Chapter 24: Free Range

Tyler

I was cheesy and corny at times, hot-blooded, and hot-headed, impatient and somewhat of an acquired taste, but I was kind, caring and loving at heart; according to Tegan. Regardless, I made her laugh with those cheesy and corny lines, Tegan also having said that I was courageous and humble, not to mention smooth and irritably flirty. I couldn’t lie, I liked having my ego stroked, more pros on that list than cons if you asked me. All the more reason to get behind this alpha, or in front of. We took a hot steaming shower after she’d finally confessed her love for me, and promised me it was a rare treat, and that I needed to savor it. To be honest, her demeanor around me didn’t change one bit, and I was all for the sassy gothic girl with a nut crushing ass.

After that, we went back to her room, where the bed was bigger, and knocked out together until the sun rose over the horizon.

It was Monday morning, and I was ready to redeem myself. After sleeping with Tegan, I got an awesome power boost, and it was high time I tested out my new strength. I did a half-assed job fixing the mess I made in the living room at five sharp, and by the time I was done, Alice and Bann came down for breakfast. A bit earlier than I expected, but it helped me out, seeing as I could ask Bann for a quick spar before he headed out for work at eight.

“Morning sweetums!” Alice chimed, swinging her arms around me with a happy kiss on my lips. Bann joined her down those steps, but headed right to the coffee machine for his regular.

“Tyler,” he said flatly, the man obviously groggy. “Slept well?” he said sarcastically, his face revealing a subtle irritability.

“Ugh…” I chuckled. “Shit, did we wake you?”

“Yeah, I had to hear the both of you in Wonderland last night.”

Wonderland?

He tossed his eyes between me and Alice, Alice then cocking a confused brow at me. Bann squinted, the odd silence between Alice and I making him reconsider his assumptions.

“What are you guys talking about?” The clueless Alice asked us, Bann standing there with a mug in his hand.

“Nooo,” he enunciated. “No bloody way!”

“H-hey, Bann, can uh, can I talk to you outside for a sec?” I stuttered, giving Alice a kiss on her forehead before I went out the back door.

“Okay! I’ll start breakfast!”

I waited a few seconds more before Bann followed me out with his straight black morning routine in his hand, chuckling to himself on his way out.

I already knew what he was thinking, and I had no problem confirming it, just felt rude to announce to Alice that I’d fucked Tegan last night.

“Did you cave in and sleep with my Beau?” Bann said as I closed the door behind him.

“Hehe, funny. For your information, she chose me. She skipped her next dose.”

“Well it helped you, didn’t it? Thinking about taking my daughter in?” He gave me a cheesy look. “Ah, I can tell. You’re already smiling.”

I looked back at him sheepishly.

“Heh, I guess I really didn’t have to ask. She’s the full package; smart, strong, and-a, an excellent cook.”

“And feisty.”

“Well that she got from her old man,” he said proudly. “But seriously, Tyler, I’m proud of ya. Keeping it classy by waiting on her birthday, yeah? Nice touch!”

“Heh, you don’t trust me when I say she’s the one who came to me, do you?”

“I guess you can say I’m halfway convinced. Beau is a tough cookie, ya know. But, I don’t know what all the secrecy is about. Having multiple partners is common territory for alphas.”

“Yeah, it’s not exactly how I was raised. Still going to need time being open about having two girlfriends.”

“Alice and Tegan already get along. So it’s easy for you. Trust me, it could have been a lot messier.”

I fixed my eyes on him and started crowding my head with ways it could go south. So yeah, I was lucky, that both of my girls were kind by nature and friendly to their own.

“Congrats! Awakened alpha in under a couple days and you already have two mates.”

“I could do more, though.”

“Don’t push yourself, Tyler. Just focus on taking Stephan down.”

“That’s what I’m talking about. And, that’s why we are here.”

He gave me a lofty sigh, smiling behind that cup of coffee he was drinking like I was pulling his leg. Bann stood there with his hand in his pocket, letting this unsettling silence draw between us. “It’s too early for that, mate,” he finally admitted. “Besides, we sparred just a couple hours ago. Give yourself time to compose.”

The faux beta wolf, my father’s older brother, rightful heir to the Sire Wolves. I should have been intimidated, because so far, the score was two-zero. He’d beaten my ass twice already, but if I could beat Bann, I stood a fighting chance against Stephan.

We might have fought a few hours ago, but that was before Tegan had given me a power boost. My aura felt different, I felt stronger, more confident—and I was sure Bann could sense it too.

“It’ll be a quick match,” I promised him.

“Heh, no shit.”

