The One 83
Chapter 83: Standing Your Ground
Leah
When the rms went up, I knew he’de for us, my ex-mate Michael. He’s a warrior, a good
fighter, but he’s arrogant and his arrogance cost him everything and nearly cost my daughter her
life.
I know he never expected that I would reject him, that I could ever be strong enough to stand up to
him, but he allowed our daughter to get hurt and in the worst possible way. I may only be an omega,
but I’m a mother, and I will fight to the death for my child.
“Brooklyn? Brooklyn, honey, its time,” I say, going to help her get up out of bed. She still can’t walk
on her own. That Alpha, Owen, nearly split her in half on that stage in front of everyone. It would
have taken her a long time to heal anyway, but after he marked her, then immediately rejected her,
her wolf had gone silent. I haven’t told anyone about that yet. I need to decide what I will do if Alpha
Hunter and Luna Sophie decide that we can’t stay i the pack because she’s be a wolfless
person.
But for now, I’ve waited, and I’ve nned, knowing he’lle for us. My mate hates to lose, and he
would consider this losing. I know he’s angry that I rejected him. He wasn’t even willing to take
responsibility for his role in nearly killing our daughter.
“Mom?” Brooklyn breathes. I can smell her tears and her fear. I know she’s terrified that Michael will
take us, both of us, back to
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that horrible pack. But I won’t stand for it. I won’t allow it. My baby has been through too much
already.
“Just like we talked about, Brooke. It’ll be okay,” I say, putting her in the only part of the house that
has no windows. We’ve already set it up as our own personal safe room. We have food and water,
and weapons. The weapons are key. Luna Sophie and Beta Kinsley made sure that we have
weapons to keep us safe. What they didn’t know was that I had ordered a gun and a case of silver
bullets. No one is getting to my girl.
My biggest concern is that I’ll have to kill Michael. While I still have a lingering love for the man I
gave my life and love to, I won’t hesitate to kill him. That’s not my concern. My concern is that he
never epted my rejection. If I kill him, it could kill me. If I’m dead, I can’t protect my child.
“We’re going to be okay, Brooklyn,” I say, hearing t ounds of fighting moving into our packnds.
Michael will be hunting for us. I’m hoping that he’ll start in the packhouse, not realizing that Brooklyn
can’t take loud noises. When he doesn’t find us there, he’ll start searching the packnds for us. He
used to patrol thesends, so he knows where every house is. It won’t take him long, but I only
need enough time to get Brooklyn settled.
“Here you are, honey. Where are your weapons?” I ask her.
“Right here. Mom…” she says, tears streaking down her face.
“It’s okay. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”
“I can’t do this without you, mom. I know you. I know you’d give your life for me. Please don’t. You’re
the only thing that’s kept me going. I need you, mom. Please.”
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that horrible pack. But I won’t stand for it. I won’t allow it. My baby has been through too much
already.
“Just like we talked about, Brooke. It’ll be okay,” I say, putting her in the only part of the house that
has no windows. We’ve already set it up as our own personal safe room. We have food and water,
and weapons. The weapons are key. Luna Sophie and Beta Kinsley made sure that we have
weapons to keep us safe. What they didn’t know was that I had ordered a gun and a case of silver
bullets. No one is getting to my girl.
My biggest concern is that I’ll have to kill Michael. While I still have a lingering love for the man gave
my life and love to, I won’t hesitate to kill him. That’s not my concern. My concern is that he never
epted my rejection. If I kill him, it could kill me. If I’m dead, I can’t protect my child.
“We’re going to be okay, Brooklyn,” I say, hearing the sounds of fighting moving into our packnds.
Michael will be hunting for us. I’m hoping that he’ll start in the packhouse, not realizing that Brooklyn
can’t take loud noises. When he doesn’t find us there, he’ll start searching the packnds for us. He
used to patrol thesends, so he knows where every house is. It won’t take him long, but I only
need enough time to get Brooklyn settled.
“Here you are, honey. Where are your weapons?” I ask her.
“Right here. Mom…” she says, tears streaking down her face. “It’s okay. I’m not going to let anyone
hurt you.”
“I can’t do this without you, mom. I know you. I know you’d give your life for me. Please don’t. You’re
the only thing that’s kept me going. I need you, mom. Please.”
