 
### VALENTINA'S MATE

By

Dawn Wilder

Copyright 2016 Dawn Wilder

* * * * *

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is fictional and any resemblance to persons, places, or events is coincidental.

Adult Reading Material (language, violence, sexual content)- for readers 18+ years of age. All characters are above 18 years of age.

*****

By Dawn Wilder

Paranormal Erotic Shorts:

Mate Me

Were My Mark

Incubus Needs

Foxy Lady

Runt of the Litter

Paranormal Erotic Shorts Collection (contains all of the shorts above)

Were It (best read after Were My Mark)

Sea Me

Fangs for Coming

Were Break (best read after Were My Mark)

Paranormal Erotic Shorts Collection, Volume 2 (contains the four above, plus Were My Mark so it can be read before the other Were shorts)

Were Shield

Gunner's Mate

Tracker's Mate

Breaker's Mate

Ryder's Mate

Asher's Mate

Elena's Warriors

Curves Ahead

Foster's Mate

Fisher's Mate

Play Hard

Luther's Mate

Sayer's Mate

Casper's Mate

Rader's Mate

Fuller's Mate

Ryker's Mate

Keller's Mate

Hidden Mate

Denver's Mate

Foxy (adapted from the short Foxy Lady)

Billionaire's Mate

Billionaire's Neighbor

Ranger's Mate

Lenora's Mate

Reina's Mate

Billionaire's Investment

Kiko's Mate

Thatcher's Mate

Kyler's Mate

Valentina's Mate

Dawn Wilder Writing as A.R. Dawn

Paranormal Romance:

Going Lupe

In the Lupe

Let Sleeping Lupes Lie

*****

### Free Paranormal Romance Bundle

If you sign up for my mailing list, I'll send you my paranormal romance bundle (Gunner's Mate, Breaker's Mate, Tracker's Mate, Ryder's Mate, Foxy Lady, Incubus Needs, Were My Mark, Mate Me, Runt of the Litter, and Going Lupe). Just email me at dawnwilderbooks@yahoo.com with the subject ADD ME. Or, sign up on my Facebook page and download a copy of the bundle right away!

Happy Reading!

*****

### Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Epilogue

Connect

*****

### VALENTINA'S MATE

*****

Chapter 1

Valentina

I crested the rise and stopped, adjusting my backpack.

The place was already teeming with activity, plenty of people having already arrived.

The Silver Tip Pack, the pack hosting the event this year, had already set up various temporary structures, including tents and wood cabins that could be assembled and disassembled quickly.

I wasn't exactly looking forward to camping for the next few days, but understood the necessity of it.

It wasn't like we could all stay at a hotel and gather in one of the ballrooms to have a tournament fight every couple of hours.

Well, I guess we could, but it wouldn't end well.

I was certain it would be at least frowned upon.

My smile faded as the enormity of the situation settled in.

This was it. No going back.

Once I went down there and signed up for the event, I was officially cutting ties with the Spearhead Pack.

I knew it was the right decision. I knew I needed to move on.

But I still felt that fluttery feeling of uncertainty in the center of my stomach.

I knew it could end badly when I first started a relationship with Haas.

Scratch that. I knew it would probably end badly.

But I'd taken the risk.

Even though that decision led directly to this moment, I couldn't regret it. Maybe it had just accelerated the inevitable. I'd always been a little shaky on Haas's qualifications for being Alpha, and when we had finally broken up and he'd become so petty towards me, those reservations had only solidified.

Sighing, I adjusted the straps on my shoulders and made my way down.

I kid ran up to me as soon as I crossed the edges of the encampment.

"Are you here for the tournament?" he asked, notebook and pen at the ready.

"Yes. Valentina Alba of the Spearhead Pack."

He quickly scribbled something down in his notebook.

"Great! We have a place for you. Right this way please."

I followed the kid passed the largest tents, the scents coming from them letting me know they were probably the mess halls. He led me past the center of the camp and towards the edges, where sea of smaller tents had been placed.

He made his way directly to one and opened it up.

"This one here is for you. You might be getting someone else in there too, depending on our turnout. We're serving lunch and dinner today, next meal will be in about a couple of hours. Latrines are about a twenty minute walk west, and the river is about a ten minute run in the opposite direction. In case you want to take a bath. If you need anything, just look for anyone in one of these shirts." He tugged at his royal blue tunic. "The Silver Tip Pack wants to make sure everything goes smoothly for everyone involved."

"Thank you."

The kid inclined his head and disappeared.

I ducked into the tent, pausing as I let my eyes adjust to the dim interior.

It was actually more spacious inside than I had anticipated.

Two cots were placed at opposite ends, with a trunk at that foot of each one. It was simple and serviceable, but clean, and when I sat down on the cot, surprisingly comfortable.

A five-star hotel it wasn't, but they had obviously made the effort to do the best they could with what they had.

The fights weren't supposed to start until tomorrow, so I had some time to kill.

Setting my things into the trunk at the foot of my cot, I ventured out to find some food.

They weren't going to be serving a meal for a little while yet, but if there were weres around, there was going to be food available.

As I expected, there were stalls set up.

I followed my nose to one towards that end. There was some kind of spinning large cone of meat that smelled delicious.

I bought a wrap off of the blond kid working it.

I took a testing bite.

Well. That was delicious.

"Thanks. It's really good," I said around my bite.

The girl grinned.

"It's my grandma's recipe. I'll pass on the complement."

I smiled back, wandering away as I ate.

The turnout was pretty good this year. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, I firmly believed that this chance we got every year to leave our packs and find new ones meant Alphas and packs tried their hardest to keep their people happy.

A couple of years ago, a few Alphas had tried to restrict these tournaments, but there was such an outcry from other Alphas and pack members that they had to back off in a hurry.

But people had long memories and I knew many still cast a wary eye on the Alphas that had attempted that end run.

It wasn't surprising. In my experience, whenever someone got power, a percentage of those in power would try to reach for more power or try to find a way to make their position permanent.

Power was inherently corrupting.

These tournaments were a kind of check on that power.

I waved at a few familiar faces, stopping only when someone called me by name.

"Valentina!"

I turned to find Mario, one of my oldest friends, walking towards me.

We'd fallen in a little out of touch the past year or so with everything that had been going on, but it still felt like I was seeing a brother.

"Mario! It's good to see you."

He pulled me into a bear hug.

"What are you doing here? Last I heard you were with Haas."

I grimaced.

"Yeah. That didn't end well."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Some people might say the very same thing automatically, a social expectation of politeness I guessed.

But I firmly believed Mario meant it.

"Thanks. But what are you doing here? I thought you liked your new pack?"

He shrugged.

"It was fine. But they already had a pack healer. I felt a little redundant. Thought I might try my luck out here. There are a couple of packs I have my eye on."

"I don't think you're going to have a problem. Healers are always in demand."

And it was true. His fighting skills would be almost besides the point, though he would have to participate and at least try. Still, I was sure he would get offers before they even began.

"Hopefully. I'll see you at dinner, yeah?"

"Yes."

With that promise of seeing each other later, we broke apart.

Bumping into Mario had me thinking about my own set of skills.

I tended towards security, seeing as I was good at all things technical. Security nowadays was often times less about physical prowess and more about being plugged into the digital age.

I knew I was solid in that regard. But I'd also served as both Second and Third before, so I was also good as an enforcer and all around go to girl.

So while I was hoping to put on a good show in the fights, it wasn't the only selling point on my resume.

I headed back to my tent, hoping to maybe fit in a nap before it was time to eat.

Well, eat again.

But when I got there, I hesitated before going back in.

There was a fresh scent. A dominant male.

Someone else must have been assigned to the same tent while I'd been gone.

I would have preferred to have it to myself, but it wasn't something I could control.

Taking a breath, I stepped inside and paused, letting my eyes adjust.

"You must be Valentina," a deep voice said.

I blinked as the dim interior slowly came into focus.

"Yes. And you are?"

He stood up and I fought the urge to take a step back.

He was intimidatingly large, maybe about four inches taller than me which put him at about six feet four inches.

And every inch of that large frame was heavily muscled.

His dark hair was trimmed buzz cut short, his face heavily stubbled. The dark slashes of his eyebrows drew even more attention to the piercing light green of his eyes.

Damn.

I had two thoughts simultaneously.

One- I hoped I didn't have to fight him.

Though, in my experience, size wasn't always necessarily an advantage.

Two- I'd honestly rather do something else entirely with all of that body.

I quickly squashed that second thought.

There was no reason to split my concentration right now. These few days were entirely too important for that.

"Thatcher. Of the the Bear Killer Pack." He tilted his head to the side consideringly. "Well, I suppose formerly of the Bear Killer Pack."

"Nice to meet you."

I held out my hand and he grasped it firmly, giving it a nice strong shake.

"Likewise."

"I was just going to take a nap before they serve dinner."

"Good idea. I'm beat too."

We both went to our respective cots to lie down.

I wondered if he even fit in his?

I glanced over to see that his feet were hanging off the end.

Poor guy.

That could not be comfortable.

Thatcher

Well, I'd made it.

I'd never expected to end up here. I'd been with the same pack I'd been born into for my whole life.

I liked the people, my family was there. My friends.

But nobody could have predicted that Merrin would rise to power so quickly.

Or that he would dislike me so much.

I knew it was simply because he felt threatened. Never mind that I had no desire to be Alpha. His wolf saw me as a threat and he wasn't strong enough to think through that emotion rationally.

I sighed, trying to get comfortable on the minuscule cot.

I'd probably give up eventually and take the ground.

I glanced over to the other side of the tent as I heard the covers rustling.

Valentina had turned over onto her side, facing away from me.

I judged her to be around six feet tall, lean. Her light brown hair was caught into a short, high ponytail, her brown eyes a little guarded, but kind.

I'd immediately felt the tingle of attraction. If we weren't where we were, I might have tried for something.

Hell, I might still try.

It wasn't like there was much else to do until the fighting started.

In either case, now wasn't the time.

She'd obviously gotten there not long before I had, which meant she was also beat.

Settling in, I closed my eyes, figuring getting some rest in while I could wasn't a bad idea.

I wasn't quite able to doze, but I was able to drift, let my body relax for a while.

As usual, I felt the urge to get up and move around not much later. I wasn't one to nap in the normal course of events, even when it was well advised.

I rolled out of the cot quietly, so as not to disturb Valentina.

A quick walk around the camp before dinner sounded like just what I needed to clear my head.

A few other people must have had the same idea, but most everyone was still tucked away in their tents waiting for dinner. I nodded at the few stragglers, but didn't stop to chat.

It didn't seem like a good idea to get too friendly with someone I might have to fight later on.

If I'd had a little bit more time, I might have changed and gone for a run. There was miles and miles of gorgeous forested land to explore.

The Silver Tip's territory didn't encompass all of it. At one point, two other packs used to be around this area, but in-fighting and lack of good leadership led to them dissolving years ago.

I turned back towards our tent, deciding I'd gone far enough.

I was still contemplating the importance of a good Alpha as I neared the tent, when I noticed a trio of men slipping inside.

Who were they?

It seemed a little odd for all three of them to duck inside silently instead of sending just one in if they were Valentina's friends.

Frowning, I picked up my pace.

If I thought something looked off, more often than not it was.

I paused right outside, checking to see if I needed to go in or not.

"We're really sorry about this, Valentina," an unfamiliar voice said.

"You don't have to do this."

That was Valentina. She sounded tired, almost...resigned?

"Unfortunately, we do."

The distinctive sound of flesh hitting flesh reached my ears.

