Riggs made a low growling sound and I thought I saw him grow. It was like an optical illusion, but it seemed like his shoulders broadened and his legs got thicker. Maybe they did. I was starting to learn that my definition of “impossible” was up for debate in this new world I’d been dragged into. He was standing in front of me with one hand on my side, protectively pushing me behind him.
“Ah,” Pax said. “Of course. The pup of a vamp whore goes back to the fucking bloodsucker teet to get his cock wet. Doesn’t he? And you’ve forgiven that traitor bitch sister of yours for killing her wolf to ride some sunless cock?”
Jesus, I thought. Was there a more vulgar way imaginable to put it?
Kyla was stiff beside me. I could sense she was furious, but she was doing a good job holding it in.
“I’m not here to get your approval for my choices, Pax,” Riggs said. “This is bigger than you, me, or Kyla.”
Pax shook his head and started pacing menacingly. He kept his face turned toward Riggs, looking him up and down. “I used to admire you. The Alpha who came from nothing. Less than nothing. You fucking clawed your way to the top with nothing but determination and grit. I admired that. A werewolf who wasn’t afraid to take the universe by the balls and bite down until he got what he wanted. Of course, I thought you were a piece of shit, but that’s besides the point. And now look at you.” He spat on the ground, then spoke over his shoulder. “Get the truck. Take them to the church.”
Several more werewolves appeared out of the tall grass. Within a heartbeat, we were surrounded and being grabbed.
“Let it happen,” Riggs said to me. “I knew this might come.”
I relaxed, letting the big woman who was reaching for my wrists clutch them behind my back and start prodding me into the town. Kyla ignored Riggs’ advice, head butting the first werewolf who came for her. Her resistance earned her a fierce punch in the stomach that doubled her over.
Riggs went tense, probably fighting every impulse in his thick-headed brain not to rage out and get us all killed for that.
Gravy Boat emerged from the truck, arching his wrinkled back and hissing at the werewolves taking us.
Pax curled his lip. “What the fuck is that?”
“He’s with us,” Riggs said.
Pax sneered, but let Gravy Boat walk beside us into the village.
“You’re sure this was part of the plan?” I whispered to Riggs.
“Of course,” he said. “More or less,” he added a moment later with a notable dip in confidence.
40
Riggs
We sat in an old ice cream parlor called Curly’s while we waited for Pax to gather the Pack Elders. The place was set up to look like a picture of the 80s, complete with black and white checkered flooring and retro neon signs all over the walls for cream swirls, face freezers, and nut blasters.
Sylvie was quiet when we were first told to sit in a corner booth and our guards dispersed around the restaurant, watching us with folded arms. Kyla wore an annoyed expression that didn’t waver. I thought she was probably trying to figure out which one she would kill first if this got violent, and I grudgingly had to respect that. Vamp or not, she was still the old Kyla I’d grown up with. She’d been innocent once, but little by little, she’d turned into a certifiable badass who wasn’t afraid to defend herself.
“Are they going to give us ice cream?” Sylvie asked. “Like… why here?”
“It’s kind of hard to explain,” I said. “But werewolves have a tendency for weirdness. None of us want to be anything like vampires, which means we sometimes go to ridiculous lengths to take the formality out of the way we live. Bars, restaurants, and all that kind of shit? It’s basically where all the important werewolf affairs are handled.”
“You’re right,” Sylvie said. “That is weird.”
When Pax returned, he was flanked by Aranelle and Rourk. Aranelle was tall, wiry, and had braided black hair. She always looked like she was pissed off but was otherwise pretty enough.
Rourk was thick muscled with salt and pepper hair. He had a distinctive scar that ran from his scalp, across his eye, over his nose, and finally ended at the corner of his mouth, giving it a permanent, slightly upturned look. I still remembered the day I’d given him that scar.
