He headed down the staircase, the sounds of voices rising up to meet him. When he stepped into the kitchen, Dani gave him a smile.
“We’re ready for you, Alpha.”
He looked around the table. Dani was there, as were Wolfgang and Lyram, plus Joe Korlach, Alina Kester, and a man Gareth hadn’t met yet but was eager to get to know.
He strode over and held out his hand. “Gareth Blackthorn.”
The man smiled at him, and without even hearing him speak, Gareth knew that Deke Simmons would make an excellent addition to Lydon. He was broad-shouldered and obviously worked hard, considering how toned he was. He had shaggy blond hair just over his ears, and piercing mahogany-brown eyes.
“Deke Simmons, but I guess you already knew that.”
Gareth turned to Lyram. “Thank you for reaching out to Deke. I knew you were efficient, but didn’t expect him to get here in such a short time.”
Deke chuckled. “When your Beta called and told me you wanted me to be part of your pack, I jumped at the chance. I’ve read about your lands, and to have the chance to take care of them is like…. Well, it’s like the holy grail. Pristine waters, forests that have been untouched by anyone other than the Lydon pack? God, I could stay here forever and probably barely scratch the surface of the secrets they hold.”
It was high praise from anyone, but coming from Deke, it meant more than Gareth could say.
“For those who haven’t met him, this is Deke Simmons. He’s only twenty-two, but he already has an impressive list of articles he’s done about the best ways to save our natural resources. Deke, would you like to let everyone know who you are?”
Deke smiled at him, then did something Gareth hadn’t expected. He put his hands under the table and rolled out in a wheelchair. He must have noticed Gareth’s expression, because he grinned up at him. “Didn’t read the whole file, huh?”
“What… I mean, how?”
Gareth had never heard of a wolf who needed help getting around. As far as he knew, it was unheard of.
“Car accident when I was a kid. Severed my spine. The doctors told my parents I would be confined to a bed for the rest of my life. When I turned eighteen, I had my first shift. It was… life-altering. It couldn’t heal the damage fully, probably because too many years had gone by, but it lets me run as my wolf, and that means everything to me.” He turned slightly. “If this is going to be a problem, I’ll—”
“What? No, not in the least. Am I surprised? Yes, I won’t deny it. But, no, it isn’t a problem.”
He introduced the others and gave them a few moments to chat. Then he took a seat at the table and reached for a plate of cookies he knew Dani had baked for the occasion. She got up and poured coffee for everyone, then sat down again.
“I’m going to admit, this isn’t how I wanted our first meeting to go. Since most of you were there when Ryker kidnapped Sean—which I will be forever grateful for—you know what we’re up against.” He turned to Deke. “We have a wolf problem with our… our Omega.”
Deke’s eyes went wide. “Omega? I thought they’d all died out.”
“So did everyone else, apparently. Except for Ryker. Sean is more than our Omega, though. He’s my mate.”
“Mate? Like in human romance novels? I didn’t know that ever happened.”
Gareth shrugged. “Sean brings a lot of amazing things with him to the table. You don’t even know.”
The thought of Sean had Gareth wanting to run upstairs and see him again, to make sure he was healthy and happy.
“Then this pack is truly blessed by Mother Moon.” Deke turned to Lyram. “Thank you for calling me.”
A sharp nod was his only reply. In fact, Lyram hadn’t said more than a few words to Gareth since they’d come back from rescuing Sean and Quinn. He’d sequestered himself in his room, coming out only for his duties with the pack, then rushing back to his room.
“With the help of Lyram and the rest of the pack, we were able to rescue Sean and his brother, but when it came time to decide what was to be done, I let them walk away.”
The low growl from Lyram told Gareth what he needed to know. He was the Alpha—he didn’t need to explain—but this was his council, and he needed to be sure they understood. So he told them the same thing he had said to Sean. When he finished, he faced Lyram.
“I’m sorry I had to stop you. Maybe it would have been better to end it then and there. I don’t know for certain.”