That was my cue.

I ducked into the tent, pausing just inside to let my eyes adjust to the dimmer interior.

Valentina was in the corner, limiting points of attack.

Good strategic move.

The corner of her mouth was already bleeding, but one of the other guys also already had a busted nose.

Right.

I'd seen enough.

"Hello. I don't think we've met. I'm Thatcher."

Everyone turned to look at me, blinking as they tilted their heads back to take me in.

I usually had that affect on people.

"This doesn't concern you," the same man I'd heard earlier said.

It might have come out more menacing if it didn't sound nasal and a little wet from the broken nose.

"Well, you're in my tent. Anything that happens in here concerns me."

I crossed my arms, flexing a little.

I found that often times I didn't have to engage in any kind of physical confrontation, so long as I was simply intimidating enough.

I saw the guys eyeing the bulge of my biceps and looking up, clearly calculating how large I really was.

And whether or not they wanted to take me on.

I kept my face neutral, not really wanting to have to fight them.

Yes, I could knock them around. But I didn't like to waste my time and energy unnecessarily.

I mentally rolled my eyes as the largest one took a step toward me.

Great. Someone who had something to prove.

"Why don't you just step outside. You can come back in after about fifteen minutes. Trust me- you don't want this kind of trouble."

I sighed.

"Trouble is tricky. You see, sometimes if you don't squash it right away, it becomes a real problem down the line." I took a step toward the guy, looking down to highlight the few inches I had on him. "I'm not much of a procrastinator. And I really don't like problems."

I blocked the swing he took at me, not bothering trying to dodge.

Stepping into his guard, I wrapped my hand around the front of his neck and simply picked him up.

His hand automatically wrapped around my forearm as he glared down at me.

I looked over at the other two. They were frozen as they stared at me.

"We can do this. Your call," I said quietly.

The guy I held tried to land a blow, but I kept him too close for it to really land.

The guy with the broken nose glanced over at Valentina and then over at me, obviously weighing his options.

"Put him down. We'll go," he finally said grudgingly.

I set down the macho man and stepped back.

He glared at me, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Red," the leader said quietly but firmly.

Clenching his jaw, the guy followed his two friends out.

I waited until I was fairly certain they were out of earshot.

"Wanna tell me what that was about?" I asked mildly, turning to sit down on my cot.

Valentina raked her fingers through her hair, out of her ponytail now.

It looked soft and silky.

I wouldn't mind running my fingers through it for her.

"Just some shit from my old pack. I'm really sorry about that. It's not your problem."

"Seems to me like those guys are the ones that should be sorry. I know about old shit. Don't worry about it." I watched as she wiped away the blood on her face with a grimace. "Though maybe you should avoid being alone. They were obviously waiting for a time when they wouldn't have witnesses."

She nodded.

"I'll take that under consideration."

The ringing of the dinner bell cut my questioning short, at least for the moment.

Saved by the bell.

Hopefully it would be alright.

Chapter 2

Valentina

Relief trickled through me when the dinner bell ring.

I'd known getting out was a good idea, but I never would've guessed that Haas would stoop so low as to send people to physically hurt me.

They'd offered me the opportunity to simply go back to the pack, but when I'd firmly and clearly refused that idea, they'd been ready to carry out orders to make me unable to fight.

What did Haas think that would accomplish? That I would simply return if nobody else wanted me?

I would rather go rogue.

Mentally shaking my head at his flawed logic, I followed Thatcher into the mess tent and the line for food.

Mario waved at me and I waved back, but I didn't make a beeline for him. I didn't really feel like talking at the moment.

Thatcher and I silently made our way into a quiet corner of the tent.

He didn't seem big on talking at the moment either.

I glanced at him as I started eating.

He'd had no reason to jump in like he had. He could have left me to my own devices, let me deal with the problem myself.

But he hadn't.

Which meant I owed him. I'd remember that.

But I also didn't want to put him in that kind of situation again.

His advice to avoid being alone was well-intentioned and practically correct, but I didn't want to use his presence as a deterrent for anyone.

It didn't seem fair.

Lost in my own thoughts, I finished eating.

Servers walked around offering mugs of beer to whoever wanted some.

Neither Thatcher or I fell into that trap.

Only an idiot would let alcohol compromise him at this point.

It could very well be a different kind of test for us. Alphas would be able to see who had self control and good judgment.

Fighting with a hangover sounded horrible.

We left the tent before things got too rowdy, preferring the relative quiet of the cool night outside instead.

"Do you feel like a run?" Thatcher asked as we walked.

A run did sound nice. It was still pretty early and I'd had that nap earlier, even though it had been so rudely interrupted. I didn't want to go to sleep just yet.

"Sure."

I followed him passed the perimeter of the camp, walking until we were far enough away not to smell or hear too much.

Thatcher began to strip unceremoniously.

I did my best not to stare as his impressively muscled body came into view.

The last thing I needed right now was to be caught lusting after the guy.

I looked away and stripped quickly, closing my eyes and willing the change to take me over.

The familiar wave worked its way through my body, feeling like a good stretch- painful and enjoyable at the same time.

Shaking out my body to settle my fur from my new lower position, I looked over to see Thatcher doing the same.

Predictably, his wolf form was as large and impressive as his human form.

His coat was a darker gray, or at least that's what it appeared to be in this light. I wouldn't know for sure unless I saw him in the daylight with human vision.

I led the way this time, following my ears and nose to a tinkling stream not that far off.

We passed a couple of rabbits and something else small and furry on the way, but we'd just eaten and I didn't feel too much of an urge to give chase.

I let the sounds and smells of the untouched forest seep into me as I stretched my body out in a loping run.

Thatcher was a silent companion, easily keeping up with his longer stride.

I could probably outrun him, but I would have to put some effort into it.

We reached the stream and I stopped at the edge of it, dunking my head in to take a drink.

Raising it, I shook it to get rid of the excess water and then walked along the edge.

We stayed there for a while by mutual accord.

I didn't know what he was thinking about or what situation he was coming from.

And he didn't know either of those things about be.

The fact that neither of us could ask was relaxing in and of itself.

We stayed until the night sky was filled with twinkling stars, then we turned and headed back to camp.

Tomorrow was going to be a fighting day.

We didn't know if either of us would be up tomorrow- we would find out in the morning.

Better to be fully rested just in case.

We carried our clothes back in our mouths, our shoes draped over our backs. Both of us had automatically tied the laces together before we'd changed.

When we got back, I changed and got into bed.

It was possible Haas's men would show up again during the night, but I didn't think it was likely after the result of their last attempt.

In either case, if I didn't sleep, I wouldn't be in my best form tomorrow and might accomplish their goal for them.

Of course, as usual, it was easy to think reasonably and logically, but difficult to carry out those logical conclusions.

Mentally shaking my head at myself, I closed my eyes and tried to rest.

Thatcher

I listened as Valentina rolled around in bed again.

I knew she must be worried about a repeat of the performance a few hours ago.

But I spent a lot of my time as a scout, so I knew how to shut down the over analyzing part of my brain and rest while I could.

I doubted that they would come back, but I also knew that I could be out of bed and ready to take them on within a blink of an eye.

I'd trained myself to sleep lightly when necessary.

Though I hadn't realized I would have to use that particular skill here.

Valentina finally settled down and I heard her breathing even out as she finally slept.

Good.

I automatically woke up every hour or so, the urge to make certain everything was in place forcing me to do so.

When dawn broke, I wasn't quite as rested as I could have been, but I also wasn't tired.

I would call that a win.

When I glanced over at Valentina, her face looked about exactly how I felt.

Good enough.

We both got out of bed to get dressed, and I couldn't resist the urge to give her a once over as she pulled her pants up above a deliciously round ass.

Definitely an ass worth protecting.

We headed out to have breakfast, knowing the schedule wouldn't be up until after we'd all eaten.

Predictably, the mess tent was full of men and women who looked like they regretted their decisions the night before.

Bloodshot eyes and people with their heads resting on their folded arms weren't an uncommon site.

I would have spared them some more sympathy except they'd brought it upon themselves and it meant better odds for the rest of us.

As I glanced around, my eyes fell upon an older man.

Salt and pepper hair with a face lined by experience, he looked out of place among the generally much younger crowd.

He sat off to the side, eating quietly and basically keeping his head down.

What would have to happen for someone that age to try to start again somewhere new?

"Do you know who that is?" I murmured to Valentina.

"Who?"

I nodded my head in the man's direction, careful not to draw attention.

Valentina turned to look. And stilled.

"Sam Hutcherson? What is he doing here?"

"Who is he?"

"He's a doctor. A really well respected one. He's been...or was with his current pack for decades, though I know other packs have tried and failed to court him in the past. I wonder why he's here?"

"Must have been something serious if he is," I commented, glancing at the man.

"Yeah. I guess so." Valentina was still frowning slightly as she went back to her food.

We didn't have too much time to contemplate the other man's predicament. As soon as we finished, we followed the crowd of people over to the match boards.

Half of the people would be fighting today, the other half tomorrow. As the tournament went on, there would be fewer people moving on until there were multiple fights each day.

I'd been to the tournament before, lending my own opinions on who would be a good addition to our pack.

The fact that I was on the other side now was strange to say the least.

I found my name listed for tomorrow, but Valentina would be fighting in a couple of hours.

Against Robertson.

I knew of her. She was a pretty big woman, not quite my size, but much larger than Valentina.

It worried me a little. I didn't know Valentina that well, but I was already growing attached to her. Maybe it had something to do with saving her from a beating.

I felt somehow responsible for her safety.

Which was ridiculous. She was a grown, capable woman and she'd chosen to be here. From the way she'd handled herself, I knew she was no victim.

I pushed my worries to the back of my mind as Valentina made her way through the crowd to where I was waiting at the edge of it.

"Want to go for a walk? I know if I go back to the tent I'll only psych myself out," Valentina said wryly.

"Sure."

I followed her lead out of camp.

"Know anything about Robertson?"

"Hmm. She's pretty big, so try not to let her get too close. Tends to go in with her right, though not always. And she likes to glare- thinks it makes her look intimidating."

Valentina glanced over at me as she stopped on a rise and took a seat on a boulder.

"Does it?"

I shrugged.

"Yeah. But I know for a fact she's spent hours in front of the mirror perfecting her look. Make sure you keep that in mind. Takes the wind out of the intimidation factor," I said with a smirk.

"Hmm." She looked over at me from the corner of her eye. "Know that for a fact do you?"

I shrugged, not commenting on it.

I didn't particularly want to talk about an old lover with her.

The thought gave me pause.

I shook my head at myself.

My interest obviously wasn't waning.

"Don't worry. I know how to handle someone bigger," Valentina said, looking out over the camp.

I shifted a little.

She probably hadn't meant it like my body was taking it.

She glanced at me with a smirk.

Or maybe she did?

We stayed up there for most of the time until her match. It was a lot quieter than camp, a good way to settle the mind.

A lot of a fight was mental anyway. I was hoping she was shoring up her defenses.

She sighed and stood.

"Time to head back."

We made our way back to camp.

The air had changed completely from the night before. Everyone was much more quiet, more focused on the reason why we were all here in the first place.

I could feel the tension and the nerves.

Valentina had a determined and neutral look on her face as she went to the ring, a flattened dirt area surrounded by stands.

I squeezed her shoulder.

"Good luck."

She nodded at me absently, her mind already on the fight.

Good.

I climbed up into the stands to get a better view.

Valentina

I rolled my neck, stretching out to loosen up.

