Rick threw his head back and laughed, the sound booming through the trees, as Gina snarled at his mate.
“We can tell your ass has never seen a treadmill before, either. I mean, yeesh.”
Rick laughed harder as Belle shuddered delicately.
When Gina howled, the fight began.
The women were evenly matched as they swiftly shifted. No winner there; if one had managed to complete the shift before the other, serious damage could have been done. And he had no doubt Gina intended to inflict serious damage, if not death. Belle had pushed Gina to her limits one too many times.
The differences in the sleek, powerful Puma and the aggressive, determined red Wolf were obvious to all those who watched. While Belle had the advantage of power and size, her limp remained, hampering her movements. Gina was swift and unhampered, but smaller. The two women circled each other, growling, watching with golden eyes for the slightest hint that the other was preparing to pounce.
Rick couldn’t tell for certain which of them moved first. They came together in a furious clash of paws and claws, teeth ripping into shoulders as the Wolf tried to dominate the bigger Puma.
Belle’s rear paw slipped, causing the Pack to gasp. She corrected, almost letting Gina push her over and onto her back. If Belle let Gina have access to her belly, the whole fight would be over.
Not that it mattered. He’d decided to walk away before the challenge. If Belle lost, he still had that option.
He stared around at his Pack. The raw anger on most of their faces was surprising. The majority of them were growling at Gina’s friends. The five women nervously backed away, separating themselves from the rest of the Pack.
“She’s going to win.” Rick looked at the serene smile on the face of his Omega. Her eyes had a blank look to them. “Even if she loses, she’s won. The Pack will no longer accept Gina as their dominant female.” She looked up at him, an odd expression on her face. “I can’t feel them anymore.”
“Who?”
Before she could answer Gina yelped. He turned back to the fight.
Belle had gotten a hold of Gina’s back leg. She shook her head, her powerful jaws snapping the red Wolf’s thigh like a twig. Gina whimpered, dragging herself away from the Puma slowly stalking towards her.
Gina turned, obviously hoping to take the fight into the woods, when Belle pounced. She landed on Gina’s back, forcing the Wolf’s smaller body to the ground, her teeth clamping on the back of Gina’s neck.
With one movement of her head she could take the life of the dominant female. She was well within her rights to do so. Half the Wolves present obviously expected her to do it. The silence in the clearing was deafening.
Gina’s legs scrabbled in the snow under Belle. She fought to get the big cat off her, but it was too late.
Belle was not letting go of her nemesis until she’d secured Gina’s full surrender. He could see the determination in her golden eyes as she held Gina still underneath her powerful jaws.
She snarled as Gina made one final attempt to buck her off. A bead of blood dripped down into Gina’s fur, making it obvious even to her that there was no getting out of Belle’s hold. Gina panted her surrender, her legs going slack under Belle’s weight.
Belle held on, more blood falling to coat Gina’s fur, making a point none of them could miss.
When it came to a lone Puma versus a lone Wolf, the Puma would win.
Eventually Belle got tired or bored, and let go. The bitch’s fur was matted with snow and blood. Belle stood over her and began slowly raking her paw through the snow over and over again.
Rick chuckled. His kitty was burying the offal.
Finally Belle was done showing her contempt for Gina. She turned her back on the Wolf and sauntered over to Rick, only the slightest limp hampering her movements. She butted her head against his thigh, purring as he scratched her behind her ears. She turned and sat by his side, cleaning her whiskers with her paw, totally unconcerned as Gina shifted back to human.
The alpha bitch was clutching her leg. “Someone help me.” Her five women scrambled quickly into the center of the Pack and assisted their fallen leader to her feet. She stared at Belle, different emotions warring across her face until it settled into Gina’s usual arrogance. “This isn’t over.”
“I’m afraid it is.” Chela stepped forward. “I can no longer feel you.”
Gina’s face whitened.
Ben stepped forward. “She’s right. I can’t feel any of you.” He pointed towards Gina’s broken thigh. “I should feel that, but I don’t.”
Belle shifted, swifter than the first time. She stood tall and proud next to him. He quickly removed his jacket and covered her nakedness. “You are no longer members of this Pack.”
Her voice flowed over him, smooth as honey, touching him in places he had never been touched before.
It felt like she’d slid inside him, caressing him with smooth fingers, arousing him in ways he hadn’t known were possible.
The rest of the Pack bowed before the power in their Luna’s voice.
“The Pack has spoken. Challenge has been met; Protocol is satisfied. You and the members of your Pack are to leave our territory before the dawn of the day, never to return.”
Rick shivered, and not from the cold. His cock hardened in his jeans, straining towards the one woman who could ease him. He slipped his arm around Belle and nuzzled the side of her neck, pleased when she tilted her head to allow him greater access.
But his mate’s hard gaze never left the alpha bitch. The six women, stunned, turned away. Gina’s stare flitted from one Pack member to another, looking for something, anything, that would refute what the Luna had said.
Rick allowed his power to slide along Belle’s skin, delighting in her surprised gasp. She moaned and shuddered, resting her weight against him. Their power meshed, just as he’d always known it would when he finally had his Luna.
He held her easily. The two watched as, one by one, their Pack turned their backs on Gina and her Pack. A small cry escaped the woman’s lips as Dave turned, a look of disgust on his face.
Gina stood, proud to the bitter end, and stared at the Alpha pair. She nodded regally before one final smirk crossed her face. “My Pack and I will be gone by morning.”
Belle answered with a regal nod of her own.
Gina walked off, accepting the help of the five women who’d stood by her in her attempt to take over the Poconos Pack. No one was sorry to see them go.
Chapter Six
“Remember what I said about the surgery being the stupidest stunt you’ve ever pulled?”
“Yes.” Belle drew her finger down Rick’s chest, knowing what was coming and trying to avert it.
“I changed my mind. That was the stupidest stunt you’ve ever pulled.”
“Did you really think I was going to allow you to abdicate?”
“Did you really think I was going to take Gina as a mate?”
She sighed. “No.”
“Good.”
Rick cuddled her closer, sighing when she squirmed her naked bottom against his rapidly growing erection.
They’d gone straight back to their apartment once they were certain Gina was gone. He’d left her clothes out in the Pack’s meeting place, not even stopping for her boots. He’d just picked her up and carted her off. She was pretty sure he’d said something to the Pack in their heads, because they’d scattered to the four winds. She just didn’t have it in her at the moment to be pissed about it.
The first thing he’d done had been to take his jacket back. He’d bundled her up in the big comforter from their bed (she was really beginning to like the big, loud thing), settled her in front of the fireplace, and proceeded to get naked. He’d pulled her into his lap and held her close for a few moments before apparently deciding she was safe. That was enough to set him off.