90

"You're quite the spit fire aren't you?" Maddox chuckles, wiping the blood from his nose.

"Can't handle the heat?" I taunt, trying not to laugh at his glare.

"Can't handle the...I'm taking it easy on you." He argues, circling with me.

"You sure? You seem a little out of breath, do you need to take like a fifteen minute break?" I mockingly ask him.

Despite being strangers, he reminds me a lot of Dom. Big and tough on the outside, but under the surface is a whole other person. Then again, I don't know him.

"I'm not out of breath!" He splutters in rage, absolutely appalled.

I couldn't help but grin at the look on his face.

Maddox swings for me, an attack that I swiftly dodge, dropping into a crouch and sharply kicking my leg out. He jumps over my leg, assuming he's bettered me when I twist my body to the right, bringing up my left leg and hooking my foot behind his knee. One yank, and I drag the Alpha down onto one knee.

"Not bad." He comments, brown eyes amused.

With a hard kick, I let my foot collide with his face. Hard enough to send his head back, without breaking any bones. Maddox grunts, quickly reaching for me as I rush to my feet, recovering in a split second from the blow.

He grabs my arm, yanking me harshly towards it. All at once he renders me useless, his legs pinning mine, a single hand restraining my arms behind my back, while his other hand grips my jaw to control my head.

Our chests heave, and I stare up at Maddox with a raised eyebrow.

"Perhaps I will take you up on that offer." Maddox finally says, offering a slight smile.

Before I can respond, a brutal force slams into Maddox. I freeze for a moment, shock filling me as Maddox drags me to the ground with him. My body hits his, and we both grunt in surprise.

"What the fuck!?" Maddox seethes, eyes blood red as he realises his nose is broken.

As I scramble to get off of Maddox, a rough hand yanks me to my feet, his grip hurting my bicep.

"What are you doing?" I growl, sharply glaring up at the livid beast in front of me. Who does he think he is?

So he gets to go out and have breakfast with his ex, and I'm not allowed to train with another Alpha, in order for the pack to gain?

"Get inside." Hardin orders me, that icy Alpha command having zero affect on me.

The sheer fact that he's ordering me to do it, like I'm just another wolf right now, infuriates me. The amount of times he's belittled me this past month, and I've let it slide, this one isn't going to go down the same way.

"Don't touch me." I spit, yanking myself away from his hand as if he'd burnt me.

That pisses him off more, Hardin's eyes grow dark. He hates that I'm denying him, hates that I'm making a scene in front of another Alpha.

"Let me know what you decide, I'd love to train with you again." I tell Maddox, making it clear that he should leave before Hardin looses his shit completely and screws this all up.

"No problem, I'll be in touch within the week." Maddox gives me a nod, grabbing his shirt and heading back to the cars waiting for him.

I could feel the explosion ready to come, the fury, the territorial male that wants only to claim what is rightfully his.

"You're not an errand boy, you're a Alpha." I state icily, facing Hardin without a flinch of fear. At least Lorelei couldn't do this, she will never not fear his wrath.

"I suggest next time you lie to me, you make sure the whore you're sneaking off with knows how to keep her cum dumpster shut." I sneer, glaring right into his angry crimson glower.

He stands rigged, neck tinged scarlet with temper. Had I been anyone else, he'd take my head off without second thought.

"Oh shit." I heard Zed and Beck snorting with laughter, unable to contain themselves despite the serious tension rising between me and Hardin.

"I told you I was going to run errands-"

"WITH YOUR EX, HARDIN. You think you have the right to be angry because I was training with another Alpha? The Alpha that you agreed to make a deal with, and failed to show up because you were too busy with her!" I screamed it at him, angrily pointing to the silent female behind him.

Too close to him for my liking.

"Are you done?" Hardin breathes through gritted teeth, sharp grey eyes full of rage staring down at me.

My chest heaves up and down, my emotions torn between sadness, hurt, and anger, resentment. I hate that he's looking at me like I'm the one causing a big scene for nothing.

"Go fuck yourself." I growl menacingly.

Hardin grabs the back of my neck, attempting to draw me closer in some attempt to either control me, or calm me down. The second he touches me, the cage to my anger flies open.

"DON'T TOUCH ME." I seethe, my teeth grinding together as every bone in my body becomes rigged.

"Don't touch you?...You belong to me, every part of you is mine, and mine alone." Hardin's husky voice is low, malicious as his hand grabs my ass and draws me impossibly close to his body.

Making it clear to me, and the entire pack just who I belong to. I'll admit, his dominance is something I miss at times. I can only imagine what Lorelei's face looks like right now.

"I'm not playing second to anyone." I whisper icily, his face directly above mine, I could feel his every breath hitting my face.

Hardin snarls lowly, his entire body rumbling with hot anger. In a flash he grabs me and tosses me over his shoulder, I gasp in surprise, freezing as he storms into the house and up the steps.

What the hell is he doing?

"Put me-" I didn't get to finish, I didn't need to.

Hardin drops me on my feet, and slams the bedroom door shut behind us. I immediately realise what he's doing, and I begin to back away.

"I'm not having sex with you right now, are you deranged?!" I snap at him.

Suddenly I feel smaller, and Hardin continues to glower with rage even as he removes his shirt. Movement calm, as if he isn't about to do something purely out of instinct.

My heart races slightly, despite having seen him naked many times, I always find myself a little stunned. His shoes, socks, suit trousers and underwear are all on the floor before he reaches me.

I couldn't find words at I stare at him, his lean, muscular body radiating dominance and the urge to claim his territory.

"You are mine to claim, Katalayha." His husky growl rumbles through the room, and although he's still furious, his words are promising.

"I- what are you doing?" I gasp, trying to pull free of his grip as he places my arms behind my back, standing tall.