Robertson came in across the ring, a tall blond woman built like a brick house. I might have felt more intimidated if I hadn't just spent so much time with Thatcher.

We were allowed hand held weapons, though no projectiles. Robertson was dressed in a sports bra and in a pair of loose cotton pants. No weapons, but she did have on wrist guards, which were the only kind of armor that was allowed.

I pulled out my short daggers, ignoring the glare she leveled my way.

Knowing that she had spent so much time perfecting it really did help take away some of the intimidation factor.

Thanks Thatcher.

The announcer keyed up.

"First up, Valentina vs. Robertson. Remember the rules..."

I absently listened to what he was saying, but I already knew.

Tossed out of the ring, you were done. Third blood, you were done. Unconscious, done.

If fatal force was shown to be attempted deliberately, that person would be immediately disqualified.

Problem was, in the heat of the moment people oftentimes went too hard. Every tournament I could remember had at least one fatality, deliberate or otherwise.

"Fight!"

We began circling, my eyes a little unfocused so I would be able to catch her movements better.

Patience was key.

Sure enough, she wasn't able to last long before she darted in with a right hook.

I dodged, slicing at her, but she was able to block with her guards.

We retreated back to our sides.

I could see a little wariness creeping into her eyes.

Her claws sliced out from her finger tips.

Yes. Good idea to take me seriously.

I feigned a quick strike and she danced to the side, losing her footing a little.

It was my turn to dart in and slice her quickly before moving back again.

She snarled as blood leaked down the shallow cut along her rib cage.

"First blood!" the announcer called out.

And then Robertson let the anger get to her.

Rushing at me with a roar, she tried to grab me with her clawed hands.

I ducked out and slid to the side, quickly drawing a curved line on her opposite rib cage.

"Second blood!"

Rather than gathering herself and regrouping, Robertson whirled around with rage clear in her eyes.

Shit.

I took a glancing blow to the midsection that knocked the air out of me as I moved to get out of range.

She ran full tilt at me, letting down her guard completely in her attempt to get through mine.

I bailed on getting out of range and moved in.

This was going to hurt.

I cut a quick slice high up on her cheekbone as her hands closed around my neck.

"Third blood! Bout over!"

Robertson squeezed anyway, her breath hot on my face as her claws dug into my neck.

"Don't do it. You'll be disqualified," I choked out. I didn't bother going for her hands, instead bringing my daggers up and pressing them into her neck on either side.

Her eyes flickered as she realized she was in just as much danger as I was.

That moment after the fight was over only lasted about a couple of seconds, but time had an odd elasticity in situations like that.

I saw her come back down to earth as she decided to let go and stepped back.

I took in a deep breath, sheathing my blades.

She nodded at me as she turned and left the ring.

"This one goes to Valentina!"

The crowd cheered, but I didn't take it personally. They would have cheered had Robertson been the winner as well.

I walked off to the side where Thatcher was already waiting for me.

"She should have been disqualified," he growled, taking my arm and pulling me away from the crowd.

"She backed off," I said, my voice a little hoarse.

Having someone try to squeeze the life out of you would do that.

Thatcher glared down at me.

"Hey, it wasn't _my_ fault."

He muttered something under his breath as he dragged me all the way back to our tent.

"Are you hurt anywhere besides your neck?"

I took a quick inventory.

"Just some bruising." I winced as I rubbed my stomach a little.

"Take off your shirt," he demanded.

"I'm fine. It's just a bruise."

He crossed his arms and glared at me.

It was much more effective than Robertson's could ever hope to be.

Rolling my eyes, I took off my shirt.

The bruise was already starting to darken, a large area just above my navel that went across to my left rib cage.

I'd had much worse.

"See?"

Not commenting, he began feeling up my rib cage.

I watched his face, intent on what he was doing.

Alright. Now I was just enjoying his hands on me.

He looked up from his hand where it was now cupping my side protectively.

"Looks like you'll live," he acknowledged.

"Uh-huh."

His eyes darkened as they traced my face, settling briefly on my lips.

I was almost certain he was going to lean in and kiss me.

I was willing him to. The adrenaline of the fight already had me going.

After a tension filled moment, he stepped back.

"I'm going to check out the next fight."

And then the tent was empty.

Well, that was a let down.

Sighing, I sat down on my cot.

Thatcher

I took a deep breath of fresh air as I walked out.

That had been close.

I'd almost said to hell with it and kissed her.

God knew I'd wanted to.

But I also knew there was no uncrossing that line once I went passed it. And it wasn't in either of our best interests to split focus like that.

Not when we had no idea where either of our futures lay or where we would ultimately end up.

No. We both needed our heads in the game completely.

Our futures depended on it.

But fuck.

That had been one of the most difficult things I'd ever had to do.

I needed to be more careful about being in those kinds of situations with her. Though it would be difficult when we shared a tent.

This was going to be hard.

I headed to the ring and watched a fight like I said I was before I left to go back.

I knew the line up pretty well, knew how they liked to fight.

And I felt uneasy leaving Valentina alone for too long when those assholes from her old pack were still around.

Feeling marginally more in control, I headed back to the tent.

Chapter 3

Valentina

The next day, I found myself in the stands, watching Thatcher loosen up.

Xander, the man he was paired up with, was joking around with a couple of his buddies on the sidelines, seemingly not taking anything too seriously.

But something in the steadiness of his eyes even as he threw his head back and laughed...

I had a feeling it was a subtle tactic, a way to get his opponent's guard down.

I looked over at Thatcher's hard face.

Good luck to Xander with that.

No way was Thatcher letting his guard down.

Xander finally left his hangers on, idly stepping into the ring, rotating his wrist, a short sword held loosely in his grip.

Thatcher wasn't carrying a weapon, but I hadn't pegged him as the type to.

He was however wearing a couple of plain, well-made wrist guards. His t-shirt and pants were closely fitted to minimize easy grabbing, but flexible enough to allow him to move easily.

The fact that they showcased his ripped body was a nice side benefit.

One I was trying not to admire too much with minimum success.

He stepped into the ring as well, loosening up his shoulders as he watched Xander.

The announcer keyed up the crowd, getting them excited before finally officially starting the bout.

"Fight!"

Xander and Thatcher both stepped forward, neither the type to wait apparently.

Xander started in with a testing swing that Thatcher easily deflected, sweeping his foot out to try to catch the other man's legs.

Xander easily evaded the leg sweep, moving back to circle Thatcher, his eyes focused even as he smiled like he didn't have a care in the world, his brown hair almost but not quite flopping into his eyes.

Looked like he worked hard at portraying the unaffected image.

He began swinging his sword in a complicated pattern that caught the sun light, designed to trick the eye.

Thatcher's eyes stayed focused elsewhere, not taking the bait.

Xander lunged forward, but instead of moving back like he could have, Thatcher stepped forward into the attack, taking a glancing blow to the hip from the sword.

He didn't react as he grabbed his opponent's loose shirt, picked him up, and tossed him out of the ring.

The crowd was silent as Xander landed with a thump and a curse.

I didn't think anyone was expecting such a quick and simple ending to the fight.

"Thatcher takes it!"

The crowd got on board with a roar, as if the verbalized ending to the fight allowed them to.

It was pretty ironic how sheep-like a bunch of wolves could be.

I pushed through them, moving down the stands to intercept Thatcher as he left the ring.

"How's your hip?" I asked immediately.

He grunted.

"Could be better."

As we walked away, I moved to his other side to get a better look.

"Shit. You're bleeding too much," I said grimly, stripping my shirt so I could use it to staunch some of the flow. "You probably need stitches at the very least."

"I'll be fine. Just need to stop the bleeding and tie it up to heal tonight."

I shook my head at the stubborn response, not arguing as we got back to our tent and I pushed him to lie down.

I undid his pants and pulled them down enough so I could get a good look at his hip, trying to ignore the fact that he wasn't wearing any underwear.

And that his cock wasn't exactly unhappy at the moment.

I shook my head at my own response, wiping away some of the blood around the wound.

It wasn't because of me. Fighting got the blood pumping, the adrenaline going. I knew that.

I'd felt it.

"It's too deep. He slipped up," I said, shaking my head. "Blades are for shallow slices not puncture wounds in the ring."

"Why don't you move a little over to your left?" he said suggestively.

I looked up sharply.

"That's it. You're getting woozy. Stay right here."

Ignoring his reassurances that he was fine, I left the tent and made my way to the middle of camp.

I'd kept an eye on Sam Hutcherson after Thatcher had pointed him out.

Just in case.

I made a direct line to his tent and stopped just outside, hoping he was there.

"Sam? Sam Hutcherson?"

The flap in front was immediately pulled aside and his alert face peered out at me.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, but my friend just took a sword to the hip and he's bleeding. A lot."

"Hold on." He disappeared inside only to come out again with a black leather satchel. "Lead the way."

"Thank you," I said, relieved.

I ran back to the tent, Sam keeping pace with me easily.

When we got there, Thatcher smiled at me, a sappy expression on his face.

"He's acting off," I said worriedly. "He shouldn't be this affected from the amount of blood loss he's had."

Weres were tough motherfuckers, as a rule.

Sam made a noncommittal sound as he wiped the wound and looked at it.

Then he bent over to get closer, taking a deep breath.

"You'd be correct," he said grimly as he straightened. "Whoever stabbed him dipped his blade in something. I'm guessing some kind of tranquilizer."

That little shit.

"I feel fine. Good!" Thatcher interjected, his words slurring a little.

"Can you do anything about it?" I asked.

Sam shook his head, pulling on some gloves as he took out a needle.

"Not without knowing exactly what it is. It'll have to work its way through his system. But I can sew up this wound so he can keep his blood inside where it belongs."

He suited action to words, sewing up the wound quickly and neatly as Thatcher finally passed out from a combination of blood loss and the tranquilizer.

Finished, he straightened and slapped a bandage on the wound.

"It should be mostly healed by tomorrow- at least the surface. The stitches will dissolve, so you don't have to worry about that. When he wakes up, make sure he gets plenty of fluids and some food in him. Should be up and walking around by the day after tomorrow, though I would be careful of the hip for another day or two."

"I'll be sure to tell him that," I said wryly.

Sam grimaced.

"Yes, I suppose being careful isn't really an option at the moment. What did you say your names were?"

"Sorry. I'm Valentina and that's Thatcher. I- we- really appreciate it."

He waived off the thanks.

"I'm glad you came to me. I have a feeling you won't be the only ones." He sighed, packing up his bag.

I wouldn't get a better opportunity to assuage my curiosity.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure. But I don't promise an answer," he said, straightening with his bag in his hand.

"Fair enough," I acknowledged. "I was just wondering...why are you here? Your skills are in high demand. I would think any pack would be more than happy to have you if your old one let you go."

He sighed.

"Perhaps a few months ago, yes. But that was before I disobeyed my Alpha's orders." He smiled bitterly. "Not the kind of pack member other Alphas are eager to recruit. I'll see you around."

With that firm ending to the conversation, he left us.

I sat down next to Thatcher, wondering what order he would choose to disobey. Something he would do even if it resulted in his exile.

I didn't come up with any definitive answers, but I knew it would continue to bother me. I'd ask around when I had the opportunity. Maybe someone knew something.

Gossip usually spread like wildfire.

I watched over Thatcher until it was time to eat. Even then, I left just long enough to bring food back for the both of us, in case he woke up and was hungry.

When night fell, I dragged my cot over next to his so I'd hear if he needed me.

I must have fallen asleep, though it couldn't have been for long since it was still dark when I opened my eyes.

