The Challenge (The Pack Book 2)

by Kristin Coley

  I scrubbed my face and yanked my hair up in a messy knot before wandering to the living room. There was no sign of Dad or Monster and a glance at the clock told me they should be up by now. Worry trickled through me as I went to Dad’s bedroom door. I knocked lightly and the door swung open. His bed was neatly made, nothing out of place, but that was normal for him. He was a neat freak, something I hadn’t inherited.

  I went back to the living room, scanning to see if I missed something. Like a note, a little voice mocked, or maybe a blood trail after the Hanleys came and kidnapped them away. I winced at the direction my thoughts took, shaking them off quickly before I freaked myself out.

  I headed for the front door, hoping they’d gone to pick up breakfast or something. Nope. Dad’s Range Rover was in its normal spot, but I heard Monster shriek as I stood in the doorway. I darted toward the sound, my heart racing, as I skidded to a stop in front of the motel office.

  Laughter spilled from him as my Dad made a goofy face, the remnants of their breakfast on the floor around them. Dad spotted me first and guiltily tried to hide the evidence of their fast food run.

  I raised my eyebrow and said, “You better have saved some for me.” He relaxed as Monster jumped up and ran to hug me.

  “You’re up!” His exuberance almost knocked me off my feet as I rocked back. “I thought you’d never wake up.”

  “We decided to go get breakfast,” Dad confided. “So, you could sleep.”

  “You’re a good man, Mr. Carter,” I teased, scooping up my sandwich as I plopped on one of the office chairs. It had wheels so I pushed myself off and went spinning across the room. Monster’s eyes lit up and within seconds, we were racing.

  After a few near misses and one crash, Dad called a halt to our fun. “You’re going to destroy my office,” he insisted as we whined.

  “Can I go see Wren?” Monster chirped, already at the door when Dad nodded his agreement. He raced off before I could stop him and I called after him, “Stay at the motel.”

  Dad had a puzzled frown on his face and I sighed, knowing I had to tell him what was going on. “Wren has been meeting someone in the forest,” I told him, and his forehead furrowed. “She’s cutting across Navarre land, avoiding the patrols to meet someone at the Hanley border. We don’t know who, but it’s safe to assume it’s a Hanley.”

  “You don’t trust her,” Dad stated and I rolled my neck, not wanting to give a definitive answer. Part of me did trust her and that part was the reason I hadn’t already demanded answers from her. “Help me out here, Bunny. Has she put Monster at risk?”

  “We don’t know,” I answered honestly. “We don’t know who she’s meeting but she’s taken Monster with her.”

  “That’s not okay,” Dad said firmly, standing up. “You should have come to me as soon as you found this out, Bunny,” he reprimanded and I cringed internally. I hated when he used that tone, especially when I knew he was right.

  “In my defense, she hasn’t watched him since I did find out. Plus, we don’t know who she’s meeting or why.”

  “But its possible she’s acting as a spy,” he declared and I had no choice but to nod. “Most of the Pack is out there right now surveying the area and making sure the Hanleys don’t have any tricks up their sleeves for tonight. If there’s a possibility Wren is sabotaging,” he paused, his face tight as he faced the reality that someone he cared for was possibly an enemy.

  “Dad, I do trust her,” I interjected, unable to face the look of betrayal on his face. “We need to talk to her, but I don’t think she intends to hurt Monster or put the women here at risk. Not intentionally.”

  “Even unintentionally, she’s responsible if something happens because of her actions,” Dad said heavily. “That’s what being an adult means.” I nodded, knowing what he said was intended for me as well.

  Monster came running back just then, breathless. “She wasn’t there.” Dad and I traded glances and then he forced a smile.

  “I guess that means you’ll just have to hang out with us,” he caroled, swinging Monster off the ground and spinning him in circles. I left as Monster yelled for him to go faster. The motel was eerily quiet as I walked back to the apartment to get dressed. Even knowing the Pack was out there in force preparing for the challenge that night didn’t ease my disquiet.

