War of Hearts (True Immortality 1)

His eyes flashed with anger. “You’re my mate and my pack member. The offense was against me.”

Okay, no way. Thea’s hands flew to her hips. “Oh, I’m sorry, was it you who felt the agony of Ashforth’s iron concoction being injected into you or the despair of being handed over to your tormentor, all for cash?”

Conall slammed the fridge door shut and whirled to glare at her. “No, but it was me left behind panicking about your whereabouts.” He strode toward her, his furious expression probably menacing to anyone but her. Still it was intimidating enough she had to force herself to stay put as he bristled and towered over her. A bleakness entered his eyes. “It was me who watched Devon Ashforth plunge a fucking iron dagger into your heart. It was me who had to bite you all the while not knowing if it would save you. It was me sitting in a car with my sister, you dying on my back seat, contemplating if I’d be able to fucking go on if the change didn’t work and I lost you. And all of that, Thea love,” he bent his head to whisper angrily against her lips, “happened because Richard Canid kidnapped you.”

Thea stared up at Conall’s anguished expression and knew how it felt to watch that vamp back in Oslo stick the silver blade in his neck. She remembered what it was like to feel her mate’s pulse fade and the terror at the idea of a life without him.

She reached for his face, her fingers caressing his scarred cheek. “You’re right. He did do that to you.”

Thinking that was it, Conall relaxed into her touch, lifted her hand from his cheek, pressed his lips to her wrist, and then turned back to the kitchen to finish making the coffee.

Thea took a deep breath and then exhaled. “But I still think I should be the one to Challenge him.”

Conall’s back was to her but she watched his shoulders tense as he stared at the kitchen cabinet in front of him. “Fucking save me from alpha females,” he muttered.

“I heard that.”

Turning around, it was his turn to sigh as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the counter. “Fine. Explain.”

She smiled because this was one of the reasons she loved Conall. He might be an alpha, but he was fair-minded, and he didn’t bulldoze people with his opinions or feelings. “Okay, my first reason is pretty basic. I hate the little shit and I want to put him in his place.”

Her mate conceded that with a nod.

“My second reason is that I think the clan needs to know that I’m a worthy addition to your pack. I know you’re alpha and it’s your pack. I don’t expect you to consult me on pack business. I’m new,” she shrugged, “and I get there’s a hierarchy here. But I’m also your mate and I want to share your burdens. I want you to value my opinion.”

“You know I do,” he said, his voice gruff.

She smiled. “Then the pack needs to know that too. They need to know that I’m not your wife. I’m your mate. There’s a difference. I’m here to stay forever. And they need to understand what that means. If I take on Canid in a Challenge, I think that will help pave my way to finding my place among the pack.”

He was silent a second and then he seemed to begrudgingly agree. “You have a natural understanding of pack mentality already, Thea.”

Confident she was making headway, she moved around the island toward him. “My third reason is that if you challenge Richard, you know he won’t back down and you’ll end up killing him, Conall. You’ll want to because I know if he’d done to you what he did to me, I’d want to kill him. The alliance with Peter is too important to jeopardize, and killing Richard will create a barrier between you and his father.”

Pushing off the counter, Conall came to her, encircling her waist to pull her against him. Thea tilted her head back to meet his eyes. “Everything you say is true,” he admitted, “but what you failed to add is that you’ve been a wolf for two days, Thea. Yes, you’re a natural. Brianna said she’s never seen anyone make the change and adjust to it not only physically but mentally as well as you have.” His eyes smiled. “I’m not surprised. You are and will always be the strongest person I’ve ever known.”

She melted against him at the compliment.

“But you’re still new. Too new to jump into a fight as a wolf.”

Understanding his reasoning, even if chafed, Thea agreed but added, “That’s why I’ll fight him as me. In this body. And I won’t kill him, but I’ll put him on his ass and that’ll be it, dealt with.”