Those in the pack were rushing up to congratulate both Ridge and me on the challenges won, and being mates. They gushed how rare it was for us to find our True Mates but when found, it was like nothing ever imagined.

Ridge’s weak grin at the pack’s pointed look his way made me wrap my arm around his. I smiled, kissing his bicep which settled him a bit. I didn’t want for the pack to be upset with Ridge of what happened before. I’m more than sure Ridge has made up for the past in more ways than one when he wasn’t even to blame.

As the new alpha, Ridge was being swarmed and given respected praises, my family joining in on the excitement.

I stood in the background watching everyone’s spirit lift from the overbearing drama from before. It was something I had always been grateful for; living in a place like Carmel where its pack was welcoming and respected their alpha family, who in turn was respectful of them. Eh… You know… for the most part.

I tilted my head, laughing lightly when Cody leaped onto the back of Ridge to ruffle the alpha’s hair. Others joined in the merriment, watching the alpha playfully growl and try to wrestle Cody off him.

“Daaaaaaamn, Gigi. He sure did a number on you, huh?” Eden had approach me. She looked me up and down while whistling and standing beside me.

I nudged Eden’s side. She grinned that she was just joking. Her face softened, brows furrowed a bit as she asked how I was feeling. I loved how concerned she was despite my claiming I was alright. Eden narrowed her eyes, giving me a small grunt but relented.

As we looked at our pack members in a mini celebration here in the arena, Eden suddenly frowned. I glanced at her, lowering a brow before she scrunched her nose and grumbled, “Does this mean I have to call you ‘alpha’ now?”

I laughed.

Eden mumbled that she was kind of being serious. Still giggling, I wrapped an arm around my best friend’s neck. Resting my head against hers, I sighed with a grin that ‘no’, Eden would not have to call me ‘Alpha’. She was an exception because she was my best friend—and always had been family.

Pursing my lips and looking upward, I squinted, “Mmm… Ridge on the other hand…”

Eden groaned. She sighed, wrapping her arm carefully around my waist. My best friend let out a dramatic sigh. “And here I was thinking I was off the hook with that one too.”

Though I knew she was joking, I did explain to her that she could get away with not calling me ‘alpha’ but that it was lack of respect to Ridge if she didn’t.

Eden nodded, “Yeah, yeah… I get it. Now you can live the picture perfect life you deserve, Gigi.”

She smiled at me though I lowered my gaze to the ground. Pursing my mouth to the side, I thought about that. Sure, I was happy but I was still worried about the dynamic between Ridge, myself… and Molly.

“What’s wrong?” Eden asked, pointing out that I looked a little disappointed.

Shaking my head, I softly grinned, shrugging a shoulder and explained how Ridge and I could be together now, sure, and the visiting alpha would not be taking me away from Carmel.

“But that still leaves the fact that Molly’s pregnant.”

We stood quiet, our heads bent together. Eden sighed before telling me to look on the bright side because at least I had Ridge now. Eden told me that she empathized with me on how it may be difficult seeing the baby when it was born and growing up but that I had to realize this child would be as much of Ridge as it would be of Molly. And with the baby to be a huge part of Ridge’s life, I would be too.

“But not Molly,” Eden pointed out. “She won’t matter in the romantic aspect. There will be only respect as the mother of the baby but that’s it. You won’t have to worry about Molly interfering with you and Ridge anymore.”

She a good point. Eden really was a great friend. She always knew the right things to say when I needed them most. I appreciated her so much more and I should have from the very beginning of our friendship.

“Thank you, Eden,” I smiled, turning to wrap my arms around her. She hugged me back, chuckling that I was going to stain her shirt with the blood I had. I laughed lightly, still holding her in a tight embrace.

Suddenly, Eden growled. I frowned, pulling back a bit to see her brown eyes narrowed. She was staring over my shoulder and when I turned around, it was because of Molly marching—not walking—marching towards us. And, man, she was on a mission.

With a short glance to the crowd, a few yards away, still chattering, laughing and enjoying the start of the celebration to their newly proclaimed Alpha, I realized that Ridge had his back turned, talking to my family and his mother. He wasn’t seeing who was approaching me.

