Page 28 of Forced Alpha Bride (Wolfshade Brides-for-Hire #3)

Cold sweat breaks out down my sides as the council members announce the trial. The guards surrounding Damon, the words of the elders, and Krista holding me back only add to my panic.

I knew it was going to be bad… but not this bad!

Damon knew that it was going to come to a leadership challenge sooner or later, and we both agreed it would mostly be from Regina, who would choose a champion to fight for her.

I wanted to buy time for us to get the evidence we needed to prove who was behind the attack.

If Damon triumphed in the challenge, we’d have more weight to hold back the pack from war.

As Damon is marched into the center of the circle with the guard around him, true fear grips my heart. The council won’t let this take very long. They will want Damon executed as quickly as possible.

He won’t even get a chance to fight!

The idea of watching him get killed in front of me and being utterly helpless to stop it horrifies me beyond imagining. When we left the house this morning, I was prepared for an extremely hard day. But I was not prepared for this.

Where the fuck is Galen?

Just as my panic begins to overwhelm me, I hear howls in the distance. They come from different directions and spiral off each other, a song sung in a common rhythm.

About fucking time!

Everyone stops and looks into the hills. All the council members look shocked, maybe even scared. Except for Regina, who wears an expression of cold fury.

As the call of the alphas gets closer, Regina stands up and takes a decisive step towards Damon. Mitchell grabs her arm and yanks her back towards him.

“Regina, don’t! It’s the call of the alphas!”

“The call of the alphas has not been heard in this valley for over a hundred years!” she swears at him. “This is a trick. Some rubbish cooked up by this traitor to save his worthless hide!”

“It is the call of the alphas, Regina,” I say, stepping forward into the center of the circle. “They are coming to cast their judgment, and the only voice stronger than an elder is an alpha.”

“One alone is a challenge,” Cora adds. “But two together, in the ancient song, is a command. If we do not obey, Regina, they are within their rights to slaughter every single person in this town.”

The elders look properly worried now, and their personal guards step away from Damon. I rush forward and grab his hand, standing with him as the howls spiral down from the peaks and sing through the valley.

Far off in the distance, I hear other wolves baying. I recognize them as members of my pack and Kit’s, coming to back up their leaders.

“They brought their warriors,” Mitchell mutters. “For fuck’s sake, Regina, stand down!”

He tugs on her arm, but she shakes him off, staring into the forest.

“I don’t believe it!” she cries. “I will not believe it until they are standing right in front of me. If any of you think I’m going to let this half-breed mutt leave the ring alive, you’re mad with rabies!”

“Regina, please,” Mitchell implores. “I recognize Galen’s voice. This isn’t a trick.”

Regina glares at Damon, her hands clenching slowly as if she wants to rush across the courtyard to rip his throat out. She stays where she is, though, and only seconds later, one of the warriors shouts.

“Breaking the tree line, Alpha Galen and Alpha Kit!”

“I can see reinforcements on the ridge!” another guard shouts. “They come in full force!”

“Form ranks!” Regina screams. “Prepare yourselves for battle. We can’t let the other packs overcome us and write our laws! Stand against them!”

“Regina,” Cora says evenly, “the entirety of Gryphon Eyrie cannot stand against Quartz Key and Cyan Lock combined. We’d be slaughtered. Besides, have you forgotten our luna is the sister of Alpha Galen?”

Regina turns and glares at me. I can see her calculating the distance between us, as if she’s wondering if she can get to me fast enough to have her claws in my neck by the time Galen reaches the circle.

Damon moves in front of me, breaking her gaze, and the look they share is pure, unadulterated hatred.

Galen enters the circle from one side, and Kit from the other. Both pace around slowly before they shift into their human forms, giving off an aura of menace that forces the first families to move back.

“What is the meaning of this?” Mitchell asks, holding onto Regina with both hands to keep her back. “Why have you come to Gryphon Eyrie, singing the ancient call?”

“I had word that an unfair leadership challenge was about to be performed,” Galen says, striding towards the elders. “But it seems something far more serious has happened instead.”

Kit walks towards the council from the other side, meeting Galen in the middle. He looks over his shoulder at us, and the guards back up a bit more.

