Page 28

Chapter

Twenty-Four

L ightning split the sky as the pack house doors crashed open with enough force to splinter the ancient oak. The gathered wolves whirled toward the sound, fangs and claws extending instinctively as rain and wind howled through the sudden opening.

Matthews stood in the doorway, his imposing frame silhouetted by another flash of lightning. Water streamed from his shoulders, his clothing torn and muddied from battle. But it wasn't his appearance that silenced the room—it was what he carried.

Draped across his shoulders was the massive form of a wolf with deep russet fur now matted with blood and rain. Reyes' wolf form, lifeless and broken.

No, Mia's wolf keened. Pack brother. Gone.

Matthews strode into the pack house, his movements fluid with unnatural grace.

Water pooled beneath his boots as he crossed to the center of the room, the assembled pack instinctively backing away to create a circle around him.

With ceremonial care that mocked the reverence it mimicked, he laid Reyes' body on the floor before straightening to his full height.

The scent of death, rain, and something else—something wrong—filled Mia's nostrils. The copper-sweet tang of vampire blood emanated from Matthews in waves, stronger than before, as if he'd recently fed. Beneath it, she caught the lingering trace of white oak and courage—Reyes' last stand.

"I come representing my pack," Matthews announced, his voice carrying effortlessly over the storm raging outside. "As is my right during a sanctioned Mating Challenge."

Gerald stepped forward from among the pack members, his weathered face carved with grief and rage. "You dare bring him here like a trophy?"

"I bring him with respect," Matthews countered smoothly. "As pack law demands."

Mia stepped forward, every muscle in her body coiled with rage. Beside her, she felt the subtle shift in Jim's posture—the temporal anchors beneath his skin pulsing faintly, responding to his emotional state like a supernatural heartbeat. "You murdered a fellow alpha candidate."

"Self-defense." Matthews' face registered appropriate solemnity, but his eyes—those cold, calculating eyes—held no remorse. "Reyes attacked me without provocation. I defended myself, as any alpha would."

"Liar," Jim snarled from beside Mia, his temporal anchors flaring brighter for a moment. "You were attacking Mia. Reyes intervened."

Matthews turned to the Council, deliberately ignoring Jim.

"The turned wolf speaks of events he couldn't possibly have witnessed, given his condition.

" His gaze swept over the elders. "I was returning to my quarters when Reyes ambushed me on the eastern path.

The Challenge has lasted three days now—tensions run high.

Some wolves..." he paused meaningfully, ". ..cannot handle the pressure."

"Why would Reyes attack you?" Bertram asked, his angelic nature carefully hidden behind his Enforcement liaison facade, though Mia could see the barely contained fury in the tightness of his jaw.

Matthews' expression shifted to one of regretful understanding. "The Mating Challenge creates... competitive tensions. Reyes saw an opportunity to eliminate a rival." He gestured to his own torn clothing. "I attempted to reason with him, but he was beyond words."

Young Danny couldn't contain himself, pushing forward from the crowd. "Reyes taught me control! He would never?—"

"Silence," Elder Agnes commanded, though not unkindly. The oldest Council member leaned forward in her seat, her silver hair framing a face lined with centuries of wisdom. "These are serious accusations, Alpha Matthews. You claim Reyes broke sacred law?"

"Not accusations, Elder. Facts." Matthews reached into his pocket and withdrew a small object that glinted in the harsh light—a silver ring bearing Reyes' pack insignia. "Found this clutched in his hand. Curious, isn't it? My family's silver would weaken me considerably."

Agnes frowned, accepting the ring when Matthews offered it. The ancient wolf turned it over in her gnarled fingers, nostrils flaring as she scented it. "Silver poisoning is a dishonorable way to challenge."

"My thoughts exactly." Matthews stood tall, rainwater still dripping from his clothing to pool at his feet like shed blood. "I'm deeply saddened by the outcome. Reyes was a worthy competitor. But his actions left me no choice."

Lies, Mia's wolf snarled. His scent is wrong. Fear-scent underneath. But not his fear—Reyes' fear.

Mia stepped closer to Matthews, her wolf howling beneath her skin. The bruises on her throat had begun to darken, five distinct marks where his fingers had tried to crush her windpipe. "You expect us to believe Reyes would ambush you? He was the most honorable wolf among us."

