The Alpha's Fighter Luna

Chapter 12

Nicholas

“Not anymore! She’s mine now!” Kendrick didn't seemed surprised at my announcement of Danica being mine.

His declaration echoed through the hall, a challenge wrapped in arrogance. His sharp eyes watched me, as though he had expected this, expected me to act possessive, to react with fury.

My fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. Every fiber of my being burned with the urge to lunge at him, to wipe that smug grin off his face. But just as I took a step forward, someone caught my wrist in a firm grip.

“Alpha,” Doris’s voice was urgent, but controlled. “Can we see for a moment?”

He didn’t wait for my answer. He dragged me out of the hall, away from Kendrick, away from Danica, away from the temptation to rip apart the man who dared lay claim to what was mine.

The moment we reached the privacy of my quarters, Doris released me and stepped back, his expression torn between frustration and concern.

“Alpha!” he snapped.

“What?!” I barked, pacing the room like a caged beast. “You told me earlier not to let him take any more women from our pack, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did,” Doris admitted, his jaw tightening. “But Danica is an exception. She doesn’t belong to us.”

I stopped pacing and turned on him, my anger barely restrained. “Well, she belongs to me now!” My voice was raw with emotion. My body trembled with barely contained rage, my hands itching to hit something, or someone.

That bastard Kendrick.

Doris ran a hand down his face, clearly exasperated. “Don’t tell me you’re willing to throw away years of friendship over her,” he said, disbelief laced in his tone. “For Danica?”

I didn’t answer.

A few hours ago, the very thought of being in this position would have seemed impossible.

Yet here I was, unable to focus on anything except that long-haired, long-legged warrior woman who had unexpectedly tangled herself into my thoughts, into my life.

Damn it.

Doris took a step closer. “Remember what you told me? About why you maintain your friendship with Kendrick? His army is a force to be reckoned with, Nicholas. He has been our shield for years. Are you really willing to stand against him?”

I wasn’t thinking about politics. I wasn’t thinking about strategy. I was thinking about her.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted my storming thoughts. Doris turned and opened it.

Kendrick.

He stood at the entrance, his expression unreadable, his gaze assessing.

“My visit this year isn’t a pleasant one, Nicholas,” he said smoothly. “Should I leave and return next year with my bride, Danica?”

Something inside me snapped and I lunged forward, grabbing his collar, as I drove my fist into his face.

The satisfying crack of bone beneath my knuckles filled the room.

He stumbled back, but I didn’t stop. Another punch. Then another. My rage poured out in each blow. Kendrick grunted, wiping blood from his lip, his smirk only growing.

Doris yanked me away before I could do more damage. “Alpha, stop!”

I was breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling with the force of my fury. Kendrick only laughed, licking the blood from his busted lip like he enjoyed the taste of it.

“There is nothing wrong in accepting him, Alpha.” The familiar voice rang out from behind us.

We all froze.

Slowly, I turned to see Danica standinv there, her eyes dark with anger, her hands clenched at her sides. The expression on her face sliced through me like a blade.

“You already rejected me,” she said, her voice laced with a quiet fury. “Did you forget?”

The weight of her words hit me harder than any punch ever could.

Kendrick chuckled beside me, and I felt his gaze shift to her. He took a slow step forward, his eyes locking onto hers. A spark passed between them, a bond forming.

No.

Not again.

I moved before I could think.

In three long strides, I reached Danica. My hand shot out, cupping her face roughly.

And then I kissed her.