6

I woke up the following day with every muscle in my body screaming in pain. The soreness was worth the intensity born of our desperate need for each other. I just wished that was all it was from. 

As I stretched, I heard Phin's voice drifting down the hallway, and rage took over instantly.

Teddy had said he would challenge him, yet here he was, sitting on our couch like nothing had happened. Fury on a level I'd never experienced before drove me out of bed and into the living room. There he was, sprawled out like he owned the place.

The smug smile he had made my blood boil. I couldn't stand it. "What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded.

He looked me up and down. "Good morning, little wolf. Nice to see you so lively."

"Don't you dare call me that," I snapped. "You should be gone. Teddy said he was going to deal with you."

Teddy appeared, looking torn and hesitant. "Cassy, let's just calm down."

"Calm down?" I repeated. "He attacked me last night, and you're just letting him sit here?"

Phin snorted. "Relax, little Alpha. I'm just enjoying a bit of downtime."

I bared my neck, showing him the scraped teeth marks. "You think this is a joke?"

He looked at the marks but showed no remorse. "Looks like you had a rough night, little wolf."

I exploded. I lunged at him, but Teddy caught me mid-air, pulling me back. "Cassy, stop!"

Phin just laughed. "Big Beta to the rescue, huh? Always the protector."

I struggled against Teddy's hold, wanting nothing more than to wipe that smug look off Phin's face. "He should be gone, Teddy! Why is he still here?"

Teddy tightened his grip. "Cassy, please. Just let it go."

"Listen to your big Beta, little Alpha. He knows what's best." The condescension dripped from every word. I noticed the cuts on Phin's face, a small victory on my part. 

I was going to add more marks to his face now. 

He didn't care about what he did, and Teddy was relenting, about to let it slide again.

I couldn't be mad at Teddy, not really. Phin was a powerful, direct-line alpha, stronger than Teddy, and he knew it. Had Teddy challenged him, he would have likely killed him and instantly tried to mark me. 

His arrogance was infuriating.

As Teddy began to drag me out of the house, Phin commanded, "Get the fuck off the property for a few days."

Something inside me snapped. Something deep and primal. I turned to face Phin, my voice steady and cold. "I challenge you for Alpha of the Bayou pack."

Teddy's face paled as panic flashed in his eyes. "You didn't."

I leaned in and whispered in his ear. "He's really hungover. It's the only time I can and you can't, so..."

Phin's face twisted with amusement and disbelief. "You think you can take me on, little Alpha? You've got guts, I'll give you that."

Teddy's grip on my arm tightened. "Cassy, you don't understand. This is dangerous."

Phin sneered, clearly relishing the moment. "Big Beta is worried about his little wolf. How touching."

I squared my shoulders, meeting Phin head-on. "I'm not afraid of you, Phin. You're barely even a bully. You're not smart enough to be one. You're clearly just a coward."

He stiffened, but he still looked hungover and sluggish. "Fine. You want to challenge me? Let's see what you've got."

Teddy was panicking. "Cassy, please. Think about this."

I kept my eyes locked on Phin. "I have thought about it. I'm not letting him get away with what he did."

Phin stood up slowly, towering over me. His presence was intimidating but not enough to make me back down. My brothers were taller. And they were stronger, both physically and mentally. 

I'd never been happier to have been raised with a mess of intense, strong alphas than in that moment. 

"You're making a big mistake, little alpha."

I stood my ground. "The only mistake was not handling it last night."

Teddy's fear was evident, but I could see a flicker of pride in his eyes. I was doing this for us, for his pack. Phin might be stronger, but he underestimated me.

That would be his downfall. "Alright, little wolf. Let's do this."

I realized Teddy was trembling. "Cassy, please be careful."

I pecked him on the lips. "I've got this." Then I turned to Phin, ready to fight for everything I believed in.

We moved outside, Phin strutting ahead, thinking we'd fight as wolves.

The moment he turned his back, I seized my chance. I looped my leg around his and tripped him. He fell face-first onto the jagged hardwood floor. One of the broken edges cut deep into his face just below his eye. 

... I did say I would put more marks on his smug face. 

 I pounced on him, scraping my teeth across his neck as I pushed his face into the rough wood. "Relent, or I'll do something you'll regret."

My strength surprised me. Teddy and Phin seemed just as surprised. In fact, Teddy was no longer panicking. Instead, he was laughing as he watched this happen. The sight was pretty comical, I'm sure. 

Phin bucked and struggled beneath me. I had my knee pressed into his back, pushing down with all my might.

His breathing grew labored as blood poured from his face, the eye already swelling shut from the impact. For a minute, he remained silent, so I leaned in harder, bringing my other foot off the ground to increase the pressure.

He gasped, "Shit... I relent. Fuck... It's yours, it's fucking yours. "

I dug my knee in but released his head. "Who is your alpha?" I demanded. He huffed in response, and I pushed his head back to the jagged wood.

"Fuck Cassy, you are! Fuck, please stop. Don't kick me off the property, please. Fuck. I... I have nowhere else to go."

Teddy knelt down and pressed a towel to his face. "I doubt she will kick you off, but welcome home, buddy."

He stood up and sent a mental message to the omegas in the pack. "Come help Phin move his things to the old beta house by the docks. Also, my girlfriend Cassy Monroe is your Alpha now. Be mindful of your manners and treat her with the respect a true Alpha deserves."

I heard him. I was Alpha of the Bayou now and could hear my mate directing the pack. My pack. Phin kept muttering insults as this happened.

"This is laughable! A female Alpha? You've got to be kidding me. She'll ruin everything. Girls are too weak to lead!"

"Keep it up, and I will kick your ass off this property," I snapped.

Phin glared at me, his arrogance unyielding. "You're a joke. You think you can lead? You don't have what it takes."

My patience snapped. "Take him to the holding cage until he calms down," I commanded.

The deltas nodded, grabbing Phin by the arms. He struggled, continuing to hurl insults. "You're weak! This pack needs a real leader, not some pretender!"

Teddy walked beside me up to the packhouse, barely able to contain his excitement. "This is incredible, Eve. You're the Alpha now!"

I decided to call Sky, but Kael answered instead.

"Sky's asleep," he said.

"I'm the Alpha of the Bayou pack now."

"Well damn, little sis. I thought I would always hold the record for the youngest working Monroe alpha, but you beat me by years. On my way. Glad it's this and not Teddy marking you early."

"How did you know?" I asked.

"Dad sensed a change."

"Wait, let me get this straight... You'd freak out more over me being marked before the moon than me telling you I'm the Alpha of a pack now?"

"Yep," Kael replied all matter-of-factly.

I huffed. "Whatever, waiting on the moon is a little redundant now. Just get here, please."

I hung up, and Teddy whispered, "We're still going to wait until the moon, Cass."

The words were out before I could stop them. "I can command you now, Teddy."

"Oh, so that's how our relationship will go?" he shot back.

I paused, regretting what I'd said instantly. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?" he snapped.

"I'm just... frustrated, okay? I'm tired of waiting."