“What?” I gasped. “No! You’ve got to be kidding me!” How could that be? Whenever there was a formal Death Challenge match, both Alphas were tested by a specially designated shaman. To cheat would be a death penalty offense.
Max’s expression was grim. “Think about it, Josephine. He was a nobody before. He wasn’t even an Alpha in his pack. Then there’s a convenient disaster that wipes out not just the Alpha, but the Beta, the Alpha’s oldest son who was also an Alpha and expected to inherit, and everybody who’d oppose him-”
“Wait. There was a landslide that buried the house,” I protested.
He shrugged. “That’s the story that was put out, anyway. From what I’m hearing there was a rather large explosion on the hillside above the house, and also in the house itself, on the night of the disaster. With Kray taking over as Alpha, nobody dared challenge his account.”
“My God.”
“Then he starts issuing death challenges to smaller packs, and he never loses. He’s in his late forties. When have you ever heard of an Alpha rising to prominence at that late age?”
“Well, there was…no, he was in his late twenties. But then there was…okay, never,” I mused.
“He started out challenging the Alphas from smaller packs because he didn’t want to arouse suspicion,” Max continued. “He knew he’d be tested before the matches, but he blackmailed their shaman, Felix, into faking the tests. He worked his way up, taking on more and more powerful Alphas each time. Now he’s after the Timber Valley pack. He wants our land and everything that we own.”
“How did you find out about all this?”
“From Lucille. She snuck off the compound to tell me what was happening. She was desperate, because Kray was becoming more and more abusive, killing pack members merely because he disliked them or because he wanted their women, and she’d just overheard him saying he wanted to claim Camille as a third bride. One of his brides had already disappeared, and it’s pretty likely he beat her to death and hid her body on their property. That’s why I approached Kray and proposed to marry Camille immediately, in exchange for an alliance.”
“Would you really have married her?”
“Certainly, and I would have honored that marriage. As I said, an Alpha expects to marry for duty, not love. I just got lucky when I married you.”
“But I…” I was stunned. “You said you didn’t love me.”
“I never said that. I said that an Alpha can’t count on love when getting married. That doesn’t mean that it never happens. My father and mother married for political reason, but as time went on, they came to love each other. As for you, I wanted you from the minute I first laid eyes on you, and I’ve been falling in love with you ever since. My instincts are good, Josephine. I knew you were the one for me the minute we met.”
“I don’t bring anything to the table,” I protested.
“Yes, you do, you just can’t see it. It’s simply that you’re a genuinely good person, and you’re fun, and people want to be around you, and you speak up for what’s right no matter what the risk. What more could an Alpha ask for in a wife? I mean, other than a great sex life, and we’re good there, obviously.”
I felt my eyes welling up with tears. He really meant it. He’d never lied to me. He really wanted to be married to me, forever.
“Go on,” I choked out. “Tell me the important part. Tell me how you’re going to go up against him without being killed.”
He squeezed my hand. “Kray got his magic formula from a scientist that he’s kidnapped, and is holding prisoner on the Iron Claw compound. Lucille managed to steal some of the formula and smuggle it out to me, and Cody studied it, and developed a counter-agent. I met her in town to give her the counter agent, and she went back and swapped it out. So for the past couple of days, Kray’s been taking the counter-agent instead of the real formula, and when he goes up against me in the arena, he’ll be fighting without the magic enhancement.”
“What scientist? Where did he come from?”
“That’s the sixty four million dollar question, isn’t it? We don’t know, and even worse – he’s human. Once I defeat Kray, we can grab the scientist and make him talk.”
“A human scientist who has magic enhancing drugs that work on shifters.” I shivered. “That’s a threat to our entire race.”
He nodded. “I know. We will make the Elders aware of it as soon as we defeat Kray. I can’t tell them yet, because there is a rumor that Kray has one of them on his payroll, and he would tip Kray off..”
