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Maddock moved without warning. He swung his blade toward Raine’s face.
Raine ducked, but not fast enough. The edge of the blade slid across his cheekbone, causing a crimson line to form. Red droplets streamed towards his chin. He jerked his head, evading Maddock’s fist, and kicked hard, aiming for Maddock’s kneecap. The resulting crack had Maddock howling before he dissolved and reformed at the edge of the ring.
Dannika turned her head. “I can’t watch this.”
Ryder turned her head back towards the fight. “This is our world, Dannika. Hunter or hunted. Every day is a new challenge. If you win, you live. If you lose, you’re dead.”
Maddock smiled in triumph before six identical Maddock shadows formed. They moved around, circling one another until it was impossible to tell which one was real. They whirled around Raine, leaving him in the center of certain death.
Raine’s eyes flared before he whispered. “True self.”
Five of the doppelgangers wavered before disappearing. Maddock roared in anger and disbelief.
Ryder leaned toward Dannika. “What is Raine’s power?”
“The power of suggestion, but I thought you knew that. He’s been using it to alter human memories for years.”
Ryder smiled wickedly. “Maddock believed that was his secondary power. Raine is also a receiver. We believed that was his primary power.”
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t know Raine was a receiver. That he could send and receive messages in the shadows.”
“He told you about his true power because you’re his mate.”
Dannika frowned. “I still don’t understand how that destroyed the doppelgangers.”
Ryder’s eyes met hers. “Raine is a true alpha. He told Maddock to show his true self, and Maddock was powerless to stop it. Raine would never test this power on another shadow. We don’t experiment on one another. He couldn’t know if it would work.”
“So, no doppelgangers.”
Ryder nodded. “Maddock is in for a fair fight for the first time in his life.”
“But Maddock knew Raine had the power of suggestion.”
“Yes, but a secondary power wouldn’t be able to overpower an alpha. Maddock never considered that Raine downplayed his primary ability.”
She shivered as a realization hit her. Raine could make anybody do as he wished. He could control her. “If he ever uses it on me, he’s in for one hell of a fight.”
“Dannika, he would never lie to you, and his power won’t work on you. Mates are equal. Just remember, that goes both ways.”
The men continued to circle one another. Maddock was fast. Faster than Raine. His blade bit into Raine’s arm before Raine growled and evaded the next attack. Blood dripped to the ground, coating the grass.
She realized the cut on his face wasn’t healing, neither was the wound on his arm. “Why isn’t Raine healing? There’s something different about the blades.”
Ryder nodded. “The death match blades are cursed, a warning from the first priestess. The shadow that turns them black unleashes a spell. Once invoked, one challenger must die. Neither Raine nor Maddock will heal during the match.”
She swallowed hard. “This is why you never wanted to challenge your father.”
Ryder flinched. “Yes. Perhaps the day will come when a leader isn’t required to kill his predecessor. When we can delegate our successor without death.”
“God, I hope so,” she whispered.
Raine swung his dagger in an upward motion, catching Maddock’s cheek. Crimson rivulets streamed down his chin before his blade punctured Raine’s shoulder.
CHAPTER35
Ryder’s fingers bit into Dannika’s arm as he restrained her, halting her attempt to enter the ring.
“Let me go!” she hissed.