What had woken me?

I sat up slowly.

"Haas sends his love."

The blow to the face came before I was fully oriented.

Shaking it off, I rolled out of the cot, making sure to palm my daggers on the way to the ground.

Just what I needed.

Another run in with these assholes.

I rolled to my feet, painfully aware of Thatcher still passed out and helpless behind me.

I couldn't let them get to him.

The surge of adrenaline got rid of the few cobwebs that were left from the couple of hours I slept.

There was no more speaking as they came at me, getting in more than a few good blows.

I wouldn't be able to hold them off for long. I was only one person after all.

But I'd get a few good blows in.

And I wasn't pulling my punches.

This wasn't the ring and these guys didn't have any sense of fair play.

I fought with the intent to inflict maximum damage, which I didn't think they were expecting judging by the looks on their faces.

I blocked, sliced, and stabbed as efficiently as possible, feeling warm blood spatter across my face in the dark, tasting the distinct, metallic taste of it on my tongue.

It roused my wolf.

I growled as I took blow after blow and kept going.

Thatcher

My eyes snapped open.

Something was wrong.

I stayed still, trying to get my bearings without drawing attention to myself.

I was lying down.

My hip hurt.

And there was a fight going on right next to me.

I heard a grunt.

Valentina's grunt.

I rolled out of bed, wincing as I felt the pull of stitches.

No time to worry about it.

I fastened my pants and waded in.

"I thought I told you not to come back," I growled, my voice extra gravelly from having just woken up.

I didn't wait for an answer, simply grabbed the guy nearest me and threw him across the tent, through the front flap and outside.

I almost buckled as searing pain flashed through me, starting at my hip.

I turned to the coward who'd attacked my weak point and punched him.

Hard.

He fell to the ground, holding his face.

"Upsy-daisy."

Grabbing him, I threw him after his friend.

Before I could get to the last guy, he was down on the ground, unconscious.

"I take a nap for a couple hours," I grumbled, picking up the last guy and tossing him out after his friends.

"Sorry." I heard her spit to the side.

Frowning, I limped over to the battery-powered lamp in the corner and turned it on.

Valentina blinked at the sudden illumination.

Fuck.

She was splattered in blood.

"Where are you hurt?" I demanded.

"Uh." She blinked, looking down. "Hmm. I don't think much of this is mine."

I took a moment to take that in.

"I think we both need a good dunk."

She looked down and held out her arms.

"Sounds like a good idea."

We gingerly made our way outside.

Two of the guys I'd thrown out were still lying there, but one was missing.

Leaving your people behind.

Nice.

Ignoring them, we slowly made our way to the stream we'd gone to before.

Now that I wasn't in the middle of the fight, my hip ached like a bitch and I was feeling weirdly woozy still.

"What happened?" I asked as we walked.

Valentina wasted no words in her explanation.

"Xander laced his sword with some kind of tranquilizer. Sam patched you up."

I did have a vague memory of the older man telling me to stay still.

"And those guys decided to sneak in and attack you again while I was incapacitated," I surmised. "Something a wound like the one on my hip alone wouldn't accomplish. Nice coincidence, don't you think? Must have stumbled upon a dose of good luck that Xander just happened to drug me."

Valentina looked up at me, her face startled.

"I hadn't really thought of it that way," she murmured. "In that case, I'm even more sorry. Again. Maybe I should ask for a tent reassignment."

"And have me miss all the fun? Don't worry about it. Not your fault. Though I have no idea what they think they're accomplishing." But I did want to clarify something. "Who's Haas?"

I'd definitely heard that name.

"My old Alpha."

"Uh-huh." I waited for more. When it didn't come, I continued. "And..."

She sighed.

"My ex."

"Your ex," I repeated. "Who's so bitter he sent a contingent of his pack to teach you a lesson?"

"The break up wasn't exactly...mutual."

I snorted.

"If he wants you back, this sure isn't the way to go about it. Sounds to me like he just wants you hurt."

Valentina didn't have anything to say that.

The fact that we'd made it to the stream gave her an excuse to avoid the issue.

And she took it, hopping into the water fast.

I let it go, stripping and jumping into the water after her.

"Shit that's cold," I muttered, dunking my head in and shaking off the water as I came back out.

"Yeah."

I looked over to see that with the blood washed off, she didn't look nearly as bad. I only saw a few visible wounds on her.

She must have really gone at those guys.

Good.

The icy water didn't encourage us to linger too long. We scrubbed off and changed into our wolves for the warmth of fur coats, taking our clothes in our mouths for the trek back to the camp.

When we got back into our tent, we changed back.

Valentina was still shivering.

"You're still cold?" I asked, concerned. "Here." I wrapped an arm around her to share my body heat.

"Sorry. It's probably a combination of the cold and all the stuff that has happened so fast," she muttered, pushing in closer.

I wrapped my other arm around her and held her against me.

I tended to run a couple of degrees warmer than the average were. More than one person had referred to my body as a furnace.

Should warm her up quickly.

Honestly, I only had the best of intentions.

Just get her warm.

As weres, we didn't really have modesty hang ups. Not when we were constantly naked before and after a change.

But the feeling of her curvy body against mine had another part of me taking notice.

"Sorry," I muttered, trying to move my hips away a little.

"Don't be," she murmured, her breath hot against my neck.

And she moved close again.

Close enough that I could feel her pert nipples pressing against me.

"Valentina..." I warned.

But I didn't move away.

I didn't have that kind of willpower.

She straddled my thigh, the feel of her soft dampness sending a lightning bolt of lust right through me.

She nuzzled the side of my neck and began kissing it- hot, suckling little kisses that I felt everywhere.

I tried one more time.

"Valentina, I don't think it's a good idea."

But even I wouldn't have taken myself seriously, not with the way I groaned a little at the end.

Then she reached down and closed her hand firmly around my erection.

Fuck it.

I almost heard myself snap.

With a growl, I pushed her back until she fell onto one of the cots. I didn't know or care which one as long as she ended up horizontal underneath me.

I set my mouth against her soft one, skipping the preliminaries and going straight for a deep, open mouthed kiss.

She didn't seem to mind, meeting my tongue with hers as she slid her hands down my back to take a firm grip on my ass.

Hmm.

I slid my own down between our bodies to cup her.

Her mouth stilled under mine as I rubbed at her stiff little clitoris with my thumb, using her own wetness to help.

I pulled back a little to see her face.

It was flushed, her eyes already half-lidded with pleasure as I stroked her in small circular motions, her silky hair splayed over the pillow.

Beautiful.

I kissed my way down her neck, rubbing my face against the the smooth skin at the hollow of her throat.

I sucked there lightly before moving down farther.

I stopped to bury my face against her breasts. They weren't huge, sitting high up on her chest, with caramel colored nipples that were drawn tight with arousal.

Beautiful.

I took the time to suck at the hardened tips, caress the silky undersides of her breasts.

Before rubbing my face against her stomach as I moved even lower.

Right to my target.

I looked up at her and saw she'd propped herself up on her forearms, her mouth slightly open as she watched me.

I lowered my head and deliberately flicked my tongue over her throbbing little nub, holding her eyes with mine.

She licked her lips as I felt her get even wetter under me.

I broke eye contact to look down at the pretty, smooth pussy I was so close to- pink, slick and flushed with with excitement.

Growling, I licked up the length of her seam, taking in her taste and the smoothness of her plump lips against my tongue.

I repeated the stroke as she groaned.

I grinned at the sound.

Deciding that was enough teasing, I settled my mouth against her clitoris.

She sucked in a sharp breath as I switched to short, rapid strokes, pulling back the hood to use the tip of my tongue to tease her most sensitive part.

Her fingers slid into my hair, but she didn't try to direct me, just held me, her short nails digging into my scalp lightly.

I liked it.

I got her nice and wet before settling into a slow rhythm, paying attention to what kinds of touches she liked best. What made her little claws dig in harder, what made her strong thighs tense underneath me.

What made her pulse harder against my tongue.

And then I used all of it on her.

She moaned, her hips automatically lifting to meet my mouth. I set one forearm low across her pelvis to keep her still as I increased my speed, swallowing as she became even more wet.

"I'm not...going to last..." she warned, her legs stirring underneath me as she neared her peak.

I re-doubled my efforts.

Her body tensed as she realized I had no intention of stopping.

I looked up to see her head had fallen back against the pillow, her neck arched back, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she strained for her climax.

My own cock throbbed in sympathy as I kept up my rhythm.

It didn't take much more to throw her over.

She stiffened under me as her hands tightened on my head.

And then she was pulsing with her release.

I closed my eyes and worked her through it, wringing everything I could out of her.

I didn't know if I'd ever enjoyed going down on someone more.

She collapsed back onto the cot, her hands sliding out of my hair and falling to her sides as her chest rose and fell with her labored breaths.

I gave her one last lick that had her tensing and relaxing again underneath me.

I climbed up her body, lightly biting her nipple on the way and smiling as she moaned.

I reached her lips and kissed her.

She made a small sound and kissed me back lazily, definitely wallowing in the afterglow.

I propped myself up above her, smoothing her damp hair away from her relaxed face.

"Good?"

"Mm-hmm," she hummed, stretching under me. "But what about you?"

I glanced down at my still iron hard cock, the head dripping onto her toned stomach.

"Well..."

She reached down and grabbed me, no hesitation as her hand started moving up and down in a determined stroke.

I wasn't expecting it and I was already so on edge from going down on her...

In any case, I didn't last very long.

I pushed against her hand as I came quickly, spurting onto her stomach.

The sight of it had me coming even harder.

My head hung between my still propped up arms as I tried to catch my breath, feeling completely drained and empty as Valentina kept stroking my spent cock comfortingly, the touch light.

"Sorry I made a mess of you," I said wryly when I'd caught my breath.

She chuckled.

"It's fine. I like it. Tells me how much you enjoyed it."

I looked up with a smile.

"There's no question I enjoyed it."

I reached over the side of the bed and grabbed the first thing that came to my hand, which ended up being one of my t-shirts, still damp from the stream.

Perfect.

I wiped her down efficiently and then threw the shirt back on the ground to deal with later.

Turning us on our sides, I re-positioned myself to spoon her from behind, making sure my body was tight against her.

"This is nice," she murmured, layering her arm over mine where I'd wrapped it around her waist.

"Yes," I concurred, nuzzling the soft space behind her ear.

It was really nice.

I couldn't even regret what I knew was most likely not the smartest move considering where we were and why we were here.

I sighed.

No undoing what was done.

And I was stupid enough not to want to anyway.

I decided to try to simply enjoy the bad decision at this point.

I took in a deep breath, reveling in Valentina's delicious scent.

At least I was too relaxed to fight sleep.

I dropped off faster than I had in a long time.

Chapter 4

Valentina

I woke up comfortable but also oddly achy.

Both in expected and unexpected places.

And with my body sprawled over someone else's.

I opened my eyes and saw the someone else was Thatcher, his face relaxed in sleep. But even in that state, he wasn't anything less than intimidating.

Nice trick.

I was up for a match again today. It wouldn't be fun feeling as beat up as I was, but I'd manage.

Deciding it was time to get up, I tried to get off Thatcher without waking him up, but paused as I felt something hard against my hip.

I looked up at his face, but he looked like he was still asleep.

I slowly moved up and sat back, straddling his heavy thighs.

There hadn't really been much of a chance to get a good look at him last night.

But now looked like the perfect time to remedy that.

With his piercing green eyes closed, the force of his personality was muted, but the sheer power in his physicality was apparent even relaxed like this.