I felt my jaw tighten once Molly stood in front of us. Her parents had joined her, catching up to stand like lap dogs behind her. Molly’s posture was as it always was; confident. She placed her hands on her hips, deliberately looking me up and down. Her blue eyes met mine, her nose up in the air.

Beside me, Eden growled. She was annoyed, obviously.

“Don’t you look pretty,” Molly scoffed, eyeing in distaste my bloodied clothing.

Raising a brow, I crossed my arms and then looked down at my person, taking my time on purpose before looking up at the blonde. I nodded, thanking her though I knew she hadn’t been complimenting me.

Molly rolled her eyes, muttering back to me that wasn’t a compliment. (See. I told you.)

With a short glance at Eden, Molly shot her a sneer and I stepped in front of Eden, breaking the contact.

“Is there something you need?” I asked tightly.

I was willing to be civil with Molly for the sake of that baby she was carrying but I would not let Molly think it okay to act how she wanted to whoever. Especially Eden and my family.

Crossing her arms to mirror my posture, Molly stuck her chin up again. She raised a perfectly shaped brow, her pouty lips pinched like she ate a lemon. After giving me another obvious once over, Molly told me that I shouldn’t get too comfortable.

What the hell did that mean?

I raised a brow back at her. “Sorry?”

Molly ignored my confusion and instead scolded me. “You should be ashamed of yourself for being such a bad friend to me!”

My brows shot up, craning my neck forward and I blinked a few times while Eden scoffed, stepping around me to growl, “Are you fucking kidding me right now, Molly?”

Took me a moment, but I sensed that we were not alone now. I looked over where some of those in the pack caught wind of our conversation (argument?) and looked our way. Even Ridge and my family turned around.

Ridge’s brows furrowed, jaw clenched as he carefully narrowed his eyes, assessing the situation as he started over but his father got hold of his arm. He was telling something to Ridge while I faced Molly again.

“This has nothing to do with you, Eden!” Molly snapped. She growled back at my best friend while I inserted an arm between them, pushing Eden back a bit to calm her down.

My friend was still glaring at the blonde over my shoulder who ranted, “I have a matter to settle with Gigi! So why don’t you just back the fuck off!”

Molly’s mother noticed our audience and tried to calm her daughter. She placed a hand on Molly’s shoulder, glancing the pack’s way and softly suggested for Molly to lower her voice.

“Shut up, Mom!” the blonde snapped, slapping away the hand on her shoulder.

I didn’t miss the wince on Mrs. Sinclair and how her husband tried to scold his daughter but she shut him down too. Sadly, I knew this was a lot more difficult for them because of how much they let Molly get away with this behavior. She was a spoiled brat and now they had to watch what they molded.

“Don’t talk to your mom like that, Molly…” I frowned.

Molly frowned, switching her gaze to me. She eyed me up and down. Her demeanor switched drastically. She was fuming that she couldn’t believe this was happening. She leaned her head forward, sneering, “He chose you?! You of all people?!”

The blonde spat at me that after everything that’s happened, everything she’s done and I still ended up with Ridge.

“Gigi Gomez…” She scoffed. “Perfect little Gigi! The girl who could do no wrong! That’s all it was growing up with you! You made people think you were this perfect little she-wolf! So fucking innocent to everything around her!”

Molly nose scrunched, her gaze eyeing me again with that distasteful gleam.

“You weren’t innocent! You were just stupid! Too stupid to even see your mate was being swept under your very nose! And now you are just so happy because he’s finally with you!”

I frowned, shaking my head that that was not fair of her to say. Pointing at her, I shot back that she knew who he was to me, and that Molly was supposed to be my best friend.

“I stood up for you, Molly! I stood up for you when no one else wanted you around! They kept telling me how you weren’t worth my friendship and yet I didn’t believe them! I didn’t even believe my parents and brother who warned me to stay away from you because of what a selfish, spoiled brat you are!”

Molly’s eyes widened, like this would be the first she heard all this. Perhaps she did hear this the first time; what people thought about her.

I huffed, shaking my head. Frowning, I snapped back, “And you have the nerve to tell me that I am a bad friend?! You stole Ridge from me! You manipulated him to fall in love with you! And don’t think I won’t find out how, either!”

