Ben still resisted, although he opened the back door. “Why? Are you okay?”
“I just need you. Please?”
They gazed into each other’s eyes for a minute then Ben relented. Chris handed Alex the keys as Ben slid into the back seat. “Are you okay?” he asked her.
She took a deep breath as she nodded. “I’m scared. But we’ll figure this out.”
Chris cupped her cheek. What a strong woman. Not afraid to admit her fear. And not freaking out because of that fear. “You’re right. We’ll get this done.” He pressed a quick kiss on her mouth.
* * *
Half an hour later, someone knocked on the door. Alex had never thought she’d be the strong one in their threesome, but Chris was tired out both physically and emotionally, and Ben looked like he’d walked through hell in his head. So Alex answered the door and ushered Sophia into the living room where the two men sat on the couch staring into space.
“Are you hurt?” Sophia put her medical bag on the coffee table.
Chris roused himself to look at her. “No. I mean, nothing new. I wanted to talk about options for tomorrow night.”
Sophia sat down on an end chair. “I can give you painkillers again.”
“That would be good,” Chris said. “I was also thinking about something to enhance my performance.”
That was the first Alex had heard of that.
Sophia leaned back, making a face. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. That’s why you’re here. Adrenaline? Steroids? Something that will help me keep going during the fight.” Chris paused. “This is going to be a tough one. But I have to win.”
“If you go that route, you could end up seriously hurt,” Sophia said.
“Worse than if I lose?” Chris said.
If he lost, Bruno might kill him. Alex was glad Chris hadn’t said it out loud. Ben didn’t need to hear it.
Sophia put her finger to her lips. “There are things I could give you if you’re sure you want to do this. Remember Tyler?” She turned toward Alex and Ben. “He’s an MMA fighter. He left our pack a while ago when he moved to California, but before that I was working with him to manage his pain after the fights. And sometimes he took drugs before the fights, too.”
“Is it safe?” Alex said.
“I don’t know what else to do,” Chris said. “I have to win. And I don’t have enough time to heal before the fight.”
And in werewolf fights, there were few rules. Certainly no rules against performance-enhancing drugs. And no guarantee Chris’ opponents weren’t using them too.
“This time,” Alex said, “after you win, you need to stay home until you’re healed. No going to the bar when you’re not ready.”
Chris leaned his head back against the couch. “Agreed. As soon as we’ve run them out of town.”
“Once you beat Bruno, Matt and Nick and Ben can take care of getting rid of them. You will stay with Sophia and me and get patched up. If you’re conscious, you can lead things with your cell phone.”
“My beautiful bully.” Chris smiled at her.
He thought she was beautiful? She couldn’t keep from smiling back at him, but kept her voice firm. “If that’s what it takes.”
“What do you think, Soph?” Chris said.
“I think an opiate would be the best choice. Tyler used to say taking morphine or Nubain before the fight took the edge off his anxiety and fear, and made it so he could keep going no matter how much he got hit. I don’t have any with me, so I’ll have to get a hold of it. Why don’t I meet you before the fight?”
They made arrangements for her to meet them at the park at quarter to eleven the next night.
“Now,” Sophia said. “As important as any drug I might give you is how you take care of yourself in the next twenty-four hours. I want you to sleep as much as possible. Don’t shift until the fight. Up until three to four hours before the fight, gorge on protein and fat. That’ll give your body the nutrients it needs to heal. But in the three to four hours beforehand, cut back a little. Eat, but not as much. You don’t want your body to be expending calories digesting while you’re trying to fight.”
Sophia stood. “And water. Drink lots and lots of water.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Alex said.
After Sophia left, Alex went into the kitchen. She’d put both her boys to bed just as soon as she fed them a nice hearty meal. And while she cooked, she’d try to forget that tomorrow night her entire world could crumble.
* * *
Ben had seen this movie before. The one where the super-strong wolf gets challenged by someone bigger and badder and gets slaughtered. And his mates soon after.
Not again.