Aranelle walked straight up to the table and slapped me hard across the face. I saw it coming, but let it happen. Even defending myself at this particular moment could be seen as an act of aggression, and I’d do anything to stop this from turning into a brawl. Vampire or not, Sylvie wouldn’t make it out of something like that in one piece.
“Bastard,” Aranelle spat. “Fucking bastard.”
Sylvie was giving me a silent eyebrow raise. I practically read the question on her mind. Ex girlfriend? I felt a touch of amusement at the idea of her being jealous. She didn’t strike me as the type, but I supposed I hadn’t really exposed her to any need so far.
“Nice to see you too, Aranelle.”
Rourk was a little more cool tempered than Aranelle. He settled for a calm middle finger, which he tucked back into his folded arms once I’d seen it and nodded my acknowledgment.
I could tell Sylvie wanted to ask questions, but she was wisely quiet, letting things play out. Thankfully, the punch to the stomach seemed to have sapped some of the spunk from Kyla, which would make this go more smoothly.
“You have five minutes,” Pax said. “And that’s only to honor who you used to be. You’re lucky I didn’t tear you apart the moment you were fucking crazy enough to show your face here again.”
I dove into the shortest, most concise version of events until now I could. Once I’d caught them up to the present, I decided to take the risk and propose my argument. That was the moment I realized I probably should’ve ran this by Sylvie first, but there wasn’t time for that now.
“Save my friends and I’ll return to Silverback and take back my position as Alpha here. With a rebel made vampire as my mate, we’ll solidify the alliance between our kind and the rebels. It’ll be a bloodless blow against the Coven they won’t be able to recover from.”
Pax looked like he was considering lashing out at that moment.
Taking back my position as Alpha would, of course, mean taking it from him. But part of being the Alpha was defending your claim of dominance. It was always there to be taken by the strongest wolf in the pack. Anyone could make the challenge.
“Sheltering your parents was one level of abomination I’m still not sure any of us should’ve consented to. Submitting to an alpha with a vampire mate would make us a laughingstock.”
“Power is power,” I said. I had to admit being back here at the town of Silverback was dredging up parts of myself that had been dormant for years now. My wolf felt more active than ever, practically begging to be released to run with the pack under a full moon.
Aranelle’s nostrils flared. I remembered how they used to do that when I pissed her off. But she knew I was right.
I knew I was right. Werewolves responded to power and authority. I could see it even now in the room. Pax could, too. He sensed me gaining some grip over his pack and punched his chest with a closed fist. “I don’t need to honor a challenge from an outsider.”
Aranelle seemed to be ignoring Pax. He was showing weakness, and his authority was already dwindling by the moment. She addressed me. “What makes you think we would want you back?”
“It doesn’t matter what you want. I’m Silverback. I have as much right to challenge Pax as anyone else in our pack.”
“You stopped being Silverback when you abandoned us to go throw yourself a pity party,” she countered. “You abandoned us when we needed you most. That’s not an Alpha. That’s a coward.”
Her words stung, but I didn’t let it show. “Is this what you want, Pax? Do you want your legacy as Alpha to be that you were the first Silverback Alpha to refuse a challenge?”
Pax took a step closer, muscles tight. “Do it, then. Challenge me if you will. Don’t talk in
half measures and what you might do. Fucking do it.”
“Riggs,” Sylvie said quietly, even though I thought we both knew all the werewolves in the room could hear every word. “I don’t like this plan.” There was something in her eyes, too. A question she wanted to ask, and I didn’t doubt it was about the way I’d casually mentioned she would be my mate. I tried not to grin at that. No doubt it had come as a little bit of a shock to Sylvie. Truthfully, it had shocked me, but the moment I said it, I felt how much I wanted that like fire in my chest.
I imagined us side by side. Mates. Free to be together without being pursued by The Cleaners or worrying about the meddling of The Rebels.
Kyla nodded. “That makes two of us. This was your plan?”
“All the good plans went out the window when Lazarus killed Victor. This is what we have, and we’ve got to do what it takes. Right?”
