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Raine rubbed his chin. “Making him feel weak, removing some of his power would be the most advantageous in a fight.”
Ryder put a hand on Raine’s shoulder. “Absolutely. He has a very inflated ego. If others were to see him as weak, he might make mistakes. The trouble is that perception. Maddock is a mirror. He can create many doppelgangers. Even though the replicas can’t hurt you, they distract you from your goal. He will hit you numerous times before you realize which shadow is truly him.”
“I will endeavour to make him doubt his power. That will be no easy feat.” Raine’s eyes narrowed on Ryder. “You wanted this death match. Your bear is even more excited than your shadow.”
Ryder dropped his hand. “I admit, I’ve wanted to see a change of leadership for some time. Maddock’s instability has escalated in the past couple years.”
“Why didn’t you deal with this sooner?” Raine asked.
“He never broke the shadow rules, so we had no reason to interfere, but his thirst for power has escalated and appears to be getting worse. It’s only a matter of time before he turns reaper.”
Dannika sucked in a breath. “You believe that?”
Ryder nodded. “We already had a plan in place for his... departure. When you transitioned, Steele and I had to alter our original plan. We wanted you out of wolf territory, but you were set on Raine.” He winked. “Raine’s impulsiveness has given us the opportunity to proceed. Provided he doesn’t die.”
Raine took Dannika’s hand, leading her down the trail. “Yeah, that would suck.”
Dannika smiled despite the situation. That was the beauty of Raine. He could make her smile. Laugh. Love. He was a miracle she wasn’t sure she could keep. While Ryder hummed, his excitement igniting the air, she prayed this wasn’t her last day with her mate.
They wound their way through the trees, a calm reprieve before the coming storm. When she believed she had her emotions under control, the forest gave way to the clearing.
The wolf clan members clustered around the ring. A physical representation of triumph or death.
Maddock’s gaze moved to them as they exited the trees. The clan members parted like a diverted river, allowing them to approach the clearing’s center. Their leader smirked, but his eyes were not on his opponent. They fixated on Dannika. He had declared that first fateful day he would kill her, and he hadn’t lied. His hatred rolled off him like droplets of gray smoke.
Raine let go of her hand and entered the ring alone. The clan members closed ranks, creating a human ring that allowed no escape.
He nodded to the man he once admired. “I take no pleasure in what will happen today.”
Maddock sneered. “That is your human weakness. I will revel in the death of a traitor to this clan.”
He unsheathed his reaper blade. Smoke swirled around the hilt, slithering up the steel. The runes imbued within the blade glowed before it turned black.
Dannika leaned toward Ryder. “Why did Maddock’s reaper blade turn black?”
“Maddock intends to kill Raine. He has signified this as a death match. Raine must accept the challenge.”
Raine unsheathed his blade. His shadow swarmed over the steel, turning it black.
Ryder let out a sigh of relief. “There’s no turning back for either of them now. One must die. Or both will.”
Her eyes flashed. “I love how you leave out these little details until it’s too late.”
Ryder’s jaw ticked, but he said nothing.
Maddock’s alpha shadow emerged, snarling, before Raine’s rose, assessing his prey. They circled one another, matching each other’s steps in a deadly ballet.
Maddock switched his reaper blade from his right hand to the left.
Dannika grabbed Ryder’s arm. “Don’t tell me Maddock is ambidextrous.”
Ryder frowned. “He is. It’s one advantage he has over Raine. That and the fact that he trained Raine himself and knows his weakness.” He looked her over. “Now that Raine has you, that weakness no longer applies.”
She swallowed. “What was Raine’s weakness?”
“He respected Maddock and wouldn’t oppose him. You changed everything, and that’s why Maddock hates you.”
Ice formed in her heart, but she didn’t let the feeling of betrayal show on her face. Raine needed to focus on the shadow trying to kill him.