Alex called them into the kitchen. Ben helped Chris into the other room, where Alex had laid out a spread—cold meat and bread and sandwich fixings, plus some heated-up leftover pork loin from the fridge.
She stood at the end of the table, rubbing her hands over each other. “I can make omelets.”
“This is good, thanks.” Chris patted the table. “Sit. You need to eat, too.”
Ben didn’t think he could eat. He’d probably throw it up. “We could leave,” he said without thinking.
“I won’t leave the pack.” Chris spread mayo on a slice of bread. “I’m going to win. I know you’re scared, but it’s all going to be okay.”
“Then Alex,” Ben said. “We should get Alex away so they can’t hurt her.”
“I’m going to win, Ben. Alex doesn’t need to leave. They’re not going to do anything to her.”
Ben felt a skittering in his throat. “How can you know that? Shouldn’t we at least make plans so she’s safe?”
“She’s not leaving her mates,” Alex said.
“Here’s the plan,” Chris said. “If by some chance Bruno wins, the three of us will go join Stonewall pack.”
Chris wasn’t getting it. Ben leaned forward. “If Bruno wins, what makes you think he’ll let you live?”
Not looking at him, Chris slapped some ham onto his sandwich. “If he wants the good will of the pack, it would be stupid of him to kill me.”
“What makes you think that’ll stop him?”
Alex put her hand over Ben’s. “This isn’t your parent’s pack. Bruno isn’t the wolf who killed your fathers. And we don’t have a son to protect.”
Ben’s hand spasmed.
“If the worst happened and Bruno killed Chris,” Alex said, voice cracking, “you and I would go to Stonewall together.”
“Hamrick killed Dad right after he killed Papa. There was no time to go anywhere.”
“I’m taking a gun,” Alex said.
Chris paused in cutting his sandwich. “What for?”
“There are protocols. He challenged you. He can fight you. But he has no right to come after Ben or me, and if he does, I’m going to shoot him.”
Ben felt a lessening in his heart rate. Alex was nothing like his mother. Mom had been tiny and ladylike and would never have dreamed of shooting anyone. She had done her best in the situation they’d found themselves in, but it wasn’t in her nature to be aggressive. All she could do was sacrifice. And that’s how she’d saved him.
But Alex…Alex would shoot Bruno. Ben had no doubt. She’d shoot him over and over if that’s what it took.
Chris’ eyes grew warmer even though he didn’t smile. “Good. Then I don’t need to worry about you two.”
“You just said you weren’t worried,” Ben said.
“I said you shouldn’t worry.” Chris put his sandwich down on the plate. “We’re in a bad situation, I won’t deny that. But Alex is right. This is not the same as what happened with your parents, and we aren’t the same people.”
Ben could almost accept that. Except it was a very similar situation. And the bad guys didn’t seem to be so different.
Chris caught his gaze. “It’s going to be okay. Now eat. Then we’ll go to bed.”
* * *
When they got to th
e park the next night, everyone was there. Everyone. Not just Roanoke pack, but also Stonewall pack, and all of the rogue wolves Chris had kicked out. Plus Bruno, of course. Keith and Brett still looked the worse for wear, which made Chris feel marginally better. If they had healed faster than he had, that would have just sucked.
Bruno stood with his shirt off, hands on his hips. Quite the posturer. Chris wanted to pound him for everything he was putting his mates and pack through.
Sophia had given him a shot just a few minutes earlier. Already he felt better than he had in days. A little mellow, maybe, but like she’d said the night before, less anxiety, less pain. He’d rather be more alert, but he couldn’t have everything.
Alex had also applied the same flesh-colored bandages as last fight, so in the dark when he disrobed it would look like he had no injuries at all.
Across the grassy area where they’d fight, Bruno stalked back and forth, displaying his muscles.
Chris peeled off his shirt and tossed it on the ground. Bruno wanted to show off? Chris could show off. Bruno had big muscles, and was unfortunately uninjured. But his muscles weren’t as big as Chris’.
