36. Thirty-Six

thirty-six

I t was hard to say who was more stunned—Finneus or me. I wasn’t much of a fighter and had never challenged anyone in my life.

“Come on, Drake, be serious.” Finneus laughed. “You know you don’t want to do that.”

Pack members started whispering, asking whether my challenge violated our laws somehow. I tried to drown out the voices and concentrate on Finneus instead.

“Women do not fight for alpha,” he declared.

Someone cleared their throat, and I caught movement in my peripheral vision.

“Any member of the pack can challenge the alpha,” Frann countered.

Relief washed over me. She’d come. Anders had delivered my message. Harold walked over to stand beside Frann. Finneus looked to his advisers in the front row. They refused to meet his gaze, and my heart felt an ounce lighter. If they allowed the challenge, they couldn’t refuse to call me alpha if I won…right?

Finneus turned back to me. “You won’t win, Drake. Take it back now, and we can put all of this behind us and move forward with the ceremony.”

I narrowed my eyes. “If you’re so sure I’ll lose, why are you scared to fight me?”

The attack on his manliness sent his temper soaring, as intended. I caught Malia’s smirk out of the corner of my eye. The caster was enjoying this way too much.

Finneus shrugged out of his cloak and tossed it at Malia. Eyes turning golden orange, he yanked his bow tie loose. “Don’t expect me to hold back,” he snarled.

Frann hurried forward with Evera on her heels. She placed her hands on my shoulders and turned me to face her. “It’s time the unicorn showed her true nature.”

Adrenaline made my hands shake as I untied the cloak and handed it to her.

“Embrace who you are, dear. All of it.” Frann slipped a plain gold ring from her forefinger and shoved it onto mine. “For luck.”

Evera gave me a quick hug and whispered, “Yeah, what she said.”

Finneus made a show of stripping down to his boxers before shifting, so I did the same. I felt the collective eyes of the pack on us as we stared at each other from across the room. Doubts crept into my mind, faint voices whispering that I couldn’t win this fight. Finneus was larger, stronger, and a lot more practiced. My father had trained me to fight, but he’d trained Finneus to be a fighter.

Gaia, why did I open my mouth?

Something slammed hard into my shoulder. I skidded backward as Finneus darted past and circled behind me. He nipped at my tail, toying with me. I spun and swiped out with my claws, but he danced out of reach before I could do any damage.

Breathe. Don’t let him get to you , I coached myself.

Finneus paced slowly back and forth as if daring me to attack. I held his glowing gaze and did exactly as Frann had instructed—I embraced all of myself. In that moment, I was the woman with the chance to avenge her father and save her pack. I was also Diana, who had faced down and defeated all the challengers to claim her place among the original alpha wolves. I was Desmona, desperate to ensure the safety of her loved ones. I was the little girl chasing the squirrel who never got the chance to grow old.

We all had one thing in common. We were pissed. That shared rage was a firestorm inside of me, growing with each breath I took. The room blurred around me until Finneus was the only thing left in focus. The shouts from the pack dimmed to white noise.

I barreled straight toward the much larger wolf. Finneus stood his ground. I readied my muscles as though to pounce, sending Finneus rearing up on his hind legs to meet my advance. My paws never left the ground. Instead of jumping, I darted forward and drove my shoulder into his underbelly.

As Finneus grunted and curled into himself, I darted from beneath him before his weight collapsed on top of me. The blow had hurt me nearly as much as Finneus, and my shoulder twinged with every step. There was no time to assess the injury. Finneus was on his feet pawing at the floor, claws tearing through the hardwood.

Our eyes locked. He charged. I could’ve avoided the attack. My size made me more agile. But I didn’t want to keep playing games. I was more likely to tire before he did. So, I leapt to meet his advance, extending my claws and swiping at his face. He ducked, but I managed to clip his head.

A huge paw landed on my injured shoulder and forced me to the ground. My teeth snapped at his leg, though the angle made it hard to reach. Finneus stared down at me and bared his teeth. His jaws parted.

I kicked up with my back legs and raked my nails down his sensitive underbelly. Finneus hissed and moved out of my reach, letting up just enough on my shoulder for me to wiggle free. I rolled to my feet.

My head whipped to the side without warning. Stars exploded in my vision. My brain rattled inside my skull. Then, I was on my back, large canines snapping at me.

“Submit, Drake,” Finneus barked in my head. “Submit and I’ll let you live. You might even get to be my mate still. Think it will break my brother’s heart when he learns the truth?”

Wrenching my body back and forth, I struggled beneath him, seeking the smallest opportunity to strike. Finneus was too strong.