He was just so...big.

I wasn't a delicate flower by any means, but I felt almost petite next to him.

And though his large bone structure was heavily muscled, he was still very lean, not bloated with excess, overdeveloped mass that took the elegance out of the human body. His broad shoulders gave way to muscled arms and hard pecs that led down to a slim waist and an eight pack.

His legs were also hard and heavy with muscle, the power in them obvious.

My mouth watered a little as I took in the grooves at the sides of his hips that seemed to be there simply to frame his cock.

And yes, his cock was just as impressive as the rest of him.

I gently cupped his lightly furred balls, using my other hand to trace a vein that ran up the underside of his shaft.

I hadn't had a chance to taste him last night.

Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to take care of that oversight too.

I scooted down, making room for myself between his legs, and hooked my arms under his thighs.

I would have preferred an actual bed for this, but I'd work with what I had.

Leaning down, I licked a line up his length, from his balls right up to the tip.

He twitched under me and I glanced up at his face as I did it again.

He frowned, his head turning to the side.

This time when I reached the tip, I took it in my mouth, steadying it with one of my hands.

I swirled my tongue around the head.

His eyes opened and he blinked. Raising his head he looked down.

I lifted my mouth off him.

"Good morning."

"Yeah. I'd say," he muttered, his deep, morning-gravel filled voice sending a zing right down my spine.

Chuckling, I got back down to business.

He was leaking a little now, and I swiped my tongue along the delicate, salty slickness of it.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why don't you spin around there so I can get at you too?" he suggested.

I pulled off.

"I want you to be able to relax and enjoy it."

He smirked.

"Don't worry. I'll definitely enjoy it."

Remembering how easy he'd shot off last night after going down on me, I gave in.

Not that he had to twist my arm too much.

Twisting around, I spread my knees to straddle his face before taking him back into my mouth.

I paused as he kissed me, the wet heat of his mouth feeling way too good, especially in contrast with the crisp morning air.

Mentally shaking myself, I re-focused my attention on him.

Well, I half did.

I was only human and he was very good with his mouth.

I'd never had someone learn what I liked and use it so effectively so quickly.

Keeping that in mind, I went on a mission to figure out exactly what it was he liked so I could give it to him too.

He liked a delicate pressure on the tip, and suckling on the shaft, particularly along one spot on the right side.

I made sure to hit it often.

And he liked his balls caressed lightly, but squeezed firmly.

I spent the time to learn him as thoroughly as he learned me.

And used it all against him.

He had to pause what he was doing at one point and groan.

"Fuck, you're good at that," he said, panting.

"Right back at you."

Then there wasn't any more talking as we both focused on driving each other to the brink of madness as hard and fast as possible.

It wasn't difficult. Just the fact that he was so unashamedly enjoying himself helped me enjoy myself too.

I felt his balls contract hard and knew he was there.

The taste of him in my mouth was enough to set me off within the next second or two.

It was a struggle to keep myself from falling on top of Thatcher while trying keep up the stimulation on him and while riding my own climax, but I managed.

Barely.

But I managed.

He saw me through the entirety of it, his hands firm on my hips to help keep my in place.

Licking him clean, I pulled up to take a deep breath as I slid off his mouth.

The sweet kiss he laid on my inner thigh made me smile as I finally let my body collapse on top of his.

I sighed, rubbing my face against the crisp hair on his thigh.

"When this is over, we're going on a vacation. With a huge bed. I'm talking orgy-sized." He paused. "And room service."

I laughed, getting up so I could turn around and lay along his side.

"Sounds like a plan I can get behind."

Neither of us brought up the fact that neither of us knew what our circumstances would be after the tournament was over.

Maybe it wasn't the most reasonable or forward-thinking way to handle this, but I didn't want to ruin how I felt at that moment.

And I didn't think Thatcher did either.

Thatcher

I saw Sam in the mess tent that morning.

Setting my food down next to Valentina's, I made my way over to him.

He looked up at me as my shadow fell over him, his face a little surprised.

"I wasn't expecting you to be fully recovered just quite yet."

"I have a fast metabolism, even for a were. Drugs run through me like water. I just wanted to come by and thank you for helping me last night."

He waved me off.

"It was nothing. Just a few stitches."

"Maybe it was nothing to you, but I still appreciate it and wanted to let you know that."

He nodded his head graciously.

"Anyway, if you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to come to me."

He smiled.

"That's very generous of you, but I would have done it for anyone. It's my job."

Thanking him again, I left his table.

I didn't think I would call it his job. Maybe his calling. From what Valentina said, the man hadn't even hesitated.

And I really appreciated that.

As I was heading back to Valentina, I saw some other guy walking away from the table.

Frowning at the instinctive territorial feeling, I slipped into my seat beside her.

"Who was that?"

"Just an old friend. I asked him about Sam. Turns out, he treated someone who invaded their pack land- an eighteen year old kid who was injured when he put up a fight and then was taken prisoner. He might have died otherwise."

I frowned at that.

It sounded pretty heartless to let a kid die, but I also understood the need for hierarchy in a pack.

Still, with the decades of faithful service he'd provided to the pack, simply dismissing a gifted healer like him seemed severe.

"Seems a bit much to kick him out," I commented.

Valentina nodded, her face thoughtful.

"His Alpha was new and already dealing with some testing of his authority in the ranks. I'm thinking he reacted without thinking it through completely and is currently regretting his decision."

That sounded about right.

It usually took some time for an Alpha to become seasoned enough to deal with all of the issues leadership had to field. Especially the ones who skipped many of the positions between the bottom and the top, fighting for the Alpha position before they were really ready.

The allure of the prestige and the power led to some pretty green guys with a thirst for power finding their way to the top. Though they usually didn't last long there if the pack decided they weren't doing a good job.

Even as I understood the need for the ranks for our wolves, as with any other power structure, there were bound to be people who weren't quite suited for the positions and roles they found themselves in.

And power like an Alpha had sometimes brought out the worst in people.

You didn't have to look any further than me and Valentina for evidence.

We finished eating and then it was off for a walk again.

Valentina was fighting that afternoon, but I could tell her body was a little stiff.

Hopefully a little movement would help warm her up before the bout.

We were quiet, taking in the scenery and the fresh air. I didn't want to break her focus, so I made sure not to be too intrusive, keeping any conversation to a bare minimum.

Before we knew it, it was time for her to get back into the ring.

As I found a seat in the stands again, I realized I felt more nerves in my belly watching Valentina than I did when I was down there myself.

And after last night, both my wolf and I were in complete agreement that Valentina was ours to protect.

So it was particularly difficult to sit on the sidelines and just watch while she could very well be hurt. Badly.

Ren, the man Valentina was facing today, was a little shorter than her, but had more muscle. He was armed with a couple of thin stilettos, a little odd, but the way he held them had me thinking he knew how to use them.

I knew Valentina wanted to favor her left side as she had been all morning, but she didn't betray that weakness as the fight began, too savvy to telegraph it to her opponent.

Valentina liked to wait for the other guy to engage and had plenty of patience to wait them out. Ren was no exception.

Ren finally broke and darted in after a few testing circles, coming in with a kick that Valentina blocked. But he got in a nick to Valentina's forearm before he danced back.

"First blood!"

Come on Valentina.

Valentina's face was calm as she drew in almost within range but didn't close the distance.

After a moment, Ren decided to come in again.

This time, Valentina dodged the blow and was able to get two slices in, one to each of Ren's thighs.

"First and second blood!"

Good.

If he could just get the third now...

I winced as Ren landed a punishing blow to the side of Valentina's thigh before a long, thin cut appeared along Valentina's other thigh.

But Valentina got in a shallow slice to the side of Ren's throat, the precision needed to only lightly cut there in the middle of a fight downright impressive.

"Valentina draws third blood!"

The crowd cheered as Ren shook his head, his mouth set in a grim line as he retreated from the ring.

I moved down quickly to meet Valentina to the side.

"Let me take a look at those."

She stood still as I checked her forearm and thigh.

"Not too deep," I remarked, trying not to let my anger at the damage show.

It was ridiculous to be angry about minor injuries, but it didn't stop me from wanting to find Ren and lay into him despite knowing that.

I was such a goner.

"No. Ren's pretty good with his control." Her smile was a little cocky as she added the next bit. "Not as good as me though."

I snorted out a laugh and looped my arm over her shoulders as we headed back to our tent.

The next week passed in much the same manner as people were whittled down.

We started fighting multiple times a day, the test turning into one of sheer endurance as the tournament went on.

By the end of the week, everyone was feeling pretty beat up, no matter their rank on the scoreboard.

The mood was subdued as everyone filed out of the mess tent and went to the assignment board to see who would be matched up next.

I scanned through it with a certain amount of detachment, a necessary mode of operation in a situation like this.

Then I saw who I was supposed to fight next.

Sam.

Valentina and I looked at each other as we saw the match up.

Obviously the doctor wasn't helpless to have made it this far. But I had no desire to hurt the man, especially not after he helped me when I needed it the most.

"What are you going to do?" Valentina murmured as we turned away from the posting.

"I don't know. Can I forfeit?"

Valentina shook her head.

"Not in the rules. If you forfeit one match, you effectively forfeit the whole tournament."

I shook my head, trying to think through this scenario.

There had been a niggling worry in the back of my head that I might be paired up with Valentina.

But I hadn't thought about Sam.

What I knew for sure was that I wasn't hurting someone who was not only a healer by trade, but older than me by a good two decades on top of being significantly smaller.

It just didn't sit right.

By the time we got into the ring, I'd exhausted every possibility until I was left with two.

Which one would happen depended on Sam's response.

When I got to the ring, Sam smiled at me ironically from across it as we prepared.

The announcer didn't waste any time hyping up the crowd, probably figuring this would be over soon.

"Fight!"

We circled once before meeting in the middle.

I took a firm hold of him behind the neck and ducked down so our heads were near each other.

"I can just toss you out of bounds if you let me. If not, I'll take everything you have to give, but I don't plan on hurting you," I murmured, knowing there was too much ambient noise for anyone to hear me.

He sighed even as we played the struggle up to the crowd.

"Do it. We both know this match up is ridiculous anyway."

Taking him at his word, I took a firm grip on him and tossed him as gently as I could.

He landed in a crouch, adopting a dismayed look on his face.

"Thatcher defeats Sam!"

Valentina

I watched as Sam was tossed over the boundary line.

And that was the only way I could describe it. He definitely wasn't thrown, despite Thatcher's attempt to make it look like he was.

"Thatcher defeats Sam!"

The crowd went wild even as Thatcher made his way out.

He'd become somewhat of a favorite among the onlookers, though he didn't play up to them or try to ingratiate himself with them using any of the showmanship some of the others attempted.

But I could see why they were enamored.

Yes, he was large. But he had a grace of movement coupled with an efficiency that was riveting. The fact that he didn't play to the crowd only increased the sense of mystique around him.

I could also tell that the crowd's response wasn't something he paid attention to at all. And that the aloofness actually seemed to work in his favor.

I didn't even know if he realized he'd become a favorite in that regard.

We walked away right after the fight- if one could call it that- as we'd gotten into the habit of doing right after either of our matches.

It wasn't worth getting caught up in other matches, not when we were going to be back in there ourselves soon enough.

"So...Sam decided he wanted to know how Superman felt?" I asked as we drew far enough away.

Thatcher smiled slightly but didn't respond.

I'd take that as a confirmation.

I tried not to think what would happen if Thatcher and I were paired up.

