by Ravenna Tate
To do anything now other than accept Hawke’s challenge and kill him would do Canyon’s family dishonor. It would bring shame down on his head, and on the heads of his children. He was a blood moon lynx. He had a higher duty here, and he was more than ready to take that on in every way.
The crowd grew restless as the Elders finally climbed the dais. Avery held up his hands until there was silence, and then read the original accusations of both the Medina family and the Benedicts.
“We had already reached a decision on whose mate Fiera Kent was to be.” Avery cut his gaze toward Hawke, who was still on the other side of the wall with his family. “But twice Hawke Medina threatened the Benedict family afterward.”
A loud, angry murmur rose up in the crowd, and Canyon resisted the urge to smile. They didn’t know the half of it.
Avery waited until the crowd died down again before he continued. “We did not address the threats made against the Kent family once we found out about them because we were focused on the additional complaint made against the Kent business.”
That was the closest thing to a public apology Canyon had ever heard an Elder make, and he knew it was likely Avery and the others would say nothing further to the masses about the fact that they’d done nothing over the threats made to Fiera and Cash by the Medinas.
The crowd noise grew loud, and Canyon was certain others in the village were thinking the same thing he was. He caught a few angry and snide remarks, and saw more than one astonished face among his neighbors.
Once again Avery had to wait for people to quiet down. “And now a challenge has been issued by Hawke Medina against Canyon Benedict, over the issue of the female, Fiera Kent.”
“But you had already decided the issue!”
Canyon wasn’t sure whose voice that was, but he thought it might have belonged to Stone’s father.
Avery scanned the crowd. “Any alpha may challenge another. Hawke has made it quite clear this challenge is because of the way in which Canyon chose to claim Fiera, not over his right to do so.”
More murmuring, but Canyon didn’t want to listen any longer. He only wanted to get this over with. He squared his shoulders and fixed his gaze on Hawke, who suddenly didn’t look as cocky as he had fifteen minutes ago. Read aloud, his excuse for insisting on this fight did not sound noble. It sounded petty and immature.
Too late now. Neither man could back down and save face. They were in this to the death.
Avery glanced toward Hawke. “If you’re ready to proceed with your challenge, step into the stones and face your accused.”
The adrenaline was pumping now. A shadow of doubt crossed Hawke’s face, and Canyon could barely hold back the urge to shift. He allowed his mind to fill with every speck of anger and humiliation he had felt when Hawke first began to announce to anyone who would listen that he intended to claim Fiera as his mate.
Canyon wallowed in it. He relived each second of the emotion he’d experienced. He pictured the faces of those who had come to tell him what Hawke was doing and saying, and he replayed the words in his head as he and his father had crafted the complaint to the Elders.
Before he had no chance to do so until this was over, he gazed over at Fiera, standing between his parents. Her gorgeous blue eyes were filled with fear and resignation, so he blew her a tiny kiss. When she saw it, her features softened, and the tiniest glimmer of a smile graced her mouth.
That mouth had given him more pleasure than he had a right to. She was a beautiful woman, and she loved him without measure. She was his mate. She would be mother to his children soon. He had loved her his entire life, and he’d be damned if some fucking leopard with a grudge would take his life today. He had years ahead of him. Decades. And he intended to live out every second of them with Fiera, the woman fate had chosen for him.
Forcing his gaze back toward Hawke, Canyon let the anger and pain fill him up again. The crowd was in a frenzy now as the pair faced off, slowly circling each other, still in human form. Canyon barely heard them. He pictured Hawke dead, lifeless and bleeding on these stones as he stood over him, victorious.
****
The urge to turn away and not watch rose up inside Fiera. She was certain she’d faint if she kept her focus on the circle. Leah and Luke flanked her, and she drew strength from them. Behind her, Cletus, her father, her uncles, plus Canyon’s sisters formed a protective barrier between her and the rest of the village. Stone and his family were next to Luke. Arizona stood with his family, next to Leah. Everyone whom Fiera loved was here. But if Canyon lost this fight, her life was over.
As the roar of the crowd grew to deafening heights she closed her eyes. In her mind, she pictured Canyon victorious, standing over the lifeless body of Hawke. Fiera hated these fights, although to say so out loud would earn her odd looks and whispered comments. They were part of their heritage, after all. They were as integral a part of their shifter culture as mating. But she still hated them.
There was a child inside her, growing. Fiera placed her hands over her still-flat abdomen in a gesture of protection. One day, her child would gaze on this man and call him “Father”. He or she would play, laugh, sing, and listen to counsel from Canyon. And if the gods were kind, her child would have siblings.
But only if Canyon won this fight. She had to help him do that. She was his mate, after all. What affected him also affected her, and vice versa.
As she opened her eyes, Fiera focused every ounce of energy on Canyon. She pictured him strong, lithe, and easily overpowering Hawke. He was a blood moon lynx, after all. And Hawke was nothing more than a loudmouth leopard who laid claim to things that had never been his in the first place, by using force and threats.
Not today. Hawke would not win this day. This day, Hawke would pay for bullying and treachery with his own life. On this day, Hawke Medina would die.