Chris took a step or two forward, just enough to catch Bruno’s eyes. Then he slowly turned his back. Hopefully Bruno was getting an eyeful not just of Chris’ strength but also the illusion of the lack of damage to his back.
His mates stood before him. He met each of their eyes. Alex looked confident. Ben still looked a little scared, but only in his eyes. Other than that, he held strong.
Chris stepped up to them and gave each of them a kiss. Then he turned and walked out onto the field of battle. “Ready?”
Chapter 19
Bruno stepped forward as well. “Of course.”
“Then we change.” Chris dropped his pants. He’d gone commando, because really—why bother with underwear when you were planning to strip? Ben walked to his side and picked up the pants while Chris began his change.
Brett did the same for Bruno, both Brett and Ben standing over their leaders to protect them while they were vulnerable. Once both of them had become wolves, their seconds would leave and the fight would begin.
The change went slower than usual for Chris. Slower, and more painful. He was vaguely aware of Ben surreptitiously picking up the bandages as they fell off him during the change. And by the time he finished, Bruno sat waiting.
Bruno was a big wolf, just as he was a big man. His fur was gray, darker on the back. Fairly unremarkable. But when he stood, he was slightly taller than Chris.
Just what Chris needed.
The two wolves paced each other, moving in a circle. Bruno kept his head down, growling, while Chris chose to look more confident and less vicious by not yet taking an aggressive stance. Time enough for that later.
Bruno darted toward him, snapping his jaws at Chris. A quick step backward kept Chris out of range. Bruno made another feint, much the same, though this time his teeth snapped shut only an inch from Chris’ nose. On the third pass, Bruno leapt toward Chris.
Chris sidestepped at the last second. Bruno couldn’t change direction in the air, and landed on his feet so hard he dropped nearly to his stomach. Taking the opportunity, Chris jumped onto Bruno’s back and clamped his teeth on his upper back. He’d been going for Bruno’s neck but Bruno moved in time to protect it.
Digging his teeth as deep as they’d go, Chris tugged and twisted his mouth, trying to do maximum damage. He couldn’t believe he’d done so well so early in the fight.
Bruno used Chris’ move from the last fight, rolling his body and dislodging Chris from his back. Chris let go and moved out of range. Blood rolled down the sides of Bruno’s haunches, matting his fur.
Even injured, Chris had gotten first blood. Could it really be this easy? Was it possible Bruno was all posturing and that Chris could actually win?
Circling Chris, Bruno growled. His head lowered then he raced toward Chris, leaving him no choice but to rear up and kick at Bruno. One of Bruno’s paws caught Chris in the face, his claws opening up a wide gash along Chris’ muzzle.
The pain came a few seconds later, fire burning across his face. His eyes watered. It hurt, but he had to ignore it. To win, he’d endure much more. Chris gritted his teeth and continued to kick at Bruno until both wolves fell apart. Their chests heaved almost in time.
Clearly, it wasn’t going to be that easy to win.
Chris lowered his front half, preparing to jump, but Bruno ran. Not away, just to the side, out of range, then around Chris so that Chris had to turn to keep from being flanked. In mid-turn, Bruno attacked, managing to get his teeth into Chris’ back in the exact spot Brett had shredded.
Agony shot through Chris and he stumbled under the weight of the other wolf then pushed himself up again. The painkillers weren’t working as well as he’d hoped.
* * *
Ben tried very hard to keep his face impassive as Bruno attacked Chris’ back. The urge to change and jump into the fight nearly overwhelmed him. The fear, the desire to protect his mate warred with duty. He had to let the fight go on. He had to let Chris win or lose on his own merit. He had to watch while looking strong, rather than howling out his agony.
Alex held his hand so tightly her nails dug into his skin. He was probably doing the same to her.
In the middle of the circle, Chris managed to shake Bruno off his back. Both of them had blood clotting in their fur. But only Chris looked tired. Just around the eyes, not anything most people would notice, but Ben saw it. Tired was not good.
The two wolves circled each other. Bruno bunched himself up to jump, then stood again and circled some more. Was he looking for a weak spot? Or biding his time to catch a little rest?