Sylvie met my eyes, a thousand questions swirling in the silent space between us. A few days ago, Sylvie would’ve fought me on this. I knew she would’ve. But this time, she held my gaze, then nodded. “I trust you,” she said.
Kyla shrugged her assent. She’d known me long enough to know my mind was already set.
“Then let’s do it now,” I said, standing, which caused everyone in the room to flinch. They could talk all they wanted about betrayals and hurt feelings, but I knew werewolves. I knew our ways. So long as I could best Pax, I could take back the clan for myself. And if I could take back the clan, I’d have the backup needed to rescue the others.
As far as the other part of my promise… The part where I’d casually implied a union between Sylvie and I to unite the rebels and werewolves? I wasn’t sure what Sylvie would say when I explained the full implications of what that would mean. But for now, I needed to focus on surviving this challenge. If I failed, none of it would matter, because the Silverbacks would follow through on their threats. We’d be locked up at best and executed at worst.
“Then let’s fight.” I projected my voice, taking on the tones of ceremony that came with a challenge of leadership. “I question the strength of Pax and demand a test of combat.”
Pax’s lip curled. “I accept.”
The room had been quiet, but it seemed like the silence went thicker. “Choose the place.”
“The West Woods,” Pax said.
I nodded. Fights between the Alpha and challengers were never watched by the pack. Two werewolves would go into the forest. Whoever was still strong enough to shift to their wolf form in the end and emerge in one piece was the new Alpha.
I gave Sylvie a nod, trying to convey my confidence. The truth was I knew Pax was strong and vicious. There was a reason he’d risen to take my spot and protected it all this time. But I had to win. There was no other option.
41
Sylvie
I was led to the edge of the woods where I waited with the rest of the werewolves and Kyla. They kept her far enough away from me that I couldn’t really ask her questions without shouting them for everyone to hear. I wondered if they were worried about us working together to fight them off if Riggs lost. Probably.
Gravy Boat tried to follow Pax and Riggs as they walked into the forest together. Both men had taken off their shirts like some warrior ritual. It seemed like everything they were doing was part of an old ceremony everybody but me was familiar with.
I didn’t know what it was, but I hated it. I quietly wondered if any of my newfound vampire abilities would be enough to rush in and help him if it sounded like he was losing. But I had no idea how far into the woods the men planned to go. Instead of some sort of spectator arena match like I’d been expecting, it seemed like it was a private affair.
The woman he’d called Aranelle was beside me. I sensed her watching me, and when I looked, I confirmed she was glaring down at me.
“Did you two know each other?” I asked, hoping to make some conversation to ease my nerves. I felt an old, obsolete urge for hand sanitizer and space when I realized how many people were crowded around me, then remembered for the hundredth time that I wouldn’t get sick like that anymore. It was still foreign to me.
I had a feeling when a moment of quiet finally came, I’d probably break down in tears when this all set in. Happy tears. No more hiding from germs. But there was too much between me and the world where I could enjoy any of that to focus on it right now.
“Quiet,” she said.
I knew I should do as she said, but I was so nervous it felt like my stomach was tying itself in knots, and I couldn’t manage to keep quiet. At least twenty people I assumed to be werewolves were gathered around with us in a loose formation, all facing the woods, which were still silent.
“Is it a fight to the death?” I asked.
“Not always,” Aranelle said.
“Do you think Riggs will win?”
“Pax is the Alpha of the Silverbacks.”
“Right,” I said. “But he never beat Riggs, right? He only got the job because Riggs stepped down?”
Aranelle twisted her mouth in disgust at something I’d said. “We may work with your kind out of necessity, but don’t confuse a partnership with a friendship.”
“Did you two date? Is that why you looked at him like that?”
Aranelle spun to face me then. “Are you capable of being quiet, vampire?”
I gulped. “I’m just nervous. Sorry.”
