The world seemed to slow down. Vince closed his eyes and clenched his hands, but Brandon went into full panic mode. "Amy I swear I don''t know." He cupped my face. "Please look at me." I growled and shed my eyes again. "Look at me.”


    I snapped my eyes to his. "Do you do this too?" The disgust in my voice was thick.


    Good. Megan nodded. Make him panic. Make them both panic, they will give you what you want.


    I want to kill them. Nix snorted, but I was too far gone tough.


    I know. Megan''s voice was calming. But we need him to agree to ept the rejection.


    I canmand him to do it. He''s weak. But Megan shook her head.


    Amand won''t work. If it did, an alpha couldmand any wolf to reject their goddess given mate. And the goddess wouldn''t allow that to happen. Wolves have to reject their mates from their own free will.


    I wanted to rip them to shreds. Dead men don''t matter. My words were soft but


    Nixid down. That they do not..


    rage


    filled.


    Calm yourselves, sisters. We can kill them once, we are sure. Megan paced. Allow him to think his touch is calming you. Allow Vince to think that Brandon has a little control. Then get what we need, for Lynn.


    I snapped back to Brandon when he leaned into my personal space. His lips kissed my forehead, and I shuddered. I didn''t mean to do it, but I saw Vince perk up. He thought it was interest, when it was actual revulsion.


    "No. Goddess, no." Brandon''s lips were soft as he pressed them against me again. I closed my eyes against his scent. In myst life, him being like this would have ted me. He had once been everything I had ever wanted out of my life. But then he killed our pup and this effort, this love, he was trying to make me feel. It was ash.


    I pulled away, looking lost. "Tell me he doesn''t force females to be his toys."


    Vince looked away as Derek chuckled. He winced, and I saw his fist clench around his shirt. "I don''t need to." I saw Vince rx, felt Brandon release a pent up breath. "I''m a beta. Bitches like you lie t on your backs and spread your legs nice and wide." Vince cuffed his head again, and Derek growled.


    Vince raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything,ughed. "Bitches like me?" I stepped away from Brandon and moved closer to Derek. "You haven''t met a bitch like me." I snarled as I got close. "Do you, or do you not know what a Cath Báis is?"


    Derek looked at Brandon, who was obviously gesturing behind my back. "What?" He chuckled again. "Every bitch is the same." He looked at Vince. "What the fuck does she keep harping about? A Cath Báis? What is it, some kind of mating?" He turned back to me and humped the air.


    Vince groaned, and I smirked. "Aren''t you fucking delightful? But no, a Cath Báis is no mating term. It''s from the oldws. And even though the oldws have been retired, they can still be invoked, can''t they, Alpha Vince?" The anger in my voice was real as I thought of the one he used against my mother.


    He swallowed and then nodded. "Yes, yes, they can be invoked."


    "What the fuck is a Cath Báis?" Derek yelled, oblivious to the tension in the room.


    I stepped forward and smiled. The air in the room dropped, and without realizing it, Derek took a step back. He knew without even realizing it; I was the biggest dog in this fight. "A Cath Báis is a fight to the death." My grin turned predatory.


    Brandon reached for me and pulled me back a step, and Vince stepped between Derek and I. "Now." He started. "I don''t think it''s necessary.


    Before he got any further, Derek, the dumbass, startedughing. He threw back his head with full bellyughs as my words registered. Vince closed his eyes in a defeated looked, he dropped his head and released a sigh. Brandon''s hand tightened around my hand, like he thought that Derekughing at me was going to be the thing that pushed me over the edge.


    "You want to fight me to the death?" Derekughed harder. Tears streamed down his face. "I''m a beta. A trained warrior. And the right-hand man of the next alpha. And you think a little woman who is the vour of the week is going toe into this office and demand my head?" His face fell into angry lines. "You are fucking stupider than I thought."


    I smiled, fangs descending, and I looked at Vince. "You don''t train your dogs well, Vince."


    "Did you fucking call me a dog, whore?" Derek cut in, but I was done with this.


    "Do you know why no one has stepped up for you yet, Derek?" I dragged my hand out of Brandon''s grip. I stepped closer. "Because everyone else knows who the biggest, baddest wolf is in this room." I snapped my fangs. "And it''s not you." Then I released my aura.