Chapter Eleven
Shit. Shit. Shit! I couldn’t let myself swear out loud, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t rant in my head.
I’d anticipated the challenge, but I had so desperately wanted to be wrong.
To believe that those who sat here—especially Edward, given that only that morning he had said he didn’t want to remove me from my rank—wouldn’t take this step.
But here we were, and there was nothing I could do. A challenge, once issued, had to be answered. I could refuse to fight, but that would diminish me in their eyes. A refusal was seen as weakness, regardless of the reason for it. If you believed you could fight, you fought. Full stop.
“Edward Cutler, Arkhon of the Southeast Region, I accept your challenge.” The ceremonial words found their way out of my mouth with little conscious thought on my part, and I heard my own voice as if it came through a tunnel. “Where and when shall we fight?”
Edward hesitated. He didn’t know this property, of course. It was the first time any of the arkhons other than Zane had been here. He didn’t know where a fight could or should occur.
“I leave that choice to you, Anax,” he said finally. “As this is your home and you are more familiar with the grounds than I.”
“Very well.” I took a slow breath. I could put this off.
Delay it until after the meeting, after I’d heard all the state-of-the-whatever reports that the arkhons and alphas were waiting to present.
Hell, if I wanted to, I could make Edward wait until the last day of the gathering, after all the meetings, after the hunt.
But I wouldn’t do that because that, too, would show weakness. Reluctance to fight would be seen as doubt that I could win, not as a desire to avoid bloodshed.
“We will fight on the back lawn in thirty minutes,” I said.
“That will give you time to speak to the guest you brought with you.” He’d brought a woman who was presumably from his territory; he’d introduced her as Marigold and had given no indication of who she was to him.
I knew only that they didn’t appear to be mates.
“Arkhon, I grant you the decision of who will be present for the fight.”
“Thank you, Anax.” He stumbled over the words. Had he expected fury? Refusal? Who the hell knew, but it was obvious that my calm responses and the fact that I was sticking to formal language were throwing him. I didn’t have a problem with that. If he was thrown, he would make mistakes in the fight.
I didn’t want to win because my opponent screwed up, but I would take it.
“I ask that all arkhons and the alphas of the Southeast Region be present,” he said finally. “Your mate may also be present if you wish, Anax. I have no objection.”
“I appreciate that.” And it pissed me off. He wasn’t inviting Kyle to watch the fight out of any sense of compassion. It was because he wanted Kyle to see me die.
At least he’d left the choice to me. I chose to tell Kyle to stay inside. I’ve been challenged. Edward Cutler. Thirty minutes. Just the arkhons and the alphas who are under Edward’s rule.
Shit, Tobias. Urgency rang through the thought. I hoped with Davis gone, that would be the end of this bullshit.
There’s never an end, I guess. I’ll talk to you in a few minutes.
I need to get this underway. I looked out at the alphas, finding my friends among the faces in the front rows of seats.
Kirk. Justin. Odin Cardona, who I counted as an ally though I didn’t know him well enough to truly consider him a friend.
Piotr Mazur. Others who had formed alliances with me or had gained their rank because of me.
I turned to look at the arkhons. Zane sat facing the front of the platform, arms folded, expression grave.
Paul was whispering to Hollis; I didn’t know what the two of them were planning and decided I was better off that way.
I couldn’t forbid what I didn’t know about.
None of the eleven men was looking at me.
None of them were looking at Edward, either, not even Robert Greenlea.
I wasn’t alone in this. I had friends and allies. At least for now.
“Arkhons and the alphas of the Southeast Region will gather on the back lawn in half an hour.” A minute or two had already passed, but I didn’t care enough to be perfectly precise with the time.
“Alphas of other regions, I ask that you check in with your pack members. Keep them away from the back windows of the house. When the fight has concluded and the winner has been declared, the Anax will call all attendees here to the auditorium.” At least, I would.
There was always the slim possibility that Edward would win, and I couldn’t speak to what he might do.
“You may go,” I said.
Without a word, with barely a sound, all few hundred alphas and all eleven arkhons got up and started moving up the aisles toward the exit. Edward hesitated, looking in my direction, but I pretended not to notice. After a couple of seconds, he gave up and followed the rest.