“What if Kray discovers the switch, and starts taking the real magic formula?” I asked.
“We’ve anticipated that possibility. When I go in the arena, I’ll be able to tell whether or not he’s currently magic-enhanced, because Cody gave me this.” He held out the charm that dangled from his leather necklace. “When I’m wearing this, I can see through magic spells. That is how I knew you weren’t Camille. That’s also how, when I go in the arena against Kray, I’ll be able to tell at a glance whether his strength is enhanced by magic or not.”
“But what if the charm isn’t working? It’s too dangerous,” I protested. “Just report Felix and Kray. Tell the Council of Elders.”
He shook his head. “They won’t want to believe it, and they may charge me with treason. I have no proof at this point, other than Lucille’s word. Ever since Lucille came to me for help, I’ve been studying the rules of the Covenant very closely. I believe that what I have planned out will work, and I have no alternative.”
“Why couldn’t you tell me this earlier? You let me think you were having an affair!” I protested.
“I hated having to do that, but I promised Lucille I wouldn’t say anything, and when I give my word, that is sacred,” he said. “She made me promise because her family’s lives depended on it. If Kray caught word of what she was up to, he’d have taken it out on not just her, but on everybody close to her.”
“What does your father say about all this?” Surely Vince could stop all this madness.
“I am about to start my own pack, to take on the role of Alpha and leader,” Maxwell said. “As Alpha, this will be just the first of many challenges I face over the years. You know that. He can’t sweep in and try to save me, and I wouldn’t let him even if he offered.”
The thought sickened me, but I knew that I had to live with it. I loved this man, I was married to him, and I would stay by his side forever. That meant that I’d have to accept the risks that he faced because of his position, just as the wife of a firefighter or cop or soldier had to face those risks.
I buried my head in his shoulder. “I love you, Maxwell. I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”
“I love you too. No matter what happens with Kray, always remember that,” he said.
Chapter Sixteen
“Eat something,” Jade urged me, holding out a muffin. I shook my head.
I shook my head. “Thank you, but I can’t. I’m too worried to eat,” I said.
She nodded. “Me too,” she sighed, and tucked the muffin back into a small lunch sack she’d brought with her.
The Death Match would start in a few minutes. It was taking place in a large, flat clearing hemmed in by ponderosa pines and juniper trees, on Kray’s property; the location had been decided with the toss of a coin, with a choice between the Iron Claw property and the Timber Valley property.
Bleacher seats had been arranged so that the action could easily be observed by everyone. There was an unusually big crowd, even for a death match. The Timber Valley pack was very popular and well liked, and the Iron Claw pack had been once been very well liked, and now they were the object dislike and suspicion.
Looking around, I realized that close to a thousand shifters from all over the Rocky mountain states were gathered to watch. There were Alphas, their families, and their pack members. Members of Kray’s family and pack, and their allies, sat on one side of the clearing, and members of the Timber Valley pack sat on the other side. I sa
t with Jade, Vince, and Virginia, Max’s brothers, Cody, and Sheriff Battle. There were also half a dozen packs that were allied with our pack sitting on our side.
There were about two dozen members of the Renker family all grouped together and sitting near the front, glaring at us with hatred and contempt.
Bess had gone home to be with her family, but she’d called me that morning to wish me the best of luck.
On each side there were a couple of dozen Wardens, there to ensure that no one tried to interfere with the match, and that it didn’t turn into an all out pack war. Although technically they served the Elders, they were their own entity, with a paramilitary structure, a chief, lieutenants, and officers.
Chief Loren Redthorne was there, as he would be at all such challenges.
The thirteen Elders sat in the front row, where they could observe and monitor the action. Felix sat with them; he’d already tested both wolves and pronounced that there was no magic enhancement being used.
According to Max, the compound that Kray had been taking did, indeed, have magic in it. Cody had designed it that way. The magic, however, was useless in a fight; it did nothing more than enhance his sense of smell.
