Page 95 of My Grumpy Alpha

“You’re a werewolf.”

Gabe laughs.

“He’s your long-lost brother and no, I’m not doing this to torture you, it’s just the hierarchy of the pack, kind of like how I introduced you to your assistant knowing that you’d have zero control. It worked so well. So give us something, fix what’s been broken, this pack has been broken for years and you might be the answer, or maybe it’s Xavier. In the end, we need leadership from blood, and we need to reestablish ourselves. So…what will you do, Eli? Will you walk away, will you run? Or will you do something real for the first time in your life, will you fight for your mate?”

I open my mouth only to have Ava shove me aside.

“No. He won’t. But I’ll fight for mine.”

"You?” Xavier laughs.

“Wow, seriously? You think you can beat me? Me? You know, I really liked you at one point, wanted to help you, pull you away from that guy and now you want to fight me? Me?”

She lifts her chin.

“I’ll destroy you.”

“How do you know?” Xavier laughs.

“You’re a woman.”

She grins.

“Exactly.”

Chapter 32

Protect What Is Mine

AVA

It was a bad idea, challenging him, maybe I was still dealing with a concussion, but I didn’t want to back down.

I wanted to protect Eli.

Protect the boy from the forest.

The one that protected me.

That promised me.

I stare down Xavier.

"So, it’s come to you and me fighting all because what? You want power? You want what?”

"Everything,” he says clearly, his blue eyes focused on mine.

“Eli was born into the pack but had a human mom, he’s not worthy, and he knows it, and yet he still was able to rise to where he’s at now, and honestly he doesn’t deserve to be Alpha.”

I laugh.

“Wow, have you ever thought that he really doesn’t care?”

Gabe chimes in.

“It’s in his blood, it doesn’t matter, eventually he’ll get called back and eventually he’ll have to challenge the new leader. It’show this works, so whether we kidnapped you or brought you here on your own—this has to happen, there has to be a winner and a loser and I say this as an adoptive brother who loves him. It was time.”

“Wonder why he had so much anger management therapy?”