If they weren’t already in the middle of a gruesome battle, Chadwick would have attacked Saber for daring to act like he needed the ape’s protection.  Wasn’t it just Chadwick who’d stopped one of the Council’s soldiers from shishkabobbing Saber?  Too bad he couldn’t talk as a mountain lion or he’d give Saber a piece of his mind.

It was bad enough his mate thought to take him out of the fight and then tried to lie to him about it being over to keep him out of it.  But hovering over him as if he was Chadwick’s guardian angel pissed Chadwick off.  So it was no surprise when Saber got too close, Chadwick sliced his claws across one of his arms, warning him back.

The shock on Saber’s face would have been more priceless if they weren’t surrounded by at least a hundred men willing to use any distraction to take them down.  The fur along Chadwick’s neck stood up, alerting him to the danger coming at them.

Spinning, he leapt, claws out, and landed on a very surprised enemy, who didn’t have time to react to Chadwick swiping his paw and slicing the man’s neck.  It would have been a brilliant kill, if he hadn’t of missed the second man who apparently had been waiting for that mistake.

A squirrel, who Chadwick hadn’t seen hiding behind a fallen tree, just two feet from where Chadwick had landed on his victim, shifted into his human form, picking up his fallen friend’s sword as he grew to just over six feet tall.  Before Chadwick had registered the move, the squirrel shifter swung and sliced Chadwick’s side.

Blood gushed from his wound, causing Chadwick to stumble onto his other side.  A roar that sounded like it came from the bowels of hell erupted around him.  Even as he started to initiate the shift to heal the wound that was too deep to heal on its own, his eyes were glued to the man who’d made the horrifying sound.

Saber.

Seconds later Chadwick was lying there naked, unable to take his gaze from Saber slashing though each and every one of the remaining Council’s soldiers they had been trying to hold back from joining the main battle.  A part of him was impressed and fucking hard from watching Saber cut through the men and women like they were nothing more than gnats.  But there was also a part of him that understood just how dangerous Saber really was.

It was that part that had him once more shifting into his mountain lion and running.  He may have thought he could stand up to Saber, but Chadwick had only been fooling himself.  Chadwick might have thought he could defeat any foe he faced, but when it came to his mate, Chadwick didn’t stand a chance.  Having finally gotten away from his overbearing father who kept Chadwick on a short leash, there was no way he was going to be mated to someone who clearly could back up whatever demands he made of Chadwick.

That was something his father never could do.  Not since Chadwick was twelve and able to pin his father when the man had tried to use physical force to make Chadwick join the bullies who had been picking on Kellach for being so small and effeminate looking.

Ever since that day, Chadwick’s father had only tried to verbally chastise Chadwick, which only worked because Chadwick had feared being kicked out of the pack and leaving his friends.  But with Saber’s strength, he could easily force Chadwick to do things he didn’t want to do.  Like be himself.

Another roar shook the forest around him.  Chadwick put on the speed.  He just knew it was Saber, just as he knew it wasn’t because of the battle that was still raging on, but because Chadwick had run.

Only his need to remain a free man and not allow the Council to take that away from him stopped him from fleeing the war completely.  When he reached the far side of the battle field, Chadwick turned his attention back to the fighting, forcing all thoughts of his mate from his mind.

He just wished it was that easy.

 

***

 

It had taken every bit of Chadwick’s skill to stay as far from Saber as possible.  The man had been relentlessly searching for Chadwick since they’d won the battle and carried their still wounded back to town for Nole and a few others with medical training to treat.

Then there had been the long arduous chore of burying their dead.  Relative to the Council’s soldiers the number of fallen were small, but each one was a testament to how far the Council would go to ensure those like Chadwick didn’t survive.

It made no sense that just because they were gay the Council felt they should be killed.  No matter how many times Chadwick had tried to wrap his brain around that fact, he couldn’t come up with a good reason for the Council’s feelings on the matter.

Or anyone else for that matter.

How did his liking men offend anyone?  It didn’t.  Just as his love affair with bacon didn’t hurt anyone else.  Well, other than Jari, who had to keep making more.

Wiping the dirt from his hands onto his pants, Chadwick put the shovel back into the shed where he’d gotten it.  In all, he’d help to dig ten graves and there was a good chance a few other shifters, who were still in critical condition, might not make it. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Chadwick whirled around from the opening of the shed door he’d just closed, to find Saber standing there, concern marring his face.  For just a second, Chadwick almost said yes.  But he managed to bite back the word and shake his head.  “No.  I have work to do.”

He tried to step around the massive man, but Saber just shifted his weight, effectively blocking Chadwick from being able to walk away like he had every other time Saber had managed to find him.

“Please, give me a chance.”  There was a hint of pleading in Saber’s voice that nearly broke down the walls Chadwick had put up against this man.

He hadn’t expected to hear Saber be anything other than confident, even demanding.  What if he’d been wrong about Saber?  What if he was lumping him in with men like his father or his former Alpha without having given him a chance?  Was he doing to Saber what Chadwick had always bitched about others doing to him and his friends?  Making judgments without even bothering to get to know him?

As he thought about it, Chadwick realized that was exactly what he’d been doing.  It galled him to know he was no better than men like his father.  Refusing to accept that, he asked, “What do you want to talk about?”

