It took Roy a moment to react, which didn’t really surprise me. I’d killed quickly, with very little actual fighting, and he probably didn’t immediately register that Edward was dead. I didn’t move until he finally said, “The fight is over. Tobias Rogan has won. Tobias, Anax, please move away from Edward.”
I backed away slowly, still keeping my gaze on the dead wolf who had now begun to revert back to his human form, as all werewolves did upon death. When I was responsible for a death, I always watched that reversion, because it reminded me of what I’d done and reinforced that it wasn’t an action to take without cause. I hadn’t only killed a wolf. I had killed a man.
Roy gave me a moment, whether because he understood that I needed to watch Edward’s return to human or simply because he was waiting for the right words. “Anax, please shift back to human. I believe we would all agree that you have retained your rank.”
“We agree,” several voices said, though agreement wasn’t part of the usual protocol. I recognized Zane’s and Paul’s voices among the responses and was thankful for them.
I won,I thought to Kyle.It’s over.
Thank fuck!The thought was so loud and laden with relief that I almost laughed.
Stay in there. Please. Have to shift back and clean this up.
Come find me when you can.
I will.I lowered myself to the ground again so I could take my human shape. This was the time I was most vulnerable. If anyone had plans to take me out without issuing a challenge, now would be the time. Between forms, I couldn’t defend myself and barely had any awareness of anyone or anything around me. I’d had the gift of shifting quickly from the beginning, but I’d worked to hone it so I would be vulnerable for less time.
Two men came to stand in front of me. I sensed others behind me. In the middle of my shift, I couldn’t spare the brainpower to recognize them, but I detected no true threat. Maybe they were there to harm me, but maybe they were just protecting me. I wouldn’t know until I was finished.
When I came back to my senses, in my human body, I saw that the two in front of me were Zane and Paul. My allies. That was a good sign. But then I looked over my shoulder.
Davis Gray stood behind me, Robert Greenlea by his side. Wearing a disgusted expression, Davis looked toward the dead body several feet away. “It’s my turn,” he said.
“You can’t do this.” Zane had no right to speak for me, but I didn’t protest. Right then, recovering from the shift, I was still regaining words. “Davis, think. He just fought. You can’t issue another challenge so soon.”
“Was there mention of a refractory period?” Davis sounded way too frigging smug. “I didn’t hear one.”
“You have no place here, Davis Gray.” My voice was hoarse and the words came slowly, but at least I was able to speak. I started to get to my feet, ignoring the hands Zane and Paul held out to me. There was no way in hell I would accept help right now. Fresh off a shift or not, taking one of those hands would count against me. “You and those who support you were ejected from this gathering. Why have you returned?
“To see this through.” He bared his teeth. “You had your chance. Tobias Rogan, Anax of the United States—”
“Davis, don’t do this,” Paul said.
“Stop, old friend.” I didn’t take my gaze off Davis. I didn’t trust him not to strike when my attention was diverted, even if he was still in human form. “If this is what the packless wolf before me believes he must do, so be it.”
“I am the Arkhon of the Pacific Region!” Davis’s face reddened, his expression twisted in rage. “I am no packless wolf.”
“All arkhons are packless by definition,” I said, my voice farcalmer than my heart, which was beating so rapidly I felt lightheaded. “But you are no longer Arkhon, Davis, because due to the circumstances under which you left this gathering, there is no longer a Pacific Region.”
Strictly speaking, of course, that wasn’t true. No permanent decision had been made about whether that region still existed. But I wasn’t opposed to playing a little loose with the truth if it got a rise out of Davis.
Which it did. In the brief time I’d known him, since I became Arkhon of the Northeast Region, Davis had struck me as a quiet, subservient man who had basically kissed Hezekiah’s ass because Hezekiah’s territory sat smack in the middle of the Pacific Region. Getting on that Anax’s bad side wouldn’t have ended well for Davis or the wolves under his rule. He had only turned against Hezekiah when an attempt to solve a conflict with one of the Pacific alphas had resulted in a command to kill the Alpha. Like me, Davis wasn’t a fan of killing unnecessarily.
He wasn’t quiet now, though. With a loud snarl, he began to shed his clothes. He hadn’t finished speaking his challenge, but it was clear that he intended to fight me nonetheless. Maybe he figured a formal challenge wouldn’t be necessary if he was packless.
“Davis Gray, consider your next actions carefully.” I stood straighter, and my voice rose, sounding almost like something else was speaking with me. “You have not issued a challenge. If you shift and attack me now, I will fight in self-defense, not for the rank of Anax. In the unlikely event that you win, you will gain nothing.”
It was too late to stop him. Even as I spoke, I saw fur beginning to sprout on his hands and arms. His face twisted more but also seemed to elongate. His mouth moved, but no words came out, only snarls and sounds more appropriate for a wolf than a man.
Seeing no choice, I sent a quick thought to Kyle.Complication. Davis came back. He wants a fight.
Tobias, no.Panic tinged the thought.Refuse.
He didn’t challenge. He’s shifting. Kyle, just…I’ll be all right. I love you.
Don’t you fucking leave me,he snapped.Not rightbefore our wedding.
I won’t.I didn’t add the rest of my thought. Kyle knew I might not be able to help leaving him. I would simply have to fight like hell not to.Stay inside. I’ll let you know when it’s over.