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I take my child’s face in my hands, holding her gaze as I keep an ear on the fighting outside. I send
up a prayer to the Moon Goddess that I’m not about to lie to my daughter.
“I’m not leaving you. I’m going to fight beside you and when this is over, you and I will walk out of
this room together,” I tell her. “I need you to be brave, Brooklyn. Can you do that for me?” I ask her.
She nods, pressing her lips together and fighting against her tears and her fear. The scent is
permeating this room, adding to my own.
I step away from her, grabbing the gun that’s already loaded. I’ ve never shot a gun before, never
had to. First, as a wolf, I can fight in my wolf form. But I’ve lived in a pack all my life. Omegas are
not fighters, we’re the ones who keep the pack running, and my mate was a warrior. If anyone was
going to fig to protect the family, it was him.
But now, that role falls to me. I hear paws pounding on the ground,ing in our direction and I
know that Michael has found us.
I turn and look at my daughter again. “Ready?” I ask her. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.
She nods, a determined look on her face. “Ready.”
I move, taking a stance in front of the room where Brooklyn is. She has multiple weapons beside
her in case anyone gets past me. Hopefully the silver bullets will be enough.
J hear Michael’s wolf, sniffing at the door before I hear the snapping of bones as he shifts back to
his human form before grabbing the front door and ripping it off its hinges. When he
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comes in, I aim the gun at his chest. He’s heaving, whether from anger or from running to find us,
I’m not sure.
“What are you doing, Leah?” he growls at me.
“I will not let you hurt our daughter again,” I tell him, taking a stand.
“What are you going to do? Shoot me?” he sneers, taking a step toward me. I fire off a shot, just
grazing his hip. I was aiming for his heart, s**t.
“What the f**k? What the hell’s gotten into you?” he snarls
looking at his hip like he can’t believe I shot him. “Silver bullets?”
“will not let you hurt our child again, Michael!” I say, standing my ground. It would probably sound
stronger if m hands weren’t shaking violently.
“You are mine, Leah,” he snarls.
“I was yours, until you let that monster tear my baby apart in front of everyone!” I scream. “No man
worthy of being a mate or a father would allow that.”
He growls at me again, but he’s watching the gun as he takes another step. I fire again, this time
shooting him in the shoulder.
He snarls as he leaps at me, tackling me to the ground. The gun goes off again, but I have no idea if
it hit him.
He pins me to the floor, ripping the gun from my hand and tossing it aside. “You forget your ce,
Leah.”
“At your feet? Isn’t that where you’ve always wanted me?” | growl back at him. I can see the
surprise in his eyes. I’ve never
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fought my mate before, never challenged him in any way. Not until he allowed our daughter to get
hurt. I had trusted him to protect her and me, and he had betrayed us both.
“When I re-mark you, all of this will be done. I won’t allow you to reject me again. It’s time our family
was back together,” he growls.
I struggle underneath him. “I will never ept you as my mate.”
“You don’t have a choice,” he says, ripping my head to the side, pinning my head down with his
uninjured arm.
From the corner of my eye, I see his canines extending and I know I’ve failed my daughter. I’m too
weak to protect her.
“That’s where you’re wrong. All of us, every she-wolf, should have a choice. I won’t let you take
hers, like you anowed Owen to take mine,” my daughter says from somewhere behind me. I’ ve
never heard the fierce determination in my daughter’s voice that I hear right now. I can’t see her
face, but a wave of pride flows through me that she’s standing her ground too.
“What are you doing, Brooklyn? I’m your father.”
“No. Fathers don’t allow their daughters to suffer like you allowed me to. You’re just a sperm-donor,
nothing more. My mother and I don’t need you.”
Michael’s grip on my face weakens and I turn my head just enough to see my daughter holding the
gun, aimed at Michael’s head. Unlike mine, her hands are steady and sure.
“Brooklyn…” Michael says. I don’t know what he sees in her eyes, but he sits up, looking shocked.
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“Goodbye,” she says and the shot rings out, echoing loudly in my ears in the small space around
us.
I’ve barely registered that my daughter just shot my mate when the pain rips through my body. I
scream, clutching my chest as Michael’s body copses beside me, his eyes open, still looking
shocked.
“Mom! Mom! Stay with me, stay with me. Please mom, stay with me!” I hear my daughter’s voice,
but it sounds like it’s far away.
“HELP!” I hear her scream as the pain of losing my mate overtakes me.