War of Hearts (True Immortality) - S Young Page 0,144

your mate and I want to share your burdens. I want you to value my opinion.”

“You know I do,” he said, his voice gruff.

She smiled. “Then the pack needs to know that too. They need to know that I’m not your wife. I’m your mate. There’s a difference. I’m here to stay forever. And they need to understand what that means. If I take on Canid in a Challenge, I think that will help pave my way to finding my place among the pack.”

He was silent a second and then he seemed to begrudgingly agree. “You have a natural understanding of pack mentality already, Thea.”

Confident she was making headway, she moved around the island toward him. “My third reason is that if you challenge Richard, you know he won’t back down and you’ll end up killing him, Conall. You’ll want to because I know if he’d done to you what he did to me, I’d want to kill him. The alliance with Peter is too important to jeopardize, and killing Richard will create a barrier between you and his father.”

Pushing off the counter, Conall came to her, encircling her waist to pull her against him. Thea tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “Everything you say is true,” he admitted, “but what you failed to add is that you’ve been a wolf for two days, Thea. Yes, you’re a natural. Brianna said she’s never seen anyone make the change and adjust to it not only physically but mentally as well as you have.” His eyes smiled. “I’m not surprised. You are and will always be the strongest person I’ve ever known.”

She melted against him at the compliment.

“But you’re still new. Too new to jump into a fight as a wolf.”

Understanding his reasoning, even if chafed, Thea agreed but added, “That’s why I’ll fight him as me. In this body. And I won’t kill him, but I’ll put him on his ass and that’ll be it, dealt with.”

His hands flexed on her waist. “Thea love … you’re still fast but you’re not as strong as you were as fae. You havenae fought in this body before.”

“Yeah, but I still remember how to fight.”

“I cannae risk it.”

Her expression turned mulish. “You’re going to let me kick Richard Canid’s ass, Conall. If you don’t, I’m going to think you don’t have much faith in me anymore.”

He released her. “Dinnae. Dinnae try to manipulate me into this.”

Her eyes narrowed. “It’s not a manipulation. It’s truth. How can you possibly expect your pack to accept me as your alpha mate if you don’t even believe I can kick the ass of a weasel like Richard Canid? He’s a beta, for Christ’s sake, and soon to be demoted to enforced omega. Now, I’m not sure what that means, but it definitely sounds like he’ll be pretty low on the totem pole. Are you saying I can’t kick an omega’s ass?”

Conall strode over to the coffee machine and made his coffee. “Were you this bloody cocky as a fae?”

“I didn’t need to be cocky. I was awesome.”

She thought she saw a hint of a smile curling the corner of his mouth. “Well, be that as it may”—he turned to hand her a cup of coffee as he took a sip of his own—“enforced omega means that’s the official status Richard will have in his pack. It doesnae mean he loses the strength of a beta.”

“But I’m an alpha.”

“Aye, but many beta males have beaten alpha females in Challenges. It’s just a scientific fact, Thea, that many men are stronger than women. It’s not a deliberate attempt to keep females down in the ranks.”

Thea curbed the urge to growl. “Did I outrun you yesterday?”

“Aye.”

“Did I keep up when we were tussling?”

“Aye, but I was going easy on you.”

“Ugh, you just love the fact that you’re more powerful than me now.”

Conall gave her a chiding look. “A wolf is only as strong as his heart, and my heart belongs completely to you. So who really has the power here?”

She melted a little. “Okay, not fair sweet-talking me right now. Here’s the deal. You’re one of the strongest, fastest alphas I’ve ever encountered, Conall. And I’m faster than you. Not stronger, but faster. That’s what a woman needs in a fight against a stronger male. She needs to be fast and strategic and since I’ve been running for six years, fighting for my life, I’m both those things.” Feeling hurt twinge in her chest, she glared at him. “Becoming