“It looks like you’re ready for an execution,” Kit says. “A dishonorable act, and a cowardly one.”

“Your grandfather was very fond of executions,” Regina snaps.

Kit shrugs. “And he was a coward. I command the council to state its intentions here, because two alphas have come in support of a just leader who is the victim of unfair use of pack law. This is the most serious crime amongst all Lycan kind.”

“ Just a leader?” Regina shrieks. “He’s a traitor! Our town was attacked, wolves injured and killed, buildings blown up, and burnt to the ground! I personally provided evidence that Valentine Creek was responsible, and he refused to act!”

“You personally?” Galen asks, gazing at her. “I just want to be clear, no other elders were involved in this evidence?”

“No,” Regina answers. “It was a member of my guard who found the fire flower. He showed me the place it was found. I brought it to the council meeting, and it was agreed that since the flowers only grow in Valentine Creek, it must have been one of them responsible for the attack.”

“Did you all agree on this?” Kit asks.

The other elders exchange guilty looks.

“I did not affirm or deny,” Norman says, almost stuttering.

“Nor I!” Bryce agrees. “I made no such decision.”

“Bryce, you fucking coward,” Cora growls.

“Elder Kyman?” Galen asks, addressing Cora. “You have something to add?”

“I supported Regina,” she says, staring him down. “And so did Mitchell and Ledra.”

Kit looks over at the others. “You agreed to attack?”

Ledra just nods, and Mitchell steps forward with his shoulders squared.

“I supported Regina,” he affirms. “As we all should. After Roderick died, she became the senior elder.”

“So a fire flower was found,” Galen says, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Did you find any evidence of an invader? Any scent, prints, anything?”

Oh, thank fucking God. He’s found something!

I look up at Damon and smile, squeezing his hand to let him know it’s all going to be alright. He looks tense, but smiles back.

I didn’t just text Galen to bring him here. I sent them out to investigate the area of the attack—and he must have found something!

“We did not,” Regina answers. “But we didn’t expect to. Valentine Creek is well-known for their stealth.”

“That’s interesting,” Kit remarks. “Because I had my warriors sweep the woods in the area, and they reported that no wolf has left Valentine Creek in a very long time. No wolf in the world is good enough to leave no trace at all, and I assure you, Galen and I had hundreds of wolves search the forest. If there was something to be found, we would have seen it.”

“What about the attack?” Regina barks. “We have just laid our friends to rest in the earth, brave warriors who died when Valentine Creek came to finish what they started. Alpha Damon must pay for this!”

“Like I said,” Kit answers, “we found no sign for miles that any wolf had left Valentine Creek. We combed the forest thoroughly, Regina.”

“That isn’t evidence!” she snaps. “It proves nothing.”

Warriors from Quartz Key and Cyan Lock begin to flood in from the trees, crossing the plain to ring the circle. Galen gestures to someone in the crowd, and I see Nico come forward with a bundle tied around his neck.

As he stops in front of his father, he shifts back to his human shape, catching the bundle in his hands. I’m struck by how grown-up he looks and the sense of power that emanates from him.

Let no one forget, he is a witch and a wolf as one. He could probably decimate Gryphon Eyrie by himself.

“Thank you, son,” Galen says, bowing slightly. “I was in a hurry, so I had Nico bring this in after the area was fully searched.”

“What area?” Regina asks with a note of uneasiness.

“The place where the attack happened,” Galen says, staring at her with a furious expression. “It was a brutal assault, I have to say. There was blood and bone scattered over a wide area. And it looks like there was only one attacker who moved with stealth and took them by surprise, one by one.”

Regina swallows and steps backwards, bumping into Mitchell. He holds her in place, a suspicious look in his eyes.

“What is that?” Regina asks, gesturing at the bundle. Galen unwraps it carefully.

“In a pool of blood belonging to a member of your personal guards, we found this.” Galen opens the bundle to reveal a silk handkerchief with fire flower stems and petals inside.

Mitchell raises his head and sniffs, his face going white with horror. “Regina, that’s your handkerchief—and Rafe’s blood!”

