Dominance [On Hold]

12: According to Plan

I was training everyone harder than they've ever been trained before. We sparred so hard that the healers in the clinic would have a hard time keeping up with the minor fractures and bruises that littered the bodies of most of my pack members who were old enough to train and fight.

Even I was a bit battered myself, which served as a reminder for me of the last time Jeremy and I faced off in the locker room on the day his pack invaded mine.

"Come on, you all are pathetic right now! How has no one won a single sparring match yet?" I screamed at everyone, watching in satisfaction as many faces contorted into anger and frustration at my comments, "Let's go! I want to see victory, people!"

I watched as Jamie sparred with one of our top fighters, and the struggle was close. Both of them were pushing the other back and forth, with blood covering the two of them. It was the most intense fight on the training field, and many people stopped their own spars just to watch. I stood around them, scrutinizing every move they made. Jamie lunged at Will, but Will countered with a jab to the ribs.

Jamie hissed, taking a step back and looking at him with eyes ablaze, obviously furious about the pain inflicted upon him. He feigned left before throwing a hard right hook, causing Will to stagger back, losing his balance. Jamie then landed a hard kick to Will's chest, sending him flying back and onto the ground. Will tapped the ground, signalling he was done as he struggled to even catch a small breath. Jamie wiped the blood from his mouth aggressively as he glared down at Will before looking up and seeing that most everyone had gathered around their fight while they had been slashing at each other earlier.

He looked over at me and I nodded in approval-- that is what I need out of my beta. Not a second-guessing, peace-making and contradictory presence, but a strong, aggressive and powerful presence.

"Stop staring and get back to sparring!" I barked as everyone jumped at my voice before turning around and going back to their own matches. I walked up to Jamie, "I haven't seen you that angry in a while."

Jamie shrugged, "I have a lot to be angry about."

"Drop the attitude, it doesn't suit you," I told him, ignoring the look in his eyes that I used to take as a sign that he wanted sex. "Now follow me, I need to talk to you."

Following me rather closely, I tried not to think about the fact that I absolutely didn't want anything to do sexually or romantically with him anymore. Instead, my mind wandered to Jeremy and how for some reason I wished it was him trailing behind me so closely.

Once we got back to the house, I sat down at the kitchen table with him, each of us sipping on our own bottle of water.

"I have a plan," I told him in between sips.

He nodded, "Ok, go."

"Jeremy and I are mates, his natural inclination is to protect me, no matter what he says about wanting to kill and destroy me, his wolf especially will want to protect me if I come into harm's way," I explained my reasoning. "He and James are working together on this, and I know to split them up, I need James to come after me and me alone."

"So, what?" Jamie asked.

I smirked, "I'm going to use myself as bait, give myself up to James, luring out Jeremy to drive a wedge between them and giving me the higher footing over the both of them."

He raised a brow at me, "Seriously? You're willing to put your life and this pack at stake on a bet on the weak mate bond between you and Alpha Jeremy?"

"It's not a bet if I know it's going to work," I countered, my voice raising a little bit in defense.

Jamie scoffed, standing up and walking away a couple steps before spinning back around, "How the hell do you know it's going to work, Chandler, huh? Do you have telepathy? Can you predict the god damn future? How do you know that Jeremy is going to come and save you and that you won't die?" 

"Because I know!" I screamed back, jumping up and knocking my chair over. "I've picked up on his mannerisms, the way he acts-- I know! And do you really have such little faith in me that you think me facing James alone automatically ends in my death? You think I can't win or even hold my own against James? Since when the fuck do you think I'm not strong enough?"

"Since your head is so far up your ass you can't see that you're falling for Jeremy," He growled.

I shook my head, "No, I'm not. I'm using him, Jamie, there's a difference!"

"You're lying to me and you're lying to yourself, Chandler," He stated, his voice mellowing out a little as he shook his head and slumped his shoulders as though he was disappointed in me.

"You're the one that's delusional here, not me," I stated, "And if you won't help me now, then at least help the pack while I'm gone. I'm leaving tonight to head into James' territory to draw out Jeremy. So whether you're with me on this or not, you have to be with the pack. They'll need a strong figure if anything does happen. Keep training them, keep fighting them-- we don't go down without a fight."

He nodded stiffly before walking out of the house, slamming the door behind him. I sighed, dragging a hand down my face before walking upstairs and into my bathroom, stepping into the shower to rinse the blood, dirt and grime off of me from the training session.

I knew exactly what I was going to do and how I needed it to go down, I just need James and Jeremy to do their unwitting parts, and all will be well.

Leaning my head back, I let the water drip down my face as I tried not to think too hard about what I was getting ready to do. I was crazy enough to even think about doing it, but actually committing to the action was going to take steely courage that I don't yet have.

So I stood under the steaming hot water, waiting for my unwanted nerves to settle.