Her eyes widened, glancing over to the pack although I swore I saw Mr. Beaumont narrow his eyes at her.

Facing Molly again, I growled out that Ridge was feeling guilty all this time because he rejected his True Mate under the belief that he’d already met his. That he’d been having to work so hard to earn my trust and love when it wasn’t even his fault to begin with.

I told her how much it hurt knowing Molly—my best friend —was the one who purposely went after him and then furthered her cruelty by sleeping with Ridge, knowing what it’d do to me after I recognized him.

“You didn’t even like him!” Molly growled back, clenching her fists at her sides. She got in my face and I frowned, stepping back to give us space. I didn’t need her agitating me. “You kept telling me how little of a difference he would make as an alpha! You didn’t believe in him, Gigi! You said he wasn’t even your type!”

Stepping forward, I growled that that wasn’t true! That I would never say anything bad about people behind their backs!

“I have known Ridge since I was nine years old! I got to see a side of him that made us fast friends, and then later on, I fell in love with him. You never knew how I felt about him because you didn’t ask! Everything was about you! So don’t stand there pretending like I was in the wrong all this time when you are just trying to excuse what you did!”

I glared at her, asking her if she really understood the depths of her actions.

“You deliberately interfered with a Mate Bond, Molly! I don’t know how… but you did! And not to just anyone, either, but to a Beta who is now an Alpha!”

Molly’s eyes glazes with panic as I pointed out the severity of her actions. That any other pack alpha would have considered Molly’s intentions as traitorous. But that she was good at what she did because Molly kept getting away with it.

“I love him. I always have. And I won’t let you come between us anymore,” I warned.

Narrowing her eyes, Molly scoffed, throwing her hands up. She groaned out in a dramatic way. “Ohhhh, shut up! You’re such a fucking romantic, Gigi. It’s fucking nauseating!”

I huffed out a breath, shaking my head that Molly was being extremely difficult and how hurtful she was acting in front of everyone. I told her how now I could see what everyone saw. That maybe I was too stupid for a long time if I couldn’t see that Molly was the one I should have stayed away from.

“What exactly did you get out of all this, Molly?! All that manipulation over the years and look where we are now! I love him and he loves me! There is nothing you can say that will change that!”

Molly narrowed her eyes, smirking as she placed her hands on her hips again. With that smug look on her face, she shrugged a shoulder and taunted, “Yeah, except that this baby,” she placed her hand on her stomach, “was made out of love! Real love that you will never feel with Ridge!”

I swallowed hard, narrowing my eyes back at her. I wasn’t going to dignify her mocking, with a response. She wanted to get me worked up and I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction.

It was a blessing when Ridge shouted, “Stop it!” and stormed over. His father shouted his name but Ridge ignored him. Ridge narrowed his eyes at Molly, giving her orders to step back from me. She ignored the alpha’s order and snapped back that Molly was just doing me a favor, that Molly was supposedly saving me from a shameful embarrassment.

I frowned, looking at my mate who barked at Molly as he grabbed onto her arm to pull her away from me. Ridge shouted for her to shut her mouth but the she-wolf was scoffing out a laugh, peering over Ridge’s shoulder.

“That’s right, Gigi! Ridge told me that the idea of having a Quail Wolf mate wouldn’t be so bad since you’d be the one to keep Carmel safe! But that was the only reason you’d be worth keeping around because for everything else he had me and our baby!”

“MOLLY!” Ridge roared, golden eyes blazing.

The blonde flinched, lowering her gaze and fell silent. She frowned a bit before smirking, lifting her eyes at me.

My brows furrowed, squinting at Molly as something she said registered. I blinked a few times, switching my gaze to the alpha’s back.

“Is… Is that true?” came out as a whisper.

Ridge looked over his shoulder at me, lowering a brow and I stared back, cautious.

The she-wolf beside him looked all too happy to nod and encourage Ridge, “Go on, Ridge! Tell her! Tell her how much you still love me! How you could never love her as much as you do for me!”

Molly sneered my way, pleased to confess, “And tell Gigi how happy you are about my having your baby since a Quail Wolf will never be able to conceive one!”

Everything went quiet. Everything stopped but my heart that was beating too fast.