“I’m serious, Bann.”

“Listen, I’ve spilled your blood already. I don’t feel like pickin’ up your chiclets off the ground before work.”

“Well, if you have that much confidence behind those words, then you won’t have to worry about breaking a sweat and getting your collar dirty,” I smart mouthed, fixing my stance to fight him.

“Just won’t take no for an answa’, right? Hop off it, mate. Like I said, it takes more than strength to beat your opponent. There is an internal switch you have to flick in ya head before you step inside the ring again with me.”

“I’m not stupid. You said that breeding makes me stronger. The more women I have, the stronger I get. Sure I gained some strength after I slept with Alice, but that session also sharpened my senses.”

“Senses you have no idea how to use to begin with.”

“Let me break it to you a different way, uncle Bann. I’m your daughter’s alpha now. And you’d be doing her a disservice by letting me fall short from these skilled alpha heads out there. You protect me by properly showing me the ropes, you protect her. Makes sense, right?”

He chuckled. “There’s no magic trick behind the art of sparring, Tyler.”

“Then do a better job at training me. Because I’m not ready to step inside the mosh pit unprepared.”

“If that’s the case, I’m going to need you to fucking listen to what your body is telling you to do. And to what I am telling you to do,” he said, submitting to my request. He chugged down the rest of his coffee and took off his top, figuring he may be breaking a sweat after all. “Out of the two matches we’ve done fought, you’ve been ignoring your body’s signals. You’ve been ignoring what I’ve been barking at ya. I’m stronger than you, Tyler. I’m also faster, and bigger. Against the clear facts in front of you, you’re still treating us as equals, failing to strategize around my advantages. That is not how you need to fight out there. Your ego and bravado aren’t going to save your ass from being eaten alive, mate. You can’t ignore the flaws. You need to maneuver your way around them.”

He fixed his footing, blocking his face with his arms. “Just like this!” he barked at me like a drill sergeant. “You keep your face protected! Hands up, chin down! You got that?”

I nodded.

“You stay in the streets so you don’t have to fight him in his beast form. If you let him run, he will bring you to a closed area where he will have the familiar environment as his sidearm. At that point, you back off, you hear me? If you can’t tail him down before he baits you to a place he’s more comfortable, you stop the chase, and retreat. You retreat, Tyler. You’re in no position to fight in the woods, not in your beast form. Fuck it if you think you lost the perfect chance. There will be others. It’s not worth the cost of your life. Trust me.”

“I’m at a disadvantage in my beast form?”

“You tell me? You feelin’ confident fighting on all fours? When you can barely fight in your own element?”

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He had a point there.

“Once you ground yourself fighting outside of your werewolf form, then you can take it a step higher. For now, we aren’t at that stage yet.”

“All right.”

“Now, since you like being stubborn, I have to hold your hand this time around, Sheila. First tip, keep me movin’. Keep your opponent movin’ and guessin’. Trail off the center line without compromising your cover. Alphas out there all have different styles of fighting. But one thing that remains the same is that central line. Their focus, their pinpoint. Find that center gravity, and rattle it. Break their momentum, don’t let them get comfortable with predicting where you’ll go.”

“Got it.”

“Second tip—you need to spar with a defensive mindset. I know you’re overeager to strike, but you only strike when it is at your reach. Meaning, when there’s a guaranteed result at the end of that punch. Don’t swing unless you’re absolutely sure it will land. If you don’t follow this tip, you will leave yourself open for a juicy counter that could cost ya the match. If it’s free, it’s free, mate. Don’t second guess yourself. Third tip,” he started, his feet moving along the invisible ring, Bann now spacing me out. “You need to bait and wear out your opponent. Watch your timing.” He narrowed his eyes on me, dead center, making my feet shift along the ring as well. “Fourth tip, never fear the fist. Don’t get psyched out about getting struck down. Especially for someone like you, Tyler, whose Hengi is regeneration. Don’t let that fool you, though. You can still get killed out there, mate. Your regeneration could only get you so far. But rememba’, there’s always a way to win a fight. Nothing is cheap when fighting to the death. You use what you have to get the win. Understood?”

“Understood,” I said, tightening my fists and closing my arms over my face.

“Now, use what I told you, and take me down, without getting angry.” He grinned. “Relax your punches, make your body fluid and light. Listen to what your body is telling you to do, and mind your senses.”