  I shook off my discomfort as I reminded myself that Caleb wouldn’t fail the Pack and neither would Dom.

  ***

  Nervous energy buzzed in the air as members of the Navarre community appeared, creating a ring around the clearing. Most had come as family units, which surprised me until Dom explained they were stronger together than apart. The shifters would all be here tonight and they were the Pack’s primary source of protection.

  “Some of the women left last night,” Sam announced as she came up next to me. Her white knuckles the only indication of her stress, as she clutched Nicky’s hand.

  “What? Where did they go?” My eyes widened as I gasped, “Not back to the Hanleys?”

  Sam shook her head jerkily. “No. None of them are that stupid.”

  “Then why?”

  “They feel the outcome is too uncertain. If Caleb fails, they’d be back in the same situation they were before they left. Worse in fact.” She shot me a quick glance. “When we left, we didn’t anticipate the Alpha being killed. Now, the Navarre Pack can be perceived as weak and some aren’t willing to take that chance.”

  “But alone out there….”

  “A few were going home. Their packs will take them back in. A couple…well, they were tired of needing to rely on anyone,” Sam explained, a weariness in her tone that hadn’t been there before, as she scanned the field.

  “He’s over there,” I pointed helpfully and she jerked my hand back down.

  “Don’t point! He’ll see you,” she hissed, ducking her head. “And you don’t even know I was looking for someone,” she blustered, her cheeks flushed as she eyed me.

  “I do now. He who?” I asked, like I didn’t already know the answer.

  “No one,” she dismissed, but I noticed her gaze stray to where I’d pointed and the disappointment when he wasn’t there any longer.

  “Are you staying for the…?” I started and then paused before trying again. “Should you? I mean, why are you here?”

  “I’m here to, hopefully, watch my bastard ex get his throat torn out,” Sam said helpfully, her hands over Nicky’s ears as she spoke.

  “Oh, well in that case,” I said faintly. “Fingers crossed.” She nodded sharply and I wiggled my fingers at Nicky. “Should he be here to see that?”

  Sam gave me a vaguely pitying glance. “He’s seen worse.” I blinked at her tough words and wondered what could be worse than seeing your father’s throat torn out. Sam patted my shoulder awkwardly, seeming to feel bad at her bluntness but it didn’t keep her from explaining, “This world is brutal. Better they learn it now.”

  “I guess so,” I admitted, remembering the ease in which Dom had killed the two Hanleys and then how casually the Hanley wolf from the previous day had ripped out his friend’s throat. “It’s just hard to wrap my head around it sometimes.”

  “You’ll learn,” she stated, her eyes hard as she glanced at me. “You have to if you want to stay Pack.”

  I swallowed, my gaze finding Dom instantly even in the crowded space, as he stood next to Caleb, who wore nothing but shorts as he readied himself for the fight of his life.

  “Ladies,” a smooth voice spoke behind us and I turned, noticing Sam sidle sideways at the appearance of the newcomer. When I saw who it was, I understood.

  “Payne,” I replied, nodding and ignoring the slight grimace he gave when I used his name. Nicky waved at him as best he could with the stranglehold Sam had on him.

  “Come to steal my son again?” Sam asked hostilely, making it a point not to look at him. It didn’t seem to matter as he stared at the side of her face a second longer than what would be considered appropriate. I lowered m
y gaze to my toes, the moment feeling intimate and my presence unwelcome.

  “You know better than that, Samantha.”

  Her hands balled into fists and she burst out, “It’s Sam. And I don’t know what you’re capable of…not anymore. I never would have thought you’d break up with me, either, but I guess I was wrong,” she accused, finally focusing her attention on him. He gave her a pained stare but didn’t refute her words.

  “I’m gonna go somewhere,” I murmured to no one in particular as they continued to stare at one another. “Not here. Not that you care.” I backed up a few steps but it didn’t disturb their tense standoff. “Cue the sexual tension,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Talking to yourself again?” Trent questioned, giving me a sideways glance as he straightened from the tree he’d propped himself against.

