bChapter /bb270 /b

    bChapter /bb270 /b

    bPiper /b

    bI’m /bbnot /bsure I like the excited, almost maniacal grin on Alpha Quirin’s face when he walks out rubbing his hands togetherb. /b

    “Alright! Let’s see what they’re teaching you Academy brats these days,” he says. “Kennedy says I’m not supposed to put byou /bbin /bthe hospital but since she AND Luna Yara are here, I feel confident that any damage I do can be undone.”

    With

    Word spread quickly that we wanted to spar Alpha Quirin and since everyone heard about what happened to Alpha Christer byesterday /bmost, if not all, of the pack warriors not currently on patrol, are here to watch.

    “So, how do you want to do this? Do you want me to take on all four

    of you

    at once?” he asks.

    bI /bfrown.

    “No. Then we wouldn’t be able to tell how we do individually against you,” Zach says and the rest of us agree.

    “Okay, who’s first?” he asks.

    “You choose,” Chase says.

    He looks the four of us over quickly then points to me. “Piper.”

    Of course he picked me. I thought that maybe he’d be different than other Alphas and treat me as an equal, but I guess not. As usual, my

    mouth starts to run before I can stop it.

    “Picking the easiest target first, Alpha” I snap, stepping forward. I’ll show him ‘easy‘

    He stills, tilting his head at me. “I’m very fast, even by Alpha standards, but I’m not as fast as most she–wolves. In my experience, sheb–/bbwolves /bwho know how to fight well use their smaller stature, their speed, and their agility, which is almost always better than a male warrior’sb, /bto their advantage. I chose you first because I see you as my biggestpetitor in this group.”

    “Oh,” I say, startled at his words.

    “Oh,” he says, giving me a look that says I shouldn’t underestimate him again. Then he settles into a stance that isn’t exactly offensive, but it isn’t defensive either. “Don’t prove me wrong.”

    While I’m still trying to figure out if he’s taking offense or defense, he leaps at me. I duck quickly out of the way, instinct kicking in as I punch out, connecting with his hip.

    “I see I was right,” he says, the excitement of the fight back in his eyes.

    “Get him, Hellfire!” Zach says.

    “Hellfire?” Alpha Quirin asks me.

    “I have a sharp tongue and a bit of a temper,” I say, dodging a punch to the face.

    “I see,” he says, dodging my punch.

    After that, it takes all of my training and focus to spar with him. He doesn’t fight like most Alphas.

    After I tag him again, he steps back.

    bChapter /b270

    bHow /bis it ban /bAlpha female bfrom /bban /bexisting pack bknows /bhow to fight like a huguet, he asks

    “bMy /bfamily took in ba /bbrogue /bgirl when I was byounger/b. bNo /bone else in the pack would bspar /bbwith /bbher/b, so I didb. /bShe taught mener li

    bI /bbtaught /bher mine,” I say, thinking of one of my bvery /bfew friends. Well, Vivienne would bsay /bwe weren’t niende beories reque dans friends. Even though she joined our packb, /bshe’s always considered herself a rogue.

    “My pack of rogues would like you. My daughters would too. You shoulde visit my pack sometime if you’re bgoing /bbto /bbe an alle warrior, it would be good for you to learn how to fight a bit dirtier than you do. My warriors could teach you that

    b“/bThanks. Next time I see Vivienne, I’ll see if I can’t get her toe with me.” I sayi. /i

    “Tell her my pack is made up almost entirely of previous rogues. They’re a different breed of fighter, but we’ve all Be a very lightine family because of Kennedy.”

    I can see the pride in his eyes and on his face when he talks about his mate. Damn, I really hope that I have someone that looks at me like that

    someday.

    “How old were you when Luna Kennedy turned eighteen?”

    “Thirty–one. You’re way too young to give up on the idea of finding your fated mate, if that’s where you’re thoughts are going,” he says as we begin sparring again.

    It was, but I don’t say that.

    “Nice!” he says as I get in another hit. I’mnding hits, but I also realize that while he said he wouldn’t mind putting us in the hospital, he’s pulling his punches. He’s making sure they hurt. He’s making sure that I walk away with enough pain to learn from the lesson, bbut /bhe could have already taken me down and he hasn’t. He’s using this as a teaching exercise.

    Alpha Quirin has more control in his fighting technique than most. I realize that someone with this much control who wanted to make someone suffer for threatening his mate, would be lethal. It gives me a much better idea of how much torture Alpha Christer experienced yesterday.

    I’ve let myself get distracted with that train of thought, and because of it, Alpha Quirin grabs me, pinning my back to his chest with one arm. In this position, he has a free hand able to punch me in the head, the ribs, or the hip easily.

    Before he can do that, I drop my weight, throwing my arms up and sliding down his body and out of his hold. I spin quickly, swinging a leg out and knocking Alpha Quirin off his feet. I let the force of the spin keep me in motion as I rise back up to a standing position.

    I turn just in time to watch Alpha Quirin do some sort of incredible acrobatic stunt where, rather thannding on his back as I intended, he arches his back,nds on his hands, then using his strength and the force of the fall, he flips himself over and back to his feetb, /bsquaring off with ime /ijust as I get to mine.

    “What the fuck? How did you do that?” I ask, stepping back.

    Alpha Quirin grins at me. “Practice. And I knew you’d be toughpetition. I like you. You remind me of me, only nicer. That invitation to bvisit /bmy pack still stands. My warriors would love you,”

    “You just want her to face Kendra and Kaylee. Don’t do it, Piper. It’s a trap!” Alpha Warren says. I didn’t even realize that he’de out to watch us as well.

    “Who are Kendra and Kaylee?”

    “The deadliest three–year–olds you’ve ever met,” Quirin says, obviously very proud of his daughters.

    “Imagine twins that look sweet like my daughter but act like their father. I’m not sure you could get any more deadly than that. bTrust me/bb,/bb” /b

    Warren says.

    bChapter /b270

    b“/bbThey’re /bbonly /bthree, bChase /bbsays/b.

    The bst /bbwarrior /bbwho /bsaid that ended bup /bbon /bthe bground /bbat /btheir bfeet/bb, /bQuirin saysb, /bhis chest bexpanding /bbwith /bbpride/b.

    b“/bDamnb,/bb” /bbZach /bmurmurs.

    “Alright, who’s bnext/bb? /bJust Landon, you’re up.”

    bI /bugh at Alpha Quirin’s name for Landon, but step back, or limp back to stand with Zach.

    He throws an arm around my shoulders. “You did great, Hellfire.”

    “He’s really good,” I say as we watch Quirin square off against Landon.

    “I knew you’d be a smart fighter. And a dirty fighter, too. You’d have to be to get a position at the Academy ahead of Alphas,” Quirin bsays/b, dancing around Landon who also gets his share of hits in.

    By the time we’re done, we’re all limping except Alpha Quirin.

    “Well, that was fun!” he says, making us chuckle.

    “Thank you for not sending anyone to the pack hospital,” Luna Kennedy says, smiling at her mate. His entire demeanor changes as he bstrides /bpurposefully toward his mate, taking her mouth in a very dominant, possessive kiss.

    “I like it when my mate is happy with me,” he growls against her mouth before continuing their kiss.

    Damn. I want that. I want a man who looks at me the way Alpha Quirin looks at Luna Kennedy, the way Alpha Warren looks at bLuna /bYara, the way that Yorick looks at Cyra.

    I want it so much it hurts.

    AD

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