Chapter 24 - Fiona

In the open circle of the clearing, Rider stands alone and exposed. A thick crowd of enemies surrounds him, and my brethren from Silver Meadows Pack are gathered on the nearby slopes, holding our enemies in place.

I’m up on a small bluff where I can see into the arena. Even at this distance, Rider’s expression is perfectly clear.

Love. All I can see in his face is love.

I cradle Caleb against my chest, fighting tears. Rider smiles, and it’s the most beautiful, peaceful expression I’ve ever seen on his face.

He gives me a slight nod and turns towards Tobias. My heart leaps like it’s trying to bounce out of my chest.

No!

Caleb wriggles in my arms. I put him back down on the ground, holding his shoulders and looking sternly into his eyes.

“It was extremely naughty of you to sneak along on this mission!” I scold him. “This is dangerous—we’re right in the middle of enemy territory, surrounded by vicious wolves!”

Caleb shrugs and gives me a cocky grin. It’s a smile I’ve often seen on Rider’s face.

“It was pretty easy to get away from Aunt Lucy. Then I just ran around the block and snuck into the trailer of one of the trucks. No one saw me.”

“You’ve done a stupid thing, Caleb! This is reckless and irresponsible, not to mention disobedient. It’s one thing to break the rules and quite another to put yourself in danger!”

Caleb sticks his chin out, glaring at me. Again, I’m reminded of his father.

Which means he’s hard-headed and stubborn, and talking sense into him is never going to work.

“I wasn’t going to let you go away again!” Caleb snaps. His little face has turned red, and I see more than a frightened child. In his green eyes and tiny clenched fists, there is a deep, enduring strength.

“Oh, my baby,” I whisper, stroking back his blond hair. “I told you I’ll never leave you.”

“But you did, Mom! Not just the first time, but again to come on this mission. You lied to me!”

“I had to! This is too important, and I had to be here to help your—”

I catch myself, closing my lips on the next word. Caleb frowns, cocking his head slightly.

“Why, Mom?” he asks. I can’t take his steady, penetrating gaze.

I have to tell him sometime… and he’s growing up. I can’t keep treating him like a baby.

With a deep sigh, I close my eyes and will my pounding heart to settle. An awful, fluttery feeling is bouncing around inside my chest, spreading chills through the rest of my body. When I look up at Caleb, his stern look is shadowed by a hint of fear.

“Mom, what is it?”

I gently turn him around so he can see the clearing. Rider is taking long, confident strides towards Tobias. I’ve never seen him look so sure of himself. Even though he’s always carried himself with strength, there was a defeated look to him as well.

As if there was no point in fighting, but it was all he knew.

“That man out there… the one with the red hair… he’s—he’s your dad.”

Caleb turns and looks at me, his eyes wide with shock. “What?”

“That’s why I had to come, baby,” I answer, stroking his shoulders. “I was away for so long because I was helping your dad. He’s trying to make a good, strong pack, and he needs me. I couldn’t let him fight alone. I had to be here.”

Caleb shakes his head, turning his eyes back to the fight. I can feel him trembling under my hands as he watches his father getting closer to Tobias.

“So that guy there, he’s a bad wolf?” Caleb asks, pointing at Tobias.

“Yes, baby. He’s a very bad wolf.”

“And these other guys are with him?”

“Yeah. Alpha Bailey came to make sure these guys don’t cause any more trouble, no matter what happens.”

Caleb looks up at me in alarm. “What do you mean whatever happens? Dad’s going to win, isn’t he?”

Stinging tears well up in my eyes, and I wrap my arms around Caleb and give him a fierce hug. He squeezes me back, and I’m amazed by the strength in his tiny body.

You’re going to grow up to be just like him.

Down in the clearing, a harsh growl splits the air. I flinch, standing up quickly to see what’s happening.

Tobias and Rider have both shifted. They are circling each other, hackles raised.

“I don’t think you should be watching this,” I say, trying to turn Caleb away.

“Don’t you dare, Mom!” he cries. “That’s my dad out there, and I know he’s going to win.”

“Okay, kiddo,” I mutter, knowing full well the second the fight gets deadly, I’ll be covering Caleb’s eyes and dragging him away from the main circle.

Some of Tobias’s bikers look like they want to run from the clearing into the woods. But wolves from our side have surrounded the entire place now, and none of them can escape. I don’t know what Bailey’s plan is, but I feel like we can’t let any of Tobias’s crew get out of here alive.

If we truly want peace, we have to completely get rid of all these guys.

A fierce bark rips through the air, followed by a threatening snarl. I watch helplessly as Tobias leaps through the air, launching himself at Rider’s throat. They tangle together, a mess of shaggy fur and twisted limbs. The sounds they make are awful, like tortured souls locked in eternal combat.

That is exactly what they are.

Blood sprays across the ground, and a yelp makes me jump. The two wolves come apart, and I step forward, keeping my hands on Caleb’s shoulders.

When I see Rider limping, a sick, heavy weight settles into my guts. My skin feels cold, and my heart seems to turn to stone.

“Come on, Dad,” Caleb mutters. “You can do it!”