My eyes widened, swallowing hard. I switched from Molly’s smug look to Ridge. My new alpha shut his eyes, frowning with a clenched jaw. He shook his head and it only made my heart beat even faster.

Feeling the tension, the Sinclairs grabbed hold of Molly, yanking her backward despite her protests. They were giving Ridge and me room as I approached him.

My eyes narrowed, shaking my head and asked, “Is it true? All those things she said… are they true?”

“No!” Ridge frowned. “No… I—I never said any of that! I haven’t spoken to her, you know that! But the part about—”

“Oh, please!” Molly screeched, struggling to get out of her dad’s hold.

I glanced at Ridge who was scowling at her, growling that she was pushing his buttons and he was not against using force to put Molly in her place. Molly had the audacity to growl at her alpha. Perhaps because she was carrying his heir, Molly thought she’d get away with yelling at him.

“What, Ridge?! What’s the fucking matter?! You don’t want me to hurt your precious little mate?! Is that it?! You don’t want her sensitive ass to cry about finding out the downside to being such a special wolf? She’s never going to give you kids because she can’t reproduce!”

My eyes widened, taking a step back at her satisfied smile. I whipped around to look at my dad who in turn faced me. My eyes watered as I sniffled, begging him to tell me that she was wrong. That Molly didn’t say in front of everyone that I was going to be unable to have kids. Ever.

“Dad…?”

My dad looked down a second then back up at me as he sighed, “Gigi… I knew little about Quail Wolves until recently. I started researching them when its power was affecting you so much because of the situation with Ridge and Molly.”

With a trembling bottom lip, I took a deep breath. Biting through grit teeth, I growled, “That doesn’t answer my question!”

Dad sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. He lowered his head a bit, frowning at the ground and rested his hands on his hips. Dad lifted his gaze to mine before admitting, “There’s a reason why Quail Wolves are not common, Gigi. Why they are born every few centuries. They are chosen by the Spirit World and because of how powerful they are, it keeps the world balanced by making it impossible for them to have offspring.”

My dad paused, that solemn look on his face as he softly added, “That’s why Quail Wolves are never meant to find their true mates.”

I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach again. This felt more painful than when Alpha Hannibal hit me. And that was saying something.

My dad was telling me that because I was this Goddamn specie of wolf born every few centuries, I had to pay the price by not only unable to have a child, but I wasn’t supposed to have a true mate to begin with. Which explained why Molly claimed she was “doing me a favor.”

I ran my fingers through the front of my hair as I looked at Ridge. He had been quiet all this time, watching me—maybe to see my reaction—and I decided to ask him what was bothering me since Molly’s spiteful confession.

“Did you know…?” I frowned, squinting at him. “Did—Did you know I was a Quail Wolf before yesterday?”

Ridge frowned, shaking his head, “No. Of course not! I told you that I heard about them but didn’t know about you, Gianna!” He stepped towards me and I instantly stepped back. His green eyes widened, worry in them.

“When does it end, Ridge? When does everything get to finallh be all out on the table… and the rug won’t be pulled out from under me anymore?”

“Gianna—”

“DON’T! JUST STOP!” I shook my head, grinding my teeth. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact I’m never going to have any kids! And that she—” I shot a glare at Molly. “Is rubbing it in my face that she gets to give you what I never will!”

I covered my face with my hands and groaned into them. My eyes shut when I dropped my hands to my sides.

“Don’t you see, Ridge? She’s doing it again! She’s coming between us!”

“Because you’re letting her!” the alpha shouted.

Ridge scowled, grabbed me by my arms, and lightly shook me to look at him. When I did, those green eyes were filled with a fire. He had this determined look on his face, snapping at me that he was not going to let things get to me again.

“I’m not letting you use this to wedge something else between us! With the baby, that’s already something I have to make up for, but I am not letting whatever shit Molly says make you feel less than what you are worth!”

“But—” I tried to argue that I couldn’t give him an heir though the alpha growled, cutting me off again.

“I said no! Those other Quail Wolves never found their true mates! You did! And what I did with Molly was the most stupid and worst mistake of my life!”

I could see the stunned hurt on Molly from the corner of my eye.

