Savage Bonds

Better Luck Next Time Brenner

Not a casual peck.

A real kiss, deep and possessive, right there in front of everyone. Marking his territory in their bar, with their pack members watching.

The growl that erupted from Luka's throat was primal, making several nearby pack members step back in alarm. His hands clenched into fists, claws threatening to emerge. The glass in his hand shattered, beer and blood mixing as the shards bit into his palm.

He didn't feel it. All he felt was rage and something that felt suspiciously like heartbreak. What the hell?

"Luka, what the f**k? Stop." Jake warned, grabbing his arm. "Think about what you're doing."

But Luka wasn't thinking. He was feeling rage, confusion, and a bone-deep possessiveness he'd never experienced before. All he knew was that watching Asher Morgan kiss Juni Sullivan made him want to tear the other alpha apart.

"I'm going over there," he declared, his voice barely human.

"To do what?" Jake demanded. "Start a pack war because Juni's dating outside the pack?"

"They're dating?" Luka snarled. He couldn't explain why that mattered or the way his chest felt like it was caving in. "She's in our pack."

"And? Since when do you care about pack members dating outside?" Jake's voice was careful. "You didn't even remember her?"

That was the problem. Luka didn't understand his reaction. Didn't understand why seeing Asher's hands on Juni made his wolf rage.

Why did it feel like something precious was being ripped away from him?

All he knew was that he needed to get over there. Needed to get Asher away from her. Needed to...what? He didn't even know.

"Luka!" Lauren appeared at his side again, her face flushed with anger. "Are you seriously blowing me off?"

"Not now, Lauren," he growled, not taking his eyes off the pool table.

Juni had pulled back from the kiss, laughing at something Asher said. The sound carried across the bar and it made his chest tighten with an emotion he couldn't name.

"Are you kidding me?" Lauren hissed. "You're about to start something with Riverside over her?"

But Luka was already moving, driven by instinct rather than logic.

He couldn't stand there and watch Asher Morgan touch her for one more second.

The crowd parted as Luka stalked across the bar, his wolf bleeding through in the predatory grace of his movements. Pack members pressed against walls, recognizing the danger in their future alpha's eyes.

"Luka, don't!" Jake's warning fell on deaf ears.

Juni noticed him approaching before Asher did. Her laughter died, replaced by something Luka couldn't read. Wariness? Annoyance? She straightened, her body language shifting from relaxed to alert in an instant.

"Well, well," Asher said, finally noticing Luka's approach. He didn't remove his arm from Juni's waist; if anything, he pulled her closer. "Look who decided to grace us with his presence. The mighty heir himself."

"Morgan." Luka's voice was more growl than words. "What are you doing in my territory?"

"Your territory?" Asher's smile was all teeth. "Last I checked, this was neutral ground. Open to all packs, remember? Or have the rules changed since this morning?"

Luka's eyes tracked to where Asher's hand rested on Juni's hip, and fresh rage surged through him. "Get your hands off her."

The bar went silent. Even the music seemed to pause as if the universe itself was holding its breath.

Juni's eyes flashed with something dangerous. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Luka said, not breaking eye contact with Asher. "He needs to take his hands off you. Now."

"Who the f**k do you think you are?" Luka could sense the rage building in her.

"I'm your alpha. He needs to leave. Now."

Juni laughed in his face. "Oh, Luka, you aren't my anything. And you aren't the alpha yet anyway. You like to leave that to daddy, huh?"

"I'm..." Luka started, then stopped. What was he? Not her alpha. Not her mate. Not even her friend. Just the entitled asshole who'd barely acknowledged her existence until five minutes ago.

"He's nobody," Asher put his two cents in, his smirk widening. "Just another Silver Ridge alpha who thinks he owns everything he sees. Isn't that right, Brenner?"

"Watch your mouth," Luka snarled.

