into it,” she said disgustedly.

  “Maybe. But you didn't stay in it. Xavier didn't know the exact location we were going to until we were there, so their plan wasn't perfect. And they didn't take Bar into account.”

  Reina grunted, but I could tell she was still beating herself up about it. Though how she could have known one of her pack mates was actually a plant that had been put in place a year ago was beyond me.

  “Where are we going?” Sofia asked, looking out the window with a frown on her face.

  “Back to our pack,” Reina said.

  “What?!” Sofia sat forward urgently, grabbing Reina's upper arm in a vice like grip that turned her knuckles white. “Stop the car. I'm getting out.”

  “It's the safest place, Sofia. Do you really want to be running indefinitely? You know Manny's going to be looking for you. Even if he doesn't want you, this will be a blow to his pride and reputation. And dad won't stop looking either because Manny is going to bring this up as a breach in their agreement.”

  She slowly slumped back in her seat with a defeated look on her face.

  Bar covered her hand with her own smaller one.

  “Do you have a plan?” Bar asked quietly.

  Reina flexed her hands on the wheel and nodded.

  “Yes. I'm going to challenge for Alpha.”

  Sofia and Bar both went silent as they digested this.

  I wasn't completely surprised. It made sense for her to go this route. But hearing it out loud was still a shock.

  Reina, who was the epitome of an Alpha's daughter, who loved her father and tried to always see the best in him. She was going to dethrone the zealot.

  I looked over at Reina, noting the tight jaw and the grim set to her mouth.

  She would do it. But she wouldn't get any satisfaction out of it. She was doing it out of pure necessity and because it was the right thing to do.

  Which only made me more proud of her.

  “Good,” I said into the silence. “He's hurting the pack that he keeps claiming he's looking after. I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone to take him out.”

  “Are you sure, Reina?” Sofia asked, her eyes on her sister's in the mirror. “Yeah, being chased forever isn't ideal. But I'm willing to give it a go. You don't have to do this just for me.”

  Reina shook her head.

  “Yes I do. And for everyone else he's run over under the banner of helping the pack. He isn't a good Alpha. Hasn't been for a long time.” She looked over at me for a moment. “You were right. I should have listened to you.”

  I shook my head.

  “You weren't ready to take this step. The alternative would've been you leaving the pack, which would have hurt them. Without your counterbalance...I know the pack would have been worse off.” I took a breath and let it out slowly. “You were right. Maybe not your reasoning, but you staying was right.”

  She looked over at me and nodded, looking forward again at the road ahead.

  “What if you don't win?” Sofia asked, her eyes worried. “I've never seen anyone beat dad. Even in sparring sessions. He's still in his prime. Fast and strong.”

  Reina rolled her shoulders.

  “It's not going to be easy. But he taught me a lot of what I know. I know how he moves, how he thinks.” She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “If I don't take him down...Griffith? I know you can.”

  I looked over at her, surprised.

  “Me?”

  “Yes. You're strong and smart. You have a conscience. The pack could do a lot worse than you.” She looked over at me with steady eyes. “I trust you.”

  Well, that hit me right in the heart.

  “You're not going to lose. A good Alpha is more than just those things. He or she's also a leader. And whether you see it or not, you're a leader already. Look at how many people are already naturally looking to you for guidance. Hell, if you wanted, you could just go claim some new territory and establish a pack of your own. I'd recommend doing that, if you didn't need more numbers against Manny.”

  “They didn't have anywhere else to turn,” she countered, referring to the men who'd already thrown their lot in with her.

  “Maybe. And maybe they saw what I see.”

  Reina went quiet.

  I hoped she understood I meant every word I said. She was meant for this. If there was any justice or balance in the world, she'd come out on top.

  I tried not to think about the alternative.

  The rest of the drive there was done in a heavy silence. I didn't know about everyone else, but I'd said everything I needed to.

  By the time we crossed into the pack's territory, the sun was setting, the sky a brilliant tapestry of pinks and oranges.

  Reina drove straight into the heart of town.

  People turned to stare as we cruised down the street and stopped in the center.

  “Here?” I asked, looking around at the familiar buildings.

  Not much had changed.

  But I had, and that was enough to calm me.

  “Yes. This needs to be as public as possible. There can't be any grounds to contest it later.”

  Ideally, we would have had a chance to stop, rest, and recharge before Reina fought her own father to the death.

  But we didn't have that luxury.

  Manny wouldn't stop looking

  Taking a deep breath, I followed Reina out of the car.

  Reina

  I circled the car and waited in front of it.

  People stood and stared at me, at Griffith, then at Sofia and Bar as they also stepped out and came to stand with us.

  All we needed to do was wait.

  He would already have gotten word that we were in town. Shouldn't take him long to show up.

  My nerves sang as I waited, adrenaline pumping through my veins and waking me up. My body was a little battered and bruised, but it was now or never.

  I didn't have time for beauty sleep.

  A snow white wolf with black markings turned the corner and trotted down the street toward us.

  I'd always thought his coat was a ridiculous color for blending. At least in this region. But it didn't seem to handicap him any that I could see.

  He stopped about fifteen feet away and shifted.

  In his late fifties, he had the body of a much younger man. We tended to age slower, so that was one of the reasons. But he also simply took great care of himself, always ready to fight.

  He was maybe an inch shorter, but he had a few pounds of muscle on me. His pale skin clung to his ripped body, his short blond hair light enough to mix in with the white hairs he was starting to get.

  His face was lightly lined, the features a little craggy but attractive.

  The only part of him that I could see in myself when I looked in the mirror were his hazel eyes. Everything else Sofia and I'd inherited came from our mother.

  “What are you doing?” he asked lightly, scanning the streets lined
with the pack.

  Everyone in the vicinity had gotten the memo. I'd venture to say the vast majority of the pack looked on as he spoke to me.

  “I challenge you.”

  The crowd let out a collective breath, shuffling their feet.

  “You what?” A hint of anger now in his voice as he took a couple of steps closer. “First you sabotage a political alliance that was more than a fair deal for this pack and now you have the gall to come here and challenge me? With her? Both of you are a disgrace to me and this pack. Selfish and weak.” He shook his head, the light of self-righteous anger bright in his eyes.

  Why didn't I see that light before? Had I seen it but refused to see it for what it was? An almost manic obsession, a zeal bordering on the deranged?

  “You hurt individuals for the good of the pack as a whole, dad. But the individuals are the pack. We need to stand together. Not sacrifice each other.”

  He laughed, his even white teeth glinting in the waning light.

  “You don't know what you're talking about, pup. Leadership is about making those hard decisions. Yes, people sometimes get hurt. That's life.”

  “Not the life I want. Not the life I want for Sofia, or the people in this pack. Nobody should have to be worried about being stabbed in the back by the very people who are supposed to be our family.”

  The crowd murmured a little as I stopped speaking and I watched as he glared at them. They slowly subsided into a watchful silence again.

  “Challenge accepted. I'm going to wipe the floor with you. And then you are going to be exiled and Sofia here is going to do her fucking duty.”

  “Fuck you,” Sofia said clearly.

  His eyes flashed as he gave her a look that clearly promised retribution.

  “Here and now,” I said, stepping forward.

  “Fine with me.”

  I watched his shoulders as I moved closer. He tended toward impatience. I was willing to let him strike first.

  We circled each other slowly.

  My heart pounded in my ears as my focus sharpened, until everything around me had a brilliantly sharp edge.

  In that moment, he wasn't my father.

  He was an obstacle that I needed to demolish.

  He feinted but I didn't take the bait, my eyes still on his shoulders, waiting for it.