The relief in Saber’s midnight eyes made Chadwick feel like a heel for not giving his mate a chance.  “How about that we’re mated, yet you keep running from me?”

Chadwick felt his face heat up.  Saber was right, but it wasn’t something Chadwick had exactly been ready to admit to, either.  “I’m sorry.”  It was all he could say.  Chadwick just wasn’t exactly sure he was comfortable admitting why, at least not yet.  “I will try to do better.”  It wouldn’t be easy, but he owed it to his mate.

“Good.”  Saber’s voice had changed from having a pleading tone to it, to being more commanding, putting Chadwick on alert.  “Then I don’t have to tie you to my bed.”

That alert went from caution to warning in a heartbeat.  Just the mention of being tied and forced to do anything had his hackles up and Chadwick’s mountain lion ready to claw its way free.  “Try it and it will be the last thing you ever do.”

In the blink of an eye his back was pressed against the side of the shed with Saber’s body flush with his.  He silently cursed that Saber was tall enough that Chadwick had to tilt his head back just to keep eye contact.

“If you would stop running like a scared kid, I wouldn’t feel the need to tie you down.”  Saber’s voice was hard and unyielding, just like the man’s body.  “I’ve tried giving you time, but I’m done waiting for you to grow a pair and face that we are mated.”

Fury burned a path through Chadwick’s body.  He glared up at Saber.  His claws unsheathed as he reached down and pierced Saber’s pants, making sure he felt their razor sharpness against his balls.  “You ever try to force me to do anything and you will find your balls removed from your body.”  Chadwick let his claws dig in just enough to draw blood.  “Got it?”

The swift intake of breath, as well as Saber lurching backward, said he understood Chadwick all too well.

Not about to wait around for Saber to try and do as he threatened, Chadwick left, crossing himself when he saw Jari and Nole.  At least if Saber caught up to him there would be witnesses.

“Did you just cross yourself?” Kellach asked as he walked past Chadwick.

There was no way he was about to admit what had really happened.  Thankfully Hudson, who was with Kellach, said, “Considering the look on Saber’s face, I can’t exactly blame him.”  Hudson nodded his head in the direction from where Chadwick had just come from.

There was Saber, looking ready to kill.  Icy tendrils of fear raced down Chadwick’s body as those dark eyes landed on him.  He didn’t know if having Kellach and Hudson with him had Saber heading for the house instead of him, or if it was because they were due for a meeting with Edrick, one of Chadwick’s friends and the current Alpha.

“Come on,” Chadwick said, not wanting to discuss his mate with his friends.  “We wouldn’t want to be late.”  Actually, Chadwick didn’t give a shit about showing up.  Now that he’d had a taste of freedom, he hated being told what to do.  That included meetings, even if they were important.

“Okay, quiet down,” Brecken, the Alpha of the Snow River Pack, called out to the crowd.  He stood on the porch of the house Chadwick and his friends live in.  Brecken had been the one to come up with challenging the Council for their seats.

“We’ve had word that four out of the seven Council members are on their way here.  The other three have disappeared.”  Chadwick was a bit surprised by that announcement.  It meant giving up their seats without a fight, something no respected shifter would, or should, do.  Not if they’d been challenged anyway.

“Regrettably, what happens with those three seats will depend largely on what happens with the four who have accepted the challenges.”  The crowd groaned and moaned about the laws and that those three seats should be forfeit.  Chadwick was right with them.

Unfortunately, the reality was, the four Council members who had accepted the challenges would need to lose for the law to be enforced.  “All right,” Brecken shouted.  “Settle down.”

Once the crowd had become quiet he said, “We have plans to set up a ceremonial ring, so please make sure to get with Chadwick to see if you can help with anything.”

Chadwick had already given out the assignments but they still had a lot to do and he wouldn’t mind some extra help.  Then again, if he was busy getting things ready, it would mean he wouldn’t have to deal with Saber until the challenges were over.

“The first challenge will take place at eight in the morning the day after tomorrow,” Brecken announced.  “The second challenge will take place one hour after the first one is done and so on until all four have finished.”

Brecken motioned to the group standing just off the side of the front porch.  “I’d like to introduce you to the seven men and women who have challenged the Council for their positions.”

The crowd erupted in applause as the seven men and women stepped up onto the porch.  “Tanis Cruz from the Angel Pride,” Brecken announced when the first woman approached.

Chadwick hadn’t had time to meet those who’d been brave enough to challenge the Council.  Well, no one except Saber that was.

That thought made the blood in his veins freeze.  His gaze went to Saber, who stood with the others Brecken was introducing.  Saber seemed to be staring right at Chadwick when their eyes met.  Chadwick couldn’t move as the realization hit him.  Saber was challenging a Council member.  Not just any Council member.  The head of the Council, Refugio Costa.  One of the most ruthless men on the planet.

Refugio was known for being dirty and underhanded when dealing with others.  In a fair fight, Chadwick had zero doubt that Saber would come out victorious.  But with Refugio there was little doubt there would nothing fair about the fight.

Chadwick may not be ready to be mated to Saber, but also he wasn’t ready to lose him either.  Chadwick had to stop that challenge, no matter what.