Only For Her

Don't Try and Change Me

  A week has past of Jai, Luke, and I being kept secret in the Sanctuary with Corey keeping us updated with the hunt on my mates.
The pack had lost our scent and are checking opposite of where we are hiding.

"They haven't figured out where you guys went." He says as he comes into the house. "Corey! Your face!" I exclaim and I tilt his head to look at the bruises that mar his face. "I'm fine." He says and I gently touch the large one on his cheek. He hisses the moment my finger makes contact on his skin. "You're not fine." I say and I sit him down on the stool at the island. "What's going on?" Jai asks sleepily as he comes down the stairs. "Look at his face!" I say and Jai looks at him. "Looks nasty. Should let the healer take a look at that." He says and Corey nods. "I should get going." He says with a small glare pointed at Jai. Jai growls lowly and Corey returns it. "Bring it, pup." Corey snarls and Jai's eyes turn to that of a wolf. Being called a pup has always been his trigger since he was child.
Jai was born about four minutes after Luke and was teased about it by the the children in his pack.

"Luke!" I yell and I don't hear his reply. I follow the sounds of snarls and growls to the creek.

Jai and Corey are rolling around, a swirling mess of black and dark gray. The only way I can tell who Jai is, is by the gray on his face and the white strip from his chest to under his jaw.

They bounce over the rocks and slid to the shore of the creek. Jai flips him over and bites down on Corey's shoulder. His teeth rip into his shoulder, pushing through the fur to tear at the vulnerable skin underneath. Corey seizes his back leg. He breaks free, but only for an instant. Corey dives for another attack. Jai lowers his head and slams it into his side. The force of the impact throws him into the creek. Water slops over the shore. He thrashes, growling and howling. By the time he emerges from the creek, fur dripping with crimson-stained water, Jai has the higher ground. But even with blood streaming down his face and flank, Corey's eyes burned. Challenging him. I finally shift and stand between them.
You both need to stop. I growl.
How can I when he stares after you like a lovesick pup?  Jai snarls and I give him a glare.
She's mine. She always has been. Corey snaps and if I weren't in the middle, Jai would have attacked him again.
She will never be yours again. Jai growls.
Just wait. Corey taunts and Jai bares his bloodstained teeth.
Stop it already! I'm yours, Jai. Corey, stop taunting him! I snarl and I feel my fur ruffling. I look behind me and see Luke trotting to us.
What happened? He asks as he presses his nose to my ear.
Corey and Jai fought. I answer and he looks at Corey.
Can tell, Corey's bleeding like crazy. He says and I blink. I look closely at Jai and notice a large scar that mars the side of his face. It was newly healed.

They shift back and I do as well. I stay in between them and look at them.
"Hayden doesn't belong with you." Corey says.
Jai bares his teeth at Corey. "She does. She always has."
"I will kill you before I let you touch her." The air around Corey was rippling again. "You aren't the only alpha and you know it." My breath catches in my throat. Corey's natural Alpha Male was taking control. He was ready to challenge Jai. "Give it your best shot." Jai smiles, just as ready to accept that challenge.

"Listen to me, both of you." I place a hand in the middle of each boy's chest; their heartbeats thrum against my fingertips. "This ends now."

"Of course it does," Corey says. "You have to choose."
"He's right," Jai says, looking past me to glare at Corey. "Choose, Hayden."
"I have chosen," I say. "And I chose Luke and Jai." I continue and Corey's heart skips a beat. "Why? We could have a perfect life together here. With your family back. Your best friend," he says, and it sounds if he's trying to convince himself. "No Corey. You ruined it long ago." I say firmly yet gently. "How?" He asks. "When you killed Ryan." I say and he scoffs. "But he's still alive." He says and I growl. "If I didn't push his wolf, he would be six feet in the ground with his mother." I snap and he growls at me. "I did what I had to do." He says and I slap him. "You got Aiden into it!" I snarl and he grabs my face roughly. "I was what kept you hidden for so long. When you ran off with Costin, I told everyone you decided to tour Europe. I was never questioned. Ricky and I said you were dead for a reason." He snarls and I jerk out of his grip. "Yet at my coronation, all Alphas came." I say, and he growls. "And your lover was killed." He says with a sadistic growl. "You were there." I say and I step back. "Ah, so you noticed my work." He bares his teeth in a cruel smile. "You killed Nick!" I scream and I launch at him, shifting mid-leap. I snap close to his throat and he shifts. He closes his jaws on my cheek and I howl in pain. I kick my hind legs into his stomach and push him off. We circle each other and I keep my teeth bared. My hurt and anger is what's keeping going. I lost my mate, because of one stuck in a dream.

I swipe a paw at his face and make sure I dig my claws in. He jumps away and I see the blood welling from the four long red lines on his face. I feel Luke and Jai come to stand beside me. I bare my fangs and Corey's muzzle lifts.
This isn't the end, Babe. You're mine. You can run, but you can't hide from me.
Fuck you.
He snarls and runs out the other way up the hidden stone stairway. My wolf's primal instinct is to chase after him and finish off the threat. But my human side, the side that once loved him, tells me to let him go.

And that is what I did. I let Nick's killer go...