Shit, I couldn’t lose this brawl. He’d given me the tools, just like I’d asked. The first two times, I’d been on my own, trying to guess what Bann wanted from me out of the fight. I agreed, I was trying to match him when I was at a clear disadvantage. I had been stubborn, because I hated feeling inferior against my opponent. I had been hard-headed, because I felt entitled to a win. When truthfully, I had to take the facts at face value and work around what I got. It was a tough concept to chew on, reflecting on my flaws, but I had to own up to my mistakes sooner than later. And now was the time to not only become better for myself, but to become better for my pack.

I didn’t need to be on Bann’s level to win. He made that clear. While mating Tegan boosted me power wise, I had to tell myself that it wouldn’t make or break me. If I could master fighting Bann at this level, then imagine what I could do when I had more omegas at my side? I needed to think strategically, and nothing more, digesting everything Bann had said to me to fight him head on again.

We clashed, Bann taking the lead. He was ready to suppress me, and all of this dodging and weaving was already starting to pay off. Listen to my senses, they’ll guide me though battle. I was almost a minute in, and I could tell the slight difference in Bann’s speed.

He must have noticed too, Bann now taking a step back, swinging less, and pacing more.

Now was my chance.

Bait in, fall out. If I couldn’t find a clear shot, don’t go for it. Keep my moves fuzzy, don’t let him know when I was going to commit. It was a lot to take in, but I was getting a handle on it quicker than I thought I would.

Unfortunately, Bann read my tricks, trying to bait me back. I got nervous, and did something stupid, trying to shake him off with a leg sweep. It was a badly calculated risk that rewarded me with a punch right into my arm, grazing the outside of my face. My body’s momentum felt like it was hanging off a cliff with the way I was bent, so I needed to stabilize myself before he capitalized on my slip up.

Bann didn’t use his lower body much for offense, so I was still clueless in that department. After that close call, I decided to stick with what I knew. Less kickboxing, more straight boxing. From the first two times we fought, I’d learned his pattern, and every so often, he’d switch it up when he was running low on stamina.

I was hoping this wouldn’t be another close call, but I went for it anyway, and just as he stepped to the side, I found my opening.

I had learned from experience, the inch dip from his right elbow, bringing his arm slightly down as he stepped. I faked him out, pretending that I was going for his rib once he descended, and instead, landed a direct jab into his face. My strike was anything but fluid, because my adrenaline was wrestling with my nerves. It was sloppy, but effective, ricocheting Bann’s head back, where even my uncle was taken by my smart shot.

The barrage started there.

I went with my senses. Bann wasn’t only visibly distraught, but I heard him leaning into his back heel, his body shifting to the left. He was off his center, the flow of the air opposing his mass leaning toward my favor. I caught an opening from Bann being rattled, and like he said; if it’s free, it’s free.

The rib shot made him crouch, the follow up sweep hook into his gut did too. But then Bann snapped, the speed on him making me shirk back. I couldn’t get too greedy, and when my freebies were up, I had to play defense again.

I moved, escaping his counter by a centimeter. His arm reached out to grab me, but my ear tuned in on the air adjusting to his size. These reads, they happened naturally, and quickly. When I learned to play more patiently, I noticed I was beginning to fare well against him.

I could tell, Bann was starting to get agitated. I’d already landed three shots, three shots to zero. He smiled, flicking the sweat off the tip of his nose. “You tryin’ to bring me down, mate?”

I grinned. “Well, isn’t that the idea?”

He chuckled, then tried to provoke me, this fist fight probably stretching out longer than he anticipated. If he thought that I was going to fail again, I was ready to prove him wrong. All I needed was to be steered toward the right direction, and let my body do the rest.

Keep them moving, keep them guessing. Use your opponent’s flaws against him. I was almost afraid to attempt closing out this fight, noticing how sluggish Bann was getting. He wanted me to land a shot in him so bad, leaving his face open for punishment. It was a trap, one that I felt insulted he’d try. Bann was getting desperate, or maybe, that’s what he wanted me to believe? A type of reverse psychology that could cost me the win. I just knew there was something fishy going on with the way he was strutting about. Sure, he kept me moving, but not in the way I was accustomed to. Switching it up was a common thing, but now it just looked like Bann was taunting me. He was bouncing about, his feet unable to stay on the ground for a whole second. The defense around his face was null and void, his stance gearing left and right.

I didn’t know what this was, or how to deal with it, but I had to imagine with the weight he was working with, and his stamina waning, that Bann was also slightly slower than me on both reaction time and agility. The aura around him wasn’t as strong as before, his exhaustion starting to break out in his face. Which made sense, seeing as in the beginning, I had been playing defense while he was more worried about packing me up.

