CHAPTER FOURTEEN

 

The day of the challenge went by in a blur. Mickey kept very close to Riktor, much to his irritation. She settled in a chair behind him in his office, ate with him and his brothers at breakfast and lunch, trailed after him while he made a tour of the resort to make sure that everything was running smoothly. If anyone thought it odd that Michaela Shaw was being allowed such access, no one voiced their concern. She did note that Amber, Riktor’s personal assistant, gave her dirty looks whenever they met.

Mickey dismissed it as a female alpha feeling threatened with another female alpha on what she presumed was her territory. Or maybe Amber had a secret crush on Riktor, who knew? But Mickey ignored it in favor of keeping an eye on Riktor.

So far he’d seemed calm, but underneath she felt the threads of unease. The atmosphere around them grew tenser as the day went on. Ace didn’t help matters by drifting in and out at odd times to check on Riktor.

“I don’t need babysitters!” Riktor growled. He glanced from Mickey to Ace and back again.

Mickey shrugged. “Not my problem. I know from experience you shouldn’t be alone before a challenge. I’m here to keep you grounded and make sure that no one tries to take you out beforehand. That’s been known to happen.”

Ace nodded his agreement. “I’ve heard stories, and a lot of them are attached to Winthrop. Better to be safe than sorry. You’ll just have to deal with us.”

“Fine, but I’m going to shower and change and then we’ll leave for the island selected for the challenge point. Banan stays here. You and Michaela will come with me. I suggest you grab some protein shakes, shower and change. I don’t think high heels or a five-thousand-dollar silk suit are appropriate for this type of thing.” Riktor pushed back his chair and stood.

“Well, at least have Banan with you, just to watch your back,” Michaela insisted.

“Exactly. Go change. Get ready. I’ll be fine. Despite what some may think, Banan can fight.” A dark glint entered his eyes.

Michaela shivered. The dossier Everly had given her hadn’t mentioned any sort of training or fighting expertise for Banan, but she didn’t doubt he could hold his own.

Riktor moved around the desk and headed out of the office. Michaela and Ace followed suit.

“Don’t drop your guard. Not for anything. And don’t answer the door or accept a message claiming to be from Ace or me. Winthrop has tried this tactic before and succeeded.” Anxiety jittered over her nerves. Her heartbeat pounded against her rib cage.

“I promise to be safe and not accept candy from strangers.” Riktor paused by the front desk and accepted his mail. He sorted through the stack and held up a message written on resort stationery. “Looks like he beat you to it.” He turned his attention to the attendant. “When did this arrive?”

“Five minutes ago. The man on the phone said that it wasn’t urgent, so I didn’t bother you.” She turned her attention to a guest.

Riktor handed the message over to Ace, who read it and passed it over to Michaela.

“Come to Black Howl, alone. I have information about Winthrop that you’ll want to hear,” she read aloud. She snorted. “Original.”

“I’ll check in with Black Howl.” Ace left them and headed back toward Riktor’s office.

Michaela moved over to Riktor’s side, rose on her tiptoes, and kissed him over the pulse point on his neck. She felt the rhythm jump and pulled back with a grin. “I’ll see you later, hubby.”

Mickey strode toward the elevators. Her phone vibrated in her pocket. She slid it out and answered it. “Dad?”

“When the hell were you going to tell me you had gotten married? And that bollix had followed you to the resort? Never mind, stubborn girl. I’ll be on the next plane out as soon as possible. If Winthrop carries out this ridiculous challenge, there will be more than hell to pay from the Council. I’ll demand rite of blood.” Mickey’s father hung up before she could respond.

Mickey stood in front of the elevator seeing but not seeing the open doors before her. “Shit,” she muttered. She entered the cabin and hit speed dial. “Alan, do not let Dad or Mom leave. We’ll handle this. I can stop this.”

She hung up before her brother could respond. “Like father, like daughter,” she muttered to herself.

Mickey arrived at her floor and went straight to her suite where she showered and changed into sweats and slip-on sneakers, clothing easy to discard and lose. No makeup or jewelry, not even her wedding ring. Once done, she headed back down to the lobby where Riktor and Ace waited.

“No strangers at Black Howl and no one looking for us. Where’s Banan?” Ace glanced around.

“Back in the computer hub answering a tech question. He’s fine, and nothing happened while I got ready. Let’s get to the boat and get this over with.” Riktor led the way.