  “It’s only talking to yourself if no one is listening, and I have you for that,” I retorted, thumping his stomach as I passed. “Who are you stalking today?”

  “You and Anna,” he admitted easily. “Mostly Anna since there’s a chance they’ll do a smash and grab while the fight is going on.”

  “You didn’t lock her in a closet somewhere?” I joked, except it didn’t really fly when he gave a disappointed shake of his head.

  “Wouldn’t work. She’s stronger than she looks, especially in wolf form.”

  “That was a joke,” I clarified and his eyes widened as he shook his head.

  “Nah, we would never lock her in a closet. We’re not Hanleys,” he tried again, not convincing me at all. “Besides, the more eyes on her the better.” He nodded to the crowd where restless eyes roamed from person to person as the shifters interspersed themselves among their Pack.

  “Reassuring, and why are you keeping an eye on me?” I prodded and he shot me a look.

  “You can’t guess?” His gaze shifted over to Dom. “He’s focused on Caleb and the challenge right now, but don’t doubt for a second he’ll leap to your defense if anyone so much as startles you.”

  I squinted at him, not sure if he was serious or not, but for once there was no smirk in sight. No sucker either, I noted in surprise. “Keep an eye on Anna,” I told him seriously. “I can reach Dom if I need him,” I reminded him, tapping my temple.

  “I heard that method of communication could be unreliable,” he replied, glancing at me with lifted eyebrows. “You telling me different?”

  “Yeah, I am. Now, go, protect Anna,” I insisted, shooing him away. He appeared reluctant but finally moved, headed toward Anna, who hovered at the edge of the forest, her gaze firmly focused on Caleb.

  “Did I miss it?”

  I yelped, reeling around at her question. “What are you doing here?” I shrieked, glancing around frantically. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  A whisper brushed across my mind as Dom tried to discern if there was a problem. Fine, fine, I thought hastily, just Leah.

  She’s here? I felt the weight of Dom’s gaze from across the field as I answered, apparently.

  Try and keep out of sight, he grumbled. Please.

  Our connection dropped to a low-level hum, easily accessible if I needed to reach him, but not enough to distract.

  “I had to come,” Leah answered, bringing me back to the problem at hand. She gazed around in awe. “I had to see if it was true.”

  “It’s dangerous,” I hissed, grabbing her arm and hauling her further from the milling Pack members. “This isn’t a game, Leah. Its their lives.”

  She gave me a wounded look. “I know that,” she insisted, craning her neck to see around the tree I’d pulled us behind. “But you have to understand how unbelievable this all is, right? Caleb…Caleb, who goes to our high school, is going to fight some guy to the death.”

  “Yeah,” I said shortly, before giving a tired sigh. “And he’s going to do it to protect his family, his Pack.” I waved my arm around. “These people, right here.” I grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look at me. “And you, Leah. He’s protecting you and every other woman who is nothing more than an object to those men.”

  “I understand, Jess,” she stressed, her expression earnest. “I’m not here to take pictures and post it on social media.” My face blanched and she sighed. “I’m not, I promise. Look, Caleb protected me when those guys showed up. He didn’t have to do that. I’m not…Pack,” she finally burst out. “I get it. I do. I just needed to see it,” she muttered, her gaze searching mine. I glanced away, understanding exactly what she meant. I’d seen the shift for the first time when Dom had saved my life and even witnessing it I hadn’t wanted to believe. The truth was, it was so far outside the realm of normal, I couldn’t blame Leah for wanting to see if for herself, to know it was real.

  “You can’t let them see you, or distract them,” I warned, dragging her further into the crowd. “This is their way of life and we cannot interfere.” Her head bobbed as she followed in my wake, almost bouncing as I brought us back around to where Sam stood silently next to Payne. Neither would glance at the other, meaning they must have argued again, but I figured if Dom trusted Payne to get me home then he was good enough to help me keep Leah safe.

  I scanned the clearing for Trent, finally finding him propped against a tree, a clear line of sight to Anna, a frown on his face. When I glanced over at Anna, I could see why. She was standing next to a tense Caleb, her hand resting on his arm as she gazed up at him. I winced sympathetically. The look on her face said it all.

