Alpha Alexander

Chapter Thirty-Three

I dodged another fist to my stomach, jabbing Leo with my elbow. His head snapped to the side and I felt sick satisfaction as yet another one of my blows landed successfully. My victory was short-lived as he swept my feet out from under me and I landed on my hip. I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding his foot as it slammed into the wood floor, which groaned under the pressure of the hit. I gripped the hilt of the dagger I had tucked into the waistband of my leggings. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't smart about transporting the dagger, so my waist was riddled with nicks and cuts from the sharp blade, and my leggings were stained with blood at the waistband. The dagger had splotches of my blood on its blade as I jabbed it forward, catching the edge of Leo's shirt with its lethal edge.

Leo stepped back and glanced down at his ripped white t-shirt. "If you wanted me to take my shirt off, you could have just asked."

I glared at him. "You're not my type, Leo."

"What, ruggedly handsome gentlemen aren't you're type?"

"No, pathetic rapists aren't my type."

His eyes narrowed. "Is that what he told you?"

"He told me the truth, Leo. He told me what you did to his sister . . . what you did to Natalie."

"Don't say her name," he said with soft menace.

"You are the reason she is dead," I said. "You killed her!"

"I loved her!"

"You raped her! You drove her to kill herself. You are the reason she is dead, not Gabriel. The only person you can blame for killing Natalie is yourself, Leo."

He came at me, like I expected he would—in a blind rage. He was sloppy in his punches, which helped me. I managed to stab him once in the side with my dagger. He didn't even flinch. His eyes were black and my instinct warned me that he was on the verge of shifting, but was holding himself back. If he shifted, he would be vulnerable for the time it took him to shift. According to Sarah, that could be anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes or more, depending on the age and dominance of the werewolf.

Leo lunged for me once more, and I was ready for him. Only, this time, he managed to knock the dagger out of my hand. His hand latched around my throat and he thrusted me against the wall. My back screamed with pain. His hold on my throat tightened and air neary stopped flowing in or out of my lungs. Distantly, I heard terrified shouts mingled with violent growls and the sound of flesh tearing under claws and fangs.

Gabriel.

"I loved Natalie," Leo growled. "She was the only thing that mattered to me. Everything I've done is to avenge her death."

"You . . . raped her," I gasped.

Leo shook his head fiercely. "No. No, the bitch who interrupted us lied to Gabriel. She dragged Natalie to her car, screaming about how I raped her best friend. Natalie cried as Sarah drove her away from me. She cried because she wanted to stay with me, you see? She wanted to be with me."

"S-Sarah . . . ?" I frowned, confused how he knew her name.

Leo punched the wall beside my head. "That bitch will get what's coming for her. She lied to Gabriel—she was jealous of what Natalie and I had. She is another reason why Natalie is dead."

Sarah found him raping Natalie. She's the one who fought him off.

A tear spilled from my eye as I imagined a younger Sarah fighting off an Alpha's son to save her friend and then losing her a few months later. Sarah's fierce desire to teach me how to protect myself as well as her need to constantly shadow me everywhere on the compound now made sense. Her loyalty to Gabriel and his unwavering trust in her—all the pieces fell into place.