Seth and Xavier hurried down the center aisle to me as soon as the room was cleared. “Anax, are you sure this is wise?” Seth asked.
“Wiser than refusing the challenge.” I sagged against the podium. “Xavier, I need you with Kyle, please. He shouldn’t interfere. He knows better. But just in case.”
“Done, Anax.” Xavier hesitated. “I’ll take him home if need be. I won’t be his guard anymore, but I’ll make sure he gets home.”
“Thank you.” He might not be able to keep that promise if Edward won.
The guards worked for the rank, not the individual.
All of them would have to follow Edward’s orders if I lost the fight.
But I couldn’t bring myself to point that out.
“Go find him now, please. I’ve already told him what’s happening.
I just want to make sure he’s staying safe. ”
“Yes, Anax.” Xavier ran back up the aisle.
“You’re not likely to lose,” Seth said quietly. “To be honest, and to speak freely, I hope you don’t. Those who are opposed to you are used to being able to do what they want to who they want. You’ve put a stop to that. You’re good for our world.”
“Thank you.” His words meant a lot, though they would have meant more if I wasn’t getting ready to head outside and either take someone else’s life or lose my own. “I don’t have any orders for you right now, Seth. You can stick with me or go check in with the other guards.”
“I’ll stick with you.” He quirked his lips. “I wouldn’t say I’m your friend, but I’m at least a familiar face. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“I appreciate that.” He knew, as all of the guards did, about the two challenges I’d faced in early April.
One from Garrett Lawson before I learned about his crimes against Harok.
Had I known that he sexually abused Harok from the day Harok first awakened after his change, I would have killed Garrett in our challenge fight.
As it was, I’d foolishly let him live, and had later set him to live packless as consequence for what he’d done to Harok.
The other challenge fight, of course, was the one that had ended Irving Macomber’s life.
I didn’t know what to do with the time until the fight began, but I’d promised Kyle I would talk to him, so it seemed reasonable to go find him.
Seth followed me, waving off the multiple people who tried to talk to me as I made my way from the basement to the third floor.
Xavier was positioned in the hall. He didn’t speak, just nodded toward the closed bedroom door.
I opened the door and went inside. Kyle was sitting cross-legged on the bed, staring out the window. Which overlooked the back lawn. I couldn’t order him not to watch the fight, but I could make the request. I went and sat beside him. Seth backed into the hallway and closed the door.
“I didn’t want this,” I said.
“No shit.” He shook his head. “Of course you didn’t. But you accepted.”
“I didn’t have much choice. Accept or be considered weak for refusing.”
He turned toward me, eyes wild with anger and gleaming with unshed tears. “Weak, you would at least be alive. We’re supposed to get married in a few days. You think I’m going to marry a fucking corpse?”
It wasn’t actually funny, but I couldn’t help laughing. “I’d hope you aren’t into that kind of thing.”
“Shut up, asshole.” He swatted my leg. “Look, I get it. You get challenged, you accept the challenge. That’s what you’ve been doing since you became Arkhon. You don’t kill lightly, but you know that’s going to be the end result. Either your death or Edward’s.”
“Hopefully not mine.” Not that I wanted to take Edward’s life.
I was tired of killing. But it had to be one of us.
“I didn’t think the challenge would come from him.
This morning when I met with the arkhons and alphas after Davis took off, Edward was one of the ones who said he wouldn’t challenge. So I’m not sure what changed.”
“Maybe you should ask him before you rip out his throat.” He leaned forward and clasped his hands behind his head.
“Fuck. I hate this, Tobias. I hate it for both of us. If you die, I get the Winthrop house. Cheers for me. I won’t have you, so what’s the point of having that house?
I picked it out for you. Because of the ocean. ”
“I know.” He’d chosen the house before Jed Howe’s death made me not want to look at the ocean ever again. “Keep it. Sell it. Don’t think about it right now, because I’m not actually planning to die.”
“I wish you could help it, but…” He leaned even further forward. “Never mind, I’m not going there. You’ll win. You’ll hate yourself for killing him, but you’ll win.”
“Unfortunately, that’s the current plan.” I rested my hand on his back, half afraid he would shake it off. He didn’t. “I love you, Kyle. I won’t leave you if I have anything to say about it. And I won’t let guilt or grief push you away when I win this fight.”