Griffin nodded, silent but watching.

Prescott took a step closer. “You Merrows sure have a big feeling about yourselves, don’t you?”

Hank opened his mouth, but Titus beat him to the reply. “Well, we are Merrows. That alone makes us hard to beat.”

Confrontation crackled in Prescott’s gaze. “Beating you sounds like a great idea.”

Hank scowled. He was well and truly done with this interruption. “Go away, Prescott. Leave us alone.”

“You want me to leave? Fight me.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

Prescott stared at Hank. “I challenge you to decision by combat. Winner takes Charlie. Loser gives up all rights to him.”

Ivy’s grip tightened on Hank’s hand like a vise, but she said nothing. Hank spoke to his brother while keeping his eyes on the shifter he wanted to put his fist through. “Titus, stay out here and watch our guest, will you? I need to talk to my wife inside for a moment.”

“Sure thing,” Titus answered.

“You do that, Merrow,” Prescott spat. “See what wifey has to say.”

Hank escorted Ivy back toward Howler’s, speaking to his father as they went inside. “Watch him, Dad.”

“I will.” Griffin’s eyes never left Prescott.

They went into Bridget’s office where they could talk. Their guests knew something was going on, but he didn’t want to share more than necessary. He closed the door. “This needs to happen.”

She twisted her hands together. “We could force it to a tribunal. You are technically Charlie’s dad.”

“But Prescott still has a blood claim to him. I don’t know what the precedence is, but I don’t want to take that chance. Besides, it would take too long. I don’t want this guy interfering in Charlie’s life. The kid’s been through enough. I want this dealt with now.”

“Okay. I agree, but…is there any chance you could lose?”

Hank went quiet. “Anything’s possible, I guess, but it’s not likely. I certainly have a lot more to fight for than Prescott does.”

She sat on the desk, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I cannot lose Charlie. It would kill me.”

“I won’t let that happen.” No matter what he had to do. “What do you know about Eric? Does he have any kind of military background? Any sports? What sort of fighter do you think he is?”

She shrugged. “As far as I know, he graduated and went into his father’s waste water engineering firm as the vice president of structural dynamics or something like that. No military service. He was a frat boy, I remember that much. I think his favorite sport was tailgating.”

“Do you think he challenged me in the heat of the moment then? Or because he was planning on it?”

She thought for a second. “Heat of the moment. Eric’s always been a bit of a hot head. I’m sure he came here figuring he’d walk in, threaten me and leave with Charlie no problem. And that you’d be happy to see him go. I don’t think he had any clue what kind of man I’d married. Which makes me wonder if my father is really behind this. Could be the Jenkins brothers again. Retaliating for being forced to face a tribunal for their attack on me.”

Hank shook his head. “It’s not the Jenkins. They’re locked up. And listen, I take back what I said about there being a chance I could lose.”

“You’re sure? He’s the nephew of an alpha. Wouldn’t he have been trained for the possibility of a challenge for pack leader? My brothers all were.”

“They’re all sons of an alpha, like me. A nephew…I don’t know.”

“Hank, this is Charlie’s life we’re talking about. I’m not saying I don’t trust you—I do. I just want to know you’re confident you can defeat Eric.”

He took her face in his hands and kissed her firmly on her sweet mouth. “Darling wife, I realize we still have a lot to learn about each other, so I’m going to give you a quick lesson in Hank Merrow. I was an Army Ranger. I served two tours. Led more raids than I can count. I once pulled an insurgent out of his cot and had his wrists secured behind his back before he woke up.”

She was finally smiling again. “Are you telling me you don’t think Eric’s going to be that much of a challenge?”

He nodded. “Office Space out there isn’t going to know what hit him.”

She wrapped her arms around Hank and pulled him in for a kiss full of heat and promise and gratitude. Then she grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the parking lot. “Let’s go tell Eric the good news.”

She paused. “You know I only mean that you’re going to accept his challenge, right? Because I think we should keep all that Army Ranger stuff under wraps. Element of surprise and all that, right?”

Hank saluted her. “Yes, ma’am.”

Hank waited until Titus, Bridget and Sam were seated, then shut the door to the station conference room and took the chair beside Ivy.

She glanced at him. “Is your father not coming?”

He shook his head. “They went home. Having the alpha of the Georgia Pack at the challenge creates too many chances for Prescott to say things weren’t handled fairly. Griffin thought it would be best. Besides, he’s calling his council together to prepare for the tribunal to deal with the Jenkins brothers.”

Ivy nodded. “Okay. Makes sense.”