I’m torn between wanting to haul my son out of here and continuing to watch the fight. I can’t take my eyes off Rider. Leaving him is impossible, but I also don’t want my son to see this.

He’s tough, even for a shifter kid. All of them learn to hunt early on, and he understands violence. But hunting rabbits and play-fighting is not the same as a death match!

As Rider backs away, leaving a trail of blood from his wounded front paw, Tobias stalks towards him. He’s panting with excitement, tongue lolling out and teeth bared as he creeps forward, getting ready to spring.

Every time Rider tries to plant his feet to defend himself, he falters on his injured paw, buckling so badly that he almost falls. He can barely stay standing, let alone crouch to spring or brace to meet Tobias if he charges.

With a triumphant snarl, Tobias leaps at Rider. His paws scrape desperately at the dirt as he tries to hold his ground, but Tobias hammers into him, and they roll across the clearing. Flashes of fur, teeth, and claw are all I can see. There is no way to know who will get the advantage.

A terrible howl splits the air, and my heart skips a beat. Hope surges through me because I know that wasn’t Rider. It had to be Tobias.

The two of them roll into the middle of the clearing, with Rider coming out on top. He pins Tobias and lunges, closing his jaws firmly on Tobias’s neck. They struggle briefly, then Rider twists his head, trying to rip Tobias’s throat open.

He still can’t put weight on his front paw!

Without bracing with both front legs, Rider can’t get enough leverage to tear open Tobias’s throat or break his neck. They struggle against each other, and Tobias breaks free, slinking backwards as Rider pants heavily, trying not to collapse.

Blood flows freely from his injured paw, and I know he can’t fight much longer. He’s losing a lot of blood, and that last maneuver took a lot of strength out of him.

I’ve managed to keep my own wolf under control, but now, seeing my mate bleeding, battered, and retreating, she rises inside me with the force of a warrior goddess. A growl rumbles in my throat, and I can’t hold it in. Even though I’m still holding onto Caleb, I’m drawn to the circle so strongly, it’s like I’m being pulled forward against my will.

“Fiona,” Bailey warns. “Don’t.”

“I can’t let him die!”

“But you can’t interfere. He has to beat Tobias, you know that. If he doesn’t, he can never truly be the alpha.”

“You’d really just let Tobias kill him? Don’t tell me you’d just let him and the bikers go?”

“Of course not. Tobias isn’t getting out of here alive, no matter what. Most of his guys won’t be, either. But we can’t interfere with a leadership challenge.”

He’s right. I know he’s right!

A sizzling, electric fury runs across my skin, energizing me. I look back down into the arena. Rider is still limping away from Tobias, trailing blood from his wounded paw. Tobias’s supporters are beginning to cheer, some of them actively pushing against our wolves and taunting them.

They are trying to start an all-out brawl.

I’m sure there is no direct outcome in mind—these guys just enjoy violence—but if they do start a big fight, they’ll take out a good percentage of our force, and a lot of them will get away in the confusion.

Tobias leaps at Rider, teeth bared. Rider ducks at the last second, flattening himself to the ground. Tobias sails over him but corrects quickly, flipping to throw himself after Rider. They twist together, snarling and barking as they try to gain advantage.

A series of sharp yelps break out, and Tobias staggers backwards away from Rider, blood dripping from his muzzle. It looks like Rider swiped him right across the face, trying to blind him.

Rider still can’t stand on his injured paw, but Tobias is bleeding just as much now, and his vision is impaired. The ragged wound slashed across his face appears to have taken out at least one of his eyes. Hope blooms in my chest.

Come on, Rider.

Both of them are panting, glaring at each other. When Rider moves forward, Tobias sidesteps him. They circle each other, slowly closing the distance. The last light of the day falls upon the battling wolves and then sinks behind the mountains, leaving us in shadow.

Tobias crouches, snarling and baring his teeth. Rider just glares at him, waiting for Tobias to make the next move.

Instead of charging, Tobias jumps to the side, well out of Rider’s way, and shifts back into his human shape. He lunges at Rider and takes him by surprise, grabbing both of his front legs and wrenching them apart. Rider’s howl of pain rips through the clearing, sending chills through everyone who can hear it.

You can kill a wolf like that—pull the legs apart until the breastbone splits!

My vision blurs, and I try to slow my breathing down. Clinging to my son, I fight the urge to rush into the clearing and save Rider. Even though I know he has to win on his own to secure leadership, I can’t just watch him die.

“Come on, Caleb,” I mutter, choking on my words. My chest is so tight with fear, I can barely breathe, let alone speak.

“I’m getting you out of here,” I sob, tightening my grip on Caleb’s arm and turning away. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but keeping my son safe has to come first.

I’ll just get as far away as I can and wait for the news. They’ll tell me Rider is dead… and part of my soul will die with him.

“No, Mom!” Caleb yells, twisting free of my grip. Before I can stop him, he bolts through the crowd, shoving his way to the front. I chase after him, but he’s so small and nimble, no one can grab him. He darts through the Silver Meadows wolves, shoves through the bikers, and stands right on the edge of the clearing.

“Come on, Dad!” he yells. “Don’t give up, I know you can do it! Get him! Beat him!”