Lyram shook his head. “No, you were right. I was being hotheaded and not thinking things through. I never even considered him having allies.”
Gareth was glad they’d cleared the air on that. Especially since he was about to ask Lyram for the biggest favor ever.
“I wouldn’t have been able to beat them. I’m not a fighter. If they hadn’t backed down, you would have had to haul my ass out of the fire.”
Lyram grinned. “That’s part of my job description.”
“I’m glad you said that, because I need something from you.”
“Oh?”
“When the time comes, I want you to be the one to fight Ryker.”
“Alpha, I—”
From the doorway came Sean’s voice, strong and clear. “No. It has to be you, Gareth. You’re the only one who can fight him. You need to trust me on this.”
And things got a whole lot more complicated.
Chapter Eighteen
THE MEETING ended with nothing decided. Lyram was saying that he needed to be the one to protect Sean and Gareth, while Sean insisted Gareth needed to do it himself. The problem was that Sean wasn’t explaining it to anyone—he just pleaded with Gareth to trust him.
“So what’s this about? Why are you saying I need to be the one to fight Ryker? I can’t beat him, Sean. I’m not a fighter.”
“Because you’re the only one who can. While I have no doubt that Lyram would be able to hold his own, Ryker will cheat. He’s done it before. You need to understand Ryker. He will challenge you to a fight, and, like it has been forever, the stakes will be the pack. You’ve seen what his own people look like. What do you think any other pack will do? I can tell you. Ryker will come in, strip the land of anything worthwhile—including people he deems worthy—and then either kill the rest outright or leave them to starve.”
People he deemed worthy? God, that sounded like Gareth before he got his head out of his ass.
“This is what needs to happen, and you’ve got to listen to me. Before Ryker can issue a formal challenge, you need to do one preemptively. In public, with witnesses. Tell him the stakes will be the pack lands and….” Sean hesitated. “You have to offer me as a prize.”
Gareth slammed his hand on the table. “No!”
“It’s the only way.”
Gareth sneered and leaned in close. “I am not offering you up to him. You’re a human being, not a piece of furniture to be passed around.” He sighed. “Besides, I can’t win. I am not a fighter.”
“Do you trust me?” Sean gripped Gareth’s forearm and stared into his eyes. “I mean really trust me.”
It was a question Gareth didn’t even have to think about. “Of course. I trusted you with my heart, and the rest fell into place.”
Sean’s cheeks pinked. “Then believe in me when I tell you that you will beat him. Not only will you win, but you’re going to crush him.” He swallowed. “There is one thing you need to keep in mind. Challenges are to the death. You will have to be able to kill Ryker. Can you do that?”
Oh, that was no problem.
“Yes, without a doubt. He hurt you and Caleb. He did unspeakable things to Quinn. And he murdered Ethan. Killing him wouldn’t be a problem at all.”
“Then issue the challenge. Do it before he does. Make sure you insist the rules include a one-on-one fight between the Alphas only. No outside pack help is allowed. You must specify pack, Gareth. Ryker’s had Kristopher step in when he thought it would be a tough fight. You must be certain you spell it out clearly. Otherwise he will find a loophole and us
e it against you.”
Gareth gazed into Sean’s eyes. He could see the trust, and for some reason, Gareth knew if Sean believed in him, he could and would beat Ryker. He wasn’t sure what made Sean so certain, but…. No, it didn’t matter.
“I can’t—won’t offer you. I trust you, but if I lose, the most important thing in my life will be gone.”
“Believe me when I say I—we—feel the same.” Sean stroked a hand over his stomach. “The thing is, until you beat him, we won’t ever be free. He’ll keep coming after me, and I’ll forever be looking over my shoulder. And you’ll be looking too. Is that what you want for me? For us?”
No, Gareth didn’t want that for his mate or their child. He wanted everyone safe, including all the people in his pack.
“He’ll threaten the pack to get what he wants, won’t he?”