It might not happen at all.

I had full confidence in Thatcher making it to the very end, but I knew I wasn't quite as good as him.

In any case, each fight I won was a bittersweet victory now. I was still in the game, but that also put me one step closer to facing Thatcher in the ring.

We were far enough along now that various Alphas were already offering positions to people, regardless of whether or not they did well for the rest of the tournament.

I'd gotten a couple of offers and Thatcher had gotten even more.

Neither of us had given our answers yet.

I wasn't certain what was holding him back, but I knew one of the big reasons I was hesitating was because we didn't have any overlap in offers.

We would be going to separate packs if either of us accepted one of them.

I followed Thatcher absently into our tent, my mind still occupied with that issue.

Maybe I was reading too much into it.

Who knew if Thatcher was even on the same page I was? Maybe he wanted something short term, just while we were both here anyway.

My train of thought broke as I bumped into Thatcher's back. He'd stopped abruptly inside the tent for some reason.

I looked up to see why.

"Hello Valentina."

Haas stood up, the three idiots he'd sent for me before arrayed behind him.

Chapter 5

Thatcher

Judging by the company this guy came with and the look on Valentina's face, I was guessing this was her asshole of an ex.

And her former Alpha.

I kept my body relaxed even as I didn't move any farther into the tent.

If shit hit the fan, we needed to get out quickly.

Three against the two of us was one thing.

Two against four, one of them an Alpha, was something only an idiot would decide to engage in if they had a choice.

And I was no idiot.

Valentina didn't take a step closer either, though she did take one to the side so I wasn't blocking her.

I had the urge to sidestep right in front of her again, but I was sure she wouldn't appreciate it.

I understood the need to look strong right now.

"What are you doing here?" Valentina asked after a pregnant pause.

Haas was a big guy, maybe a couple inches shorter than me. He skin was a deep, even tan and his features had an exotic cast to them, with a blade of a nose and large, liquid eyes.

He was also in excellent shape, as all Alphas were.

The position wasn't hereditary after all.

You still had to be able to physically keep it.

There were those that people followed into old age because they were such excellent leaders, but even those Alphas originally had to fight their way to the top.

He spread his arms out wide in a placating gesture.

"I just thought I'd come down here and offer you a place in the pack again. You can't have gotten a better offer while you were here."

When Valentina failed to respond, he dropped his arms.

"Come on, Val. Don't be stupid. Don't let your emotions stop you from making a logical decision."

That brought an incredulous snort out of Valentina.

"You send the three stooges here to assault me. Twice. You demoted me and gave me shit assignments after we broke up because you were bitter. Why the hell would going back to your pack make any kind of logical sense for me?"

Haas's face hardened.

"Because nobody else will have you once I tell them how you betrayed me."

"Please. That was personal. And we'd already broken up. Get over it already! What are you, five?"

Valentina sounded completely disgusted at this point and I couldn't blame her.

"You think anyone will care what you have to say if I say you betrayed the pack?" he countered silkily. He let that sink in for a moment. "Look, we both know where it is you belong. Stop fighting it so hard." He glanced over at me, frowning a little. "Or is it someone else that's turning you away from us?"

"You're enough on your own," Valentina said quietly.

"Hmm." Haas gave me a hard stare. I stared back at him, not giving him a reaction. "Tell you what, I'll throw in an offer for your friend too, if that's what's holding you back. You won't get a better deal." He smiled thinly. "I guarantee it."

Valentina and I stepped to the side as he and his men started for the exit- the stooges, as Valentina had called them, glaring at us as they followed their Alpha out.

Though I thought that was more about them feeling insecure at having done such a piss poor job of going after Valentina.

"Sorry about that," she sighed, dropping down onto her cot.

"Not your fault. That guy seems seriously unhinged." I sat down next to her. "You did the right thing leaving."

"Yeah. I know." She paused. "But I'm worried he's going to try to make things even more difficult."

That was a real possibility, so I didn't bother telling her it wasn't.

"Maybe. But you can't control what he does, only what you do. It's not worth wasting your energy worrying over it."

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into my side.

I wish I could do more.

I really wished I could just tear that asshole a new one. But anything unofficial I did would hurt us more in the end than it would him.

God, being on what amounted to a job interview for this long was draining.

Valentina

That night, I lay next to Thatcher, unable to sleep.

What had I ever seen in Haas? We'd been together for almost a year.

Why?

Even as I asked the question, I remembered how charming he'd been in the beginning. Before his jealous and controlling side started slowly peeking its head out.

Even then I'd made excuses for him.

But things had finally come to a head when he'd gone into a full blown rage after I'd had dinner with an old friend.

The accusations and the ultimatums were too much.

I'd just suddenly had more than enough of walking on eggshells around the guy.

I'd broken it off immediately, too tired to mollify him yet again or make any more excuses for him.

I'd never expected him to react like he did.

He started a campaign to make my life miserable.

The small things I could handle, figuring he'd get over it. But they started piling up.

And worse, when the Alpha treated a member of the pack like they weren't good enough, many of the sheep-minded members followed suit.

I'd finally had to admit defeat and get out of there when I realized he wasn't going to relent and move on.

The fact that the tournament had been about to begin had made me finally make the final break.

Despite all that, the fact that he'd offered to take Thatcher too had given me a slight pause before my logical self had slapped me across the head in disgust.

Re-joining my old pack was not an option.

But it did clarify exactly how much I wanted my life to include Thatcher.

If I even considered re-joining my old pack for a split second because I could be with him...

This was getting me nowhere.

I had to get through all of this and then see what my options were.

And whether Thatcher felt the same way.

The next morning, I knew something had happened as soon as we walked into the mess tent.

We tended to mostly keep to ourselves, but we'd get greetings and smiles wherever we went, weres being social creatures for the most part.

But there was a definite tension in the air as people avoided eye contact with me, the energy muted as we walked toward the back.

As we sat down, I looked over at Thatcher and noticed the slight frown on his face.

"Not just me, is it?" I murmured.

He shook his head.

"No. I feel like the temperature dropped ten degrees as soon as we walked in."

Before we could continue our speculation, Sam dropped his tray on the table next to us and slid in.

"So, looks like your Alpha has been spreading some rumors about you," he started. "Any of it true?"

My stomach dropped.

I'd been waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I guess I hadn't expected it to be so obvious.

"I doubt it." I looked around at the people trying to listen and also pretending not to. "But looks like everyone has made up their mind anyway."

Sam grunted.

"It was just something about betrayal." He shrugged. "Pretty vague actually. Though he obviously has it out for you if he's gone so far as to actively tarnish your reputation."

I nodded.

I wasn't even surprised, really. Just tired and disappointed.

Again.

"Ignore them. Fucking gossiping lemmings," Thatcher said, glaring at someone who looked over at our table too long. The guy paled and turned his head away quickly.

I tried, but I had the feeling that things were only going to get worse, not better.

And I was right.

That afternoon, all of my offers were rescinded.

I wouldn't have told Thatcher because I wanted him to keep his head in the game, but that decision was taken from me since he was there when I got the messages.

I had a fight scheduled that night.

"Are you going to go?" he asked quietly.

"What for? Their entertainment? Fuck that."

He nodded.

"Can't argue with you there."

Thatcher

Valentina was quiet as she walked with me to my next fight.

Even after the shit she was going through, she was still there for me.

I couldn't do less than that for her.

"Don't worry. I got this."

She smiled.

"Who's worried? Go kick some ass."

I grinned, giving her a tight hug before going into the ring.

I looked up in the stands, scanning methodically as I loosened up, barely even glancing at my opponent.

I knew he had to be here somewhere...

There.

Haas stared back at me with a smirk on his slimy face.

I wanted to wipe it off.

Preferably with my fist.

"Thatcher against-"

"Forfeit," I interrupted loudly.

Silence as the crowd quieted.

"Excuse me?" the announcer said over the loud speaker.

"I forfeit."

Another beat of silence.

"Uh, okay. Are you certain?" the man stammered out, obviously ill-prepared for this turn of events.

I stared up at the booth where the slight man sat.

"Yes."

"OK. Fine. Yes. This round goes to Mitchell. If the fighters will please exit-"

"I challenge Haas. Of the Spearhead Pack. The cowardly asshole who decided to send his thugs to attack his ex and then spread lies about her. Haas- the dick-less wonder who can't handle a break up."

The silence broke as the crowd burst into laughter and conversation among themselves.

"Well, this is highly unusual. This is a tournament, not an opportunity to challenge. Though I suppose..."

He turned and consulted with someone behind him, covering the microphone with his hand.

I turned back to Haas and locked eyes with him.

The smirk was nowhere to be seen as he glared down at me.

Cute.

"Alright. A challenge supersedes these proceedings. To keep things simple, the rules are the same as a fight, but lethal force is allowed. If Haas of the Spearhead Pack is present, we can settle this matter right now."

I saw Haas's eyes flicker as he realized the fight would be in the ring, in front of the entire crowd.

But he couldn't back down now.

Which had been my intention.

Valentina

I shook my head in disbelief as I watched Thatcher challenge Haas.

After forfeiting.

What was he thinking?

I had to admit I enjoyed the insults, but he'd just thrown everything away!

His eyes found mine in the crowd and I glared at him.

He mouthed 'I got this' at me.

I rolled my eyes at that.

Fuck.

I guess there was no going back at this point.

I watched as Haas made his way down from the stands, his shoulders stiff.

He wouldn't have liked being called out and insulted like that so publicly.

Good. It might throw him off his game.

Thatcher had the size advantage, but I knew for a fact that Haas was a dirty fighter. And a good one.

He had to be to be Alpha.

The crowd was louder than usual as Haas and Thatcher faced off, the stakes suddenly higher than they'd been expecting.

The announcer, not knowing how else to deal with the situation, simply treated it like another fight.

Though this one was for keeps. And more than one challenge often ended in a death.

Trying not to dwell on that fact, I watched as the announcer started the fight.

Thatcher

I watched as Haas pulled out a blade, too short to be called a sword and too long to be called a knife.

It was long and slim, glinting sharply in the sunlight as he twirled it in his hand.

I let my own claws out, mentally adjusting my strategy for someone with a weapon.

I wanted to end this as quickly as possible.

Maybe that wasn't the best mindset to have right now, but I simply couldn't behave as detached from this fight as I had with all the others.

This one was personal.

The others were just a competition. People I needed to beat, but it was nothing personal.

I _wanted_ to inflict damage on Haas for everything he'd done to Valentina.

I went in, not waiting. He dodged and blocked my attack smoothly, nothing less than I would expect form an Alpha of a sizable pack.

I managed to land a blow to his thigh and scraped his ribs with a swipe of my claws.

By the time we separated again, he'd sliced a shallow cut across my shoulder.

"First blood!"

Even.

We'd both drawn blood.

He smirked at me as we circled each other.

"You've already lost," he taunted quietly.

Ignoring him, I re-engaged, setting my teeth as I absorbed a few punishing blows.

My next swipe was at his unprotected face.

He snarled as we broke apart, the furrows my claws had gouged bleeding sluggishly down the left side of his face.

"Second blood!"

Valentina

I watched as Thatcher clawed Haas's face.

He wouldn't like that at all.

He was the vain type, taking care and effort with his appearance.

The possibility of having his face forever scarred would enrage him.

My heart was in my throat as I watched the two large men circle each other, Thatcher with an economy of movement, Haas with an almost feline smoothness.

I frowned as I saw Thatcher stumble slightly over nothing.

His face looked confused as he righted himself quickly and kept moving.

