Onyx felt the bindings at her wrists loosen. She was too afraid it was an accident to make any moves while the shifter Victor was so close. As he moved away she looked back to Errol where he was tied inside the tent of Demitrus.

She heard everything they said. Everyone did. It was a camp full of werewolves. The looks, murmurs, and signals Onyx saw getting passed along told her that Demitrus was soon to be challenged for his position of alpha.

Not soon enough.

They’d wait and see how he faired against Errol. Only, Errol was just poisoned with silver by Demitrus. He wouldn’t survive the battle.

I have to wait for the right moment. I’ll jump free and rip out Demitrus’ throat.

Errol mouthed to her, “Take Ian and go.”

Onyx shook her head. She clenched her teeth and shook her head again when he started mouthing the same message again.

“Trust me,” he mouthed. “Please.”

Shit. Is this what Angeline meant when she said that I need to trust him? I’m what? Supposed to leave him to be killed by Demitrus?

Hot tears the size of marbles rolled down her cheeks.

The shifter meant to be watching her, Deon, turned and looked at her when she sniffed. A chuckle shook his narrow shoulders. Deon was a pack pee-on if ever there was one. If she was ready to reveal she was free, then she would shut him up herself with ease.

“Everyone is gonna get a turn with you,” he said laughing again. He rocked from his heels to the balls of his feet and back before Callaghan knocked him to the ground.

“You think you get a turn?” Callaghan laughed taking away the spear. “Go take my post at the borderline.”

It was obvious Deon didn’t want to go but he wasn’t going to stand up to Callaghan.

Damn. Now I have to get past Callaghan before I can get to Demitrus.

Errol was waiting for Onyx when she looked his way again. “Trust me, please. Take Ian. Go.”

More than anything else she wanted to refuse. It was like deciding not to breathe. It felt just as impossible to Onyx. She couldn’t bring herself to agree.

Errol’s heartbeat was already beginning an erratic rhythm. He wouldn’t stand a chance against a regular shifter much less an oversized, blood-thirsty, animal like Demitrus.

Am I supposed to trust him to last? To win and not be poisoned? How?

“Don’t worry, Onyx. I’ll take my time with you when it’s my turn. I’ll take so long the others will get tired and leave. Okay, baby?”

“Demitrus is going to change his mind about passing me around, Callaghan. If I were you I’d keep my drooling to a minimum,” Onyx told him, cutting her eyes to meet his.

Callaghan scoffed. “It doesn’t much matter what he decides. I’ve seen how your head works. I know you’ve noticed the way things have changed a bit since you been gone. The seats are about to change.”

“And who gets the coveted seat?” Onyx asked wanting to know what was in store for the world once Demitrus was cut out of the Herod pack. He was horrible, no doubt, but he was also stupid. There were some who were even worse than Demitrus who could be coveting his position.

“That’s a matter of great debate but I know who is going to win. Stick with me, sweet puppy, I’ll take good care of you.”

The growl that rumbled out of Errol from the tent was so wet she could hear the sound of the moisture even at this distance.

Callaghan looked over toward Errol where he knew the warning growl had come from. “Poor bastard. I wish you didn’t have to watch him die. You want me to knock you out?”

“No,” Onyx answered. “You all know Errol has been poisoned. Give him some of our medicine. Slow down the poison.”

“Slow it down for what? He won’t live through this. Too many want you Onyx. You are a symbol of strength for the Herod pack. Whoever takes the seat will want you.”

And that means no one wants Errol to survive. Shit!

Demitrus strode up to the crowd waiting for the fight. His shirt was bulky against his skin. Onyx was certain he was packing weapons under the shirt. Whatever he could find that would give him an ounce of bravery.

“You’re such a fucking coward,” Onyx spat as he pushed out his barrel of a chest.

Demitrus just laughed. “Say whatever you must. Onyx, you will watch him die and you’ll know that it is your fault.”

She tried to hold back the tears that rushed to her eyes but couldn’t. Damn him to hell, but he was right.

Not yet, Leventh will defend him. Onyx reasoned out in her mind, doing her best to push her emotions aside. They weren’t budging. All she could think of was leaping forward and ripping out his throat.

“No,” Errol’s voice found her ears even above all the cheering and growling from the pack. She met his blue-eyed gaze over Demitrus shoulder.

“You are going to be the known as the wolf claimed by the Herod pack after this. The Herod slut,” Demitrus threatened trying to cut her view away from Errol’s.

“That won’t matter. I’ve never been claimed by anyone accept Errol. You tried for years. I never submitted to you, and I won’t to anyone else either. He claimed me with his love a long time ago. I am forever Errol’s and his alone.”

Demitrus laughed loudly in her face as though that would erase the memory of what she’d just revealed to his pack. Making him look twice as weak as he did before now they knew he’d never been able to make his mate submit. “You underestimate the stamina of the Herod pack.”

