Chapter 28
Jaxon
Tisiphone still cares for me.
I hadn’t messed everything up.
Or she could’ve just wanted to see me suffer. Though she wasn’t around to see Gentry land a punch to my gut as the two of us faced off in our pairs for hand-to-hand combat. It knocked the wind out of me, but not the smile off my face.
Because Tisiphone still wanted to see me even after I’d called her out.
Told you we should’ve done it sooner.
“Let me get this straight. Alpha Kera supports her being there?” Gentry whispered as he grabbed me by the shoulders, setting up his knee for a kick.
“Undercover.” I ignored the growling of my beast. “She says Tisiphone has a plan. We need to hold out a few more days.”
I moved out of the path of his knee, turning and grabbing the back of his neck in a headlock that was much gentler than it looked.
I may not have had much of a childhood, but these were the playmates I’d tumbled with a time or two as pups and I couldn’t imagine seriously hurting them.
“We all knew that.” Gentry tried to wrestle away from my hold.
“You did?” I stilled.
He tapped. Twice.
“Sorry.” I released him.
“No worries.” He wheezed. “It’s not your fault you can’t see through the protective mate haze. Not that I’m blaming you,” he hurried to add when I started growling, “but I’m surprised Vincent didn’t figure it out. Trish is a terrible actress. It’s going to be really obvious what she’s doing.”
I glanced around the field at the other paired fighters.
Ahmad was working with Calla, and he was currently rethinking letting her have both her wolves in the fray as he tried to battle them off.
Amir paired up with a beastly warlock. We’d been allowed to pick our partners for this round, but I had no doubt the rules would soon change.
“Does everyone know she had a plan?” I let Gentry peel my arm off his neck and then stepped into a fighting stance, trying not to let it bother me that, once again, I wasn’t privy to Tisiphone’s inner thoughts.
“I don’t think she has a plan plan.” Gentry chuckled as he swept out a half-hearted kick. “But I’m sure she’ll figure it out.”
“Stop!” Vincent’s voice wasn’t commanding like an Alpha bark, but it was strong enough to make everyone listen.
“Call off your dogs, witch,” Vincent said, coming to a halt outside Calla and Ahmad’s circle.
“No need for name calling, warlock.” Calla smirked as she whistled softly. The wolves released their jaws from Ahmad’s biceps and trotted back to her side.
Something sparked in Vincent’s eyes as he sized Calla up, but it was gone when he turned his angry glare to me.
“If this is you fighting, you should’ve stayed banished.” Just as quickly as he addressed me, he dismissed me, turning away.
My wolf growled, enraged by the clear challenge.
“All of you. This is pathetic,” Vincent yelled.
“If you’re too scared to fight, say so and stop wasting our time.
The humans won’t throw punches. This is war we’re talking about.
Not summer camp. I’m surprised your Alphas let you weaklings out of their sights.
Unless they hoped to discard the runts.”
My beast growled louder, spurred on by this idiot’s words. Not that many of these witches or warlocks were wolf shifters anyway, but any Alpha worth his salt protected the weak and defenseless. It was a clear insult to my species as a whole to suggest otherwise.
“Alpha…” Gentry whispered, baring his neck to show respect as he touched my arm.
I didn’t realize I’d stepped forward, that I was instinctually moving to put them all behind me.
“Jaxon, isn’t it?” Vincent smirked.
“Alpha Cadejo,” I said to him.
Vincent continued to smile. “Is there something you wanted to say?”
I clenched my jaw, willing my beast to cool down. Tisiphone had a plan, remember? But Gentry had just said, it might not be a plan.
“That’s what I thought.” Vincent turned his back on me again.
Wrong move.
“Since you like to run your mouth so much, Vincent, why don’t we see how well you can fight?” My tone was steady.
Gentry’s wolf whined, but the noise was lost to the rattle of my wolf as he surged to the surface.
Kill the bastard. Get my mate.
Vaguely, I was aware of the quiet that fell on the training grounds. Each witch and warlock and wolf-witch backed up slowly, giving us space.
I didn’t blame them. The rational, human side of me was a little concerned of the consequences of this action, but the rest of me was tired of dancing around. I knew this warlock was bad news—even without solid proof—and killing him now would end the whole charade.
Dark clouds gathered above Vincent’s head. As if that would make him menacing. I cracked my neck from side to side, feeling the strength of the earth under my feet as I walked to meet him in the center of the field.
