An Alpha's Revenge

Fight

Callie kicked a piece of stone from the wooden decking. "I don't want to leave, J."

J snapped her attention to Callie. "You don't have to. I'd never expect you to go. You heard what I told them - it's your choice where you go, not mine and certainly not theirs. Your home is here for as long as you want it, Cal'. Ignore your moonmate, find him or deny him, I don't mind. Whatever your decision, I'll stand by you. We all will."

Callle's eyes sparkled in the iridescent moonlight with unshed tears. "Thank you, J." she whispered as she allowed J to pull her into a hug.

"Anytime, kid." J mumbled to the top of her head.

"Is Logan ok?" she asked so softly that J wasn't sure if she'd imagined it.

J released her, taking a step back and pulling in a lungful of cool, night air. Running a hand through her hair, she watched as a bird soared over their heads and delved into the undergrowth.

She sighed sadly. "I don't know, Cal'. I don't think so."

The underestimate of the century. It was the elephant in the room, the cloud looming over them, all of them. It was the conversation she needed to have with Logan, the truth they had to face.

But she would wait, give him a little time to adjust, to feel normal now that he was home.

It could wait.

They could have a brief second of normality.

They could be happy for a few weeks...right?

*

Air.

She needed air.

J grasped at the hands clutched around her throat, her claws tearing into flesh. She gasped as the grip changed, giving her a brief taste of precious oxygen before the hands tightened and her vision swam.

Black dots pin pricked her vision, her eyes already clouded by tears. She tried desperately to shift the weight from on top of her, bucking her hips and kicking out with her feet, but to no avail.

Red eyes glowed inches from her face as the wolf growled, bearing its teeth. Still she fought - and would keep fighting until the encroaching darkness swallowed her whole.

She tried again to tear the hands from her throat and when that failed, began to rake her claws down his arm. Reaching up, she managed to swipe him across the face, but it only served to anger him further.

"Please," she gasped, "Logan, please, stop."

The darkness came back with vengeance, as her vision began to narrow until she felt her eyes roll into her skull and her body went slack.

*

Through the rage and the fear, Logan could sense something. Something was wrong.

Beneath him, his enemy had gone limp and death was finally his to exact. He bared his teeth and prepared to tear the throat out of the beast, when his wolf's growl tore through him as the heady scent of blood filled his nostrils.

He was coated in it, his enemy had put up a good fight, had hurt him, but it was more than that - more than the physical wounds that hurt.

Something wasn't right.

*

Air rushed back into J's lungs as Logan finally released her. Her eyes fluttered open to the very moment Logan realised who she was - and what he'd just done.

"Jos'..." he gasped, arms automatically reaching for her, but she flinched and dove out of the bed, slamming her spine against the nearest wall as her hands clamoured at her throat.