Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
The Pits of Hell, The Alpha Underworld
“ N o, no, no… ” I rip my dress, stumbling to stand up on the perch in the birdcage and rattle the bars.
“Careful.” Startled, Laurent grabs onto the sides of the perch in panic. “You’ll slip.”
He gracefully stands, wrapping his arm around me.
Laurent is hiding his fear better than I am, but I can feel the strangling terror from every member of our pack, even Harbinger.
The Alphas in the audience are laughing at the tears, which are weeping down my cheeks.
My distress adds extra spice to this performance for them.
Beta servers move between the audience hurriedly taking their bets on who will win between Harbinger and Feral.
Feral prowls around his cage, growling.
The sound reverberates around the warehouse.
It’s primal.
Chilling.
He appears to have been pushed over the edge. He’s truly feral now.
Wild.
The sight of my distress is only making him more agitated, but I can’t stop my tears.
I’m not ready, not fucking ready , for my two Alphas to fight each other.
Feral’s eyes flash, as he rams his shoulder repeatedly against the bars of the cage. He’d tear out the throats of everyone in the audience, if he was released.
The Alphas who are watching only appear to be more excited by the thought.
I was meant to have one more day.
The carnage of this fight was meant to be the spark that would ignite our revolution, before our Alphas would have needed to face each other.
Laurent’s plan has gone wrong.
Or has Dad outwitted us?
Has Dad been playing us and not the board all along?
Is this checkmate?
“Don’t fall, bella.” River’s breathing too fast. He’s shaking, as he looks up at us. Then he focuses on Laurent. “You have a plan. Tell me that you have a plan.”
Laurent is paler than I am.
He appears vulnerable in a way that he rarely does. He deliberately looks away, as the bodies of Knot King and Hit Man are dragged out of the cages.
Reluctantly, Laurent shakes his head. “I didn’t predict… Your dad changed… I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” I need him to believe that.
Dad is wily.
He’s been monitoring us and he’s taken on the most dangerous packs across America — the world — for decades.
After all, he wiped out River’s pack, and they were the most powerful mafia family in Italy.
Has Dad truly worked out our plan? Or is he simply taking this chance to kill one of my Alphas? Does he want to make sure that my new pack isn’t strong enough to challenge him?
To remind me and everyone of my place, which is still beneath him in the hierarchy?
My heart is broken.
Laurent stares down at Harbinger with desperate longing.
Harbinger is bent over, catching his breath.
His long hair has escaped its ribbon and falls over his face. He’s holding his bruised side, where his ribs must be broken.
He’s a bloody, bruised mess.
When he looks up and notices us looking at him, however, he manages a crooked smile.
His eyes are sad, however, when he mouths, “I love you.”
Then he looks down at River and repeats the words.
Laurent turns his head away, wiping at the tears in his eyes. “There are still several moves to play.”
My eyes widen.
I grab more tightly onto Laurent. “Tell me.”
“I can’t.” Why is his voice raspy with tears? Isn’t this good news? “Don’t make me.”
Confused, I stare back at Harbinger.
Why can I sense a resigned sadness from him in the bond?
Vinnie swaggers to Harbinger’s cage. His chest is puffed up with pride that the Hades pack is in the final of the NPH Championship.
He swings open the door to the cage. “Out.”
Harbinger straightens, takes a deep breath, then makes an effort to swagger out of the cage.
“No gold star? Lollipop? Pat on the head?” Harbinger sweeps a bow to the audience.
He winces, when Vinnie deliberately grabs him by his injured wrist and squeezes. “You get your reward of being bonded with the Battle heir and that elite bitch, if you win. So, since you cost me such a lot, at least give everyone here a good show, whether with your victory or death.”
“Thanks for the pep talk. Truly inspiring.” Harbinger grits his teeth, as Vinnie shoves him into the octagon with Feral.
I stiffen.
Feral is so hyped up that he may attack any Alpha who comes close to him right now.
Instead, Feral prowls to the opposite side of the cage. He pins Harbinger with a complicated stare.
Why do I think that the two of them are communicating an entire conversation with that look?
Laurent is watching them intently.
Suddenly, Harbinger leans casually against the bars.
He studies his nails. “What if we both decide not to fight?”