****
As if the cosmos had given him a secret sign, Canyon felt a stirring in the air. Everyone around him grew still. Had they felt it, too? Hawke narrowed his eyes and stopped moving. He sneered as he realized Canyon was shifting.
Canyon fully shifted before Hawke did, and lunged at him while Hawke was still in human form. Hawke went down, crying out in pain as Canyon slashed his left arm with lynx claws. Once Hawke completely shifted, he leapt in the air, but Canyon was faster. He danced out of the way and swept his left paw across Hawke’s face this time.
A cry of pain from Hawke rang out as he shook his head. Canyon moved forward with the intention of closing in for the kill, but Hawke stepped back in time to avoid him. Hawke slashed at Canyon’s back with his right paw, but Canyon barely felt the deep scratches. He was too pumped now.
Nothing existed except this leopard who had dared to try to take his mate, and continued to threaten his family. Hawke had brought this down on his own head. Canyon turned and leapt to the other side of Hawke, tackling him from behind before Hawke was able to turn around and face him.
The smell and taste of blood beneath the skin was Canyon’s to savor as he clamped his jaw against Hawke’s neck. It was already over. All he had to do was bite, and Hawke Medina would never again threaten him or Fiera, his mate.
In less than thirty seconds, Canyon had won the fight.
****
Barely conscious of the tears streaming down her face, Fiera held her breath. She didn’t hear the roar of the crowd around her. All she heard was her own blood pulsing in her ears. She had nearly shifted, and it took every ounce of strength to hold back the urge.
When Canyon’s jaw clamped down on Hawke’s neck, the crowd gasped. Everyone grew quiet as Hawke’s weak cry went up. When there was nothing but silence from within the circle, Hawke’s lifeless leopard body twitched a few times before lying still. Fiera was certain she’d puke as the acrid smell of blood wafted past her nose.
When a shifter dies in his animal form, he does not shift back to human form. Canyon stood, moved away from the dead leopard, and wiped his mouth and face, before shifting back to
human form. He gave Fiera a look that was both triumphant and sad. Finally, he turned toward the dais and bowed low to the Elders.
He remained that way, head down and body bent at the waist, until Avery climbed down off his perch and entered the ring. “Canyon Benedict has won the challenge!”
The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, with the exception of the Medina family. But there was no joy on Canyon’s face as he circled slowly, facing them at each turn. Fiera pushed through and stepped over the wall, then waited until Canyon saw her and held out his arms.
She didn’t care now that he was stained in blood. She had to hold him. He gathered her close, his breathing still ragged and heavy.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry it came to this.”
“So am I.” He nuzzled her neck. “I love you, Fiera.”
“I love you, too, Canyon.”
The Elders, with the exception of Avery, surrounded the Medina family, but they had no reason to worry. Amasa was on the ground, his head in his hands, weeping. Three members of the Medina family carried Hawke’s dead carcass out of the circle and walked off into the woods.
It was time to leave. The fight was over. Nothing more to see here, folks.
Fiera took Canyon’s hand and led him away from the crowd. It was time to take her mate home.
****
As he held Fiera in his arms, all Canyon felt inside was numbness. There would be no sleep for him tonight. He’d killed for food countless times, but this had been different. This was senseless, because it never should have come to that in the first place. Knowing it had been his birthright to do so, and knowing he had to do it in order to save face and protect his family’s honor didn’t make it easier in the aftermath.
When she kissed his neck, he realized she also was still awake. “Do you need to talk?”
“No.” There was nothing to say.
“Do you need to fuck?” Fiera reached between his legs and stroked his flaccid cock.
That was exactly what he needed to do. Canyon couldn’t help but smile. His dick grew hard within seconds. He rolled on top of her and pushed it inside her hot, wet pussy. She cried out in pleasure and clung to him as thrust.
This woman knew how to make everything right in his life. She knew how to take away his pain, and she knew how to ground him to the things that truly mattered in his life. They were both free from Hawke now. Soon, the entire village would be free of the Medina family. It was time to let it go and move forward.
After she came, he let his own orgasm go. He pulled his mate into arms and drifted off to sleep. He loved this woman with his entire heart and soul. There was no place else Canyon wanted to be for the rest of his life, except in her arms.
Chapter Eighteen
When Fiera woke to loud voices talking, she at first thought she’d dreamed the entire fight and the Medinas were back, threatening them once again. But she soon realized Canyon was standing next to the bed, fully dressed. “Get up, love. The FBI came. Everyone is talking about it.”
“What? Are they here?”
“No.” He chuckled. “They took away the entire Medina family. The Elders have summoned everyone back to the town square. They want the entire village there within the hour. Come on.”
A wave of nausea hit her as she sat up. She put a hand to her mouth, and Canyon’s beautiful face filled with concern. He knelt next to her. “Are you okay? What can I do?”
“Get out of the way…” She bolted for the bathroom, but it was a false alarm. He was right there, crouching next to her, brushing back her hair.
“It’s all right. Tell me what to do.”