Think. Fighting is as much mental as physical. The next time he snapped in my face, I snapped back. Our jaws locked. Finneus’s eyes widened. He tried to shake me loose, but I’d wedged my teeth around his canines and refused to let go. I climbed to my feet, squeezing my jaw tighter and tighter until one of his precious teeth cracked.

Blood washed over my tongue with a satisfying tang. Finneus’ pained howl reverberated through the temple. He backed away, leaving a trail of crimson from his mouth.

“Coward,” I hissed inside his head.

This was my chance. I dove for the retreating wolf, leaping onto his back. The more Finneus thrashed, the deeper I dug my claws into his shoulders. I snapped at the back of his neck, teeth sinking into fur and flesh. He dropped to his side with me still attached.

Pain shot up my spine and made my teeth rattle. My injured shoulder ground into the floor. I still didn’t let go. I craned my neck, parted my jaws and clamped them around his exposed throat.

“Submit and I’ll let you live,” I said.

When he didn’t respond, I pressed harder.

“Come on, Finneus. Don’t be difficult,” I said.

“You’re not a killer, Drake. You won’t do it,” he growled.

“You’re right,” I admitted. “I’m not. But you know who was? Diana. Or did you not see that in the dreams Malia implanted in your head?”

I didn’t want to take his life, even after everything he’d done, but I was prepared to if necessary. That was something else my iterations had in common. We’d all been willing to do anything for our pack.

Live or die, the choice was his. Either way, I wanted him to know the truth. He wasn’t the chosen one. It was all just a lie concocted by a bored caster.

“One warrior must die so the true warrior may rise,” I said. With that, I closed my eyes as my hold tightened and more of his blood flowed into my mouth.

“I submit.”

Finneus shifted and choked out the words aloud. I released him and backed away from the bloody human crumpled at my feet. For a minute, I stood there, dazed. Had I really just won my first challenge?

Everyone in the temple had fallen into a stunned silence. Even the strays stood still as statues. My gaze swung from Finneus to Malia. The caster had her arms folded and wore a serene expression I’d never seen from her. She inclined her head.

Footsteps hurrying toward me broke the silence, then Evera was by my side. Her look of disbelief mirrored how I felt inside. Frann, on the other hand, didn’t seem at all surprised. I glanced down at my paw, to the blood-smeared gold ring she’d slipped on my finger.

“Are you sure you wish to leave an enemy alive?” Frann asked.

I shifted and stood, Finneus’ sticky blood blotched on my face and chest. Evera draped the serpent cape around my shoulders. A grin spread across her lips, and she knelt in front of me and inclined her head.

“My alpha,” she said in a clear voice that rang through the ballroom.

The words almost brought tears to my eyes. My alpha. People had said it to my father and my grandfather before him, but I’d never expected someone to say them to me.

Frann placed her hand on my arm, eyes shining. “My alpha.”

One by one, the other widows and widowers rose and echoed her declaration. Anders and Oscar stepped forward to join Evera on their knees in front of me. Pride made my chest swell. Defeating Finneus had been a monumental accomplishment, but having the pack accept me was an entirely different type of surreal.

I looked at the advisory council in the front row. Each one repeated the words, some more happily than others.

“He would be so proud of you,” Frann told me.

Tears did fill my eyes then. More than anything, I wished my father could be there to witness my triumph. He had always believed in me, and this victory was just as much for him as me. Now his memory wouldn’t be tarnished. I could set the record straight.

“You should say something, dear,” Frann prompted.

I blew out a long breath. “My family has led this pack for generations. They have served and dedicated their lives to the Ophiuchus, and I will do the same. I see the doubts on many of your faces. With time, I will prove to you I’m worthy of this honor.”

My gaze landed on Finneus. “I have defeated you in a fair and legal challenge in accordance with Ophiuchus law. I strip you of all titles and rights. From this moment forward, you are no longer a member of this pack. Should you set foot in the Snake Mountains again, I won’t be so generous.”

I ignored the murmurs of my pack. Some thought me weak for exiling Finneus instead of executing him. My decision was controversial, and I knew it might come back to haunt me. No man would have allowed his defeated predecessor to live.

But I wasn’t a man, and I didn’t fear his vengeance.

Next, I addressed the strays and made another unpopular choice. “Any of you willing to live under my rule and Ophiuchus pack laws is welcome to stay. The rest of you are to leave our land tonight or face the consequences.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the caster. “You have until sunrise. Do not ever come back.”

Malia laughed. “Don’t worry, darling, I have had my fill of the cold. But we will see each other again.”