Feral growls his agreement.
My eyes light up.
Laurent’s lips quirk. “See? There’s always a move to play, even if it’s crazy.”
“Why would you do that, fucker?” Vinnie hisses. “I will destroy you for humiliating me like this.”
“We’re both bonded to Harley already.” Harbinger looks up at me, and his love is achingly obvious. “Isn’t this Championship about finding the Alpha who is strong enough to deserve to bond into her pack? She’s already chosen her Beta. The male Omega is the prize in the cage with her. But Feral has already won. He’s Harley’s Chief Alpha. And don’t you want me to be your Second Alpha?”
Feral crosses his arms, nodding again.
“How can I break the rules of any pack by fighting and killing my own Chief Alpha? How can my own Chief Alpha do anything but protect me?” Harbinger tilts up his chin.
Silence settles over the room.
I hold my breath.
Has Harbinger stopped the fight?
The audience are looking unsettled. Harbinger has used their own prejudices against them.
Some of the Second Alphas are giving side glances at their own Chief Alphas.
I bet that they’re wondering whether their Chief Alphas would protect or kill them.
These men are Traditionals.
If they let this play out, then it challenges their own pack hierarchies.
That’s true revolution .
My throat is dry.
Please let this be enough.
Dad prowls toward the cage.
My stomach drops, when I see the amusement in his eyes.
“Good try. But I’m Head Alpha and I say that Feral doesn’t get to choose you as his Second Alpha. Problem solved.” Then he draws his pistol and points it through the cage at Harbinger. “If you don’t fight, I’ll simply shoot you both now.”
Feral growls, storming across the cage and dragging Harbinger behind him.
How can anyone not see that he truly is Harbinger’s Chief Alpha? He’s protecting him instinctively.
The audience appear even more uncomfortable.
“Dad!” I scream.
It’s too much.
Down below in the cage are the two finalists and best fighters in the Underworld.
Dad is demanding that they fight for a single place in a pack with Laurent, River, and me, as well as their life.
Yet they’re both our scent matches.
They’re both bonded to me.
They’re both our Alphas.
Dad glances up at me. “Sit down. Don’t be a bad Omega.”
“Please, I may be bad but I’m also your heir,” I beg, struggling to get out the words but frantic to change Dad’s mind. I’ve never been able to before but I have to try. “I choose both of them. Have you forgotten that they saved my life?”
Just for a moment, Dad looks like he’s wavering.
I push my advantage. “Wouldn’t two winners for two Omega prizes make an incredible show?”
“Two Alphas who are bonded to the same Omega fighting to the death,” Dad replies, “would make an even better one.”
Lionzio rushes up behind Dad, glancing at Feral in a way that I don’t understand. “If you fracture your daughter’s bonds, you could kill her.”
“If I want your advice, puppy, I’ll fucking ask for it.”
Lionzio clenches his jaw at the smattering of laughter, but then, his expression hardens. “Wasn’t killing your wife enough?”
Shit, he went there.
For me.
Dad explodes with fury, pistol whipping Lionzio across the face.
“Lion,” River calls out in distress.
Lionzio stumbles to the floor, clutching his head. River rushes to crouch next to him.
Lionzio appears shocked, when River starts checking his temple, which is bleeding.
Allegra gives a smug smile, sidling to stand next to Vinnie.
“I won’t forgive you, if you do this.” I’m trembling.
I don’t look away from Dad.
Dad keeps his gun raised. “I’ll have to live with that.”
Harbinger straightens, stepping toward Feral. “I guess that we have to fight then.”
Feral shakes his head.
Harbinger snarls, stalking toward Feral.
He weakly jabs Feral across the jaw. “Don’t make this fucking harder. Fight me, Devil Alpha.”
Feral growls, batting Harbinger away.
I can’t watch this but I also can’t look away.
My tears drip onto Laurent’s shoulder.
Lionzio and River are gripping onto each other’s hands, frozen in horror.
Feral dodges Harbinger’s next jab, before grabbing him by the shoulder and grappling him to the floor.
Harbinger doesn’t even attempt to get away.
I’ve fought Harbinger before. I know how incredible a fighter he is. He could easily escape that hold.
When Feral slams Harbinger’s face into the floor, Harbinger doesn’t defend himself.
