AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“If Kayden is to stay on in the Contention, she has to prove herself worthy of being your mate. She must show that she won’t go rogue. An alpha’s wife must always be loyal. She must follow the correct path in doing what is best for her mate and their pack.”
“What are you suggesting?”
Father glanced back to the main room, where everyone was talking softly, waiting for us. “She will need to complete some type of challenge to prove she has what it takes to remain in the Contention—that she’s a true contender to be your mate. Take some time and think about it. I know you’ll make the right choice.”
I nodded, not having a clue what that might be but willing to do whatever it took to give Kayden that chance to prove herself. Perhaps this would be my way to show everyone how valuable she would be as an alpha’s wife—and how that was infinitely more important than outdated laws preventing me from being with my true mate.
“Willow,” I said, striding over to rejoin the group, “we’re going to be making changes to the Contention rules, effective immediately. None of the women are to leave their rooms without an assistant, not under any circumstances. Be sure to reiterate to every single contestant that the rules clearly state murder is unacceptable. Not shifting is a sign of submission.”
Willow nodded, tapping away on her tablet. “Anything else?”
“Yes. Make sure a contingent of soldiers are present whenever the women are gathered together. They should be prepared to interfere if necessary if the rules are broken.”
Willow’s eyes widened, and for a moment, I wondered if I was being too heavy-handed. We were shifters, after all. Challenges to the death were things we were all familiar with. But then an image of Kayden covered in blood flashed through my mind. I couldn’t trust that some of the women wouldn’t resort to extreme measures to eliminate her, especially now that she was becoming a clear favorite.
“Make sure it happens,” I said, and Willow nodded quickly.
I excused myself, willing to let my father take it from here if anyone had further questions. Garrett caught up to me as I left the office.
“Is Jessica okay?” he asked in concern.
“I was headed back to the infirmary to check on her. She’s going to make it, but it was a close call.”
Garrett’s eyes flashed. “You’re doing the right thing changing the rules.”
“At least you have my back.” My father wasn’t arguing the point with me, but I could tell he was questioning my motivations.
I left him there, hurrying back to the infirmary. The minute I stepped through the door, Kayden pushed off the table and limped toward me.
“Whoa, there.” I caught her in my arms, and she clung to me, holding tight. “You need to be careful, or you’re going to rip your stitches open before they can do their job.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, strained and choked with emotion.
Panic immediately set in, and I glanced around the room, worried for a moment that something had happened to Jessica while I was gone. But no, she was in a bed, her heartbeat steady and strong on the monitor.
I looked down and lifted Kayden's chin gently, staring into her eyes. “What do you have to be sorry about? This wasn’t your fault.” I lifted her, cradling her in my arms to carry her back to the table, but I didn’t get far when she dug her fingers into my shirt.
“No, that’s not what I mean. Holden, listen. I need to say this.” Kayden’s eyes were full of sorrow as she stared at me, lifting her hands to my cheeks. “I told you before that I understood about my brother. About why you had to kill him.”
“Kayden—”
She shook her head adamantly. “Please, I need you to know.” She paused and swallowed hard, and I nodded, keeping silent.
“Tonight, when I was fighting Madison, there was a point when I realized she wasn’t going to back down. She was in it to the death. Committed. I could see it in her eyes.” She stopped and took a deep, shuddering breath.
“It’s okay, Kayden. We don’t have to talk about this right now.”
But she pressed on. “More than once, I had her and gave her a chance to submit, but she wouldn’t take it. I knew it would be me or her, and I wasn’t willing to submit. I refused to go home now after everything that’s happened. I made the conscious choice to kill her, Holden.” Her voice broke, but still, she wasn’t finished.
“I can’t begin to imagine what it must be like for you to have to make the same choice over and over again.” She shook her head. “So now I can say, I truly understand why you had to make that choice with Nico. And I forgive you for it.”
I held her tighter, and she buried her face in my chest, her body shaking as she cried. I let out a slow breath, bittersweet relief flooding me. I hated that she’d had to experience this tonight. I’d never wish that choice on anyone. But at the same time, I could tell something had shifted in her. Something had changed when it came to me, to us. And I knew now that no matter what we faced, we could figure it out as long as we faced it together.
My father’s insistence on a challenge would be one of them, but I wasn’t ready to deal with that tonight. Setting Kayden back on her exam table, I whispered, “Wait here, and I’ll be right back.”
I went to find my grandmother in the back rooms of the infirmary, making sure Jessica had someone to watch over her if I took Kayden.
“I’ll be here all night,” she assured me.