She held up her hand and flicked her wrist. The doors at the back of the room swung open, and she sauntered down the aisle toward them. I watched her retreating back and wondered if I should stop her. There were still a lot of unanswered questions; I still didn’t understand her interest in our pack.

Still, I let her go. It was best to be rid of her magic-stealing ass as soon as possible.

The pack didn’t appreciate this decision any more than the previous two. Nobody voiced their displeasure, but I felt it. That was fine. I didn’t need to explain myself. Malia had given me the dagger. Even though I didn’t use it, I felt I owed her something. Her life seemed like a fair exchange.

“I’ll see you in Traitors’ Hell, my sweet alpha,” Malia called as she reached the doors.

Nearly all the strays scampered after her, which answered one of my lingering questions—she had definitely been holding their strings. Any control Finneus held over them was just an illusion. He realized it too, a strangled yelp escaping his bloody mouth as his minions deserted him.

My heart hurt a little for the boy he’d once been. The man Finneus had become was vicious and power-hungry. The boy I’d grown up with wasn’t the pathetic tyrant before me.

I looked down at Anders and Oscar. “Pick ten others to take with you and escort Finneus to the border.”

They both rose and nodded. Anders turned to the pack and started calling the names of our best enforcers, though he didn’t choose anyone who’d declined to call me alpha.

Evera looked up at me. “Can I go with them?”

I blinked. “Do you want to?”

Her green eyes darkened. I thought of Penn in the dungeon chained to the floor and wondered again if Evera had received the same treatment.

“Of course, go,” I said before she could answer.

“You’ll be okay?” she asked, getting to her feet.

Frann placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed as she spoke to Evera. “She’ll be just fine, dear. We’ll have Grace home by the time you return.”

Evera joined the others as they shifted and surrounded Finneus. Hatred burned in his black gaze, burrowing into my soul. I second-guessed my decision to let him live. His scratches were already healing. The deeper cuts would take a little longer, but those too would mend quickly. A cracked canine, well, I didn’t know how long before that grew back.

Anders snarled at Finneus until he shifted, then the wolves escorted him from the temple. He kept his head down as he passed through the pack he’d once led. The rumblings of a howl started in the crowd. People stomped their feet as they joined the cry, a tribute to their new alpha.

I basked in the admiration, even if it wasn’t universal. Leading the Ophiuchus wouldn’t be easy. The pack had been through a lot. Despite my victory, I knew in my gut our troubles weren’t truly over. Repairing the harm Finneus had done would take time and patience, as would regaining the trust of those who felt betrayed by my family’s secrets.

Once the cries died down, I cleared my throat and addressed the pack one last time for the evening. “These have been trying times. I know you all must be sick of attending these social gatherings. Go home. Be with your families. Tomorrow we will look to the future and begin to mend the damage.”

I glanced at Frann for guidance. She gave me an encouraging smile. Gaia, I hoped she would agree to a position as one of my advisers.

“Ophiuchus above all,” she called, and the pack responded in kind. In a softer voice, she added, “Shall we go see about your mate?”

The strays stationed outside the dungeons had abandoned their posts. Thankfully, they’d left the key rings hanging on their hooks. Fran and Harold unlocked the other cells while I rushed over to free Penn.

He didn’t move when I pushed open the bars. My heart leapt in my throat as I whispered his name. His eyes popped open. A growl rumbled in his chest as he looked me up and down.

“It’s not mine,” I assured him.

I fell to my knees, fingers fumbling with the keys as I tried to unlock the chains. Blood streaked the floor, and I fought the urge to be sick. As soon as I managed to remove the shackle, I threw my arms around the wolf’s neck and buried my face in his soft fur. Penn flinched before relaxing against me. The shift was alarmingly slow.

Even in the dim firelight, I saw the bruises on his face and the gashes on his forearms. Dried blood streaked his blond hair. His bottom lip was split.

I should’ve killed the bastard , I thought, gently running my thumb over his swollen lip.

His hands shook when he grabbed the sides of my face and crushed his mouth to mine. My arms went around his neck. I never wanted to let him go again.

“I never doubted you,” he said, voice husky from not using it.

Penn pressed his forehead against mine and ran his hands through my hair. Tears pricked my eyes. More than beating Finneus, this moment with Penn really made me believe the nightmare was over. Even in my darkest moments, he had been my light, my strength.

Frann cleared her throat from outside the cell. “We should really tend to some of those cuts. The chains are nasty business.”