The Renkers were getting restless, jostling in their seats and trash talking. One of them, a bleached blonde in her twenties, caught my eye and made a throat cutting motion with her hand. I restrained myself from responding with a similar hand gesture. I had to set a good example, even if I wanted to run across the field and punch her in the face.
“Hey, bitch! I can’t wait to move in to your house!” Louise Renker, Krey’s older sister, shouted across the field at Jade. “You’ll be sleeping in the barn with the pigs, where you belong!” Jade tightened her jaw and looked away.
“We have nothing to worry about,” Vince told his wife, his voice low and angry.
“I’m going to enjoy fucking your sister!” one of the males screamed at Lance, who had to be physically restrained in his seat.
One of the Wardens leaned in and said something to the Renker family, who shouted abuse at him. Half a dozen Wardens quickly gathered around them, and the Renkers settled back in their seats, making obscene gestures at us and muttering angrily amongst themselves.
“Listen, don’t let it get to you. They’re playing right into our hands,” I said to Vince and Jade. “All this power has gone to their heads. They think they’re showing strength, but they’re just exposing themselves as bullies. Their behavior, the disrespect they’re showing to the Wardens – it will cost them any future allies they could have hoped to gain.”
Vince nodded. “She’s right, dear,” he said to his wife. “Don’t worry, they won’t be smirking for much longer.”
Ragnar, the oldest Elder, stood up and began reading from a proclamation, his voice booming through the crowd.
It was the same proclamation that was read at every Challenge, about how the matches helped make the race stronger, how each Alpha would fight with honor to represent his pack, how once the Challenge was issued it could not be revoked, and they would fight to the death.
This was a Challenge for the territory of the pack, Ragnar continued; whichever Alpha won would now rule both packs and would take possession of all of the property of the losing pack.
If any members of the losing pack wanted to leave, they would leave without their homes or possessions, and they would have to find a new pack to accept them. The Alpha of the new pack could face a Death Challenge from the Alpha of their old pack.
Finally Ragnar was done, and Max and Kray stripped off their clothing. I saw Max strip off the leather necklace, as well, dropping it to the ground.
What had Max seen with his magic charm? Was Kray’s magic working? Even if it was, Max wouldn’t be able to back down now.
Both men walked in to the center of the clearing, and stood about a dozen feet apart, facing each other. Kray’s eyes gleamed with hate and malice, and a smirk distorted his face.
They shifted, their bodies melting into their wolf forms. There they were, two huge wolves, circling each other, snarling and snapping, saliva dripping from their jaws.
Virginia grabbed my hand and squeezed it so hard she nearly crushed my bones.
“Ouch,” I muttered. “Virginia, he will be fine. Calm down.”
“Sorry.” She loosened her grip a little. “You’re sure he’ll be all right?”
“Absolutely,” I said, with a confidence that I didn’t feel.
“Let the battle begin!” Ragnar shouted, his voice booming through the air.
Kray crouched low, and leaped through the air in a blur of motion. Max dodged him easily, and Kray landed on the ground behind him. Kray whirled in confusion. Max could have jumped on his back, could have taken him from behind, but he didn’t.
Kray lunged again, and Max moved so fast I couldn’t even see what he was doing. I saw Kray go flying, saw a spray of blood arc in the air…but Kray wasn’t dead. He wasn’t even that badly hurt. Max had simply wounded him.
Kray crouched down, blood gushing from his shoulder. From where I was sitting, I could see that his eyes were wild and panicked. This wasn’t going at all how he’d expected.
Max launched himself at Kray, his massive body flying through the air, and knocked Kray off his feet. Kray landed with a loud thud, his legs flailing. Max fell back, towering over Kray. Kray scrambled back up to his feet and backed up, shaking his head as if he’d been stunned.