Ridge shook his head, pleading for me to understand that what we had was more real than anything he’d ever felt. That I should know that by now that Ridge was going to do anything and everything he can to prove how much he loved me. How much he’d loved me all this time.

“So don’t you ever think you don’t deserve everything and anything!”

Biting my lip, I swallowed before whispering that I can’t give Carmel their heir. That the next alpha one day wasn’t going to be coming from me.

“I don’t care, Gianna! I just want you! You matter more to me than anything and anyone, and I am trying to prove that to you, but if you start pushing me away again then I can’t do that!”

The alpha sighed in frustration, bowing his head. He was taking a moment to calm himself.

I stared at the top of his head, lifting my eyes to the pack around us. They were all wide-eyed at the vulnerability shown by their alpha. Something very uncommon.

My eyes shifted to Molly looking completely torn up from Ridge publicly setting the record straight that she was not who he wanted or ever wanted. Whether she thought she loved Ridge or vice-versa, it was different with Ridge and me. We were willing to fight for one another.

I stepped closer to him, resting my head against his chest and wrapped my arms around his middle. The grin pulling at my lips couldn’t be helped as I whispered to Ridge just how much I loved him. I buried my nose into his bare chest, pressing a soft kiss to the middle still stained with dried blood.

Looking up at him, I softly apologized for being so stubborn.

The alpha’s arms took their place around me, squeezing me to him and planted a kiss on my head.

“You really are,” he agreed. “So can we call it a day and get you cleaned up now? It’s been a long day.”

Nodding, I watched him turn away to the pack to dismiss them, adding that there would be a meeting to follow in the next few days. The new Alpha Beaumont informed them all that I would be properly introduced as Ridge’s Alpha Female.

With his back turned, however, Molly didn’t take kindly to being ignored or moved aside. What have you.

My attention snapped to Molly shoving off her parents. She shouted at them to ‘fuck off’ before spinning around with those blue eyes blazing.

“God, you’re so ungrateful! To think I did you a favor as your best friend! I was only trying to protect you from this stressful lifestyle and you are trying to take that away from me?!”

Molly was making her way forward and Ridge spun around. His eyes widened, shouting at Molly to stay away from me. He was already shouting orders at a few Warriors to move in.

I remained where I was, curling my fists because I didn’t want to do anything rash to this delusional she-wolf. Was she actually serious right now?

To add salt to the wound, Molly thought digging the knife a little deeper was the brightest idea. Clearly, she wanted to make a point. Whatever it was.

“Thank God you can’t breed, you fucking bitch! I’d feel sorry for any offspring with a mother whose innate instinct is to kill everything around her!”

Shutting my eyes, brows furrowed, I slowly shook my head, trying to block her out. I grit my teeth, shouting at Ridge to get her away from me. My arms trembled I was clenching my hands so tight.

Thankfully, the Warriors had gotten to Molly and were surrounding her. But that didn’t seem to deter her. No, it only encouraged her dumbass to get in as many jabs as she could.

Over the arms of the Warriors frowning at her, Molly craned her neck forward, grinning as she spat, “You are not special, Gigi! You never were! All you were born to be was just a cold blooded killer!”

Every word shouted at me, the way Molly was purposely digging at my emotions, the wolf side of me was stirring and the human side of me was pissed. I was feeling the need to hurt her. Every fiber of my being was on vengeful fire, and I could feel myself losing the battle of self-control.

My gaze narrowed, glancing slowly over to where Ridge was shouting at the pack to move back with the help of Sawyer, Wade, and my dad. But it was Mom who noticed my dark glower and she cried out to the alpha.

Ridge spun around, wide-eyed when I sneered his way.

“Gianna…” Ridge gasped, heading for me.

Ignoring him, I took three strides to get to where the unknowing Warriors were. I latched onto one of them, tossing him aside which startled the other two. They turned to block me but I snarled, swinging my arm around to claw at one and then the other.

With my short window, I swung my arm back to bring it around and punch Molly in the face. Her head knocked backwards, crying out with her hands to her nose.

Her parents were standing by and tried to intervene. I growled at them, elongating my teeth as a warning. They widened their eyes, stepping back.

“GIANNA!”