I helped Penn to his feet. He was a little unsteady as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and leaned on me for support. Grace stumbled out from one of the cells holding a sheet she’d torn from the cot. She offered it to Penn, who wrapped it around his waist.

Dirt streaked her cheeks and she looked in desperate need of a hot meal, but she was okay. Or she would be with sleep and food.

Even though none of the other prisoners had serious injuries, Frann still insisted they all visit the healers to get checked out. Once everyone was out and tended to, we headed back to the alpha’s mansion.

My mansion. That would take a lot of getting used to.

Frann examined Penn in the living room and declared his cuts infection-free. When she offered to have creams and tonic sent up from the healers to help with the pain, he refused.

Instead, he took my hand and led me upstairs to the bathroom. I didn’t look in the mirror over the sink for fear I might faint at the sight of myself covered in so much gore. Penn slowly untied the cloak from around my shoulders and turned on the shower water. While steam filled the room, he wet a washcloth and gently scrubbed Finneus’s blood from my face.

“Do you hate me?” I asked.

His hand stilled. “Why would you even ask that?”

I shrugged and averted my eyes. “I don’t know. It should’ve been you. You’re Lucien. You’re the first alpha.”

Penn tilted my chin upward, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You were always the better leader. I’m lucky to follow you.” He leaned down and brushed his lips across mine. “All I’ve ever wanted is to love you. Even before the dreams, I think. A part of me has always been in love with you.”

I kissed him hard, tasting the truth of his words on my tongue. He wound my hair around his hand and tugged my head back, golden irises burning with unbridled desire. Hearing him say he loved me had been the highlight of my night, until his mouth brushed my earlobe, and he whispered, “My alpha.”

The days and weeks that followed were a chaotic mess of meetings and appointments. While none of the previous council members openly opposed my position, most had no interest in serving a lady alpha. I didn’t mind. I preferred to surround myself with people I trusted anyway.

Frann and Grace took two of the vacated spots. I asked Evera as well, but she wasn’t much for the political side of pack life. Instead, I created a less formal role for her—Social Outreach Adviser. Her duties mostly included reminding me that life didn’t always need to be so serious.

Penn agreed to be my beta. Initially, this settled the rumbles from those unsure about my leadership. As days and weeks passed, I felt increasing pressure to declare him my mate. Even Frann and Grace urged me to perform the ceremony sooner rather than later. Only Penn himself seemed satisfied with our unofficial arrangement.

He moved into the mansion and oversaw a renovation of the master bedroom to turn it into our own space. We used his farmhouse and my newly repaired home next door for the half dozen strays who’d elected to remain with the pack. They were mostly on the younger side. One was still a teenager. I didn’t regret my decision to let them stay, even if it was the least popular of my early moves as alpha.

Nightmares of Finneus returning to murder me in my sleep plagued the early days of my reign. I often wondered where he was and whether he was plotting revenge or moving on with his life. Penn never mentioned his brother, though I knew he thought about him often. He harbored a lot of guilt over the havoc Finneus caused and went out of his way to make amends.

About three weeks into my new role, I received a letter from Walter Stolly congratulating me on my new position. He didn’t include an obvious reminder that I still owed him several favors, but the note itself was sufficient. He also included a postscript, letting me know he expected an invitation to my bonding ceremony.

“What’s wrong?” Penn asked as he watched me read the letter in bed.

I shook my head and handed him the slip of monogrammed stationery. “That man has some nerve.”

Penn laughed as he read Walter’s message. “Maybe he’ll consider an invitation sufficient repayment.”

“That’s reason enough to go through with the ceremony,” I teased.

Penn placed the letter on the side table and drew me into his arms, placing a kiss on the top of my head. “Am I not reason enough?”

My cheek pressed against his warm chest, his heartbeat strong and steady in my ear. I looked up at him. “You know I love you, right? I know you’re my mate—my true mate. That’s not my hesitation.”

“You’re afraid it might undermine your power?” Penn guessed.

I winced. “Yeah. Sort of. Are you mad?”

He moved his head slowly back and forth, one side of his mouth lifting upward. “Not at all. I like being your dirty little secret.” His lips captured mine, the kiss swallowing my laughter.

Penn ran his hand down my side and pulled my leg across his hips. I straddled his waist, hands resting on his chest. Breath ragged, I stared down at him. The mask he wore in public was gone, raw emotion displayed on his features.

“Do you want to be my mate, Penn?” I asked, just as he’d asked me centuries before. “I know you are, but is that what you truly want?”

He curled his fingers around my wrists and drew me closer. “My answer is the same now as it’s always been. My love for you is eternal. Just like us.”