Max still didn’t go in for the kill. He could easily have charged forward and ripped Kray’s throat out, but he didn’t. He stood with his shoulders hunched up around his ears, growling, bloody saliva dripping from his fangs. He was toying with Kray like a cat toys with a mouse.
The crowd murmured among themselves, clearly confused. Why wasn’t Max taking out his opponent? He was obviously the stronger wolf.
Max began to stalk forward towards Kray, slowly, and Kray turned human. He scrambled to his feet, blood pouring from his shoulder, and swung around to face the Elders, his face wild, eyes huge with panic.
“He’s cheating!” Kray screamed, his voice high and shaking. He didn’t sound Alpha at all at that moment, and the crowd picked up on it. The murmur in the crowd grew louder, even as the Wardens tried to shush them. This was the mighty Kray?
Max turned human, and stood with his arms folded, raking Kray with a look of contempt.
Ragnar rose to his feet. “You disgrace yourself and your pack!” he shouted. “There is no cheating! You issued the challenge – return to your animal form and accept your fate!”
“No, he’s bewitched! He must be! There’s no way he could beat me!” Kray’s voice was a pleading wail. I saw his brother glowering at him with murder in his eyes. Kray was humiliating everyone in their pack with his pathetic performance.
“He has accused me of cheating! He has slandered the good name of the Timber Valley Pack! I demand an immediate test for magic and drugs,” Max shouted. “I demand a three person panel of Shamans to restore my good name.”
Kray’s spun to cry out to the Elders, his face contorted, wild with fear. “Felix is the Shaman who will do the testing!”
“Have you been reading up on the Covenant?” Max demanded. “I have. I’ve studied it very, very carefully. When a Shifter is accused of cheating in a death match, it is within his right to demand a three person panel to test both participants. I accuse you of cheating, Kray, not just in this match, but in every match that you’ve won, and I accuse Felix of faking the results because you were blackmailing him.”
This had been Max’s plan all along, and it was a brilliant but risky one. He wanted to take out not just Kray, but Felix. Felix had cleared Kray for the fight. Felix and Kray both expected that the match would end quickly, with Max dead. Nobody ever expected Kray to be re-tested.
Kray had panicked during the fight when he realized that Max was stronger than him, and he thought that the only way that Max could beat him was by cheating, by enhancing himself with magic – he didn’t rea
lize that his own formula had been tampered with. By blurting out his accusation against Max, he’d spelled his own doom.
Now that three other Shamans would be testing both Max and Kray, Felix was screwed. Kray would test positive for illegal magic. It would be obvious that Felix had thrown the fight.
The crowd gasped aloud. Members of the Renker family leaped to their feet, and several of them tried to rush across the field to get to Max. The Timber Valley pack leaped to their feet as well, standing in readiness to defend their Alpha if necessary. Insults were shouted, screams of rage rent the air. The Wardens tackled and subdued them.
I couldn’t help but notice that there was a sizable member of the Iron Claw pack who weren’t related to the Renkers, and who weren’t leaping to their feet or shouting in Kray’s defense. Now that Kray’s weakness had been exposed, he no longer had the rest of the pack following him out of sheer terror.
Ragnar and the other Elders quickly began scanning through the massive, leather bound copy of the Covenant that they brought with them to every public occasion. It was a rare and obscure clause, and nobody had invoked it within recent memory, but it was there. Ragnar looked up from the book, and nodded his agreement.
All of a sudden, shouting broke out in the bleachers, and shifters leaped to their feet. “He’s running! Stop him!” someone screamed. Felix had apparently realized he was in trouble, and he’d shifted and was trying to escape during the chaos. The Wardens quickly tackled him and subdued him, and he was placed under guard.
Max and Kray were both led off the field. They waited on separate sides of the field, surrounded by Wardens, while the Elders debated which shamans to choose. It obviously couldn’t be a shaman from either the Iron Claw pack, or the Timber Valley pack, or for anyone who was allied with either pack.
Bride of the Alpha Page 11
