War of Hearts (True Immortality) - S Young Page 0,145

a wolf doesn’t wipe that out, and suddenly this isn’t just about making a statement to the pack, it’s about you. If you don’t think I can do this, we’ve got bigger problems.”

“Jesus fuck,” he snapped. “It’s not that I dinnae think you can do it, Thea, it’s that I just got you back after days of thinking I might have to bury you. And no matter how strong or fast you are, anything could go wrong in a Challenge. I dinnae want to lose you!”

It was like being bellowed at by your loving, pet bear.

A little intimidating, even though you knew he’d never hurt you.

Thea stared at him in silence, all her love for him in her eyes, but she refused to stand down. “You can’t swaddle me in bubble wrap, Conall. That’s not what the pack expects from us as the new alpha couple.”

“They’ll expect what I tell them to expect,” he grumbled.

Smirking at his adorable grumpiness, Thea set her coffee down and closed the distance between them, resting her hands on his chest as she leaned into him. He stubbornly didn’t touch her, which made her smile widen. “I’m a fighter. I didn’t start out that way and I didn’t want it … but it’s who I am now. And yes, I am looking forward to starting a life with you where I don’t have to run and where I don’t have to fight all the time. But I faced a man I spent six years running from and no matter the consequences of that, facing him changed me. I took back my power. I realized the importance of facing my fears. I’m a fighter. You made me believe that. Now Richard Canid did do all those things to you, but he took away my choices, Conall, when he attacked me. I deserve retribution for that.

“I deserve to make the choice to fight him.”

Her mate studied her for so long, she worried this argument would end badly. However, he put his coffee cup on the counter to free his hands. His arms slid around her waist and he sighed, long and deep. Bending his head, he rested his forehead against hers. “That was a pretty good speech.”

Hope bloomed. “Meaning?”

He raised his head to look into her eyes. “I willnae stand in your way if you want to take the Challenge to Richard, but he may not agree. He might choose to fight me instead. But if he does agree, you must promise to make it fast. Dinnae make me endure watching a long battle.”

She agreed.

And so did Richard.

The smug, cowardly, son of a bitch was obviously terrified of facing Conall because when they met at the Coach House to put Thea’s Challenge to the Canids, Richard had jumped all over it. Even if it was out of the ordinary for them to fight in human form.

He thought he would kick Thea’s ass.

Watching him stride onto the beach while Peter and Sienna Canid and their wolves took their spot next to Conall, Callie, and James, Thea sneered. Richard was looking at her like he was about to gobble her up. He strutted with arrogance as he walked back and forth in front of her, kicking up sand.

There was a niggle in the back of Thea’s head that had her wondering if she was overconfident in her abilities, considering this would be her first time fighting without her fae strength.

Yet, she knew she couldn’t let those doubts cloud her mind.

She had to believe she would put Richard on his ass.

After all, the pack had come out in force to see what she was capable of.

Last night in bed, after another torrid few hours of lovemaking, Conall had talked to her about her alpha aura. It was the energy she felt from Conall, and she had it too. He’d coached her through connecting to it and pushing it out into the room so it encapsulated everything around her.

Thea did it now, channeling it toward Richard and the pack. She felt it, like extended hands, pushing against all their shoulders, as if to force them to their knees. The pack trembled against her, but their excitement levels rose. Whereas Richard … well, Thea watched the smugness flicker out of his expression as he strained against her energy.

She smirked at him as if to say, “Yeah, I’m kind of a badass.”

He snarled.

As lead warrior, Callie strode forward. “Alpha and Pack MacLennan, Alpha and Pack Canid, we’re here to witness the Challenge between