Chapter 32
Helena rushed by Solomon and grabbed the grimoire, backing away.
“Hey,” Solomon sputtered.
“If you’re a contender for the Alpha position, then you’re no longer the librarian, right?” Caidrik’s mother kept moving, turning to run up the bleachers to toss the book at Nadia.
She caught it, her mind spinning.
“I guess that’s true,” Solomon agreed, still holding on to Taryn.
Nadia looked down at the grimoire. “Um.”
“Gail?” Bussy called.
“I’m here.” Gail bustled her way from down the bleachers, stepping on everyone’s boots on the way. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and then wedged herself between Margaret and Nadia. “Let’s see what we can find.”
Nadia flipped the book to the last few pages. “I haven’t had time to translate these yet.” She pointed to the part about today’s challenges, pausing to look up and check on Caidrik. He’d shoved past Solomon and stood at the bottom of the bleachers, tall and strong, bruised and bleeding.
Holy crap, he was hot.
She gulped and looked down at the book.
Gail tapped her finger along the ancient script. “There’s the part about the librarian.” She frowned and wrinkled her nose. “He’s right. If there’s no Alpha, then he becomes the leader.” She squinted at him. “How did Taryn know?”
Taryn smiled. “Solomon told me, and I saw how Caidrik and Nadia looked at each other. There was no way they were going to wait, so I just watched. Then I might’ve told Bulwark what was happening and where to get an excavator.
” She rocked back on very fashionable heels.
“I didn’t do anything against the rules. ”
It didn’t sound like it. Nadia glared at her. “Did you poison the tea that first day?” The wolf wasn’t even in town, or was she?
Bussy cleared her throat. “Um, that might’ve been us, dear.”
Nadia jolted. “What?”
Margaret leaned across Gail, who was still reading the grimoire. “Yes. As your lupine aunts, we, ah, had a favorite.” She angled her head to wink at Caidrik.
Nadia gulped. “But you made him sick, too.”
“Yes, but just a little sick. We put enough poison in Dax’s cup to take him out.” Bussy spoke slowly as if she were dealing with a child. “We couldn’t remove all of the challengers at the same time.”
Margaret nodded wisely.
“Wait a minute.” The world spun around Nadia. “You killed a wolf just to matchmake?”
Bussy snorted. “Dax isn’t dead. For goodness sakes. He’s fine.”
Margaret slapped Nadia’s thigh. “We had him taken to the doctors in the Silver Pack, and he’s sworn to secrecy until this is all over.”
How did this make any sense? Wait a minute. “The tunnel cave in when I was on a trial with Bulwark?”
Bussy beamed. “That was a good one, right? We had Caidrik all revved up to save you, and he did.” She gave Margaret a high-five. “Yep. You outdid yourself with those explosives, my twin.”
Hope filtered through Nadia. “What about Isaac?”
“He’s fine as well. Sworn to secrecy and all of that,” Margaret mused. “We found him near the bottom of the river. In fact, we were waiting for him.”
Nadia sat back. “Huh? How? Bulwark threw him in the river.”
Margaret frowned. “Yeah, we weren’t counting on that. We had the bridge ready to fail and made sure Caidrik was there in time to save you again. But Bulwark threw Isaac and you in.”
Bussy shook her head. “Though Caidrik did save you, and we caught Isaac where we’d planned, so I guess it all worked out.”
Gail muttered to herself and turned the next page of the grimoire.
Wait a second. Nadia wasn’t sure what to think about these two. “Please tell me you didn’t kill Luca.”
“Of course not,” Margaret said. “Give me a break. We barely stabbed him.”
Nadia reared back. “You stabbed him? With silver? That was really you?”
Concern filled Bussy’s faded eyes. “Take a deep breath, honey. You look like you might pass out.”
Nadia gaped. She just might. “Luca was half dead.”
“Nah.” Margaret waved a hand. “We stabbed him with regular knives and just tossed in a couple of silver shavings. He’s just fine, also in Silver territory.”
Nadia paused. “Then they’re all still Alpha contenders?”
“Oh, no,” Bussy laughed. “There’s a provision in the grimoire, that even though everyone is all in when the contest starts, they can recuse themselves if it’s life or death. If they almost died. They all did so, and I think they might’ve been happy to recuse themselves, for some reason.”
“That’s true about the recusals,” Solomon called out helpfully.
Nadia glared at him. This was entirely unbelievable.
He blanched. “I didn’t know any of this, I assure you.”
Nadia sought out Caidrik, who stood still, looking stunned. Yeah. That’s how she felt. Maybe being the Alphas of this crazy pack wasn’t such a great idea.
Gail finished reading and shut the book.
“Well?” Taryn called out from next to Solomon.
Gail exhaled. “There’s nothing in there that helps. Nadia is disqualified as the trophy, and if she and Caidrik mated, so is he.” She clapped her hands over her eyes. “The Slate Pack rules are pretty clear.”
Disappointment flashed through Nadia. Was Solomon strong enough to protect the pack? Maybe Taryn could be. Wait a minute. That wasn’t good enough. Not even close. She gulped and stood, taking a chance. “I guess there’s only one solution.”
Solomon stood taller. “Yes?”
“I abdicate from the Slate Pack.” Nadia said the words clearly.
Bussy looked up at her and then stood. “What are you doing?” she whispered loudly.
Nadia looked toward Caidrik. “I’m thinking you should start your own pack.”
Margaret bounded up. “Totally agree. I abdicate from the Slate Pack and request to join Caidrik’s pack.”
Gail held the grimoire against her chest. “Me, too.”
All around Nadia, pack members stood tall, leaving the Slate Pack, until every single one had joined Caidrik’s. Well, except for Solomon and Taryn. Caidrik watched the pack members, looking a little bemused.
Bussy clapped her hands together.
Caidrik’s jaw went slack and then tightened.
Solomon shook his head. “The holdings all belong to the Slate Pack.”
“We’re rich,” Taryn yelled.
Nadia sorted through what she’d read in the grimoire. “No, you’re not.” She tried to remember the language. “If more than half of the pack tries to re-organize, the holdings go with them.” She had wondered how that could ever happen.
“That’s true,” Solomon winced, kicking at a piece of ice. He looked down at Taryn. “I really like you. I guess we could abdicate and join Caidrik’s pack.”
The female sighed, her brows drawn. She scrubbed a hand down her face. “Fine. I’ll join the new pack.”
Margaret whistled happily. “Caidrik? What should we call our new pack? I’m thinking the Slate Pack 2.0.”
Nadia laughed, joy whipping through her.
He stared at her. “That depends. Come here, Nadia.”
“Oh, my,” Bussy whispered.
Nadia’s legs trembled, but she slid down the bleachers and then descended to where he stood on the track. “Hi.”
“Hi. I think this is how you said it must be done.” Then, in front of the entire pack, the strongest badass any of them had ever seen, dropped to one knee. “There is nothing in this world more important than you. I’ll take on this pack, but only if you’re by my side. I love you. Marry me?”
Joy, the real kind, blew through her. “Yes.”
The pack roared with glee.
He stood and kissed her, pressing a hand to her lower back. His lips wandered along hers.
She leaned back and smiled, flattening her hands on his wounded chest. “I love you, Caidrik McGregor.” She was an organizer and a planner, but nothing could’ve prepared her for this. “Forever.”