“But I don’t underestimate you. You’re nothing to worry about,” Onyx verbally lashed him.

Demitrus smiled when Onyx braced for his strike. “I’m not going to hit you here,” he said running his hand over Onyx’s face. “I’ll hit you there,” he said pointing at Errol. “the only place you seem to have a soft spot. It’ll break you when he’s dead.”

Errol mouthed it again. “Trust me.”

Onyx felt her lip trembling even as she struggled to remain in control. Demitrus leaned in to get a better look at her trembling lip.

He’s close. I could kill him right now. But, she said to trust Errol. Shit.

She stopped trying to fight her trembling lip and the tears that were flowing. It was too good an opportunity, she couldn’t just pass it up.

Just as Onyx prepared to launch forward, a werewolf new to the pack from the last pack Demitrus ravaged launched at Demitrus’ throat but before he made contact a shot rang out and he dropped.

Demitrus looked down at the werewolf who was convulsing, dying from silver poisoning. Everyone looked around trying to locate where the shot came from as Demitrus clapped his hands.

“I have a protector, he says that you plan to overthrow me, your alpha,” Demitrus laughed. “I will not be replaced. Anyone who tries to kill me outside the ring of battle will be killed. So, if you want my seat, bitches, you’ll have to challenge me for it.”

He strode to the center of the camp that he always referred to as, the ring.

Yeah right. If it looked as though he were losing, whoever his gunman was would shoot the opponent. Dammit.

Errol was untied. His face was wet with sweat. Onyx could hear his heart beat fighting to right its pace. The pallor of his skin was already so pale.

“I love you,” he said with a smile and sincerity in his eyes as he looked at Onyx across the crowd. “Forever. Trust me.”

“I love you too,” Onyx said ignoring the jeers and chanting for the fight to begin.

Errol was shoved into the ring, and their eye contact was broken. Onyx held her breath. She knew what he wanted her to do and still didn’t know how she was going to do as he asked. She watched him sizing up Demitrus who stood a foot taller and two feet wider than Errol.

Demitrus rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. “You’re too weak to shift so we’ll fight as humans.”

“You probably can’t shift after having that silver shank shoved up your ass,” Errol said smiling, his lips as white as the rest of his face.

Demitrus lunged toward Errol catching him in the stomach where he’d poisoned him with the silver. Errol took the hit, opting not to block so that he could rip off the shirt Demitrus was wearing.

The armor below the shirt was revealed and the Herod pack began to laugh at its alpha. Demitrus roared his rage stripping away the armor as if that would undo what they’d already seen.

If she was going to leave, it was the opportune time.

Onyx pulled her hands-free and bent to untie her legs.

“Hey, what the hell?” Callaghan took hold of her hair and pulled her back up.

Onyx jabbed him in the throat to shut him up as she kicked her legs free. When he grabbed at his throat trying to get a breath Onyx grabbed the pole behind her head and jumped up wrapping her legs around Callaghan’s throat.

Gripping him tightly with her legs she pinned his hands at his neck and cut off his air. He tried to struggle. Callaghan dropped to his knees and she took him all the way the ground. He wouldn’t die from being choked, he’d have to have his neck broken to die.

The crowd reacted to something happening in the ring and from the sound of the growl, Onyx knew that Demitrus had broken his own rule and shifted.

“What’s going on?” Ian’s voice was weak, barely audible. “Onyx? Where is he?”

Bending down she found Ian’s bindings already loose.

Victor.

She spotted him moving through the camp. He was searching for the gunmen, he had to be.

Onyx helped Ian get to his feet. “Be silent,” she whispered as quietly as she could. Onyx wanted to tell him to go, run and get to safety but he couldn’t even stand on his own. If she was going to save Ian, like Errol asked her to, then she was going to have to leave Errol.

The smell of fresh blood filled the air as the crowd reacted again.

Angeline, how can this be the right thing to do?

She braced Ian and helped him walk with her away from the fight. The more he walked the more he seemed to gain back more of his own strength. When they reached the forest line Ian was carrying his own weight but he still needed Onyx to keep him from falling.

They picked up their pace whenever they could. The sound of fighting was still filling her ears. When an outcry, Onyx recognized as Errol’s sounded, both she and Ian froze.

Is he dead? No, please don’t take him from me.

Onyx raced up the hill in front of them and climbed up onto the arch formed in the rock. She sucked in a breath and howled as loud as she could. It was dangerous to herself and Ian but if the Rizer pack was close enough to hear her, then she was bringing help.

Ian joined her howl, confirming that he too felt the risk was worth the cry for help.

“Some of the Herod pack is coming,” Ian warned. “I can’t shift.”

If Errol is dead I don’t want to fight anymore.

Onyx climbed down off the rock landing next to Ian. He looked so much like Errol and it made her heart ache. Errol would want Ian to live. So, she would protect him and she would trust Errol.

I trust you. Be alive, Errol

 

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