Chapter 24
Cruz
I stood there in shock as I watched her run from the room.
My entire world was spinning out of control.
She couldn’t possibly be serious. I hadn’t even gotten the chance to tell her I loved her.
That thought nearly brought me to my knees. Because I was wholeheartedly in love with my mate. It might have only been a short time, but she was my entire world.
I didn’t know how we were going to work through the logistics of life, but I had full faith we would. Now she was just giving up on all of it. She was giving up on me. And that hurt more than anything.
The physical pain in my chest was unbearable. If this was to be my life, then maybe it would have just been better to let Ronnie kill me in the challenge. Because without Daisy, I had no desire to live.
“Funny. She thinks that’s going to stop me from challenging you, stupid bitch.
I officially challenge this asshole for his Pack position.
And since I’m assuming you are the Alpha,” he said pointing to Thomas, “and you clearly do not want me calling the Grand Council in, then I expect you to make the necessary accommodations immediately. I have a concert to run tomorrow, so the sooner the better.”
“Cruz?” Thomas said.
I nodded. “Let’s get it over with. Tonight. Down by the river on the range. One hour.”
Thomas would know the spot well, and at least if I were going to die, it would be in a beautiful place I loved.
My entire body was numb and felt as if I were walking through a fog.
Logically, I knew why Daisy had done what she did, but that didn’t stop the pain of rejection. And I couldn’t help but think she never really wanted me to begin with, and that hurt like a sonofabitch.
If I had to live the rest of my life without her, then did I really want to live at all?
I left the room and headed outside, lost in my anguish.
“Cruz? Where’s Daisy? We aren’t sure if we’re staying here or moving on to Cheyenne tonight,” Knox said.
“She’s already on the bus waiting. Do me a favor and watch after her.”
“You aren’t coming with us?”
I shook my head.
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Just take care of her for me, okay?”
“I promise, man, always.”
That at least gave me some consolation, even though I knew it should be my role, not his.
Mate, my wolf wailed in my head.
I wanted to drown him out, but I didn’t know how. Instead, I absorbed my wolf’s pain and blended it with my own.
My life had never been an easy one, but nothing had ever been this hard either. If she wasn’t even willing to stick around and try to fight for us, then why should I?
I’d never considered myself a quitter, but the pain I was in was too much to bear. I just needed it to end as quickly as possible. So that’s what I planned to happen.
There was no way I could go home. Her scent would be everywhere and only make the pain all the worse.
No, it was best to just get it over with.
I got into my truck, but it too smelled like her. The scent hit me so hard I nearly doubled over in pain. My eyes burned with unshed tears, then one escaped and slowly slid down my cheek.
I wiped at it in surprise. Had I ever really cried a day in my life? Not that I could remember. But no one or anything had ever been as important to me as Daisy.
Unable to function while surrounded by the scent of her, I stumbled out of the truck.
Guess I was walking to my death instead. It wasn’t like it was all that far.
Someone tried to wave to get my attention. The last thing I wanted was to talk to anyone at this point. No goodbyes. Thomas would let them know.
I knew if it was someone I cared about that did this, I’d be pissed. But in the moment, I just couldn’t handle anything else.
As soon as I got away from the clubhouse and out of eyesight, I shifted, letting my clothes flutter to the ground in shreds. What use did I have for them now?
I ran across the golf course to the far side, which I knew would drop me off very near the meeting location. I thought maybe it would be peaceful and numb me further from my pain while in my fur. Boy was I wrong.
My wolf was single focused, wanting to turn around and run back to our mate. So what was supposed to be one last enjoyable run turned into a constant battle of wits as my wolf and I were at odds.
Mine, he insisted.
Not anymore, I thought.
By the time I arrived, Thomas and Kyle were already there along with Ronnie, but they weren’t alone.
I shifted back when I saw Oliver and his brothers there, too.
“What the hell are they doing here?”
“You don’t have to do this,” Kenneth insisted.
“Yes, I do. I was challenged.”
“Where’s Daisy?” Oliver asked.
“She made her choice. She’s gone.”
“Shit. You aren’t planning on doing anything stupid, are you?” Brady asked.
“This is as much for your mate as mine,” I assured him.
“What the hell does that mean? He threatened my mate? I’ll kill him myself.”
Ronnie was enjoying this. “Tsk. Tsk. Such tempers. Can we please get on with this? I have a concert to prepare for.”
