Page 53 of Alpha Claimed

Apollo growled, but Cherry gave no notice. "So you're the asshole who let my daughter get shot."

"Yes," Apollo said. "I take the blame."

Cherry lashed out, but Apollo stepped out of the way. She lunged at him again, and again, he moved. Frustration grew in Cherry's eyes as she tried again to attack. This time, Silas stepped in front of her and grabbed her hand. Strider growled and shoved Silas.

"Stop," she yelled. "Everyone, just knock it the hell off already."

River took several large steps forward before her leg cramped, and she stumbled. Ares caught her around the waist and lifted her into his arms.

"Can't you see she isn't fully healed yet?" Ares demanded. "You're hurting her with your fighting. Cherry, I know you are pissed. I'm pissed as well, but that isn't going to help River."

River looked at her mom and then to the others. "Please. Let's just go inside, and we can talk about this like civilized wolves."

Apollo looked back at River in Ares' arms. "Put her down."

"You'd rather see her walk than have me carry her?" Ares retorted. When Apollo didn't answer, Ares swore. "You're such a dick."

"I'll take her," offered Strider.

Both Apollo and Ares growled.

"Seriously?" said Cherry. "He's her freaking father, for hell's sake."

River had never heard her mom call Strider that before. But then, she'd never heard her mom call him anything besides Strider. A pang of sadness shot through her, realizing that she'd never called him anything but Strider before either, and he'd been her father figure for way longer than her dad.

Strider walked to where Ares held River and reached out.

Ares looked to River, and she nodded. "It's okay."

He handed her over to Strider, who pulled her against him. Together, Strider and Cherry walked with River into the estate.

A scent made River wrinkle her nose.Vanessa.She'd been at the estate. The thought made her growl.

"Are you okay, Sweetheart?" he asked.

River rested her head on Strider's chest. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just tired. And tired of being hurt by Titan and his rogues."

He nuzzled her hair, and they followed Cherry up the steps past Zeke and Bianca.

"Don't worry," said Cherry. "I'm gonna deal with that asshole next."

River was tempted to look over her shoulder to make sure the twins weren't fighting again, but she didn't have the energy to deal with them and her mom.

They were big boys. They needed to wear their big wolf pants and stop acting like a couple of adolescent pups. Because if they didn't, she didn't want to be mated to either of them.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

RIVER

Strider and Cherry took River to her room, and the twins followed closely behind. But when they reached the door, her mom slammed it in their faces.

River groaned. "Mom, you're going to cause an all-out war between them if you don't calm down."

"Me? Me? Why should I calm down? For that matter, why aren't you pissed as hell? They let you get shot, River. I thought I taught you better than that."

River sighed and sank into the large bed. How did she begin to explain to her mom what it was like to be pulled in two different directions by two different men? How the burden of having to choose between them is like asking her to rip part of her soul out and throw it away. How when she was with Ares she couldn't think of anything outside of him. And when she was with Apollo, she could see herself raising a family and being happy. Two opposite parts of her life. Both pulling her apart.

"I am pissed," River said. "I'm pissed that I've been put in this position. I'm pissed that I want both of them. I'm pissed my wolf wants both of them. And I'm pissed that I have to choose between them. But there it is. This crapstorm called my life."