  The crowd stirred restlessly, a few heads turning toward the road, hearing something too low for my ears. I grasped Leah’s hand as more heads turned, whispering, “They’re coming.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Dom

  I inhaled sharply as the faint rumble of tires on concrete reached my ears. Only the faintest scent of Hanley met my nose but I knew it was them. They thrived on making an entrance. Caleb stilled next to me, his earlier nerves disappearing with the Hanley’s arrival.

  “Any final words of advice?” Caleb joked, shaking his arms loosely.

  “Don’t die,” I replied, far more seriously than he intended. He gulped and Anna gave me a reproachful stare. I rolled my shoulders, unapologetic. “Whatever you have to do to stay alive, do it,” I continued. “Life and death, there are no rules. Take every advantage you’re given.”

  Caleb scoffed, “You wouldn’t do that. You always taught me to fight fair.”

  “And in a fair fight that would still be the case, but, Caleb, don’t for one second think this is a fair fight. It’s not. When a man is about to die, you can’t predict what he’ll do.” I inhaled again, but this time it was the sweet scent of Jess that hit my nose and I drew the air deep into my lungs. “And trust me, I would do anything to protect the ones I love.”

  “He’s right,” Anna seconded, growing defensive when Caleb stared at her shocked surprise. “Survive, Caleb, any way you have to.” For a second, her face was unguarded and I glanced away from the emotion I could see there. She quickly schooled her expression and I wasn’t sure Caleb even noticed. “Our survival depends on yours,” she continued, her voice brittle as she tried to hide the emotions churning just under the surface.

  “No pressure,” Caleb voiced and I glanced at him, gauging his mood. His hands were steady, expression resolute and as I watched, his gaze shuttered, locking away any emotion that might interfere with the challenge.

  I clasped his shoulder, leaning in so sensitive ears wouldn’t hear as I told him, “I’m proud to call you Alpha.”

  Caleb nodded, his voice too tight for words as he grasped my forearm in a tight hold. He released me as vehicles pulled into the clearing and we stood side by side to face the coming fight.

  “Ready to lose?” Frank Hanley called as he sauntered into the loosely formed ring, his gaze locked on me.

  I smiled. The fool thought he was fighting me today.

  “I’m going to enjoy watching you die,” I answered him as Caleb stepped forward and Frank stared at him in puzzle
ment. “Today, you fight the Alpha.”

  Frank moved slowly, caught unaware by the news but as he took in Caleb’s smaller build, a grin started to form.

  “You’re going to make this easy on me, then?”

  “If you consider dying easy,” Caleb said confidently, a relaxed shrug lifting his shoulders. Frank frowned, unsettled by Caleb’s casual demeanor and I knew we’d won the first round. Fighting was ninety percent mental and if you went in with the expectation of losing then you would.

  The Hanley Alpha emerged from one of the trucks and Caleb tensed. Rage hummed over the Pack link, not all of it coming from Caleb as we saw the man who’d ordered the death of our Alpha.

  Focus, I barked the command down the link, and felt some of the anger bleed away. A hint of gratitude came from Caleb as he held his head up, facing the true challenger to our Pack.

  “You’ve come to watch your son die?” He called to his father’s killer and fury flickered over the older man’s face.

  “Always the issue with the Navarre Pack, they allow their pups to speak,” he sneered, his gaze darting from face to face, searching.

  “At least we don’t allow them to shoot men in the back,” my father drawled as he stepped from the crowd. “Unlike you, Nicholas.”

  The Hanley Alpha narrowed his eyes at the sight of my father, taking in his sheriff’s uniform and the gun holstered at his side. “It seems you’ve come out ahead. No longer having to guard the back of a pathetically weak alpha and you got a job promotion.”

  Incoherent rage burned through the link I shared with Caleb at the insult to his father. Control, I cautioned him. Use the rage to take away the thing he values most, his son, his heritage, I counseled him. I could feel Caleb grapple for control and I wondered how much more he could take without breaking.