Brady started to charge, but his brothers held him back.
“What did you mean you’re doing this for my mate too?” Brady yelled. “Cruz. What does that mean?”
“Don’t worry. She’s safe,” I assured him, regretting ever mentioning it.
“Oliver, if you can’t control him, get him the hell out of here,” Thomas warned.
“He’s good. I’ve got him.”
“Take care of my guys,” I told them.
“Shit! He’s planning to die,” Tim said.
“He’ll never give up that easy,” Ollie insisted.
He clearly had more faith in me than I did.
But somehow knowing that made my heart ache impossibly more.
I wasn’t sure just how much more I could take.
I was ready for it all to be over with, because I knew I couldn’t live without my mate and she didn’t seem willing to even try now that she was headed back to her own life.
Pain shot through me once more.
I knew I wasn’t entirely thinking rationally. I was about to go into a battle for my life. I should be seeing red and ready to fight. Instead, all I saw was black and praying all this pain would be gone soon.
“Cruz, Ronnie, it’s time,” Thomas said. “Please stand here and face each other. This is never a battle an Alpha wants to see, but the challenge has been made, and it has been accepted. By our most ancient and archaic laws, this will be a battle to the death in your wolf form.”
“I’d prefer battling in our skin,” Ronnie said with a snide smirk.
“Well, too bad,” Thomas said, angrily. “That’s not how this works.”
For just a moment I saw Ronnie flinch. This was a man who was used to controlling the situation. Absentmindedly I was already sizing him up and finding weaknesses. But I still didn’t want to fight.
If I knew for certain Daisy would welcome me back, I’d fight with every ounce of breath left in me. But I wasn’t confident that would be the case, and a life with this empty excruciating hole in my heart, one without her in it, was no life I cared to live.
“You’ll face one another and bow,” he instructed.
We did as told.
“Now, pace off at least twenty feet in the opposite directions and shift.”
I marked off my steps buck naked while Ronnie still remained fully clothed.
He could waste time stripping out of his fancy suit hiding under a hoodie, or he could allow them to shred as he shifts.
I really didn’t give a shit either way. But if I had any fight left in me, I’d be using those extra seconds to my advantage.
Fight, my wolf said. Mate.
But all that last word did was bring me even more pain.
“Once you shift, there’s no stopping the fight. Godspeed. Now take your places. Three—two—one—shift!”
The familiar ripple wracked through me one last time as I dropped to all fours and stretched.
Ronnie clearly hadn’t planned any of this out. While I raced towards him, he slowly began removing his clothes.
I skidded to a halt, dropping low to the ground and growling as I waited for him to finish and shift.
Those watching as witnesses quickly grew as frustrated as I was, but there was nothing I could do about it.
The laws were clear on never attacking another who was in human form.
That was why we fought challenges in our fur.
Something about protecting our humanity in these situations or some bullshit like that.
There was nothing humane about a fight to the death in any form.
I never took my eyes off of him though.
After a few minutes of seeing him nowhere near ready, Thomas hit his limit.
“You wanted this challenge, Ronnie. Stop wasting our time and toying with him. I said shift!” he roared.
Ronnie’s eyes widened in shock, and I could smell fear roll off him as Alpha power slammed into him, causing him to shift on the spot.
His terror fueled my wolf who moved in for an attack the second his paws hit the ground.
This isn’t the plan, I protested.
My wolf ignored me as we leapt into the air and landed on Ronnie’s back.
My claws sank in deep, and I could smell his blood in the air.
Stop, I commanded.
This wasn’t a battle I wanted to win because without Daisy, there was no life left for me to live.
My wolf stumbled back from the pain that shot through us, and Ronnie’s wolf used that moment for his own advantage.
His teeth chomped down on whatever he could. Unfortunately for me, it was my tail. I could see it behind me, but I wasn’t even sure it was still attached to me. Whatever he’d done had made my balance shit.
I howled from the pain of it as I stumbled around.
He relentlessly attacked again and again.
I didn’t fight back as I laid there on the ground.
Please Lord, just let this end quickly, I prayed.
Grief and sorrow were more painful than anything he could physically do to me.
“You can’t give up, Cruz. Fight!” Brady yelled.
“Can’t you make him fight back, Thomas?” Kenneth asked.
I hated them seeing me as a coward, but none of it would matter soon.
My fur was already coated in blood. My physical pain was numb. I knew I was in shock and growing weaker by the minute.