Chapter 26 #2
"The bond," Karik repeated, his voice mocking now. "Of course. The sacred bond. How could I possibly argue with that?" He turned his attention to Rivik, and the false politeness was gone entirely. "You arranged this. You knew I was coming, knew I had a claim, and you had her mated to prevent it."
"I followed pack law," Rivik said calmly. "As did Daska. Mated females cannot be claimed by unmated males. You know this."
"Pack law," Karik spat. "You hide behind pack law while breaking every agreement we made. You promised me access to the human female. You promised compensation for my losses. And now you tell me she is mated.”
"And as she is mated to a member of my pack, she is under my protection," Rivik said, his voice hardening. "That is all you need to know."
"Your protection." Karik laughed, harsh and bitter.
"How noble. How honourable." He took a step forward, and I felt our own warriors tense in response.
"You're weak, Rivik. You've always been weak.
Too concerned with honour and law to do what's necessary.
Your pack is dying. You need females, as do I.
And yet you give a breeding female to a bear shifter. "
"I gave away nothing that was mine to give," Rivik said quietly. Too quietly.
I knew that tone. Knew what it meant.
Karik heard it too. His expression shifted, predatory satisfaction creeping into his features. "Then perhaps it's time for new leadership. Leadership that understands what's necessary for survival."
The challenge hung in the air, unmistakable even though he hadn't spoken the formal words yet.
Around us, both packs reacted—snarls, growls, the shuffle of feet as warriors prepared for violence.
I felt Ellie press closer to my side, felt her terror through the bond like a physical weight as she understood the threat against Rivik.
If circumstances were different I might have smiled.
Rivik thought that Ellie couldn’t sense the bond between them, but even I could feel the way she was simply aware of his presence, her fear for his safety, the draw she felt to him.
It still broke my heart we couldn’t share her like other pack members might, but I understood his position.
Now though, I watched his response to Karik.
Rivik stood perfectly still, his gaze locked on Karik, and I saw the calculation happening behind his eyes. Saw him weighing options, considering outcomes, preparing for what came next.
"If you wish to challenge my authority, Karik, then speak the words. Make it formal so all can witness."
"Oh, I'll speak them," Karik said, his smile returning. "I challenge your right to lead. I challenge your strength, your wisdom, your fitness to guide this pack. And when I defeat you, when you're bleeding in the dirt at my feet, I will take what should have been mine from the start."
His eyes found Ellie again, and the look in them made my skin crawl. Karik had come for Ellie and he had come for blood, and he would have it one way or another.
"Challenge-" Rivik said flatly.
"No."
I stepped forward, putting myself between Rivik and Karik, and felt every eye in the clearing lock on me. Rivik's hand shot out, gripping my shoulder. "Daska—"
"It's my right." I didn't look at him, keeping my eyes fixed on Karik. "She's my mate. My responsibility. Mine to defend."
"I claim right of combat as Ellie's mate," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "By pack law, when a mated female is threatened, her mate has first right to defend her. You want her, Karik? You go through me first."
I felt Ellie's horror spike so sharply it made my chest ache. She was afraid for me. I hated that she was afraid, but I knew she’d really only seen one side of me. The skirmish at the river when we met had been nothing more than a tussle, but this would be more.
I didn't look away from Karik. His expression had shifted from amusement to something darker.
"Well," he said slowly. "That's unexpected." He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve. "You'd fight me? The healer?"
"Yes."
"For her?"
"Yes."
He looked at Ellie, then back at me, and something cold settled into his features. "You'll die."
"Maybe. But you'll have to kill me to get to her.
" I was gambling, and I knew it. But Rivik had far too much faith in law and justice. The alpha in front of us used the politics and niceties of wolf shifter society as long as they served him, but underneath, he was a killer, and I could see it clearly, even if Rivik couldn’t.
The only thing that Karik understood was violence.
"The bear wants to fight," Karik said, and his wolves laughed. Low, mocking sounds that echoed across the clearing. "How touching. How noble. You're braver than I gave you credit for, bear."
"Enough talk," I said, surprised by how calm I sounded when everything inside me was screaming. The bear was pushing against my skin, demanding release, demanding blood. "Accept the challenge or walk away."
"Daska, please…" Ellie's voice broke behind me, and I felt her hand clutch at my arm.
Through the bond, her fear was overwhelming, drowning out everything else.
I covered her hand with mine, trying to pour every reassurance I had through the bond.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But this is the only way I can truly protect you.
Her fingers tightened on my arm for one more moment, then released. I felt her step back, felt the physical distance open between us even as the bond kept us tethered together. She was giving me space to fight.
I love you. The thought came unbidden, clear and certain, and I wondered if she could feel it through the bond. I'd never said the words aloud, had been too afraid, too uncertain. Now I might not get the chance.
I turned back to Karik and found him watching me with that predatory focus that made my bear snarl in response.
"It seems a waste,” said Karik. “You could have lived, healer. Could have found some other female to warm your furs. But you've chosen death instead." He smiled, showing too many teeth. "How romantic."
I didn't dignify his words with a response. Instead, I rolled my shoulders, feeling the tension coil through my muscles, and let the bear rise closer to the surface. Not shifting yet but letting it wake fully, letting its strength flood through me.
His smile widened, and I saw genuine pleasure in his eyes now. He wanted this. Wanted the excuse to tear into me, to prove his dominance in the most primal way possible. Part of me wondered if he'd been hoping for exactly this outcome all along.
"I accept your challenge, bear," he said formally, his voice carrying across both packs.
"Combat to death. The victor claims the female.
But let's make it interesting." His eyes swept across our gathered pack, then back to his own wolves.
"One bear against one wolf hardly seems fair.
You're larger, stronger. I'd hate for anyone to say you won through an unfair advantage. "
My stomach twisted. I knew where this was going.
"So let's even the odds." He gestured to two of his largest warriors, both of whom stepped forward with eager grins. His tone was reasonable, almost friendly. "I propose you allow me to choose two of my wolves to fight beside me. Three against one. That seems more... equitable, don't you think?"
Murmurs rippled through both packs. Some of Rivik's wolves snarled in outrage at the audacity, but others... others looked thoughtful. Worried. Because Karik was right in one sense—a bear against a single wolf wasn't an even match. Size and strength gave me an advantage that couldn't be ignored.
But three wolves? That changed everything.
"Daska, no," Rivik said sharply behind me. "Don't agree to this. It's a trap."
It was. I knew it was. Karik was trying to stack the odds, trying to ensure my death so he could claim Ellie without having to face Rivik directly. Three experienced fighters against one would be brutal, possibly fatal.
But if I refused, he'd call me a coward.
“They are my terms, bear. If you survive—" He paused, letting the word hang. "—then I'll acknowledge the mating and leave. But when you fall, when you're bleeding out in the dirt, the female becomes mine."
Murmurs rippled through both packs. I heard Rivik's sharp intake of breath behind me, felt Ellie's absolute terror spike through the bond.
"No," Rivik said sharply. "That's not—"
"I accept your terms."