Mickey’s heart raced even faster. Her wolf howled in her head. The pull of the full moon seeped all the way into her bones. All her senses sharpened. She smelled the musk of other shifters, tasted the earth and ozone from an oncoming storm, felt the solidity of the ground under her feet, and heard the waves crashing on the shore. A soft, cool breeze rippled across her face. An ache began in her gut. Her blood heated and her skin prickled with awareness. She heard the distant pounding of the brothers’ heartbeats. Electricity danced on her tongue.

Ace and Riktor’s nervousness and eagerness tickled her face.

She barked out a laugh. “Men. You’re really eager to fight Winthrop, aren’t you? Both of you.” She glanced from one brother to the other.

Riktor nodded. “I want to show what I’m willing to do to protect my family, my pack. I want him to regret challenging me.”

Ace cracked his knuckles. “And I just want to hunt.”

Bloodlust hit her in the gut. Her wolf let out another howl. Splinters or fire shuddered through her hands and out into her fingers. Her nail beds pulsed.

“We better hurry. My wolf wants out, and I’m not sure she’ll hold off until we get to the island.” She strode ahead of the brothers only to stop. “Shit. Where are we going?”

Riktor grabbed her hand and led her toward the area where the golf carts for Black Howl met guests. They veered off the path and headed for an anemic trail barely big enough for two people to walk side by side.

“This is the private trail that leads to the dock for the family to use. Not the same pier you arrived at. Everyone else can shift wherever they like, but this is our space.”

They emerged on a side of the island full of lush flora and pristine golden sands. A pier extended out into the ocean. Two rowboats rose and fell with the waves.

She stared at the transport. “Um, are we going to row to the island? Where’s the yacht?”

Ace chuckled. “We don’t own one. Don’t need one. Just need those two. Besides, the speedboat motor is in the shop. Come on. I’ll row. Didn’t get my morning workout.” Ace waded out into the ocean, climbed into one of the boats, and grabbed onto the pier.

“Do you want to go down the ladder or swim for it?” Riktor asked.

They stopped at the water’s edge.

“Might as well swim.” She tugged off her shoes and dropped them to the ground. “It will give my wolf a bit of a workout and ease some of the need to shift.”

“That’s all you’re gonna take off?” Riktor stripped off everything.

She swallowed and tried not to stare at the silvered planes of his body.

“You’re beautiful,” she whispered.

“And the only one naked,” he joked.

“You two gonna stare at her each other, or can we get a move on?” Ace shouted.

Mickey sighed. She took off her clothes and dove into the surf. She swam to the boat and pulled herself in without any help from Ace.

Riktor followed her. Once both of them were settled, Ace took off rowing for the nearby island where the challenge would take place. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the appointed place. Ace got out and pulled the boat ashore.

Michaela joined him on dry land. “Remember to keep your clothes on unless you need to get involved. I’ll be the one fighting alongside him,” she said to Ace.

She scrutinized the area. A crowd had gathered. News travels fast when blood will be spilled. Only one of them, Riktor’s personal assistant, she recognized.

“What’s she doing here?” she asked Riktor.

“Not sure. As a female alpha in training of her own pack, maybe she wants to witness how a challenge goes?” Riktor strode toward the group. “Keep your guard up.”

Mickey didn’t need to be told twice. She trailed after him and kept watch, with Ace bringing up the rear. Tiki torches cast a golden circle around the place. Only a few palm trees and bushes swayed in the breeze. Otherwise, it was quite barren.

“Why don’t you own this island?” she asked.

“Because the person who owns it wouldn’t sell to my father, and we only need our island,” Riktor responded.

Winthrop emerged from the group, wearing only a pair of silver cuffs.

Anger surged lava-hot within her. She and Ace growled. “Take those off!” she shouted at him.

Winthrop grinned and held up his hands. “If he can’t handle the touch of silver, he shouldn’t be alpha. You know as well as I do, it’s no holds barred.” Winthrop glanced up at the sky. “Ready?”

Riktor stepped toward Winthrop. “Do you need to be reminded of the rules?”

Winthrop chuckled. “Nope, unless you need a refresher? Perhaps the delicious Michaela Shaw would like to enlighten all of us? Maybe she’d like to start as to why she’s naked? You’re not the one I’m challenging today.”

She snorted and moved to stand beside Riktor. “This is a fight to submission or death. Wives and husbands can be by their partner’s side and act as seconds during the challenge. As this is no holds barred, only people invited into the challenge by one of the challengers have the right to fight on behalf of the alpha with whom they’ve made the deal. Once the challenge is over, the victors may distribute the spoils of victory with whomever they wish. Seconds can only enter the fray if their alpha is in danger of death, anything before that will cause a forfeit and the challenge will be declared over. Both of you start on a half shift and aren’t allowed to fully shift until the moon is at full zenith. Everyone understand?”

