33. Rhyson

33

Rhyson

Nobody said a word as I walked out of the office, but a few minutes later, I found Jax behind me. "Don't you have someone to spy for you?" I asked.

"Not spying. Apparently there's a skirmish forming between your people and mine. I was going to suggest we go check it out."

A skirmish? I frowned. "My people don't skirmish."

"Neither do mine, so this should be interesting." He fell into step next to me. "We fight to survive out here, but we do know how to have fun."

"Are you implying that my people don't know how to fight to survive? Do you know what we've faced to get here?"

Jax shrugged. "I just assumed the outside was all luxury cars and golden thrones."

He was baiting me. It was clever. "Our threats are different, but they are no less real. I brought only the best with me."

"Care for a wager?" Jax asked lightly. "My people win, and you leave. You can leave the woman too. It's clear you don't know how to take care of her."

I growled at him for that.

"And if your people win, then I will continue to help you with Elonso. I won't turn my people over to him, but I will help you find another way. You'll have my word."

I hadn't been here long, but I'd spent enough time to know that his people were good. I'd met his second and third-in-command. They were relaxed because they knew that they could handle anything, but they were also alert and ready. In a fight, I had no doubt that they could hold their own.

But my wolves were in a league of their own. I chose them for that very reason. An excited thrill raced through me, and I grinned. "You're on."

We jogged to an open field where a group of wolves were gathering. In the middle, my wolves were lined up. I went through my bonds and whispered to them. They were waiting for me. Duke, Juniper, Nash, and Dante turned their heads my way and grinned. I could tell that they needed something like this, a skirmish that toed the line of friendly.

I could understand how Maya and Anna could be so jubilant after taking down an enemy. This mountain was violent, and my wolves needed an outlet. We'd fought for survival.

Now, they got to fight for fun.

Kenzi, Jenson, and six other wolves circled mine, taunting them. When we grew closer, Jax turned and winked at me. Then, he bellowed, "What is the meaning of this?"

Wolves immediately parted for us, and we marched to the center. Jenson bowed his head. "The out-of-towners thought they could go where they please," he rumbled. "We're showing them that they can't."

Turning to Duke, I lifted an eyebrow. "Is this true?"

My second just cocked his head and shrugged. "We're going for a walk. Didn't realize we needed an escort to get some fresh air."

So nobody was really pissed off, and everyone just wanted to blow off some steam. I turned and looked at his wolves. "Four to seven. Feel free to throw in a couple more, if you want to win."

Jenson scowled, and I looked at my people. "No killing. Treat them like they're pups. Kid gloves."

Jax just chuckled behind me, and everyone immediately started to shift. I stepped alongside of the alpha.

"Feeling pretty confident, aren't you?"

"It's not confidence. It's knowledge. My line of work has me up against enemies every day. I know these wolves inside and out, and they consider it a privilege to have my back. Your wolves are good, but they are strictly defensive wolves."

The alpha turned his head sharply and narrowed his eyes. "You're a group of killers?"

"I put down what needs to be put down for peace," I said flatly. "We don't kill indiscriminately, and we've done our best not to kill while we are here. I'm not here to disrupt the mountain. I'm just here to get answers. Do you want to renegotiate?"

After a pause, Jax shook his head. "No. Let's see what you've got."

Two wolves attacked Juniper first. It surprised me. They also had a female in their ranks, but they still judged Juniper to be the weakest, and they were so wrong. She rose in the air and took one down effortlessly, and as soon as the second jumped on her back, she made quick work of the wolf pinned under her and turned. When Jax saw that his wolf didn't rise, he stiffened.

"He's not dead," I told him quietly. "But he'll be immobile for several seconds. Juniper knows which nerves hurt the most, which can paralyze a wolf, and which can kill a wolf. If your wolves don't go for blood, neither will mine."

I settled my attention on Dante. He'd healed, but he'd lost too much damn blood while he was injured. His reaction time was a little slower, and he was pulling his moves, but I suspected that was mostly so he didn't hurt anyone. He only faced one wolf, and he was dominating.

At first, Jenson and Duke were fighting one-on-one, and they appeared equally matched, but I wasn't worried. Duke liked to study an opponent in a fight, so he had no problems dragging it out. "Jenson is a skilled fighter," I commented.

"He fought for survival for a long time, and now he fights for me." There was a note of pride in his voice. "He knows your boy is toying with him."

"Not toying. Sizing him up. My wolves don't really play." I turned my attention to Nash. Kenzi and another wolf had taken him on, and I sighed. "I take that back. Nash is playing. I think he's taking a liking to your third."

"Him and every other male she meets. The woman is a flirt. She eats male wolves for breakfast," Jax grumbled.

The wolves around us started to grow restless the more the fight went on. Juniper allowed her first down to rise, and she faced off against the two with gusto. Turning, I glanced behind me. Maya was getting an exam. Was she all right? Was the baby all right?

I needed to know. "End it," I called out.

Within two minutes, the fight was over. All of Jax's wolves lay on the ground, either immobile, unconscious, or in a submission pose. Breathing heavily, my wolves walked over to me and lay down at my feet.

The silence around us was deafening.

"Go cool off, and then return to the house to shower. Shit, where is the boy?"

"Dining hall," Jax said, his voice oddly neutral. "He's practically eating me out of house and home. He's being watched."

My wolves took off, and Jax walked over and personally checked on his. I stayed on the sidelines as the audience dispersed. He spoke to each one in a low voice, and one-by-one, they got up and raced away. When we were alone, I raised my chin. "Each and every one of them fought well."

"They did. They were fought the way that they were trained. Are you worried that I would punish them?" He shook his head. "That's not my style."

Then he was better than the majority of the alphas I had to deal with. "Are you going to be a man of your word?"

"I was always planning on helping you, Rhyson. I did not expect my wolves to win this fight. I wanted to see how you would react. I've been watching you from the moment I realized what you are. A king who can force his will on others but doesn't deserves my respect, and I intend to give it."

I drew myself up to my full height. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Worried I'll tell your secret? You should. I know wolves even within my pack who would kill on you sight."