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CHAPTER10
Raine never held Dannika responsible for the arrangement made between Maddock and Steele, but finding her in Colton’s arms eradicated every sane thought in his head. His human reasoning evaporated as his shadow emerged, snarling its single purpose to kill the cougar holding his mate.
Colton pulled out of Dannika’s arms and moved away from her before his shadow emerged. His alpha was every bit as powerful and threatening as Raine’s. “I will fight you, but you should know that Dannika is adamant that she is yours. I will tell you that I and many members of our clan will try to change her mind.”
Black waves rolled off Raine’s shoulders. The instinct to hunt, protect, and kill was as primal as it was insistent. His shadow warrior had no intention of backing down, nor did he want to. “I believe in her loyalty. You, however, forced her to leave our home while they locked me in a cell. She had no choice in this situation. You did. Taking advantage of her will not go unpunished.”
Colton stilled. “Your anger is justified.”
Dannika turned on Colton. “What are you talking about? You aren’t responsible for this.”
Colton nodded. “Raine isn’t upset that I have shown an interest in you. He’s upset that I didn’t fight for you. Allowing him to be incarcerated so the cougar clan could court you goes against everything our shifter forefathers believed in. A mate must be chosen, not coerced.” He moved farther from Dannika. “I accept your challenge.”
The shadow warriors attacked, colliding together in a haze of black oppression. Growls echoed as the bodies of darkness fought, moving at lightning speed from one side of the room to the other.
“Stop fighting now or I will never speak to either of you again!” Dannika yelled.
The shadows reformed at either corner of the room. They stood with heaving breaths, staring at one another.
Raine still warred with the instinct to rip his opposition apart, but he wouldn’t risk losing his mate. Those moments in the cell, when his body wouldn’t respond to his commands, had been a humbling torture. He was just as angry with himself as he was with the cougar opposing him. He had trusted Maddock, his clan, and they had betrayed him. Colton was honest about his intentions. It was obvious he was protecting Dannika, and for that, Raine was grateful.
Dannika glanced between the men. “Raine, Colton had nothing to do with the negotiation. You know that. I have told him you are my mate, and he has agreed to let me make my own decisions. In the meantime, I will help him find out what is going on. He doesn’t believe that Steele would give up the cougar clan for me.”
Raine’s human skin reformed on his body. “You think that Maddock coerced Steele’s compliance?”
Colton nodded as he resumed his human form. “This decision will rip our clan in two. There has to be more to this.”
Raine took a deep breath. Deception had a distinct tone, and there was none in Colton’s voice. It made sense for the Bears and the Cougars to have an alliance. Steele and Ryder had been friends for years. Nothing about Maddock’s rise in power appeared natural.
“I agree something is off. Maddock would never have put me in a cell, despite the situation. He is different.”
Dannika walked toward him and slid her arm around his waist. She didn’t know how much he needed the contact. Craved it. “Ryder was on his way to the caves to get Maddock to release you. Looks like you didn’t need any help.”
“Incarcerating the alpha apparent caused dissension in the clan. Maddock was unprepared to deal with those consequences. Dayton released me and told Maddock if he continued to waste the wolf clan’s resources, then many of the members were leaving with me as their new alpha.”
Dannika ran a finger down his cheek. His body reacted to the caress, but now wasn’t the time to sate his need for his mate.
“I’m glad you have friends in the wolf clan,” she said. “There’s a good chance we’re going to need them.”
Raine pulled her closer to his body. It was an act of possession, and Colton wouldn’t miss the meaning. “I still don’t know why Maddock wants control over the cougar clan. Was Steele more forthcoming?”
Colton shook his head. “His actions are irresponsible and out of character.”
“Maddock’s ambitions have changed in the last couple of years. He has changed.”
Dannika put her hand on Raine’s chest. “He never showed signs of wanting to be the clan’s overlord?”
“What you’re describing is called a clan king, a single individual that holds all the clans together. This person isn’t elected. We cannot force this position on the shadow warriors. It’s a universal decision by all the clan leaders. The king has to be someone the clans believe in. That person is not Maddock.”
Dannika huffed. “That’s for sure.”
Colton walked to the picture window, staring out at the forest. “While that may explain Maddock’s ambitions, it doesn’t explain why Steele would agree to this. No clan wants a king and no sane shadow wants that position.”
Dannika nibbled her lip. “Raine, will you help us investigate my heritage, and why Steele stepped down? Colton has friends here, and a lead investigator, but you have friends in the wolf clan, and we will need updates on Maddock’s behavior.”
He ran his hand down her back. “There is nothing I won’t do for you. This alliance risks both the cougar and the wolf clan. Innocent lives will be lost if we don’t work together.”
Colton motioned the coffee table with files scattered on the top. “Darwin left these for us. It’s everything he has so far. He’s tracking another lead and will update us on his progress when he returns.”