The nausea finally passed. “I want to take a shower. I can still smell blood.”
“I took one again this morning while you slept. Maybe we need to wash the sheets?”
The smell had nothing to do with any lingering blood on him or the sheets. He’d taken a shower last night before crawling into bed. It was in her head, and it would take a while to leave.
After she took the quickest shower possible, Leah insisted she eat something before leaving the house. Fiera wolfed down toast and went outside where Canyon’s family, her uncles, and her father waited.
As they walked to the town square, Fiera held Canyon’s hand. They didn’t have to wait long once they arrived because they were one of the last groups there. Arizona and Stone spotted them and walked over to join them, clapping Canyon on the back. Everyone around them wanted to do the same, or at least shake his hand.
It was apparent to Fiera that he didn’t want the attention. He was having as difficult a time with what he’d had to do as she was. He held onto her hand the entire time people congratulated him, as if afraid to let go. She squeezed it as hard as she could. She’d never let him go. Never.
Finally, the Elders stepped up on the dais. Avery held up his hands until the crowd quieted. “We have news that concerns the entire village. The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided both the homes where the Medina family lived in this village, and the offices where they conducted business in Port Angeles early this morning.”
He paused, letting that sink in for a few seconds. “They seized computers, phones, and other means of storing electronic data. The entire Medina family is on their way to the SeaTac Federal Detention Center. They are being charged with multiple counts of securities fraud, among other things the humans understand better than we do.”
Soft chuckles echoed around the group.
“We wish to let you know we made a mistake in not paying closer attention to the complaints against the Medina family over the years.”
Several gasps went up among the crowd. Fiera couldn’t remember a time in her life when the Elders had admitted wrongdoing, and now they’d done so twice in the space of twelve hours.
“If we had, things might not have progressed this far. A male leopard might not have died. That being said, we also wish to announce we have completed our investigation into the complaint filed against Cash Kent by the Medinas, and have concluded Cash Kent and his brothers, Chase and Chad, are free to run their family business as they see fit. There will be no interference from us, or from any family in this village.”
The crowd applauded, and several people shook her father’s hand.
“We now consider all the matters between the Kent family and the Medina family, as well as those between the Benedict family and the Medina family, concluded. You are dismissed to your homes.”
It was an anti-climactic announcement. Fiera thought they could just as easily have sent out a proclamation in writing. They made their way back home, where Leah invited Stone and Arizona to stay for lunch.
The rest of the morning passed quickly. Everyone had plenty to say about the Medinas, and they had plenty of speculation about what might happen to them. Fiera watched Canyon carefully. He seemed a bit more animated as the day progressed, and she was grateful.
She’d never killed another shifter or a human, only animals during a hunt. She had no idea what he was feeling inside, but she knew she’d be there for him, no matter what. He was her whole world, and she couldn’t be more grateful that he’d been spared last night.
Now she was free to love her mate, and raise his children. It was all she’d ever wanted.
****
The next two weeks passed by without incident. Fiera grew used to the calmness of her days. Canyon and his father still drove into Seattle a couple days a week to work, but she no longer felt uneasy alone in her home when they did.
Gradually, the village learned she was with child, and she had more suggestions and offers of help than she knew what to do with. This was how life was supposed to be in their community. This spirit of peaceful cooperation and of being one with each other. Fiera prayed no family as vicious as the Medinas would ever become part of their village again.
Gillian and Arizona became frequent guests at Luke’s and Leah’s home during the next two weeks. Gillian kept them apprised of the proceedings as much as pos
sible, but she also explained there was only so much she could discover, not being on the team of attorneys for any of the accused.
Amasa and most of the male members of his family would stand trial, but Gillian didn’t know when that would happen. She had access to the motions filed, and so far their attorneys were simply trying to point fingers at other parties or have certain evidence quashed.
Gillian warned them it would likely be a long battle. She also told them, however, that the evidence against them was vast, and the IRS was now involved as well. She theorized it was far more likely they’d spend time in prison than not.
The female members of the family hadn’t been directly involved in the business, but they did not return to the village once the FBI decided not to indict them. They weren’t welcome there. As far as Canyon’s father had been able to ascertain, they’d settled on the other side of Port Angeles, where there was a small colony of leopard families living.
****
One late summer night, six weeks after Canyon had taken Fiera to the cabin so they could be mated, the pair sat on the front porch of their own home, enjoying the night air. Fiera’s pregnancy was just beginning to show, and Canyon loved to trace the outline of the bump.
He was so convinced they were having a son that he wanted to name him, but Fiera begged him not to. She was superstitious about such things. She also told him they were having a girl because she was due in April, and that was the month of the Pink Moon. Canyon thought that was silly, but didn’t say so. He would never make fun of her psychic gifts, but secretly believed she was wrong this time. They were having a son.
This particular evening, Arizona and Gillian had dinner at his parents’ house, mostly so Gillian could update them on the progression of the legal proceedings against the Medina family. Canyon would speak with them in the morning for updates. For now, he only wanted to sit with Fiera and their unborn child.