"Or what?" Asher stepped forward, matching Luka's aggressive stance. "You'll start a fight in a neutral bar? Break the treaty your father worked so hard to maintain? All because you're having a temper tantrum over a girl you've never even spoken to?"

"I've spoken to her," Luka said, though even to his own ears it sounded weak.

"Oh really?" Juni's laugh was sharp, mocking. "When exactly? This morning when you couldn't even remember my name?"

The words hit their mark. Shame mixed with the rage, creating a toxic cocktail in his chest.

"Juni.."

She held up a hand, her dark eyes blazing. "Don't. You don't get to come over here acting like some territorial alpha when you've spent years pretending I don't exist."

"Now he remembers your name," Elora said with a sharp laugh. "Only took watching another alpha kiss you to jog his memory."

The words hit like cold water. Elora, sweet, friendly Elora, who'd never had a harsh word for anyone, was looking at him with open disdain. When had he become the villain in this story?

Juni stepped closer, and Luka caught her scent—coffee, vanilla, and something wild underneath that made his wolf whine. "Tell me, Luka Brenner, what's my last name?"

The question hung in the air. Luka's mind raced. Sullivan. Jake had told him. Juni Sullivan. But the hesitation was enough.

"That's what I thought." Her smile was bitter. "You can't even answer a basic question about me, but you think you have the right to dictate who I spend time with?"

"The lady has a point," Asher said, clearly enjoying himself. "Maybe you should run back to your little fan club. I'm sure Lauren's wondering where you went."

At the mention of Lauren's name, Luka's attention flickered to where she stood by the bar, watching the scene unfold with a mixture of hurt and fury on her face.

"This isn't about Lauren," Luka said.

"No s**t," Juni said flatly. "This is about your ego. The great Luka Brenner can't handle seeing something he ignored suddenly wanted by someone else." She tilted her head, studying him. "What is it? Bruised pride? Did the big bad alpha from Riverside make you feel threatened?"

"You don't understand!"

"I understand perfectly. You're having a territorial pissing contest in the middle of a neutral bar because your pride can't handle that you can't have someone just because you're Luka Brenner. Even though you never wanted me in the first place."

The truth of it burned. She was right. He hadn't wanted her, hadn't even seen her until someone else did. What kind of alpha did that make him?

"Nothing to say?" Juni asked, her voice dripping with disdain. "That's a first."

"I think we're done here," Asher interjected smoothly, his hand sliding to Juni's lower back. "How about that dance baby girl?"

Juni turned towards Asher and smiled. "Lead the way."

"Juni, wait." Luka reached for her arm.

She jerked away before he could touch her. "Don't." The single word carried enough venom to make him freeze. "You don't get to ignore me for years and then suddenly decide I matter because another alpha wants me."

"Juni..."

"Save it." She turned her back on him completely.

Asher shot Luka a triumphant look over Juni's shoulder as he took her hand. "Better luck next time, Brenner."

Luka stood frozen, watching them walk away. The crowd parted for them, whispers already spreading through the bar as the future alpha of Silver Ridge had just been publicly dismissed.

"Dude," Jake said quietly beside him. "That was brutal."

On the dance floor, Asher pulled Juni against him, one hand on her waist, the other intertwining with hers. She melted into him like she'd been waiting for someone to hold her like that.

"Luka?" Lauren's voice was sharp beside him. "Are you seriously just going to stand there and stare?"

He was. He couldn't move. Couldn't think. Could only watch as Asher whispered something in Juni's ear that made her laugh

"I warned you," Jake muttered. "I told you to leave it alone."

The music shifted to something slower, and Juni moved closer to Asher, her head tilting up to look at him. The smile on her face was radiant, uninhibited in a way Luka had never seen.

"Come on," Lauren tugged at his arm. "You're making a fool of yourself."

But Luka couldn't look away. Couldn't stop watching as another alpha held what every instinct in his body screamed was his.

For the first time in his life, Luka Brenner knew exactly what it felt like to be completely, utterly powerless.

And it was killing him.