Not now, Ridge. I’m busy.

When I was moving in on Molly who was thrown off by what I did, I felt the presence of the alpha. He was closing in so I spun around with my arm out and crashed my forearm with enough force to his chest that he was knocked back.

From the corner of my eye, his mom and dad were coming to help him but I turned away. My gaze locked on Molly. She had the fucking nerve to narrow her eyes at me, wiping blood from her nose.

The she-wolf barred her teeth at me, snapping back if that was the best I got.

With my human emotions meshing with my wolf side, she was nudging me, begging me to let her loose. To let her take control. And I did. The pulsing of my irises indicated my eyes changing the same time a sudden vibration overtook me entirely. As I preyed closer to Molly, she swallowed hard, her blue eyes wide.

I was three steps away from her when my hand grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up. Molly squeaked, grasping my hands and kicked her legs but my hardened gaze just looked up at her.

For whatever reason that made me do it, my eyes lowered from her face to her stomach. My lip curled back, growling at the knowledge of a life growing inside her. That’s when I had to pull my wolf back. I forced her to realize she couldn’t do anything to this horrible girl. Not when there was an innocent life involved.

My wolf side snorted, sneering up at the blonde before I dropped her hard enough to make her yelp when she landed on the floor.

Stepping back, I felt my fingers itching to end her. To tear into her flesh and claw her insides out. But I took a deep breath, turning away with my eyes shut. Three deep breaths later, I opened my eyes to where the alpha was standing with his parents.

Mr. Beaumont frowned, obviously not liking how I treated the alpha but neither Ridge or his mom seemed to feel that way. They were just motioning me over. Mrs. Beaumont even encouraged me to keep my head up and ignore Molly. To not let her get to me because I was the bigger person and that the she-wolf would be dealt with accordingly after they looked into what was done to her son.

I let out a slow breath, nodding as I made my way over. Shaking my hands out, I kept feeling my wolf side struggling inside me… and all because a bratty blonde didn’t know when to keep her trap shut.

“That’s right, Gigi! Walk away!”

Molly’s parents pleaded in a panic for Molly to stop, even the Warriors were shouting for her silence.

“Never could see to the end of a fight!” she spat. “That’s why it was so easy to take Ridge from you!”

“Shut up, Molly! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!” Eden cried. She reminded Molly that the only reason I was backing off was because of her carrying Ridge’s baby.

“Let go of me!” Molly snarled, shoving her dad away when I stopped to peer over my shoulder at her. Molly shot her dad a look then looked in my direction and laughed.

“Is that the only reason?” She chuckled, taunting me with a shake of her head. “Go ahead, Quaaaaail Wolf! Don’t hold back! We made the whole thing up!”

My ears popped at the confession. The murmurs from the pack erupted, and I raised a brow, tilting my head as I slowly faced the smug she-wolf.

Narrowing my eyes, I spoke just loud enough for her to hear. “You’re not pregnant?”

Molly rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in the air. The she-wolf scoffed, crossing her arms and scrunched her nose, huffing out how nothing on her part was working to convince Ridge to stay with her.

“But I knew you being Little Miss Decency wouldn’t have the heart,” Molly feigned a pout, clasping her hands together by her cheek. “—to break up a family. Gigi Gomez… the girl with a pure heart… would want Ridge to be a good daddy—even if it cost her all the happiness in the world.”

Molly rolled her eyes again, shaking her head that it was what was planned with—

“Enough, Molly!” Mr. Beaumont shouted, glaring at her and warning her to mind her place.

The blonde scoffed, pointing at him and started to say something until she made a small glance at the pack. She could see their eyes widening, stepping further back upon the instruction of the Warriors. A confused frown etched onto Molly’s face until she became alert at hearing my heavy breathing… turning into a growl… and then a snarl.

Molly’s eyes widened, taking in my uncontrollable trembles.

I tried closing my fists at my sides to fight against the intense fire rising in my veins, but it wasn’t working! I could feel her, feel my wolf raging. She was clawing at me, snarling to release her.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I grunted as I leaned forward a bit. I panted, opening my eyes, brows furrowed and grit my teeth at those in front of me. They were wide eyed, even the Warriors.