I’d wipe the cocky smirk off his face.
“Are you sure you want to do this, Alpha? And so soon after your little crush weaseled you back into the ranks?”
His words gave me pause. If he knew Tisiphone had tried to manipulate him with that, what else did he know?
Why do you care? He isn’t a threat.
My wolf was coming on strong, pushing out dominant vibes that would’ve signaled a challenge to another alpha wolf. A smart one would’ve run, but it seemed Vincent didn’t know who I was.
Good. I preferred it that way.
Vincent lowered his voice, his eyes dancing with cruel delight. “I look forward to making Tisiphone scream my name after I finish with you.”
Kill him.
I growled, claws and fangs extending as I—
Wind punched me in the chest, sending me flying backwards across the field. My back hit the dirt with a crack.
I grunted as I rolled to the side, quick to jump to my feet. Another gust slammed into my back, forcing me to my knees. Fur broke out along my skin and my beast fought for control.
Let me out. I can handle this.
No. I need to use my magic.
Pebbles and dirt swirled around me, blinding my field of vision, as dark clouds continued to gather above.
I need to rip his throat out.
We’ll never get close if you don’t calm down.
That’s when the rain started. Water beat down on my head and soaked the earth around me. The wind intensified, howling in my ears. Vincent wasn’t holding back. I was being beat down with the elements into the earth.
Fine. My wolf retreated. Your turn.
I fisted the dirt beneath me, drawing on the strength that ran through my veins, careful not to take too much. The ground rumbled, like calling to like, when it rose to answer me.
As always, I embraced the warmth of coming home while my magic thrummed through my body and fueled my soul. I pushed up to my feet.
The wind grew stronger, relentless in its torment as it tried to flatten me. But like an oak tree in a tempest, I held to the roots growing to steady my stance. I stood tall with their help, facing the warlock again. His face twisted with rage.
Then I called on the roots to move with me.
A drumming began as hail peppered the earth. The others ran for cover. Something sharp hit my eyebrow, sending a river of blood that ran down my cheek, but I took another step. Then another.
Vincent danced like a conductor, calling the sky as sweat dripped from his brow and his muscles convulsed. He was using all his power. I’d barely touched mine. I grinned to myself with that knowledge, even as more hail rained down, bruising my skin.
I’d heal. But when I got to Vincent, he wouldn’t. The warlock snarled. A flash of lightning shot down from the heavens, searing my skin with its electric pulse. The right side of my body burned with the impact. Agony unlike any I’d ever felt threatened to cripple me.
But I was no stranger to pain.
Flesh charring, still, my roots held strong as I took another step.
“How are you doing this?” Vincent screamed as he tore a frustrated hand through his hair.
We were close enough now I could almost touch him.
Finally. My claws extended.
I reached out and grabbed him by the throat. “Not as powerful as you think you are, huh?”
The storm dissipated just as fast as it came when I lifted Vincent off his feet by his neck, feeling his fingernails scratch at my raw flesh and seeing the true terror in his eyes.
Let me finish him. My beast roared, urging me to bathe in the bastard’s blood.
My fangs extended.
“Jaxon! Don’t hurt him!” Her shrill warning was followed by the howling of wolves.
Calla stood in the field, soaked from the earlier rain and shaking as her eyes rolled back into her head, revealing only the glowing whites. “Gods… The blood…”
She twitched. Blood poured from her nose.
I dropped Vincent in the dirt as the wolves at her side whined, pawing the ground and begging for help.
“Calla!” I raced to her, catching the witch before she fell.
Somehow, Vincent was right behind me. I growled as his hand touched my shoulder.
“Leave her to me, Alpha. I have what she needs,” he said.
“What?” I glared up at him, incredulous. How the fuck did he think he could… My thoughts trailed off when I saw the stretcher and the healers carrying it that Vincent called forward.
“We’ll take care of her.” Vincent’s healers pried Calla from my arms as he looked me up and down with a curious expression. “I trust you can heal yourself.”
I hadn’t even thought of my injuries. The burned flesh. The bruises. They all came to me now, but I could ignore them.
I did ignore them as I struggled to my feet. “Where are you taking her?”
“To our healing clinic.” Vincent was already walking away.
I moved to follow, but the twins held me back, softly, and afraid to touch my injuries. “Let her go.”
It was Gentry’s voice in my ear that stopped me from chasing them down. “Calla will be okay,” he said. “She’s going to find Trish.”