The Alpha

Chapter Twelve

Theo

I can practically hear Josephine's wolf whining as soon as Jason starts us off. Her eyes are wide and terrified as she watches intently to make sure I don't get hurt. I sigh and use my pack link to ask the men around her to call their mates.

I don't want the men touching her but if their mates hold her back when she tries to intervene, like I know she will, my wolf won't have a problem with it. He'll probably be grateful.

Jason goes to her side with a kind smile as the woman appear behind her. Josephine is unaware of their presence. I almost laugh when Jason says something reassuring to her and she swats him in the arm with her hand. Before I lose my intimidating composure, I turn to Jonathan.

"It's a shame, really." I smirk. "You were one of my best warriors." He snarls and I snort. This guy couldn't kill me.

He might be able to injure me but that's about the extent of his abilities. I'm alpha for a reason. He should have remembered that before he challenged me so stupidly. Less than a second after I snort, he lunged for me. Huh. I got to him quicker than I thought I would. I sidestep him and he stumbles past me. If he's my best warrior, I fear for how bad the rest of my pack is.

"When I win this," he growls, "I'm going to take your sweet little Josephine and after I'm done with her, she won't even remember your name." I tilt my head to the side at this. Did he really just threaten my mate? He's suicidal. There's no other explanation.

"You have a death with, Jonathan?" I snarl and now it's him who's smirking. Werewolves just can't win when it comes to their mates. We just can't. They hold all of the power. Josephine's wish is my command. Because it's my job, as her mate, to take care of her.

"I wish you were dead, if that's what you mean." He retorts and my nostrils flare. Everyone in the pack sucks in a breath. They don't like me when I'm angry. No one does.

"You're gonna wish you were dead once I get my hands on you." I can barely contain my rage. He needs to take a move at me. I won't lose my dignity as alpha and attack first. He challenged me so he gets to instigate the fight. Not the other way around.

He snarls in return and barrels a punch at me. I dodge and punch him in the gut. Josephine's gasp is the only thing I hear as I knew him in the side and he stumbles backwards. He glares at me.

"Not so tough now, are you?" I mock and he roars, charging at me with his fist pulled back. I block but his force is strong enough to make me take a step back. Josephine whines again. I look over at her. She's being distracting. And since I'm distracted, Jonathan take the opportunity to punch me in the side of the jaw.

I see red spots.

But not because of pain. I can't see through my anger. I sure as hell don't want Josephine seeing it either. I use the pack link to tell the men to get their mates to get my mate back to the cabin. I focus on Jonathan even as I hear her yelling at the women to let her go. I hear her sob and my back tenses. I've put her in a position to feel sadness. That's the opposite of what a mate is supposed to do.

I growl at Jonathan for putting me in this position. I don't want to kill him. I really don't, but I have no choice. I shift into a black wolf and he shifts into his brown one. This challenge is about to end.

My wolf bares his teeth at Jonathan's before he lunges at me. I open my mouth and catch him by the neck. It takes less than four seconds for me to clamp down on his neck before pulling away. I bring his throat with me. His wolf goes limp as I spit out his blood.

There. I hope he's happy. He challenged Alpha Lupine and look what it got him. He's dead now. The pack walks away from the challenge as if nothing important happened, and a few of the pack members come to clean up the mess.

I stare longingly at the cabin. My wolf wants to see his mate again. He needs to see her. But in this bloodthirsty state, hell mark her. And that is one thing I can't let happen right now.

She needs time, I'll give it to her. I'm not going anywhere, and I'll make sure she doesn't go anywhere either.