“No,” I whisper. “He’s…”
“Sacrificing himself for Feral. For you. For this pack.” Laurent’s voice breaks. “I hate him… I love him… I… He’s mine. Why does this have to be the perfect move in chess: sacrifice your piece?”
“Don’t.”
Did Laurent talk about this with Harbinger? The possibility that this could happen and the ultimate sacrifice, if it came down to this?
Yet Laurent is so pale that I can’t tell whether he knew about this or not.
Feral appears to be trying to dominate Harbinger, while causing him the least pain. He drags Harbinger’s arm behind him, straddling his back.
Harbinger barely struggles.
Adrenaline rushes through me so fast that I am shaking.
Is Feral maneuvering the other Alpha into position to tear out his throat like he did with the Knot King?
That would wreck me more than anything.
Yet if this is the last time that I see my two Alphas together, I can’t look away.
Harbinger may be from an enemy pack. I once called him a bad Alpha .
Yet I was wrong about him from the start.
Harbinger has always been protecting Laurent and me — our Feral pack — the best way that he can.
Now, he’s prepared to let himself be publicly killed for us.
“Please,” I mutter, “stop. Don’t…”
“Do it,” Dad yells. “Win your prize. Become the Champion of the Feral pack.”
Heartwrenching pain wracks me through the bond from every member of the Ferals.
Feral slams Harbinger’s head once more against the floor.
Harbinger’s eyes are dazed. He groans.
Feral leans over him, whispering something.
Harbinger’s eyes clear.
He nods.
Feral is in control. In any other match, he’d be declared the winner.
The only thing that remains is to kill the loser.
“Do it,” Dad commands.
I stiffen.
Don’t.
Please.
Don’t.
Feral pushes Harbinger’s hair out of the way, baring his neck.
River sobs. Lionzio pulls the Beta against his chest in comfort.
Feral bares his canines, licking across Harbinger’s exposed neck.
Harbinger shivers.
Then Feral bites.
I howl in distress.
Through my tears, however, I’m shocked to see that it’s not a savaging that tears out Harbinger’s throat.
It’s a claiming bite.
A bonding.
It’s primal and ancient. A conquered Alpha being bitten and bonded by a feral Alpha.
Back in ancient times, this is how warrior Alphas would battle each other to prove who was stronger and deserved to become Chief Alpha.
It’s deeper than any modern etiquette or rule.
No one will contest it, even in a death match.
I burst into surprised laughter through my tears. Laurent’s shoulders slump with relief.
“This was your hidden move, wasn’t it?” I pull Laurent closer. “You told Feral to use his nature as his strength and not a weakness.”
“It is a strength.” Laurent is still trembling. “I hoped that we’d never be driven to this point. Did you really think that your Dad could beat me at this game?”
Below me, River is hugging Lionzio.
The audience is going wild with cheers and an unexpected joy.
The Traditionals love Feral because his dominance makes him popular. Their knots may get hard on blood and death, but witnessing a feral enact an ancient bonding is an even more unique experience.
Fuck you, Dad.
Dad looks around himself in confusion. He doesn’t seem to know whether to shoot the Alphas or join in with the celebrations.
Lionzio clamps his hand around Dad’s ankle, when Dad doesn’t immediately holster his gun. “Are you going to say that they’re not bonded now, huh? If a feral Alpha dominates another and bonds with them, then that bond is unbreakable. Aren’t you interested to see how the experiment goes?”
Lionzio knows what buttons to press with Dad.
I shoot my brother a grateful look.
Our gazes meet.
Lionzio is protecting me like he’s always tried to. I wish that Dad and Allegra hadn’t tried to make us rivals.
Lionzio’s smile is bittersweet.
I understand it.
It appears that he’s always had River’s love, understanding, and forgiveness.
If he saves the Alphas who I love, then he’s gained mine.
Dad slowly lowers his gun.
Then he announces with a fake grin. “Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce the winner, Feral and his bonded Alpha!”
The audience burst into applause.
Feral licks over the bond bite, before turning Harbinger to cradle him against his chest and shield him from the audience’s curious and lascivious stares.
Worry stabs through me, however, when Harbinger’s eyes slip closed.
Is he unconscious?