“Do you submit?” she demanded.
Feeling the tension in his body, it took Thea less than a second to compute he was readying to attack again, so she twisted fully toward him, grabbed his head in her hands, and felt the burn in her muscles as she jerked his neck.
Everyone hushed at the resounding crack and watched the life flicker out of Richard’s eyes before his body hit the sand with a thump.
Inside, she was trembling, but when she spun to face the crowd, she kept her expression blank.
Until Conall stepped forward, his look chiding. “Now that was just showing off.”
Thea’s lips twitched. “I’m new at this, so does that”—she gestured to Richard’s temporary deadness—“count as submission?”
Her mate crossed his arms over his chest. “It does for me.”
Everyone looked at Peter, frowning at his son’s body. He lifted his eyes to Thea and nodded. “It counts.”
Callie stepped forward. “Then I declare this Challenge over and Thea MacLennan the winner. Are you satisfied, Thea?”
“I’m satisfied.” She strode over to Conall, who grasped her hand in his. Gazing beyond his look of pride, she felt the pack’s collective energy press in on her. And they seemed pleased, if those beaming grins were anything to go by.
“We’ll leave you to look after your son,” Callie said to Peter. “The rest of us will celebrate.”
Conall, still holding onto Thea, approached Peter. “I’m sorry it even came to this.”
“As am I.” He glanced between them. “Most alphas would have made this a challenge to the death. I’m grateful for your mercy.”
“I am too.” Sienna gave them both a tight smile. “Thank you.”
Thea wasn’t comfortable around Sienna Canid. It was irrational—she knew it—but it was hard to want to spend time with a woman who had been weeks away from marrying Conall.
“We’ll talk?” Conall asked Peter.
“Definitely.”
Conall led Thea through the congregated pack, and she smiled as they offered her congratulations and compliments. Many reached out to touch her in awe, as if she were a holy relic of some sort. It was a little disconcerting.
They climbed out of the sand dunes and up onto the single-track road where Conall had left his car. Everyone but the Canids and Callie and James had traveled on foot so as not to block the road.
Thea waved to Callie who was grinning wolfishly at her as she got in her Jeep with James, Grace, and Angus. Hopping into Conall’s Defender, Thea waited impatiently for her mate’s words of congratulations.
Instead, he was silent as he drove toward the Coach House where it was tradition to celebrate after a Challenge win. She wasn’t worried because he didn’t seem angry, but he was certainly something.
Then, as they blew past the Coach House entrance, Thea began to understand what she was sensing from her mate and a deep tug of need pulled low in her belly.
“Conall,” she whispered.
“We’ll join them later.” His voice was hoarse.
“But—”
“I need inside you.” He threw her a dark look of desire. “I’m not doing that in front of my pack.”
Thea’s heart raced, her smile smug. “Got you hot watching me fight, did it?”
“Got me hard watching you squash that wee arse like a bug.” Conall’s lusty expression now mingled with pride. “You are something to watch, lass. Now take off your jeans.”
That tingle of want between her legs intensified. “Now?”
“Right now.”
His tone brooked no argument, and Thea didn’t feel like arguing. She felt like burning her unspent energy with her mate whatever way he wanted to. Fingers shaking with excitement, she kicked off her shoes and unzipped her jeans. She felt Conall watching her as she pulled them off.
“Underwear too,” he grunted.
Excitement rippled through her and she knew when he scented her arousal because a rumbling, sexy growl vibrated up from his chest. Thea slipped off her underwear, her skin hot against the cool leather. She shot a look at Conall’s lap.
He was ready for her too.
The Defender swung left and raced down the drive to the house. It skidded to a halt with a squeal of tires and Conall cut the engine, pushed back his seat, and unzipped his jeans in one smooth move. Thea jumped him, kissing him hungrily as he fumbled to free himself from his jeans. She heard the crinkle of a condom wrapper, something Conall had started to use now that they could get pregnant.
And then she felt him throbbing between her legs.
Thea pushed down as Conall thrust up, their eyes locked, their gasps sounding against each other’s lips.
All control fled and soon the Defender, a vehicle used by the goddamn army, began to rock hard as Thea and Conall celebrated the Challenge by screwing each other within an inch of their lives.
When they eventually tumbled out of the car, it reeked of sex; they were both covered in scratch marks, and Thea’s legs were a little unsteady.