10 Daughter of Fury

Fighting Him

Dancing was something I was not good at. A fact which Jamie Gallions was finding that out in the most painful way possible.

By trying to dance with me.

In-front of all these pack members.

As we moved together, I tried giving him more space since all I could do was step on his toes, but even that I managed to mess up. I retreated too far. Making him stretch awkwardly in order to hold onto me. Causing our feet to bump yet again.

I was making a terrible mess of things and people were starting to stare.

I looked over Jamie’s shoulder and saw Ajax gesturing at me furiously as his father, the Alpha, said something to him.

Ajax’s hand dropped. He looked furious as the alpha walked away from him. He stared after the alpha, nearly quaking with wrath.

“Your brother looks angry.” I remarked.

“He always looks like that.” Jamie shrugged. Adding ruefully. “But you certainly bring out the best in him.”

“Does he hate just me,” I queried since the subject was brought up. “Or all females?”

“All of them, I suspect.” Jamie remarked. “Never seen one he’s been nice to.”

That explains a lot. I thought. Vaguely consoled that it was my gender, rather than me in particular, that he couldn’t stand.

“How will he be Alpha if he doesn’t take a mate?”

“Ajax?” Jamie turned his head to give me a shocked look. Blue eyes wide and sandy blonde hair loose around his face. “He’s not going to be.”

“But...” I looked from Ajax to Jamie in confusion. Jamie was clearly smaller, younger...Nicer. But Ajax was huge and wound with muscle like a warrior. “As the eldest, shouldn’t he be?”

“He should’ve been. But he never wanted to train with father in order to learn how to be the Alpha. He avoided the act anytime the rest of us trained. So…father eventually bypassed him.”

Which would make Jamie the alpha’s heir now. I stared at him in surprise.

He didn’t have the same intimidating presence as Madrik or Ajax. If I didn’t already know he was one of the alpha’s heirs I wouldn’t have guessed he was Madrik’s son.

“Maybe that’s why he’s angry.” I suggested. Trying to imagine what it would be like to spend your childhood planning to be the next alpha of your pack only to have your father determine you weren’t good enough.

I know what it feels like to not know my father at all, that’s bad enough.

To know the rejection of a father seemed like the worst thing I could imagine.

“No...I think he’s angry for reasons I best not discuss just now. Now while he can hear.”

Now I was curious. My brows lifted.

“For now.” He bumped my shoulder with his which made me giggle. “You can imagine how kindly he’d take to knowing we were talking about him.”

I glanced up and spotted the severe man across the wave of people. “Now, you must tell me.”

Ajax stood against the wall of one hut. Far in the background of the festivities, with one foot propped on thew all behind him with arms crossed solidly over his broad chest. He was watching everyone but as if he could feel my study, his eyes flicked to me.

I looked away instantly.

“Here.” Jamie kindly swung me around so my back was to Ajax.

So I don’t have to meet that look of loathing.

The problem was that when he did, he clutched my hand a bit tighter to sweep me off my feet. It caused the wounds on my hand to bleed the smallest bit.

“Ouch.” I hissed. Snatching my hand away.

Jamie peered down and glimpsed the wounds. “Oh, those are deep, aren’t they.”

“They don’t really hurt.”

Jamie caught a whiff of the blood wafting up from my hand. Like invisible steam rising from my skin it crept into his nostrils which flared in response. His eyes yellowed and the pupils narrowed. For a moment he looked at me with a nearly feral expression.

I released his other hand and took a long step back. My other hand was caught and yanked to whirl me around. I bumped into the solid chest of Ajax Gallions.

“What did I tell you about that hand?” He demanded.

“Ajax?” Jamie said.

Ajax nodded a greeting to him, disdain all over him. He gestured to me.

“Ah.” Jamie nodded. “He wants you to give our newest female some attention.”

Newest female? I’ve always been here! I though defensively.

Then I realized the second part of what he’d said.

I don’t want his attention!

I didn’t really have a choice as Jamie waved to me as if Ajax should have his way. As if he’s merely handing over a bit of rope, rather than a woman.

“I asked you what I told you about that hand?” He reiterated, now that it was apparent that Jamie would not be interfering again on my behalf.

I yanked my wrist from his grip.

“I don’t see how it’s any of your business.” I took a long step back from him but he chased it. Closing the gap to glower down at me. “It is when every male here can catch the scent of you. Mere days before the Mating Moon. Are you trying get yourself attacked?”

“I’m not doing anything wrong!” I backed up another nervous step. Slipping between people dancing.

“You are. You’re irritating me.” He moved through the people far easier. They separated for him. Clearing a path as they shrank from his way.

“I wish to dance.” I threw up my chin. Not wanting him to see any hint of fear because I suspected he would feast on it.

“Fine.” He said acidly, his lip curling in disdain. He snatched my unhurt hand again and yanked me into him. “Then you can dance with me.”

His other hand landed on my hip, turning me in step with him.