I narrowed my eyes on him and fixed myself to strike. This was it, this was the closing line. It was a little unorthodox of me to count on an asset that hadn’t been working well for me thus far, but I felt stronger after taking in Tegan, and I needed to trust in myself with this one. So I dashed in, full throttle, forcing Bann to ground his feet, which was just what I wanted. I had to have him stand still to take my speed, Bann tensing up to hold me back as if to grapple me. I let him think that I was going for a full blown frontal assault, but then he grinned, that dark look on his face ruffling me up. He knew what I was up to, he had to. I timed it perfectly, aligning his back toward that tree that was a few meters away. He braced for impact on purpose—what the hell was I thinking?

Did I go for it anyway?

Fuck it—maybe he had no clue. I couldn’t doubt myself, not when I was so close…

When I couldn’t get closer, I made my move—step to the side, roll, weave, fake out jab, followed by a cross. Bann ate my two fists with his hands no problem.

“That was bloody faulty, mate,” he said, sucking his teeth behind that devilish side grin. He knew I was about to fail, so I head-butted him. I’d always been told that I was thick-headed; figured I should use it. It worked, Bann loosening his grip around my fists, enough for me to counter with an uppercut, one that I surprisingly whiffed…

Note to self, Bann was a better improviser than me…

I realized that a little too late, Bann finally landing a sweep kick into my side, chucking me into that same tree I was trying to pin him against. My back gave way, the feeling of my soul crashing down paralyzing me. I swear I saw stars when I collided, the bark snapping from the impact. My sharp hearing warned me, letting me know that was only the beginning. A stampede was on its way, my numb head looking up to a beast ready to drop in on me.

Bann torqued his hips for the hardest punch, thinking I wouldn’t react in time. I rolled, the power in that punch cutting through that tree. I dodged the fall of lumber, my relentless uncle hot on my trail. He used the body of the tree to leap up and strike again, and I evaded him a second time. The ground shook, leading me to believe that uncle Bann was desperate to pay me back for those shots I’d landed on him earlier.

He kept coming at me, trying to drive me into a corner. The power behind those swings, I had to let my arms absorb each blow. I couldn’t run, and I remembered him telling me not to fear the fist. If I kept trying to escape him, he’d never give me the time I needed to assess myself.

It doesn’t hurt, keep pushing!

His jabs were fluid and bone-shattering, and I could feel the muscles on my arms tenderizing. He was rushing me down, like fangs of a tiger striking at me relentlessly. Then his shoulder came forward and his fist swung, that last shot breaking my arm. My body reacted to the pain, leaving me open for more abuse, but that’s when I snapped.

I bit my tongue down, and said fuck the pain. If he was going to punch me, then I was going to punch him with all I got. That primal rage in me made my chest burn, and I used my broken arm to shield my face horizontally, using the fraction of a second it took me to load up a powerful hook shot.

I knew he wasn’t expecting that, I could see it in his shocked face.

That last one got him bleeding, triggering Bann to tackle me, my uncle latching onto my broken arm.

It was a cheap angle, but nothing was cheap when in a death fight…

I wish I’d gotten the memo, Bann taking this brawl more seriously. I grunted in pain, trying not to submit to him, but the bastard transferred his weight into that arm, pushing me down to one knee.

Once I was down, I knew I wasn’t going to get back up again. He was trying to push my arm behind my back, and I resisted, desperate to break him off me. And then, Bann pushed further, snapping my arm at my shoulder.

I screamed, not out of fear of him killing me, but from the fear of me changing into a beast. Because I was both fighting for control, and fighting to keep my wolf at bay. Bann wasn’t making it easy, not letting go, and I’d be damned if I disappointed myself again by tapping out!

I was torn, broken, battered and bruised, but I wouldn’t stop. Not until he did!

“Fuck off!” I cried, Bann answering back with a punch. I caught it, just like he caught mine, breaking his fist with my fingers while I was at it.

He grunted, streaks of blood draping his face. Bann lost it, snapping his broken fist away from me, before shoving my head into the ground. A pummeling was eminent, and I couldn’t do much about it but shield my face, just like he’d taught me. But like I said, Bann was a heavy hitter, and it was only a matter of time before he shattered my other arm as well…

“Stop!” Alice begged, storming from the back door. “What are you doing to him?” Her voice was jagged, that frightened look on her face finally peeling Bann off of me. I was thankful and disappointed all at the same time. And if Alice came in two seconds later, I might have lost my other arm.

“Get away from him! This is too much!” she wailed, rushing to my aid. She dropped down on the ground, cradling my head on her lap, the both of us watching as Bann’s chest heaved and rested. The man was drenched in blood and sweat, and so was I.

Seemed like I wasn’t the only one who hated losing…

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