LUCAS

Challenge him. Rip him apart.

My wolf''s snarling has occupied the majority of my short flight to White Peak, getting closer to the man who''s tasted my mate in ways that he never should have.

My phone''s off, because I don''t know what I''ll do if he calls.

The primal part of me is incensed, wanting to sink my teeth into his throat and tear it out, savoring every drop of the blood that spurts, content in knowing his soul has departed this world.

But the rest of me recognizes that Clayton is my friend and ally.

What am I supposed to do with all these fucking feelings tripping me up inside? Having Ava back is supposed to make everything easier. Make things simple.

In my absence, will she begin to doubt my words?

If she sees Clayton, would she choose me over him?

I don''t have that confidence.

The fated bond between us is my only advantage. That, and the distance I can maintain between her and the alpha I trust with the honor of my entire pack.

I can never let her return to Cedarwood.

There''s no way in hell I''ll lose the little advantage I have.

As the plane touches down, I take a deep breath, trying to center myself. I know Clayton will be waiting at the airport to personally escort me to the Blackwood pack lands. I can''t let him see the turmoil raging inside me. I have to maintain control.

Even knowing that, it''s a losing battle. Every step I take through the terminal feels like a countdown to an inevitable confrontation. My wolf paces restlessly beneath my skin, eager for blood. I clench my fists, my nails digging into my palms as I fight to keep the shift at bay.

Mine, my wolf growls. She is ours. No one else can have her.

To him, Clayton is nothing more than competition. My wolf may look at other alphas with respect, but he never looks at them with friendship.

Help. The word feels like a slap in the face. Like he isn''t here to get a chance to see her. Like he has any right to be involved in Ava''s life.

Fuck. Jealousy, that fickle little bitch, just won''t stop. Clayton really is here to help. He''s been helping this entire time, hasn''t he? There''s no point trying to assign ulterior motives to his actions. We can''t get past this situation if I''m going to be like this.

He touched her, my wolf growls again, the memory of Ava''s confession ringing in my ears. He had his hands on what''s ours.

I close my eyes, fighting back the shift that threatens to overtake me. I can''t lose control. Not here, not now.

"I appreciate you coming to help with Blackwood," I force out, the words tasting like ash on my tongue. "But Ava is my responsibility. My mate. I''ll handle things with her myself."

Clayton glances over at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "She''s not marked, Lucas. You know as well as I do that until she bears your bite, she''s fair game."

A low growl rumbles in my chest, my wolf clawing at the inside of my skin, desperate to break free. Mine, he snarls. She''s mine.

"She''s my fated," I snap, my control slipping. "I won''t let anyone else have her. Not even you."

The words hang in the air between us, heavy with implication. Clayton''s jaw clenches, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

"That choice is for her to make. I have no intention of interfering, but I won''t step back if she wants something else, Lucas."

My mate, my wolf snarls in my head.

My jaw aches from grinding my teeth together, my fingers aching as they''ve been clenched into fists too long. Every instinct screams to lash out, to put Clayton in his place. To make it clear that Ava is mine.

But I can''t. Not if I want any chance with her.

We won''t let him have a chance, I promise my wolf. We''ll keep her close. Make her ours in every way that matters.

My wolf settles slightly at that, appeased by the vow. I take a deep breath, trying to rein in my temper.

Clayton''s right, but that doesn''t mean I have to like it.

The rest of the drive passes in suffocating silence, the miles stretching out like an endless chasm. By the time we reach White Peak, my nerves are frayed to the breaking point, my wolf pacing restlessly beneath my skin.