Chris lunged toward Bruno. The two wolves reared up on their hind legs, grappling and snapping at each other. Claws and teeth ripped tears in their shoulders and faces.
Suddenly, Chris twisted, heaving Bruno and dropping him to the ground, then falling on top of him. Chris got his teeth into Bruno’s shoulder. By the time Bruno threw him off, Chris had torn away a chunk of flesh. He spit it out onto the grass.
Bruno stood, favoring his leg, and limped away a few feet. His lip curled as he growled, but the growl was not as loud or as threatening as before. Just as Ben began to hope Bruno might be flagging, the big wolf turned and charged at Chris.
Chris attempted to sidestep, but Bruno compensated. The wolves wrapped around each other, twisting to find a good place to bite. Bruno kicked Chris’ bag leg, which went out from under him. Then Bruno again dug his teeth into Chris’ bleeding back.
Chris howled, a strangled cry that ended in a whimper.
Ben’s legs buckled. He locked his knees so he wouldn’t fall. His head felt light, that high ache that came from a prolonged flood of adrenaline. He felt a slight crack when his nails broke through Alex’s hand.
The two wolves were still for long minutes, Bruno digging his teeth into Chris while Chris lay on his stomach breathing heavily. He didn’t even try to fight back.
He couldn’t lose. Chris couldn’t lose. Ben wouldn’t make it if he died.
Alex’s breathing sounded ragged, her mouth open.
Ben struggled to hold himself together. Chris was going to lose. All they could hope for was that Bruno wouldn’t kill him. But that was in Bruno’s discretion.
Chris burst off the ground, throwing Bruno off in one swift move. The other wolf stumbled back. Chris pounced on him, kicked him in the jaw.
Bruno struggled. He kicked his hind legs against Chris’ body.
Chris pinned him and clamped his teeth around Bruno’s throat.
Alex let go of Ben’s hand and slipped her arm through his, gripping his forearm. “He can do it.”
Maybe he could do this.
Bruno struggled, almost throwing Chris off. Chris bit down harder, digging in. Bruno wouldn’t give. He pushed off his feet, trying Chris’ move, and nearly unseated Chris.
This time, Chris bit down hard and twist
ed. The snap of Bruno’s neck sounded loud in the quiet.
Chris released the limp body and stepped back, still watching as though expecting Bruno to stand and continue the fight. After a couple of minutes, Chris sat down on his haunches. His tongue lolled out of his mouth.
He’d won. Chris had really won.
A murmur of excited voices rippled across the crowd then erupted into cheers.
As the wolves began to move, the rogues who’d accompanied Bruno slipped off to their cars, running at full-tilt. Ben silently met Matt and Nick’s eyes and pointed at the rogues. As Matt and Nick set off in pursuit, Ben walked forward to where Chris labored to change back into a man.
* * *
Chris leaned heavily on Ben and Alex as they half-carried him to a nearby picnic bench. One good thing about fighting at the park instead of the farm was that he’d get to sit down while they patched him up. And right now, he really needed to sit down.
The drugs were wearing off, leaving him with an odd combination of fatigue and pain and the aftershocks of fear. Ben and Alex sat him on the bench, facing away from the table. He braced his hands on the edge of the seat to help him stay upright. His back was on fire again, so he definitely didn’t want to lean back.
“I’m going to go find Nick and Matt,” Ben said. With the set look on Ben’s face, Chris knew the three wolves would make sure the rogues were gone from Marysburg for good. Ben jogged away.
Sophia worked her way through the crowd to his side. She dropped her medical bag on the grass and knelt in front of him. “You really did a number on yourself this time.”
“A congratulations wouldn’t be out of line,” he said.
Her eyes flicked to his face then back to his wounds. “Congratulations. You need at least a week’s bed rest. And no more fighting for at least a month. You could do permanent damage to yourself if you keep this up.”
“If I’d lost, I think the damage would have been very permanent.”
Fated Mates: The Alpha Shifter Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle) (Insatiable Reads) Page 111
