Page 86 of Forced Alpha Bride
“How you doing over there, pup?” she mocks. “Feeling okay?”
I growl low in my throat as my eyes follow her. She’s staying back, trying to force me to rush her again.
Then she’ll just smack me until I can’t get up and tear my throat out.
I shift back to my human shape, slowly turning so I can keep my eyes on her. “You going to stay all the way over there, or are you going to fight me?”
Regina laughs. “You’re a fool, Damon. Taunting me won’t work. Not like it does on you, anyway.”
I rush towards her while she’s talking, hoping to catch her off guard. Coming in with precise hits and kicks, I use all my strength and speed in a combination attack that should be unstoppable.
She blocks most of my hits, spinning and turning as her hands flash out to intercept mine. Right at the end of my attack, I manage to land a hard punch across her chin. She staggers away as blood splashes from her mouth.
She’s not invulnerable, and she’s slower than I am. She must have put everything into that first hit. She won’t be able to keep it up.
Regina spits blood, recovering quickly and facing me again. She keeps her hands up, flat and straight like steel blades as she rocks a little on the balls of her feet, putting her weight back on her heels.
We dance for a few seconds before I rush in, aiming a kick at her head. She blocks it, and my other hand smashes into her ribs. When she buckles over, spraying blood from her mouth, I swing downwards and kick her legs out from under her.
Regina hits the ground with her shoulders, letting out a large grunt as the wind is knocked out of her lungs and her skull hits the stones. I leap to land on top of her, but she throws her legs up and tosses me straight over her.
With a duck and roll, I come up on my feet, turning to see her getting up, her eyes beginning to glow with the power of her wolf.
Blood pours from her mouth, staining her chin. I can see her white fangs gleaming between her lips, and her fingers are sharpening into claws as I watch.
“Always meant to tell you something, Damon,” she mutters. “You were a weak, whiny little brat, you know that?”
I clench my fists, squaring up.
I won’t let her get to me.
“I should have driven you out of town the second Sara brought you back with her. Roderick, though, had a soft spot for Sara. Couldn’t forget how her grandfather helped him win his place and run the council. Until he died, of course. Very mysterious how all of his family died, in fact.”
She cackles, catching my eye with a mad, unhinged look.
Did she really…?
“People just shouldn’t go wandering alone in the woods,” she says casually. “Especially when those assassins from Valentine Creek are everywhere, always waiting to kill the innocent and unwary.”
I glare at her. “You’re out of your fucking mind!”
“Oh, I’m quite sane. I’m the only sane one here,” she says, her voice carrying around the circle. “All I want is to protect us from Valentine Creek. From scum like you.”
She smiles, and through the splattered blood on her face, it’s a horrible expression. I know she’s just attempting to keep whatever support she has in the crowd, so I try to ignore her.
Regina takes a few steps closer to me, flicking her eyes around to make sure we’re not too close to the crowd.
“When I stalked your mother through the forest, I was coming for both of you,” she whispers. “Finding her without her brat was a disappointment, but I hoped you were already dead. Or at least, not stupid enough to ever come back here!”
A cold shock runs through me, freezing my heart in my chest and making me gasp for air.
“You didn’t,” I choke out. “You didn’t kill my mother!”
“But I did,” she says so quietly that only I can hear. “Roderick was too soft on her—on you. I had to step up and take care of it. At least right now, I have my chance to finish what I started all those years ago.”
A horrible roar rips out of my mouth as I lunge at Regina. She laughs, stepping back out of my way as I frantically try to grab her or land a hit. When I finally stumble forward, she kicksme in the back, and I end up with a mouthful of dirt when my face hits the stones.
I flip over immediately, seeing her heel coming for my neck. I barely have time to get away, rolling against the ground and springing to my feet.