Had Haas landed a blow on his still healing hip?

Thatcher

I frowned as I stumbled briefly.

Shaking my head, I kept moving, keeping my guard up as I watched Haas.

I didn't stumble again, but I felt almost like I was...floating.

Not quite there in the moment.

One thing was clear- I needed to finish this now.

Haas continued to smirk at me, his movements almost languorous as he watched me.

I wasn't fast enough to completely side step the flash of his blade as he stepped in close again, opening up another shallow, stinging line across my other arm.

"Second blood!"

Finish.

Finish.

Finish.

Gathering my strength, I feigned a kick and while he was maneuvering to block, I rushed him.

The full force of my strength and body was behind the tackle as I shoved him toward the edge of the boundary line.

He tried to resist, but he simply didn't have the mass to counteract the inexorable push out of bounds.

He fell on his back, his eyes glittering with rage.

I'd won the fight.

But I was within my rights to go for the kill.

I looked up in the stands, my eyes searching for Valentina.

My eyes locked with hers.

I watched the internal conflict take place there, vicious and brief.

She shook her head slightly.

I took a step back, not breaking eye contact.

If she didn't want me to, I wouldn't take this any further. How she felt was more important to me.

But I forgot one simple rule of any fight.

Never turn your back on an opponent, even if you thought they were out.

"Thatcher!" I heard Valentina yell, her voice panicked.

I let out a breath, jerking my head back down as I felt the burning pain of my flesh being pierced.

Haas grinned at me from a few inches away, his knife buried in my side to the hilt.

"You should have minded your own business, asshole," he snarled.

He let go of the hilt and shoved me.

I stumbled back, sinking down to my knees.

Motherfucker.

Valentina

The roar of the crowd as Haas broke every rule regarding honor in combat was a background buzzing for me as I rushed down to get to Thatcher.

The distance seemed interminable, my movements molasses slow, though I knew I practically flew down the steps, reaching him within seconds.

I barely spared Haas a glance as officials dragged him away from the ring, his face set in a satisfied expression.

I didn't give a fuck.

The only thing that mattered was Thatcher.

"Sam!" I screamed, supporting Thatcher's body as he started to fall back. "Sam!"

Sam must have already been on his way because he seemed to materialize almost instantly with his bag in tow.

Before he did anything, he leaned down and sniffed Thatcher's shoulder and then the wound in his side with the blade still buried inside.

"What are you doing?" I demanded, wanting him to start fixing him.

"I'm fine," Thatcher murmured, his breathing shallow and his face pale.

I ignored that idiocy and looked at Sam.

"Same shit the other guy had on his blade. I'm guessing that might not be a coincidence," he said grimly as he took a firm grip on the protruding hilt.

"What?" I asked, not expecting that response.

"He's been drugged. Again," Sam said matter-of-factly. "Hold him down. I have to pull out the blade or he might start to heal around it and I'll have to slice into him again."

I gently lowered Thatcher to the ground, bracing him with my hands on his shoulders as Sam set his free hand against his hip.

"On three. One. Two. Three."

He jerked up, the squelching sound of the blade pulling free making my gorge rise as I fought with Thatcher, the drug and pain leading to confusion that made him fight us even though we were trying to help him.

"Fuck!" he yelled, even as he settled back down, his breathing labored.

"Shh, it's out," I soothed, cupping his face. I looked over at Sam. "Now what?"

"I'm doing my best to stop the bleeding," he said grimly. "I'm more concerned with him getting a larger dose of that stuff so soon after the last one. I don't know how his body is going to react."

My worry rose as I realized Sam was worried too.

The medics for the event finally showed up with a stretcher. It took three men to pick up Thatcher's limp body and place him on it.

I didn't need Sam to tell me that Thatcher losing consciousness wasn't a good sign.

Sam issued orders that nobody argued against as Thatcher was transported to the med tent.

When we got there, Sam suited up and preformed quick and messy surgery, trying to stop all the bleeding.

Weres healed fast, but even we could die from blood loss.

I had to wait outside.

The feeling of helplessness at not being able to do anything was soul crushing as I tried not to think of the worst possible outcome.

If I saw Haas again, he better fucking run.

I wouldn't be able to hold myself back.

And I didn't want to.

I should have let Thatcher kill him when he had the chance.

Sam finally came out, splattered with blood and looking exhausted.

I tried not to let the sight throw me into a panic, though it was close.

"How did it go?" I asked, standing up.

"Fine. I'm quite certain I got everything, no major damage to his organs- at least nothing I don't think rest will help him heal. The blood loss might actually help- I've given him a transfusion. It might dilute the effects of whatever was coating that blade." He shook his head. "That Alpha isn't fit to lead. Someone from his pack should take the opportunity to get rid of him and take over."

I agreed whole-heartedly with that sentiment.

If Thatcher had been a part of the Spearhead Pack, he could have exiled Haas and taken over.

But he wasn't, so Haas would stay exactly where he wanted.

I understood the rule. It was a barrier against violent outside takeovers of packs. Something meant to protect the pack members' interests.

When I went inside, Thatcher was still unconscious, his skin lacking the glow of health I was used to seeing.

Sitting down in the chair set next to him, I took his hand in mine, staring at the face that had become so important to me so quickly.

"You have to get better," I said, kissing his hand. "It's non-negotiable."

His breathing stayed even.

No reaction at all.

Setting my head down on the bed next to him, I took a deep breath, my eyes tearing up even as my free hand clenched in a fist as rage washed through me.

This was unacceptable.

Haas had gone way too far this time.

Chapter 6

Thatcher

I opened my eyes.

God, why did I feel like a truck had mowed me over?

Blinking, I carefully turned my head to the side, not wanting to make things worse.

Valentina was in a chair next to the bed, her head resting face down next to me, her hand clutching mine.

The beeps of the monitors and the starkness of the tent were both pretty good hints about where I was.

I raised my free hand to touch Valentina's hair but stopped short as I realized I was hooked up to an IV.

The movement woke her.

"Hey," she said, the relief clear on her face. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit," I said hoarsely.

She laughed, reaching for a cup next to the bed.

"Here. Have some water."

I took the straw into my mouth and drank a few sips, my throat feeling better for it.

"What happened? I feel like I was almost just in this situation," I said wryly.

Valentina's face turned serious.

"Haas stabbed you after you won. Sam thinks his blade was laced with the same stuff that put you out last time. I'm guessing Haas supplied it," she said grimly.

I cursed.

No wonder I felt like roadkill.

"No offense, but your taste in men isn't very good. Present company excluded, of course," I added.

She smiled.

"None taken." Her smile faded. "Why did you throw everything away like that? You were doing so well! You could have won the whole thing!"

I shrugged, careful not to move too much.

"Worth it. Besides, what's the point of getting all those offers if you aren't with me?"

And it was true. The idea of going off without her just hadn't been an option.

She searched my eyes and I met them steadily, confident in how I felt.

"Do you mean that?" she asked.

"Yeah. I do. Are you on the same page?"

She nodded, swallowing.

"Yeah," she said a little wetly. "When I saw you go down like that..." she shook her head as she trailed off.

"Hey," I said, raising my head and squeezing her hand. "I'm going to be okay. I'm tougher than I look."

She laughed.

"Well, you already look like a tank," she said.

I grinned.

"Well, it's not false advertising."

I sighed, relaxing back into the pillow.

At least the bed was big enough for my body, unlike the cot.

I closed my eyes, thinking I might just rest them for a minute. It felt like weights were attached to my eyelids.

"Rest," Valentina murmured, kissing my forehead. "You need to heal."

I thought about arguing, but I was already drifting off before I could.

Valentina

Thatcher fell back into a deep sleep.

Good. It was what he needed to recover.

Giving him one last kiss, I stood up.

There was some business I needed to take care of.

Leaving the med tent, I walked through camp to the section reserved for Alphas here to watch the tournament.

It didn't take me long to find Haas's tent.

His goons were arranged outside along with some security from the actual tournament.

Looked like there were some consequences for his bad behavior for once.

Though not nearly enough.

But I was here to change that.

"Haas!" I called out loudly.

I noticed people coming out of the tents around us from the corners of my eyes.

Good. I wanted plenty of witnesses.

The tent flap pulled back and Haas stepped out, looking a little worse for wear after the fight with Thatcher.

"What do you want?" he asked warily.

"I want to re-join the pack."

He blinked, his face shocked as he stepped forward.

"You want to re-join?" he repeated.

"Yes. Now."

He smirked.

"Finally came to your senses, did you? That...friend...you have is weak and useless. You need to be with us." He came forward, taking out a small knife to make a cut in the palm of his hand.

I held out my own so he could do the same.

He clasped his hand with mine, mingling our blood.

"One with me and my pack," he said firmly. "Now let's get the fuck out of here."

I stepped back, letting go of his hand.

"I challenge you for Alpha," I said, making sure to project my voice.

He stilled, staring at me.

If I challenged and beat him before, he would have lost face.

But now that I was a part of the pack again, if I won, I could take his position.

I saw the realization cross through his eyes as his nostrils flared, his lips compressing into a thin white line in his anger.

"You little fucker," he breathed. He scanned the area, noticing the onlookers. "Just another example of your back stabbing nature," he said a little louder.

I didn't bother to respond.

Everyone else's opinion wasn't my concern.

Not anymore.

"Ready?" I asked, taking a few steps back.

The small crowd automatically formed a loose circle, creating an impromptu ring.

Not that either of us would be trying to push the other across any boundary to end the fight.

I had no illusions that both of us would make it out alive.

He kept the small blade he'd used for the abbreviated pack inclusion, but he didn't pull out any other blades.

They must have been confiscated.

Here was hoping they got everything that was contaminated with whatever he was using.

I was ready when he came at me in a flurry of motion, his rage fueling him.

He was fast, trained, and motivated.

But I kept the thought of Thatcher lying in that bed at the forefront of my mind. And there was no way he could beat that motivation.

I took a few blows and felt the sting of his blade, but I was just a hair faster.

And a hair counted when you were fighting to end someone.

He extended his arm too far, leaving him vulnerable to the pressure points I used to get him to drop his knife into my waiting hand.

I moved into his guard, which he'd left open just a little too long.

And I didn't hesitate.

I didn't feel elation as I slit his throat, too close to avoid the hot spray of blood across my face.

Only a grim satisfaction at justice being served.

He wouldn't be able to hurt me or Thatcher any more.

His eyes widened as he stared into mine, his hands automatically reaching up to his throat in a vain attempt to staunch the flow of blood.

I stepped back as he fell to his knees on the ground, the front of his shirt soaked within seconds.

The crowd was quiet as we watched the life drain out of him, nobody attempting to help.

His death was within my rights.

I waited just long to enough to make sure it was done.

I turned on my heel, the crowd parting to let me through.

I didn't look at anyone as I made my way back to the med tent.

Chapter 7

Thatcher

When I woke up again, Valentina was still in the chair next to the bed, though she looked like she'd bathed and changed, her hair still damp.

"Hey," I croaked.

She squeezed my hand and smiled.

"Hey. Sam said I can get you the hell out of here as soon as you feel up to it."

"Well, shit." I threw the covers aside without checking to see if I was still hooked up to anything.

Luckily, I wasn't.

I was also butt naked, but I was as comfortable in that state as I was fully clothed. And the way I felt at the moment, the whole fucking camp could point and laugh at me if they wanted.

I had no fucks left.

"Whoa, easy there," Valentina admonished, coming to my side as I teetered to my feet. "He didn't say you were ready to run a marathon, just that you could finish recuperating at home. In bed."