With my teeth still clenched, I growled for them to get away from me. I warned them to keep their distance because something was happening.

Molly froze there with her parents, petrified.

“I SAID GET AWAY!” I roared before a nasty snarl cut my warning off. My bones snapped loudly. They cracked and twisted, my body jerking in odd angles.

“Molly! Molly, run!” Someone shouted.

The blonde was still standing where she was when I fully shifted. Her eyes wide in fear.

Her parents were shouting for her, the Warriors holding them back from going to their daughter. It took two of the Warriors to hold back Mr. Sinclair and the other wrapped his arms around his wife.

My wolf was in control now, forcing me to ride in the backseat of my mind. She lowered her head, eyes zoning in on Molly. Lips curled back to bare the sharp teeth underneath, my wolf growled at the blonde. My wolf was ready to claim her prey.

Molly’s eyes widened. She shook, taking a timid step back and whimpered, without looking away from me, “Ridge!”

My wolf snarled at her. The hair on her back rising. She was offended, enraged, that this other female was seeking help from what was ours.

I could hear people shouting, calling to me but I had no control over my wolf at this moment. She was the one taking the lead and didn’t want anything to stop her. Including me. My wolf’s paws stepped closer, forcing Molly back until she tripped over her own feet.

With her prey down, my wolf licked at her bottom teeth and those shimmering blue eyes zoning in on the petrified look on Molly.

“Ridge! Ridge, help me, please!”

Growling, my wolf lowered into an attack position. She snarled at the other she-wolf and just as she pounced another wolf appeared—blocking Molly from view—and intercepted the collision. We crashed to the floor, rolling some feet from Molly and my wolf quickly stood. She growled at the dark furred wolf, snapping her jaws at him—at Ridge.

The alpha got to his feet, snapping his jaws back at my wolf in warning.

My wolf wasn’t ready to give up on her kill yet. She leapt to the side, sprinting towards Molly who was smart enough to run away… towards the pack.

Ok. Maybe she wasn’t that smart.

There were cries of panic from the crowd as my wolf headed towards them. She caught sight of Molly, closing in and pushed off the ground for an attack from behind.

Ridge came from the side, knocking my wolf over. My wolf rolled a few feet before jumping up and made a curt turn towards the alpha. Again, she growled at him; warning him to back off.

When Ridge returned the growl in a way to say he was not taking her orders, my wolf found a new challenger. My panic rose and I screamed at my wolf to let me out! I told her to not hurt him! That he was the alpha and we couldn’t hurt the alpha!

My wolf ignored me, now in a slow cautious dance with Ridge, circling one another. Eyes locked on his, my wolf gnashed her teeth at the alpha again. Ridge growled, straightening in his bold and strong posture. He lifted a paw and stomped it on the ground. He was giving orders to my wolf to back down.

My wolf snorted, lowering her head, eyes narrowed. That was before she lunged at the alpha. Ridge growled, lunging forward. Upon collision, Ridge and my wolf used our paws to claw at one another. Her teeth latched onto his ear, trying to tear at it. Ridge yelped, nudging my wolf hard enough to get his head away from anywhere near her teeth.

The alpha bent his head to clamp his jaws around my leg to make my wolf cry out. She angrily lashed back with a bite to his shoulder, digging her nails into his furred flesh and clawed down.

Throwing his head back in a painful howl, Ridge quickly used his body to slam on top of my wolf. She yelped in surprise. The alpha stepped off me, giving my wolf room to rise. She approached him, snarling and snapping my teeth in his direction before jumping on him. She knocked him onto his back.

‘Stop it!’ I shouted at her. My heart racing with the increasing panic as I was watching my wolf taking bites that were deep. ‘Stop it, you’re hurting him!’

My wolf was ignoring me, clawing at her alpha who wasn’t fighting back! Why wouldn’t Ridge fight back?!

It took everything in me to bellow at my wolf to back the fuck off our mate just as she latched her jaws around his throat and bit down hard then swung him aside to let him ram into the ground, something crunching on impact. Ridge collapsed with a faint whine.

