The Alpha’s Only Daughter

Chapter 18

Zane’s POV

I was waiting on the field in my human form for the others so that I could show them how badly this pack needed to train when Layla came bounding up to me with a furrowed brow.

“Hey, is everything okay? You never came back after your patrol.”

I realized that I probably should have had Lou mind-link her to tell her what was about to happen.

I grinned and kissed her on the cheek, “I’m sorry I didn’t let you know. We can’t mind-link in human form yet due to the lack of marking, otherwise I would have. I’m going to show Lou that this entire pack needs to be trained.”

She gently scoffed and looked at me like I was crazy, “Why? Our pack is a bunch of nobodies with very little to offer.”

I cupped her cheek, “You’re here. You’re not a nobody.”

“Look, I understand that to a prince, training is important in a kingdom. But our defense is strong. They were strong enough to hold you down that first night.” She took my hand from her cheek and held it. “And while I’m somebody to you, it doesn’t mean that this pack is desirable to outside forces in any way.”

I sighed, “The original settlers of this land thought that they had nothing to offer, yet they were pillaged by those bandits right before the Goddess gave the gift of the wolf. You will be a princess and are already a leader of this pack. You are much more valuable than you think.”

She stepped back away from me, “Don’t use our origin story against me or as an excuse fo build an army.”

“I don’t want an army. Just a solid defense.”

“We have one.”

“You really don’t.”

She looked like she was about to rip my head off when Lou came up with the others.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to break up this lovers’s spat. Just needed to prove Zane wrong about our pack’s training.”

She looked at him and then me, “Yeah, you and me both.”

Lou sucked in a breath and blew it out with a cocky smile, “Seems your opinion may be outvoted, Zane. Is this even necessary now?”

I nodded, “That may be true. But according to Layla, who will not accept that she is the true Alpha of this pack, has made me Alpha. So we should at least test my theory before dismissing it.”

Layla snarled at me and I could tell she was mad. But I knew I was right. This pack was not ready for even one Lycan, much less an army of werewolves. Or worse, my brother’s Lycan army.

Lou just looked at me shaking his head, “As you wish, Alpha.”

I stripped down and shifted. His men did the same.

“I’ll make it easy on you and only sick three werewolves on you for now. If you can handle more, maybe I’ll call more over,” Lou said in his human form.

I watched the three wolves begin to circle me. I saw every twitch, every muscle move. One by one, they got a little closer.

The first one, an almost fully black haired wolf with a white stripe from his chin to his chest tried to attack me. But he left his front leg open and I took him by the leg and flipped him in an instant. A yelp of surprise came out as he landed on his back a few feet away.

The second and third came at me together and I quickly grabbed one by his exposed neck and threw him into the other wolf.

The first wolf came back at me and I dived nose first in between his front two legs and then stood up, throwing him up in the air and to the side.

As the second and third wolf came back to attack me again, I currently turned to the side and used my massive body and essentially hip-checked them which sent them both tumbling back again.

I heard another growl and turned to see my beautiful mate in her wolf form.

Mate, you don’t want to try this, I mind-linked to her.

Don’t tell me what I want, she snarled.

I felt like she could probably feel my exasperation, but I knew I couldn’t stop her.

Okay, then try.

As I said the words she came barreling toward me. She tried using the trick I initially used on the first black wolf, but I jumped to side step her and used that opportunity to flip her from the side where her chest dips upward.

She got up and shook it off. She circled me and when I looked around, I saw that the others had already shifted back.

Layla took that opportunity to grab me by my back leg to try and whisk me off my feet. But I was too heavy and she only manage to lift my hindquarters.

I jerked free and snapped back. She crouched low and growled at me. I rolled to take her off guard and then barreled directly into her catching her off balance.

I got on top of her and growled. She tried snapping at me and rotating to get out from underneath me but I took some of her neck into my mouth and gritted down. She whimpered. I growled again.

Submit, I said.

No, she snarled.

Submit now! I do not want to hurt you.

She tried squirming away again, but I bit down even harder.

You’re hurting me!

You attacked me, I defended myself.

Fine! I submit.

I let go of her neck and stepped away. She got up and then shifted, giving me the death glare the whole time.

I shifted back myself and quickly dressed. They stood and stared at me like I was the enemy. “I know none of you are happy about this new revelation, but this was necessary for the safety of the pack.”

Layla audibly growled.

Lou reached out and touched her arm. I didn’t enjoy another male touching my mate, but I let it slide. “Layla, he needs to train us.”

“Lou, we are fully capable—!”

“We are not. Look at your pack. Look at you! You’re hurt, they’re hurt. And Zane is unscratched and not even breathing hard. This was easy for him. People in our pack have died and we still don’t know why.” He looked over at me and sighed, “I don’t like being wrong either, but I think we’re fighting the wrong side here, Layla. Any extra training will keep our entire pack safe—whether a threat comes or not.”

She was breathing hard and looked like she was holding back tears. She sniffled and then quietly said, “Did I drop the ball on this?”

My heart ached. I never thought that by questioning the extent of the training, she would take it as me questioning her leadership abilities. I just wanted to make everything right. I just wanted to keep her safe.

Lou shook his head, “No. We didn’t need training like this before. No one could have prepared you for that fact. And no one in this pack could have adequately trained us anyway.”

She nodded and then looked at me, “Okay, you can have your training.”

I shook my head, “Layla, I’m so sorry. I never meant—.”

She stopped me, “No, I’m sorry for not looking past my pride. Please train us. For our pack’s safety.”

I nodded, “We’ll begin this afternoon.”