“It proves nothing,” she says, crossing her arms. “Except that Rafe was a traitor, too.”

“You were careful, Regina,” Kit says, taking a slow step towards her. “But not careful enough.”

She stares at him, then looks at Galen, all the color draining from her face. She looks over her shoulder at Mitchell, only for him to shove her away and take several steps back as if he is revolted by her.

“We only found one paw print and one shred of fur,” Galen says. “But it was yours, Regina. Would you like to explain what you were doing out in the hills at almost the exact time your personal guards and other warriors of the Eyrie were killed?”

“No,” she bites out, shaking her head as she steps back. “You can’t prove a damn thing… You can’t! How dare you come here and accuse me of this nonsense! Damon is our enemy! He—”

“Regina,” Cora stands up, a tear trickling down her face as she glares at her friend. “Tell me it wasn’t you. My nephew was one of the wolves we just buried. Tell me you didn’t do this!”

Regina’s face falls, and she looks at the ground to escape Cora’s gaze.

The elders all start shouting at once, and the warriors of Gryphon Eyrie tighten their ranks around the circle, forming a solid ring.

“It’s still not complete proof,” Regina hisses. “How do you know I had anything to do with the attack? And if you found a fire flower in a handkerchief of mine, Rafe could have stolen it. Maybe he bombed the town!”

Mitchell sighs, shaking his head. “She’s right,” he mutters, looking up at Galen and Kit. “The evidence is almost, but not quite, perfect. If we execute Regina based on this, her supporters can rightfully ask for a challenge.”

I give Damon’s hand another squeeze, knowing what’s coming.

Mitchell’s smarter than he looks.

Regina gives him a grateful look, but it swiftly turns to confusion when she sees the savagery on his face.

“I understand you perfectly, Mitchell,” Galen says, smiling. “There is only one way to resolve the matter right here and now.”

Regina gasps, finally understanding.

“A leadership challenge,” she mutters.

The other alphas nod. “That is, if you agree to the terms, Regina,” Galen says.

“The evidence against you is strong. We could execute you where you stand, and most of the pack would cheer us on. However, you have held a position of power in the Eyrie for a very long time. No doubt, some pack members would always protest in your name, leading to conflicts later down the line. If you truly believe Damon is guilty and wish to prove your innocence, you can fight in the leadership challenge right now, before all of us as witnesses.”

“And you’ll win the right to rule, whatever that means to you,” Kit adds. “If Damon is killed in the challenge, Gryphon Eyrie is yours.”

She looks between the two of them, finally turning and glaring at me.

I know what she’s thinking. Even if she wins, it won’t be over. She’ll still have to deal with me, and if I get hurt, she makes an enemy of Galen.

“I’ll take the challenge!” she says defiantly. “I’ll beat this traitor in fair combat and take my rightful place! Then both of you will be forced to pay me respect, and allow me the freedom to defend my pack in any fashion I choose!”

“As you wish,” Galen says, stepping out of the way and gesturing towards the center of the ring.

I don’t want to let go of Damon, even when he shoves me off him.

“Go, Winnie!” he hisses. “Get out of here—this is the best thing that could have happened. No one can contest my leadership after this, and I’ll finally get rid of that bitch.”

“Damon, be careful—” I don’t get to finish as Galen grabs my arm and forces me out of the circle.

“Stop it!” I yell, yanking my arm away. “Let me go.”

“That’s a strange way to say thank you,” my brother mutters.

“I don’t know if I am thankful yet. Damon’s about to go up against one of the most powerful elders in Wolfshade.”

“Better than being executed.”

“Just barely!”

Damon and Regina begin to circle each other, and Regina takes long, slow steps, keeping her eyes on Damon’s face. A small smile curves her lips, and in that moment, I know she really did murder her own guard.

She enjoys killing! It’s not casual with her, a means to an end. She loves doing it!

I know that gives her an edge against Damon, who is not violent by nature. As the two of them get closer, my fear returns tenfold, making me shiver so hard that I have to hold on to Galen for support.

Oh, my love… I can’t lose you now!

It seems like a cosmic joke that only now that I’m about to lose Damon, I realize I can’t live without him.