She finally sighed, dropping some of the terrifying warrior woman vibe. “Our wolves were temporarily enamored with one another. But Riggs’ human side wasn’t compatible with mine.” She paused for a few seconds, then reluctantly continued. “He didn’t find me worthy. When he left, we had still been exploring the possibility between our wolves. At least that was my understanding. But Riggs left without a word to me. Clearly the feelings were one-sided.” She turned her head, dipping her chin to take me in with cold eyes. “And now he’s returned with a new prize, it seems. Maybe the taste for vampire runs in his blood.”
I knew by the way she said the last that she didn’t approve. I also realized what I was to her. I was the little hussy her dream guy had run off to hook up with, and now he was bringing her home and waving her around in everyone’s face. No wonder tensions were high.
There was a spine-chilling roar from deep in the woods, then the muted sounds of collisions.
I barely felt my nails digging painfully into my palm or my teeth clenching so hard they might crack. The stranger realization was that my worry about Riggs wasn’t selfish. I wasn’t scared because his failure would mean my own and by extension doom Maisey and the others. I was terrified because I had found something in Riggs I didn’t want to lose. That part was selfish. I already couldn’t imagine losing him. I didn’t want to think about it.
God, I felt like I could throw up. I tried not to imagine what a fight like that must be like. Or to think of Riggs struggling for his life right now against some brutal werewolf Alpha. I had to remind myself Riggs was one of those brutal werewolf Alpha’s, too.
The werewolf from the diner with the big scar across his face moved beside Aranelle and whispered something. I was surprised when I could hear it. Somehow, I knew my normal human ears wouldn’t have been able to pick up the words.
“...wouldn’t stop us,” he whispered.
Aranelle shook her head sharply. “No.”
“If he-” the man started, but Aranelle spun, gripping his shirt. “I said ‘no.’” she lowered her voice to the faintest whisper, but I could still hear. “I am respecting our ways. I suggest you do, too. It’s not our place to meddle. Of course, you could always challenge him again if he wins. Maybe it’ll go better for you this time.”
Aranelle hadn’t bothered lowering her voice for the last part. I took that as a reprimand, because now several werewolves were watching him with disapproving glares.
The man’s eyes flashed yellow and his fingertips elongated into dark shapes with claws at the end. The werewolves who had been watching already seemed to have lost interest
. It appeared that infighting and aggression were too common to note, evidenced by the two other scuffled that were going on while we waited. A pair of women were shoving closer to where Kyla was being held and a group of three men were circling, claws formed on their hands.
Compared to these, Riggs almost seemed civilized. What a thought. I wondered if any of the werewolves gathered were howlers. Riggs had said the scent of vampire would essentially drive them into a frenzy without the Alpha suppressing them. I felt more vulnerable then, realizing nobody gathered would likely do much to stop me from getting swarmed except Kyla.
I folded my arms around myself. When I looked toward the woods, I noticed a lone figure approaching. He was just a dark shape at first as he moved between the shade of the canopy. My heart felt like it stopped beating while I waited for some sign it was him.
“Unbelievable,” Anabelle breathed once he stepped out into the moonlight. Before I could see who it was, the human figure flickered with small, crackling white bursts of light.
I stared in confusion, blinking away the brightly colored afterimages left by the light. When I looked back toward the source, I saw a huge wolf loping toward us. The true size of it wasn’t clear until it was right in front of me. Its shoulders were at my chest and its head was well above my own. It was huge. Each paw was the size of a dinner plate and the teeth were like chef’s knives.
I’d been picturing regular sized wolves, not a monster like this.
The wolf had a patch of glimmering silver fur running down from its head to its back and bright, yellow eyes that looked clearly full of life and intelligence. It threw its head back and howled long and hard. I felt something vibrating through me, like a call to release. I couldn’t exactly explain it, but it made me want to let go, somehow. Before I could contemplate it, all the other werewolves started shifting into wolves around me. Only some of them flashed with those bright lights like the big wolf had, and none of them were quite as large. I was surprised to notice a sound as they shifted, like a sizzling or hissing of gas.
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