“It won’t be a threat, I promise. Keep in mind what he did to Ethan and what happened with Caleb. They tried to kill him—you know that. For no other reason than to force me to do what they wanted. He won’t stop at people in the house. Anyone in the pack will be a fair target, because he knows how you feel about them.”
In his mind, Gareth saw men, women, and children slaughtered. He imagined what would happen to them if Ryker took over the pack. In this case, doing nothing was worse than fighting.
Gareth deflated with a sigh. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ve never challenged someone before. What do I do?”
“We go together to issue the challenge.”
“What’s to stop him from killing me and taking you right then?”
“Because for his claim on the pack to be legitimate, he has to follow tradition. If he violates a call for challenge, then he forfeits everything he has. He won’t do that.”
“You seem to know an awful lot about this.”
“I’ve seen it before. He’s always sent a representative to issue a formal challenge. It never went well for the pack he coveted.”
“And what should I expect from this challenge?”
“That’s going to be tough. It’ll be either both of you as men, one of you as a man and the other as a wolf, or both wolves. As the challenged, Ryker has the right to choose.”
“Man and wolf? That’s insane!”
Sean grinned. “Seriously, that’s the one I’m hoping he chooses. You’ve got to trust me, Gareth. You’ve got this in the bag.”
Gareth squinted. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“You’ll know when the time is right. It’s something that Ryker thinks he understands, but he’s got no clue.”
“Okay. When should we do this?”
“Custom dictates you have one week after the challenge is formalized before it takes place. If we go talk to him now, then it’ll be next Monday.”
“I wish I had your confidence.”
Sean reached out a hand and stroked Gareth’s face. “You can have it in me. I swear. I will never let you down. Ryker has hurt too many people, and it’s past time he pays.”
A tiny thrill went through Gareth to see Sean like this. He wasn’t cowering or hiding—he was going to face this head-on, with Gareth by his side.
He could do this.
GARETH SEEMED to be a lot calmer and more in control than Sean. He was sweating bullets as they stopped at the gates of Ryker’s compound and waited to be summoned before their Alpha. The young girl who approached them couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve, and she was in no better shape than Quinn had been: far too skinny, her brown hair limp and stringy. She wouldn’t meet Gareth’s gaze, and only glanced out of the corner of her eye when she saw Sean.
He knelt down. “What’s your name, honey?”
“Margaret.” Her cheeks paled and her hands trembled. “Please don’t tell Master I said that. He said I don’t have a name.”
Sean reached into his pocket and took out a chocolate bar. “Here, you take this and I’ll keep your name a secret.”
It was obvious how desperate she was, but she took a step back. “No, I can’t. Master said only he can give us food.”
Gareth growled. “I’m sorry, Margaret. I promise to make this right for all of you, okay?”
Her eyes shone when she peered up at Gareth, who stood silhouetted against the sun. He looked every bit the Alpha these people needed. “Yes, Alpha.”
Kristopher poked his head out of one of the buildings. “Bitch, bring them in.”
“Yes, sir!”
Sean bit back the angry retort. He was going to enjoy seeing Gareth shred this bastard. Margaret reached for Gareth’s hand and then for Sean’s and held on for dear life. Sean knew the hell she was living under, and he vowed it would stop.
Margaret led them into Ryker’s house, and Sean froze at the door. Too many horrible memories, too many friends who went in and never left. He gazed down at Margaret, who gave him an expectant look. He drew in a breath, then crossed the threshold.
Ryker stepped out from one of the rooms, his arms crossed over his chest, with eight other people following behind him. Sean recognized some of his former packmates, but not others. Ryker pinned Gareth with a harsh stare. “I’m going to admit, I thought a lot of things, but I never figured you’d be stupid enough to come here and to bring him with you.”
Gareth cleared his throat as he stepped forward. “I am here as Alpha of the Lydon pack to issue a formal challenge to you, Ryker Desmond.”
Ryker smacked Kristopher in the arm. “He’s got a set on him, doesn’t he?”
Kristopher chuckled, mean and nasty. “Can I kill him now?”