The disconnect between my wolf and I was fading. I was slowly regaining control again and immediately backed off. My eyes widened at the heavy panting coming from the alpha lying on his side. I trotted over to him, whining as I lowered onto my belly. I nudged Ridge with my snout. His golden eyes fluttered open—just barely—and looked at me before he raised a paw to rest over mine. I licked his paw then his muzzle. Ridge purred though it was faint. I whined again, low crawling slowly until resting my head against his.

There was an outcry from Mr. Beaumont at that moment, shoving his wife to the side towards a Warrior. He was marching over and I lifted my head, eyes wide.

“Ridge!” he shouted in panic. “Son, can you hear me?!”

He was kneeling beside Ridge, gently stroking the dark wet fur.

I looked down at my mate’s breathing starting to slow and I whined, fidgeting where I stood. I bent to nudge him again but Ridge didn’t respond this time. His eyes rolled back before his eyelids shut, now out cold.

To make matters worse, Mr. Beaumont’s teary eyes were blazing when they locked on me. He hovered over his son, swatting at me to back away.

“Get away from him!” Mr. Beaumont shouted, his voice cracking.

I yelped, jumping back and glanced at my dad rushing over with Wade and Sawyer. Dad stood by me and frowned at the former alpha.

“Darren…” Dad shook his head. “She didn’t know. She wasn’t the one in control.”

“That’s the fucking problem, Angus!” Mr. Beaumont shouted, sneering at us. “I told you having a Quail Wolf was dangerous! Look what she’s done to my son!”

I whimpered, cowering with my ears flattening against my head.

Mr. Beaumont growled at me to stay the fuck away from Ridge. That I almost killed him. He stood up, snapping at me to get out of here.

I widened my eyes, stepping back as Mr. Beaumont stepped over his son and shoved my dad away from blocking me. He got nose-to-nose with my scowling dad to bite out that he was acting alpha until his son recovered.

Dad frowned, lowering his gaze. He tried to reason that the former alpha was not thinking straight. That there was an overwhelming panic right now and we all had to just let it settle.

“Not fucking happening!” Mr. Beaumont snapped, clenching his teeth. His wife shouted that I wasn’t at fault and that Mr. Beaumont needed to calm down. But the man ignored Mrs. Beaumont. Instead, he voiced that he was going to settle this once and for all. That one incident was a time too many and Mr. Beaumont was not going to let his son’s pack live in fear with a monster.

My eyes widened, whimpering at the hate-filled words.

Ignoring my dad’s protest, Mr. Beaumont whipped around and with so much rage in his voice, ordered me to get out of his sight.

“Get out of here, Gigi! Now! I don’t want to see you near my son or this pack again!”

“Darren! Darren, you can’t do that!” my dad argued. “You’re not the alpha!”

Whether he was or not, Mr. Beaumont shot his an icy look as he shouted, “Look what she did to my son! Do you honestly think he can act as alpha when your fucking daughter was ready to rip his throat out?!”

“Darren, stop it!” Mrs. Beaumont shouted, running over and shouting that her husband was being unreasonable and manic.

Her husband growled an order to shut up—making Mrs. Beaumont go wide-eyed—before he turned back to me. Mr. Beaumont lowered his chin, a warning laced in his voice as he finalized, “Leave, Gigi. And don’t come back!”

I whimpered, glancing down at a motionless Ridge being held by my dad now. I whined, raising my paw at Mr. Beaumont in a plea but he snarled at me.

The Quail Wolf part of me was not present and I wanted to tell the former alpha that. I just wanted to tell him I would never hurt Ridge intentionally.

My eyes widened after a moment and I stepped back a few steps when Mr. Beaumont snapped orders at a group of Warriors who looked reluctant to follow through with the orders. They looked at Mrs. Beaumont and even Dad before Mr. Beaumont shouted that unless they wanted to receive the same punishment they’d obey their acting alpha on behalf of their real alpha who was attacked.

The Warriors looked at me then, their eyes shimmering into gold while starting to shift.

I backed up, whimpering with my ears flattened back as Mr. Beaumont shouted orders at the Warriors to chase me out of Carmel.

My dad pleaded with Mr. Beaumont but the acting alpha just shouted over him at the Warriors to get me out of his sight. With the Warriors fully shifted and sprinting at me, I yelped, turning to run into the forest, the Warriors taking chase.