Both Riktor and Winthrop nodded.

“Just keep that beast out of the way.” Winthrop nodded toward Ace. He began to shift. Winthrop turned his attention back to Riktor.

Riktor followed Winthrop’s example. A thick pelt of white and tan fur sprouted from his torso, down his arms and covered his chest. His face contorted, becoming more lupine with an extended snout. His ears shifted to the top of his head. His thick, black wavy hair disappeared. Claws extended from his nails and toes. The shift stopped just short of full werewolf. His arms and legs remained humanlike but coated in a thick pelt.

Except for the silver cuffs, Winthrop’s entire body had grown dark brown fur. He snapped his jaws at Riktor, who let out a low growl.

“Both participants have fulfilled the first part of the challenge,” Mickey announced. “And begin!”

The men came together in a blur of sharp teeth and claws. They bit and slashed at each other. Bright spurts of crimson splattered the ground and against the onlookers. Fur flew into the air and puffs spread out over the ground.

Riktor let out a pained howl when Winthrop hit him with blows from his silver cuffs.

Mickey winced. Her breath caught. Her heart stuttered as she waited for him to counterattack.

Riktor whirled and slashed at Winthrop’s side, then bit into his shoulder. He gnawed his way down. His teeth sank into Winthrop’s bicep. Dark red stained the fur until it became black. Riktor tugged on the limb. Winthrop howled and snapped at Riktor’s shoulder and arm, but Riktor refused to release him.

Bloodlust, hot and tangy, rose up inside Mickey and coated her taste buds. She took in the crowd, watching for anyone looking to help Winthrop.

The crowd gasped. Mickey refocused on the fight. She stared in shock. A trail of panic sent a shiver of ice down her spine.

Riktor had ripped off Winthrop’s arm. Riktor dropped the limb to the ground. Blood pooled on the sand. Riktor let out a howl of triumph.

“Noooo!” Amber rushed forward. She shifted as she ran straight to Winthrop.

“Oh, hell no, bitch.” Mickey let the wolf take over. White-hot pain surged through her body, halting her steps.

In slow motion, she watched as Amber bit into Riktor’s side and slashed at his thigh. Blood splattered across the front row of the crowd and dropped in thick puddles to the ground.

Winthrop used the distraction and shifted to full wolf form. He fell to the ground on three legs.

Mickey shook her head. The wolf dug its claws into her human form and pushed the shift forward until only the animal mind existed. The woman could only watch as the wolf rushed forward. In a blur of fur, blood, and saliva, Mickey slashed, bit, and pulled at wolf-Amber until she could see deep gouges and chunks of fur-covered flesh.

Riktor shrugged off Amber and went after Winthrop, who was still trying to settle himself on his only three legs. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Riktor pull off Winthrop’s ear, followed by going after his other front leg.

Her mate could hold his own. Mickey refocused her full attention on Amber. Rather than go in for the kill, Mickey focused on subduing the other she-wolf by getting behind her and sinking her teeth into the back of her neck. Amber tried to buck her off, but Mickey refused to let go.

Riktor managed to get Winthrop onto his side and took several bites into Winthrop’s stomach. He ripped out large parts of the area until Winthrop’s intestines spilled out. Riktor rooted around until he pulled out Winthrop’s heart and spat it down to the sand before collapsing.

Mickey released Amber, who fell to her side. Fear pushed the change back. Mickey shifted to human once more and dropped to her knees next to Riktor.

Riktor lay on his side, panting. The change back to man took its sweet time. Seconds turned into minutes. Ace rushed to her side. “Is he—?”

“No, we need to get him back to the resort. Can you handle everything here? You need to give your testimony to the challenge overseer.”

Ace grumbled out a curse but nodded. “Yeah. You’ll be OK?”

“I better be.” Mickey stood up on shaky legs, bent over and hooked her arms under his armpits and gently picked him up, fighting the panic that wanted to break free inside her. Full of adrenaline and using her werewolf’s strength, she carried his bulk to their rowboat. His hot blood coated her skin. She prayed to Artemis that he would all right. He had to be. He was Riktor Brody, damn it, her mate.

She rowed them back to the resort where Banan waited on shore for them. Without a word, he helped her carry Riktor to the resort and into the family’s private residence. Once inside, Banan helped Mickey bathe, clean, and bind Riktor’s wounds.

“I’ll take first watch. You get some rest.” The hard planes of Banan’s face brooked no argument.

She curled up, under a blanket on a couch in Riktor’s room while Banan sat next to the bed. The after-shift energy dump hit her hard, and sleep took her under with no problem.

Please, Artemis, let Riktor survive this, she thought.