I gasped at the sudden contact of his body. I stared up at him in astonishment. “What are you doing.”

“Ensuring you’ll leave.” He said flatly. Those eyes narrowing.

He’s purposely trying to intimidate me.

“You are not going to frighten me!”

He threw back his head and laughed. A burst of chilly sound. When he’d finally finished, without missing a single step of the dance, he levelled those hard eyes back on me as he said flatly. “The hell I don’t.”

I swallowed and lifted my chin stubbornly. Wanting him to consider that he might be wrong, though I wasn’t foolish enough to deny it any further.

“I can’t dance, I should get something to drink.” I said in an effort to get him to let me go.

“Seems to me like you’re doing fine.” He rotated and adjusted one leg so it was positioned between my knees. He stared over my head as he boredly stated. “Just feel the movement in my leg and you’ll know what to do.”

He made it sound as if it meant nothing but being this close to him and feeling the bulging strength in his thigh between mine, was about enough to make my mouth go dry. I swallowed nervously. Feeling a tremor run through me every time we made contact.

I was suddenly filled with self-doubt.

“You were debating with my brother why I’m such an angry wolf.”

I hesitated only a moment before admitting it. “You’ve good hearing.”

“Exceptional actually. I can hear the smallest sound clear across the meadow beyond this camp.”

I barely heard him. It was hard not to notice how much larger he was than me. At my height I faced the crease running down the center of his chest, which was bulged with muscle. Both of my hands were swallowed by his larger, stronger ones. If I tried to pull away, he could easily crush those bones like twigs.

The strength he exuded was barely leashed, as if he were a wild animal.

Or a rogue.

“Why do you think I might be so angry?”

“I’d assume if a male is not nice to any of the she-wolves, he’s more likely to be...angry.”

To my surprise he laughed again. But this one wasn’t a rough barking sound. It was genuine and revealed a row of level, white teeth which changed his whole face. Dimples appeared to frame his mouth and crinkles formed at the edges of his blue eyes. At first it was a short sound but then it grew slightly louder until it was a robust sound of amusement.

“I’d guess you’re right.”

“Was that what a real laugh?” I instantly regretted saying it because that smile was gone as fast as it had appeared.

“I don’t laugh.”

“You just did.”

“A momentary lapse in intelligence.”

“Someone is foolish to be amused?”

He shot me a look. “Why do you have to argue everything I say?”

“Why are you so disgusted by me?”

“I’m not.” He looked away.

“That glare you keep giving me would say otherwise.”

“If you want to know why I glare at you, just ask. Don’t speculate.”

“Why not?”

“I abhor speculation.”

“Is there anything you don’t abhor?” I retorted.

He turned me so quickly that my stomach leapt and my dress spun out around my legs. The motion was so surprising that a giggle escaped me.

I cut it off as soon as I saw his attention flick to my lips. “I suppose I’m a fool now?”

“I didn’t say that.” He drawled. Though there was no telling what was going on in his mind.

“You don’t have to be so unpleasant all the time.”

“No?” He said sourly. “How should I be?”

“You are permitted to have fun once in a while, are you not?”

“He told you that being the pack alpha was taken from me. Would you have fun were it you?” He shocked me by asking the question so bluntly.

“You truly have no shame for eavesdropping, do you?”

“You have no shame about discussing me. Why should I have any about hearing it?”

“Oh!” I gasped. “You truly are dreadful, aren’t you?”

“It’s a matter of opinion.” He dismissed.

“Well, from the way I understand it, it’s everyone’s opinion.”

“If you’re to believe everything my brother says.”

“You’re saying I should not?”

He shrugged. An odd gesture from a man that seemed otherwise, so decisively. “Believe what you want.”

“Then tell me, alpha’s son, who doesn’t find you irritating?”

“Me.”

“I don’t believe that counts.”

“You can’t present something as a unanimous decision,” His eyes dropped back to me. “if someone doesn’t agree.”

“I believe I can.”

He snorted. “Then you’re as stubborn as that buck that refuses to leave the woods near the camp.”

“You’re bold with the flattery, aren’t you?” I queried with an arched brow. Refusing to let him insult me.

“Flattery?” He was aghast. Shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe I’d called it that.

“Well that must be what it is unless you’re trying to insult me apurpose?”

“What if I am? Would you leave?”

“I’d stay longer to spite you.”

He snorted. “Of course you would.”

“So I’d put forward that you trying to be nice to me, might persuade me to leave sooner.”

“Ah, but it wouldn’t make you nearly as uncomfortable.”

“You like making me uncomfortable?” I was startled by his statement, enough to ask.

“You can ask me that but now why I glare at you?” He arched a haughty raven brow.

“Does it matter since you refuse to answer it anyway?”

His eyes narrowed. “You think yourself very clever for a girl that was once blind and deaf.”

I moved to jerk from him. Appalled that he would remind me of how low I used to be but he refused to relinquish my hands, holding me against him despite that he obviously felt my resistance.

He watched me as if pleased that I would fight him.