“Sadly, no. He’s being all formal, which means I have to be hospitable.” Ryker faced Gareth. “Per your request, this is a public gathering. Tell me about your challenge.”
“One-on-one combat, Alphas only. No other pack member may interfere. The fight will continue until one of us is dead. The choice of forms is yours as the challenged party.”
“And what are the stakes when I take your heart?”
“If you win, the lands of Lydon and the people who live there will belong to you.” Gareth swallowed hard. “This will include my mate and our unborn child.”
Dark eyes widened. “You’re so sure you’ll win that you’re going to bet the life of all your people and your mate?”
“I’m going to admit, the decision to include Sean was his alone.”
The smile was every bit as disgusting as Sean remembered. “So you want to come back to me, huh?”
It was important that Sean keep his temper. He couldn’t afford to say anything out of turn, lest things get ugly. “No, I want to protect the people of both packs.” He narrowed his gaze. “That’s what an Omega does.”
A hush fell as the others in the room looked at one another.
“He’s an Omega? But they don’t exist. You said so.”
Ryker snarled as he glared at each person in the room. It wasn’t a surprise that they each turned away from his fury. “This one does, and he belongs to me.”
“No, he’s mine. Bitten and claimed.” Gareth tugged down the collar of Sean’s shirt and showed the mark on his neck. “And we’re going to be married as soon as this farce is over.”
The assembled crowd gasped, and Ryker slammed his fist into the wall and howled. “Get them out of here before I tear them both apart.” Margaret turned to take them out as Ryker snapped, “Your challenge is accepted. One week from today. Me and you, no pack interference. And so you know, once you lose, every person in your pack is going to beg for mercy as I bleed them.”
Gareth stood tall, his spine straight. “No, every person in your pack will be freed of you.” He looked down at Margaret. “And they’re going to learn what it’s like to have a true leader for a change.”
If Sean wasn’t already in love with Gareth, this would have put him firmly in that column. He was cool, collected, and showed his compassion without hesitation. Sean knew he’d made the right choice.
Margaret walked with them to the edge of the property. After they were thr
ough the gate, it closed, and she stood there, her hands clenched and tears in her eyes. Was this the first time anyone had shown her kindness? Sean was willing to bet it had been.
“Keep the faith, Margaret. We’re going to come back and fix all of this for you, okay?”
She bit her lip as she nodded, then turned and shuffled slowly in the other direction. As soon as she was out of sight, Sean smiled at Gareth.
“You were brilliant. The people are already looking at you as a means to a new life.”
“It’s weird. I thought I would be terrified, but I wasn’t. Seeing Margaret and how she’s suffered under Ryker, it made everything crystal clear to me. I thought this was a fight to save the Lydon pack, but there’s so much more to it, isn’t there?”
“There is. Ryker’s wealth comes from the packs he’s taken over, stripped of everything important, then left to rot. That’s the difference between you and him. You care for what’s yours, and it shows with everything you do. Margaret looked at you like you hung the moon and stars, and she’s just met you.”
A frown marred Gareth’s face. “Will she be safe? I don’t want Ryker hurting her.”
“I wish I had an answer for you, Alpha. Where Ryker is concerned, I wouldn’t put anything past him.”
“I’ve got to tell you, I am sick to death of this ‘master’ bullshit.” Gareth squeezed his hands into fists. “She’s a baby, and he’s treating her like a goddamn servant.”
“That’s because it’s what she is. Ryker believes in… indoctrinating the kids early.”
“No!” Gareth spun on his heel and headed back for the gate. “This ends here and now.”
“Stop!” Sean rushed to him and grabbed Gareth by the arm. “You can’t help them now. This has to be done by the rules. They have to see you defeat Ryker in open combat, otherwise you won’t be able to gain their trust. Believe me, you need that for…. Just, you need that.”
“This is wrong, Sean. I can’t just leave her there.”
“There isn’t anything to be done right now. Please, be patient. One week and—oh.” Sean clutched his stomach. “Oh shit.”
The Night Wolf Page 17
