18. Chapter 18 #2
“Yeah,” Cyrus mumbled as he leaned back on his hands. He felt goose bumps start to rise on his skin from the breeze, but it didn’t bother him much.
Cyrus sighed. “I spoke to Patrick,” he said.
Gabe blinked.
“What?” he asked.
“Yeah, I went over after work, he wouldn’t tell me anything about playing a part in things, telling Lotuslacker we were coming but, I know it was him,” Cyrus mumbled. “I think he’s dead sure that Lotuslacker is gonna win and then he won’t have to face any consequences.”
Gabe hummed out for a moment, picking at some blades of grass on the lawn.
“That sucks, but…I wish you’d have told me about talking to him first.” Gabe shook his head.
“I wanted to talk to him first. I figured there was more of a chance he’d come out with it without you around,” Cyrus told him.
“Just tell me next time,” Gabe told him.
Cyrus looked away from Gabe for a moment.
“Alright, alright,” he mumbled low.
Gabe was quiet for a long moment.
“I know what I’m gonna do,” he said slowly.
Cyrus raised a brow. Thinking back to their conversation about other things some could do while also being Alpha.
“Like…get another job on the side when this shit is over?” he asked.
Gabe blinked. “Oh, no, that wasn’t what I meant, but…” he trailed off. “I’m not sure about that.”
Cyrus eyed him. “What then?”
“I know what I want to do about Lotuslacker,” Gabe told him.
Cyrus chuckled weakly. “We’ve barely spoken about it,” he replied. “I mean, I guess the only option we do have is…fight.” He clicked his tongue and looked away from Gabe.
“Yeah,” Gabe said slowly, “but I don’t want anyone getting involved.”
Cyrus blinked and looked back over at Gabe. “Huh?”
“It doesn’t need to be so involved or dangerous for everyone,” Gabe told him. “I want to talk to Jasmine and arrange for something less bloody.”
Cyrus felt his pulse quicken. He was pretty sure he didn’t want to hear what Gabe was saying.
“What are you talking about?” Cyrus asked.
Gabe tilted his head to the side, forehead creased, like he was struggling to get the words out.
“I will fight Jasmine. Just me,” Gabe said.
Cyrus pushed up from the ground and stood towering above the man who usually towered him a bit.
“You’re kidding me,” Cyrus replied.
“No,” Gabe said and pushed up from the ground himself with a soft huff. “I’ll challenge Jasmine, and whoever wins gets both packs.”
Cyrus felt like his skin was on fire. “I…wh…” he started. His head was spinning.
“You can’t j—” he started.
“It’s the best plan, Cyrus,” Gabe insisted.
Cyrus waved an arm out. “Oh so, what? You’re just going to challenge Jasmine and trust that if she dies, everyone else will fall in line?” he asked. His ears were hot.
“Wolves rarely ever abandon the result of a challenge, right?” Gabe asked. “Those few that betrayed us to join Lotuslacker were just a few of many. From what we know, it’s just the inner circle of Lotuslacker who has decided to betray a peace treaty. We have no idea how the others feel.”
“Exactly, we have no idea if they’ll fall in line if you win and—” Cyrus huffed as he was cut off.
“Well, they’re sure as fuck not going to fall in line if we kill half of them!” Gabe said, his voice raising.
Cyrus felt his breath grow heavier watched Gabe’s face flush and chest rise as well.
“It’s the best idea, Cyrus,” Gabe insisted. “Only one person dies. Everyone else gets to decide if they will stay for the merge of packs or leave. You know it.”
“And if you die?” Cyrus asked, voice low, hands balled into fists.
Gabe swallowed. “Then I die.”
Cyrus looked to the side and shook his head. “I don’t want this,” he said slowly. He knew it was the best. After all, he’d have done the same if he was in Gabe’s place. He knew it. He hated it.
“Cyrus, it’s what we’re doing,” Gabe insisted.
Cyrus shook his head. “I think we should discuss other options. Back up options.”
Cyrus knew the backup option. Jasmine didn’t accept the challenge, and they ended up gathering whoever would fight to defend their pack.
It wasn’t rocket science. Cyrus also knew Jasmine was likely to accept the challenge.
It was doubtful she wanted many of her wolves to die.
Even as confident as she was, she didn’t seem that daft.
“Cyrus…” Gabe said as he stepped closer.
Cyrus met his eyes and shook his head. “No.”
Gabe looked pained as he opened his mouth to speak, eyes glittering.
“I’m your Alpha, and you will do what I ask of you,” Gabe demanded as his voice dipped in a couple of places. “You will not interfere in this.”
Cyrus let out a soft exhale and looked to the ground, tearing his gaze away from Gabe’s, unable to handle it.
“As you wish,” he replied.
Cyrus left Gabe’s presence. He felt like he was going to be sick.
Suddenly he wanted to be anywhere but in that house, in that area.
He was desperate for hours to pass by to go to work.
Forget. At least until he was forced to face it.
So, he took a shower, got dressed, and headed back downstairs.
Prepared to head into work early or…hang out somewhere else until he needed to be at work.
He’d need to grab something to eat on the way there.
As he was doing so, Lily approached him. She opened her mouth to talk but then stopped and eyed him.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Cyrus’s jaw tightened. “Nothing,” he insisted, and he saw Gabe in the background and instantly reached for the door handle.
“Uh,” Lily said. “Okay? I just wanted to say I’m so happy you are Gabe are con— ” she tried, but Cyrus was already opening the door and hurrying out of it.
Seeing Gabe standing in the background was too much for him.
“Cyrus!” Lily huffed. “Jeez!”
Cyrus exhaled a heavy breath as he shoved his hand into his pockets and headed for his car. He heard the door close and figured he was in the clear.
“Cyrus, wait.” Gabe’s voice came from behind him.
Cyrus’s shoulders tensed.
“What?” Cyrus asked, not turning around to look at him.
“I know it’s not what you want, but we need to send out the notice for the meeting so we can tell everyone, warn them,” Gabe reminded him.
“Yeah, I know. I’ll work on it when I get home,” Cyrus said. He unlocked his car and yanked the door open.
“Will you look at me?” Gabe asked.
Cyrus didn’t reply. He heard footfalls grow nearer.
“Can’t you just have some faith in me?” he asked.
Cyrus’s ears heated. “No matter how much fucking faith I have in you, there’s still a fifty percent chance you’ll die,” he reminded Gabe, looking at the edge of the door frame. “Maybe give me some time to settle with that.” He growled low.
He got into the door, slammed the door, and locked the doors. His gaze shifted out of the windshield but only to Gabe’s legs. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. The next thing he knew, he was on the road. He didn’t even remember starting the damn car and going down the driveway.
***
Work was mind-numbing, but it was what he needed for one of the first times. Music in one of his ears as he made rounds and idle chatter with other guards now and again. He avoided his messages and calls like the plague. He didn’t want to talk to anyone.
It hurt to think about Gabe risking his life the way he wanted to. Cyrus knew it was the best option. That they had to try, but he didn’t like it. Rationally, he understood. In every other way, it made him angry.
Cyrus remained angry for several days. He could barely eat, look at Gabe, talk to Gabe.
Even Lily struggled to communicate with Cyrus.
He came home, went to bed, went to work, repeat.
He got the memo about the meeting sent out to everyone in the pack that first night.
Things would be put into motion, but for Cyrus, it felt like things were at a standstill within himself.
Even breathing felt like a burden.