Page 58 of My Unbearable Mate

She can’t shift, my bear reminded me. He’s either going to make a fool or a meal out of her.

I didn’t have time to think about why the fuck she couldn’t access her bear because my own animal was about to make an appearance. I had only seconds to get my clothes off before Edgar lunged at my mate.

She jerked back, her eyes wide with terror, and her hand over her heart. She was all I could see as my vision tunneled, and everything I knew about being a human melted into pure animal form.

Now Edgar’s attention was squarely on me.

“Just like old times,” he had the balls to say.

“Hardly.” My heart ached for those long-gone days as I stalked toward him. Fuck, I didn’t want to do this. If I won this fight, the clan would belong to me. At one point in my life, I would’ve done anything to have the alpha title. But now that was the last thing I wanted. “This is about respect.”

“You should’ve thought of that before you left, Bellamy.” He took his first swipe at me, narrowly missing my head. Back in the day when we fought for the same side, Edgar was smaller than me, but much faster. I was the big guy who either no one wanted to fight, or some hotshot wanted to take out as a trophy.

Edgar and I had made a great team, complimenting each other’s strengths. I swerved to avoid contact, and he bared his teeth at me as he rose to his hind legs.

Fuck. There was no avoiding this. I’d hoped to get away with a few shoves and some growly threats.

It’s his pack to lose, I reminded myself.

I had only seconds to make eye contact with Clover. The magic that swirled around her was even more tangible now, like a pastel force field. Her lips were parted in horror, but she managed a nod. I hoped that meant she knew what I wanted her to do, because I had six hundred pounds of pissed-off grizzly coming at me.

He grunted as I absorbed the impact. Our arms were locked, and there were people calling out to us, but I couldn’t hear them. Couldn’t afford to look away.

My diligence didn’t stop Edgar from sinking his teeth into my forearm. The pain that ignited through my veins confirmed that the sickening snap was a broken bone.

Blood blossomed at the spot, soaking my fur. I caught the fist that came for my head with that same arm, and Edgar pushed it back.

I was seeing stars. I hadn’t planned for a scenario where I lost this fight, and there was no telling how this victor would take his spoils.

I managed to get a clear shot at his ribs, knocking him back, away from my broken arm. This was my best chance to gain control over him. Edgar was still faster than me, but he didn’t take time to think things through. It had always made him vulnerable as a fighter. He had a bad reputation as someone who couldn’t finish.

I ran into him, both of us grunting as I fell to the ground with him. My broken arm wasn’t my dominant one, thank every star in the sky for that.

I had him pinned down, and I closed my paw on his neck, letting my claws break his skin. His eyes bulged, but he wasn’t giving in. The bear thrashed beneath me, almost strong enough to throw me off him.

But almost wasn’t good enough.

“What do you want?” I growled. “You have one chance to tell me before I puncture your windpipe.”

“You won’t do it.” He wheezed. “This entire clan will turn against you.”

“They already have, according to you,” I reminded him. “And not one of them has stepped forward to fight for their alpha.”

His body tensed at the realization, then went still. I didn’t envy Edgar. Clover had suggested he was a weak alpha, and it looked like she was right.

How could he possibly be strong when all the promises made to him had been built on lies?

Unless he knew the truth. All of it. The secrets behind the locket, and why Clover had been sent to me.

“I want you to leave this land,” Edgar said. “And never even think of Clover Crowley again.”

“I can do one of those things.” I closed the grip tighter on his neck. “But I won’t let anyone take anything from my mate again. Not her magic, and certainly not her free will. Anyone who tries to do that will answer to me. And next time, I won’t let them off with a warning.”

I pushed myself off his body. It was a risky move. Edgar was too busy gasping for air to spring to his feet.

The rest of the clan stood frozen in place. They might have thought I was a traitor, but none of them wanted to fight me.

But I wouldn’t give them the chance to change their minds. I lumbered out of there, each step hurting more than the last. A shift would probably fix the bone, but the break was clean, and it might carry over to my human form.

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