I took a few deep breaths to combat the light-headedness.

"Don't worry. I don't think I'll put on my running shoes quite yet," I said wryly.

"Here, let me help you get dressed. I already have your stuff packed."

Alright, probably best to focus on one thing at a time.

I was dressed quickly enough in a pair of sweatpants and a button down that Valentina did up for me.

Not the most fashionable outfit, but I didn't want to pull on my stitches trying to get a t-shirt on and sweatpants were about all I was up to at the moment.

When I walked outside, there was already a car waiting for us.

Thank God.

I didn't want to let on how weak I actually felt and now I wouldn't have to.

Valentina helped me into the passenger seat and circled around to get into the driver's.

I was asleep again before we even got out of camp.

When I woke up, we were still driving.

"How are you feeling?" Valentina asked, looking over at me.

"Fine."

That was a lie, but at least I didn't feel like I was dying anymore.

The look she gave me let me know she knew I was full of shit, but she let it slide.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously, finally feeling well enough to actually consider that detail.

Neither of us joined a new pack. Maybe unclaimed territory?

Valentina took a deep breath and let it out.

"My old pack."

I whipped my head over to her hard enough that my whole body felt it- and not in a good way.

"What?!"

"It's not what you think," she said quickly.

"It isn't? Because what I think is that it sounds like the worst idea I've ever heard! No way are we going there! No way are _you_ going back to that sadistic, narcissistic prick's-"

"Haas is dead."

I shut my mouth with a click, stunned.

It took me a few beats to redirect my brain.

"They killed him? I mean, what he did was bad, but I didn't think the host pack would move so quickly and decisively. Just the amount of red tape..." I shook my head, trying to wrap my head around this.

"No. I killed him." Valentina glanced over at me briefly. "I killed Haas. After re-joining the pack. So, um, I'm kind of Alpha now."

I stared at her, my thoughts coming to a complete standstill as my brain went totally blank.

Valentina looked over at me, frowning.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Was I okay?

"Am I okay?! When the hell did you kill Haas?" I half yelled. "Wait, you need to pull over."

She didn't argue, immediately steering the car to the side of the road.

She waited until we were parked to answer me.

"I challenged him while you were out of it," she said calmly, turning in her seat so she could look at me.

"You challenged him while I was unconscious? What if something had happened to you!" I felt anger at the risk she'd taken, but my main emotion was sheer terror at what could have happened.

She sighed.

"I was willing to take the risk. I was tired of having to always look over my shoulder. Haas...he should never have been Alpha to begin with. He was obviously too unstable. And I didn't know if he would keep coming after me, after us." Valentina shook her head. "I was done. After seeing you hurt like that, waiting while Sam performed surgery..."

She looked over at me, her eyes tearing up a little.

Aw, man.

How the hell was I supposed to stay mad at her?

I scrubbed my face with my hands, running them through my hair.

I shook my head.

"Don't do something like that again. Not without talking to me first," I finally relented, looking over at her. "How do you think I would have felt if I woke up and..."

I couldn't even finish the sentence.

Valentina nodded.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

I sighed.

I didn't like her looking so damn fragile.

I reached over and pulled her into my arms for a tight hug, ignoring the twinges of my still healing body.

"I love you."

I didn't even think about it, it just came out.

And I didn't feel panic at saying it or fear that she wouldn't reciprocate. It wasn't about that.

I just wanted her to know.

She shuddered against me, her arms tightening around me.

"I love you too."

I squeezed her tighter.

"Sorry I didn't wait for a more romantic moment."

She chuckled, kissing the side of my neck.

"I don't need romance. I just need you."

Well hell.

Just break my heart why don't you.

We stayed like that for a little while and then Valentina put the car into gear and we began driving again, my hand linked with hers.

I didn't care where we were going.

I knew it was home because it would be with her.

Epilogue

Two Weeks Later

"Oh shit."

I quickly turned down the heat on the sauce, but wasn't fast enough to prevent it from boiling over the sides and making a mess.

I sighed.

Just one more thing I'd have to clean up.

I'd finished work early and gone out to get groceries to make dinner. I wanted tonight to be nice.

It had been two weeks since we'd moved into the Alpha house.

The pack was still adjusting to having Valentina as the new Alpha, but from my impression of things, the vast majority were happy and relieved.

Those who weren't kept it to themselves because they knew it wasn't a popular opinion.

As Second, I made sure I kept a close eye on those people.

One wrong move, and I was ready to hand their asses to them.

I took my duties seriously, more because of my love for Valentina than because of the tradition of the Second- but since the end result was the same, I didn't think it really mattered all that much.

All in all, everything was much better than I ever could have expected when I first walked into that tournament camp.

And I fell a little more in love with Valentina every day. Sappy, but true.

And I wasn't going to lie. Watching her be Alpha was sexy as hell.

Unfortunately for me, she'd simply refused to have sex until I was fully healed.

I appreciated the sentiment. I really did. But the frustration was rising.

Frankly, it was driving me up the wall.

I'd finally gone to Sam's new office here with our pack and made him write a note stating in clear terms that I was fine.

He'd smirked the whole time, but I didn't care if it helped me get what I wanted.

Yes, getting a doctor's note was a little extreme, but I was on the edge here.

And Sam could smirk all he wanted. It had felt so damn good to be able to offer him a home in our pack with us.

I was sure he'd gotten other offers, but he'd immediately responded with a yes.

We were lucky to have him.

I turned to the oven and got out the garlic bread, taking everything to the dining table.

I'd gotten out the good china and had even gotten candles for the occasion.

I checked the time and grabbed the lighter.

Valentina would be home any second now.

I'd just finished lighting the candles when I heard the key enter the lock to the front door.

"Something smells great!" Valentina said as she walked in, smiling at me.

She came over to hug me even as her eyes turned to take in the dinner I'd set up.

Her eyes widened as she walked into my arms.

"Wow." She gave me a lingering kiss hello. "What's the occasion?"

"Well, I'm fully healed." I dug into my back pocket and pulled out the slightly crumpled doctor's note.

Valentina raised her eyebrows but took the piece of paper and smoothed it out to read.

"'Thatcher is fully capable of getting it on'," she read out loud. She looked up at me. "Seriously?"

I shrugged.

"I just wanted to make sure you believed me this time." I reached down to cup her world class ass and pull her closer, my erection pressing up against her stomach. "Can't blame a guy so hard up. It's probably clouding my judgment by this point. Can't be healthy."

"Well, seems like this might qualify as doctor's orders," she murmured, wrapping her arms around my waist. "I wouldn't want to go against those."

"No, you really wouldn't," I agreed, leaning down to kiss her.

Hmm.

I deepened the kiss, using my grip on her butt to hike her up. She automatically wrapped her legs around my hips as I turned toward the bedroom.

She broke the kiss, wrapping her arms around my shoulders as I walked us inside.

"What about dinner? You spent so much time on it," she said, her face already flushed with arousal.

"It'll keep," I growled, tossing her on the bed.

And then we didn't talk anymore as clothes were shucked at lighting speed.

Thank God.

I layered my naked body on top of hers, eating at her mouth as we tried to touch each other everywhere at once.

Just the feel of her naked against me soothed some part of me that I hadn't even realized was there until Valentina had become a part of my life.

"I need to be inside you," I panted, biting the side of her neck.

"Bedside drawer," she said, digging her fingers into the muscle of my ass.

I leaned over and found the condoms.

"Hey, I wanted to be prepared."

"I'm not complaining. All fours."

She flipped over and I took a moment just to skate my hands down her back, wrapping my hands around her nipped in waist and enjoying the silkiness of her skin.

But I was way too impatient to go slow.

I tore open the condom packet and rolled it down my rock hard erection, trying not to touch myself more than necessary because I was much too close for the extra stimulation.

I was impatient, but I took the time needed to help her relax. She was already wet, so I used her own lubrication to help loosen her up, using using one and then two fingers.

I made sure to get her clitoris too, using feather light touches that I knew she liked from the way she squeezed down on my fingers.

She was panting as I got into position behind her.

"Ready?" I asked, rubbing my tip against her soft opening.

Just the sight of it had me ready to burst.

"Yes," she said, her head hanging down between her arms.

I pushed forward slowly but inexorably, using short in and out thrusts to slide into her tightness.

I almost came before I was even fully seated.

Gritting my teeth, I stilled as I bottomed out, both of our breathing harsh in the quietness of the bedroom.

"Shit," she groaned, dropping down onto her elbows and opening herself up even more to me.

"I agree," I said, my voice raspy with arousal.

Taking a firm grip on her hips, I slowly pulled out, watching as my length came out of her, slick with her arousal.

The sight of it combined with the feel of it was simply amazing.

And then I pushed back in.

We both groaned in unison.

Valentina slapped a hand against the headboard to brace herself.

I settled into a slow rhythm as she relaxed a little around me, making my thrusts smoother.

My body broke out in a sweat as I kept myself under iron control, wanting this to be good for Valentina.

"Go faster," she panted, reaching underneath to touch herself.

The sight of her arm moving broke my control.

Tightening my grip until I knew she'd have bruises the next day, I rammed into her hard enough that her arm flexed, her biceps tightening as she fought to keep us in place.

But she didn't complain, her other arm moving even faster.

Good.

I hammered away at her, both of us fully embracing the race to orgasm.

My sweat dripped down on her smooth back, mixing with her own as her butt rippled with the impact of my hips slapping against her.

The scent of her, the sound of the impact of our flesh, the sight of her spread out underneath me...

It was a wonder I lasted as long as I did.

I let go of her hip with one hand to slam it up against the wall, thrusting in as hard and deep as I could as my balls contracted with my orgasm.

I poured myself into her, shutting my eyes tight as waves of pleasure took me over.

I had just enough presence of mind left to reach down with my other hand and press her own fingers against herself harder, moving our combined hands on her a little more roughly.

I heard her own groan as she clenched around me and knew she was caught up in her own wave of ecstasy.

I should have taken care of her first.

Next time I would have more control.

I slowly collapsed on top of her, taking her down with me as both of us tried to catch our breath.

Wrecked.

I was completely wrecked.

In the best way possible.

After a minute, I slid off her, taking a moment to go to the bathroom and clean up.

I came back and climbed on the bed to spoon her from behind, kissing her damp cheek.

"Good?" I asked, skimming my hand down her side, smoothing it over her hip and moving in to cup the softness between her legs.

"Yes," she sighed. "Perfect. Top notch."

I chuckled, kissing her neck.

"We should probably shower," I murmured, nuzzling my face into her damp neck.

"Later," she said lazily, layering her arm over mine where I wrapped it around her waist and lacing her fingers with my own.

"Dinner?" I asked, my own eyes closing.

Probably I should at least blow out the candles.

"In a minute," she murmured.

To hell with it.

If the smell of the smoke didn't get to our sensitive noses first, the fire alarm would let us know if the candles became a raging inferno.

It felt too good to be lying here with her like this.

"Thatcher?"

"Yeah?" I tightened my arm around her.

"I'm glad you're here. With me."

"Me too."

I held her close, knowing I'd do anything for her.

And that she'd do the same for me.

The future had never looked so promising.

No matter what else happened, I knew I would always have a place where I belonged.

Right next to her.

_If you enjoyed_ _Valentina's Mate_ _, you'll also like:_ _Lenora's Mate_ _,_ _Reina's Mate_ _, and_ _Kiko's Mate_ _. Available individually and for a price break in the bundle_ _Mated Series, 1-4_ _:)._

### *****

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