Alpha Champion (Wolf Fighters Book 1) by Terry Bolryder Read Free Book Online Page B

somehow his brother’s rude statement was just what he needed to put the fight behind him. He knew it was Jordan’s way of saying he cared. Their middle brother was the most closed off.
    Lucas grinned and then winced at the pain in his chest as he changed to get into the shower. He closed the curtain behind him and ran the hot water over himself, washing away the blood and sweat from the fight. The cuts on his arms had already healed, and though breathing still hurt, he knew it would be gone soon enough.
    He understood why his brothers were upset. He had an incredible pain tolerance that had allowed him to continue to fight, but with most fighters, that would have been a debilitating blow. He could have been killed.
    But thoughts like that were pointless. He had a purpose and he meant to see it through to the end.
    Lucas cleared his mind and thought of Lily. He couldn’t wait to see her again.
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    T hat night there was another party, this time exclusive to the remaining contestants and their families as well as a handful of other special guests.
    The contestants had been cut in half from the day’s fights, and the mood at the party was more serious and somber than the one before.
    Lucas arrived alone, wearing a sharp-looking black suit. The event took place in a small hall in another part of the house, with a small string quartet providing music for the attendees.
    How pretentious , he thought as he scanned the crowd for Lily.
    Lucas weaved through the small groups of people until he found her. He suppressed a growl when he saw she was accompanied by two large men with dark curly hair and gray eyes that seemed to be watching her every move. But when she saw him, she touched one of the men on the arm, whispered something to him, and the man nodded and let her leave.
    His heart pounded as she walked toward him. She looked beautiful tonight in gold silk. He walked forward until they were nearly touching, and when she looked up at him, he didn’t like the look in her eyes.
    It wasn’t pride or pleasure. It was fear.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked, throat tightening as he said it.
    “We need to talk,” she said.
    Not good. In his experience, nothing good ever came of those four words. But he followed her as she led him out of the hall. Everyone else was too busy speaking about the fights of the day and who was expected to win the tournament.
    Bruce McGavin had apparently made a clean sweep of his opponent and seemed to be the one most thought would claim Lily.
    Yeah, over Lucas’s dead body.
    Lily took Lucas’s hand and led him discretely through the kitchen into a large hallway with adjoining rooms.
    She kept going until she opened the door to a side room and led him into what looked like a small library.
    He waited for her to speak, but she didn’t, so he broke the silence.
    “How are you feeling?”
    She whirled to face him. “How are you feeling? You’re the one who was injured,” she said.
    His face tightened. “I’m fine. You’re the one who seems to be worried.”
    “Worried for you,” she said, coming toward him and running her hands over his shoulders and down his arms as if trying to reassure herself he was fine.
    “No need, sweetheart. I can take care of myself.”
    She was quiet for a moment, and he resisted the urge to pull her closer. He needed to feel her near, needed to know she still believed in him, still wanted him there.
    He tilted up her chin, making her look at him. “Lily, it’s going to be fine.”
    “I thought it was, but I’m not sure anymore. Lucas, they’re full alphas. They have powers you don’t. Maybe we were stupid to…”
    He took a step back, his expression darkening. “You don’t believe in me.”
    “It’s not that,” she said, putting out a hand. “Do you know what it was like, seeing him put a crack in the ground and then put his fist into your ribs? I can’t do that again.”
    “I’ll be more careful,” he said.
    “You can’t,” she said. “You were