Matthews met her gaze directly, something dangerous flickering in his eyes. "Wolves do desperate things when the prize is valuable enough." His gaze lingered on Mia in a way that made her skin crawl, traveling from her throat to her eyes with possessive intent. "Wouldn't you agree, Alpha Mia?"

The tension in the room thickened, charged like the storm outside.

Several younger wolves growled low in their throats, responding to the implicit threat in Matthews' words.

Curtis, despite his bad knee, moved to stand protectively near his alpha, while Morgan clutched her ever-present notebook with white knuckles.

"I spoke with Reyes shortly before his death," Mia countered, keeping her voice steady despite the rage building in her chest. "He mentioned no plans to ambush you."

"Of course not." Matthews' smile never reached his eyes. "Ambushers rarely announce their intentions."

Jim took a half-step forward, the temporal anchors beneath his skin beginning to glow more steadily now, as if feeding off his fury. Jasmine's hand on his arm stopped him, though Mia could feel through their bond how much the restraint cost him.

Elder Agnes studied the silver ring in her palm, then looked up at Matthews with eyes that had witnessed a century of pack politics. "The evidence is troubling, Alpha Matthews. Silver is forbidden in Challenge combat."

"Precisely why I bring this matter directly to the Council." Matthews bowed his head in a show of respect that fooled no one who truly knew him. "I followed protocol by bringing the fallen to his pack. I submitted the evidence of dishonorable conduct. I stand before you in transparency."

The Council members exchanged glances—Agnes with her ancient wisdom, Marcus with his rigid adherence to law, the twins Elena and Sophia communicating in their silent way, and young Elder Vic looking torn between protocol and instinct.

"The matter requires deliberation," Agnes finally said, her ancient voice carrying authority despite its softness.

"Of course." Matthews nodded graciously. "In the meantime, as one of the final two candidates, I request formal protection under Challenge law." His gaze slid to Mia and Jim. "Given the... tensions that have arisen."

The implication was clear—he was untouchable until the Challenge concluded. Any action against him would violate the most sacred pack laws, laws that had governed werewolves for millennia.

Mia felt the trap closing around them. Matthews had orchestrated everything perfectly. The evidence. The timing. Even Reyes' death served his purpose, eliminating a rival and creating the appearance of dangerous competition.

Trapped, her wolf growled. Like rabbit in snare. But we are not prey.

Thunder crashed outside, rattling the windows of the pack house.

In that moment, as lightning illuminated Matthews' face, Mia caught a glimpse of something inhuman in his expression—a flash of fangs too long for any wolf, a reddish glow in his eyes that vanished so quickly she might have imagined it.

But she hadn't. Gerald's sharp intake of breath confirmed it. Tanner's hand moved instinctively to his throat. Even Elder Vic's eyes widened fractionally. Others had seen it too.

Matthews spread his arms wide, his voice carrying over the howling wind.

"Why prolong the inevitable? With Reyes gone, only two candidates remain.

" His gaze fixed on Jim, noting the blood still dried around his nostrils, the way he leaned slightly against the wall for support.

"I propose we bring the final trial forward. Tonight. Now."

Gasps rippled through the assembled wolves. Beatrice dropped a vial she'd been nervously turning in her hands, the glass shattering on the wooden floor.

"Impossible," Elder Agnes protested. "The blood moon?—"

"Is a tradition, not a requirement." Matthews cut her off with practiced authority. "The Challenge laws state only that all trials must be completed. They don't specify timing." He smiled coldly. "Unless the Council fears the delay serves only to allow certain... preparations?"

The insult was subtle but clear—suggesting the Council might be biased, buying time for Jim to recover.

Jim pushed himself away from the wall, standing straight despite the obvious pain it cost him. The temporal anchors beneath his skin pulsed more rapidly now, responding to his determination. "Afraid I might recover, Matthews?"

The Northern Alpha's smile was cold. "Merely practical. Why waste everyone's time?" He gestured toward Jim's weakened state. "Look at you. You can barely stand. The poison still runs in your veins. Your time magic has drained you past endurance."

The assessment wasn't wrong. Jim's temporal jumps had left him drained, his body still fighting both the hybrid venom and the strain of time displacement. Black circles shadowed his eyes, and the temporal anchors beneath his skin glowed with an unhealthy, flickering light like dying embers.

"There is another option," Matthews offered, his voice softening with false magnanimity. "Withdraw from the Challenge, Jim. Accept defeat gracefully. I'm willing to be... generous in victory."

The implication hung in the air—surrender, and live.