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“Whose idea was this?” My voice was quiet with barely contained rage. I looked back and forth between them, but neither said a word. Kayden stared back at me with an unreadable expression. “I could send you both home for this, you know. A duel between the last two standing is expressly forbidden.”
Sydnee scoffed. “You won’t send either of us home. Everyone knows we’re your favorites.” She shot a disgusted glance at Kayden. “Though why you’d wantheris beyond me.”
“Don’t try me,” I said, my voice clipped and dangerous, but Sydnee seemed beyond caring.
“If you can bend and break all the rules, then so can we,” she said, lifting her chin high. “This entire thing has been a joke. Just wait until my father hears about this.”
“Watch yourself.”
She narrowed her eyes at the warning but didn’t reply. With a flip of her hair, she stalked away, her assistant scurrying after her with a blanket and clothing.
I whirled on Kayden. “What the hell were you thinking?” I snarled, my fear and worry morphing to anger that she’d risk everything like that.
“It’s kill or be killed here, Holden. You know that.” She pushed to her feet, staring at me defiantly. “What do you expect me to do? Roll over and submit?” She scoffed. “I think you know me better than that. Just like you should know I refuse to go home for losing a challenge. A challenge I could have won if you hadn’t interfered!”
There was fire in her eyes, her rage matching my own. “This could have beenover,” she hissed.
“You were down, Kayden.” I got right in her face, gripping her shoulders and letting her see just how afraid I’d been. “You can’t expect me not to do anything.”
She jerked away from me. “I expect you to trust me. But why would you listen and think I’m capable? You didn’t listen to a damn thing I told you about Branson, and now look where we are.”
Indeed, and she didn’t know half of it.
“Whose idea was this?” I demanded again.
“Does it matter? Sydnee was right this time.” Her sour expression told me how much she hated to admit it. “You aren’t going to send either of us home. You want this to be on your terms. You want to draw it out. I bet you’re pissed we took out the other six, aren’t you?”
I took a deep breath, trying to regain control of my temper. Kayden was safe; she was still here and hadn’t been eliminated. I had to remember that. I chose my words carefully as I said, “Sydnee is still here because everyone sees that she has what it takes to be an alpha’s wife.”
Her rage was replaced by shock, and she stared at me with her mouth open. I rushed ahead, needing her to understand. “I’ve had to keep up appearances, Kayden. You know that. It wouldn’t have been believable for me to send Sydnee home at any point. What did you expect me to do? With Sydnee’s upbringing and preparation for the role, it wouldn’t have made sense for me to send her home. She understands tradition and how to follow the rules.”
Kayden’s voice shook as she whispered, “Why don’t you just marry her then?”
I sighed, exasperated. Were we really doing this?
“I can’t, Kayden,” I said out of patience. “Not when I’m fated to you.”
Kayden stepped back, the breath whooshing from her lungs as she gaped at me, shaking her head. She looked like I’d just punched her in the gut.
“What?” She backed up, and I stopped, thinking about what I’d said. “Kayden, that’s not what I—”
“You’re bleeding, Holden. You need to go to the infirmary and see about stitches.” Her voice was cold, as was the look in her eyes.
I glanced down at the gash on my upper arm from Sydnee’s bite. The bite that had been meant for Kayden. “Better me than you.”
But Kayden was already walking away. I ran after her, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back into my arms. “Kayden, wait.”
“Don’t,” she yelled, putting her hands on my chest and shoving hard. “There’s nothing you have to say that I want to hear.”
I took a deep breath. This had gotten out of control, and I didn’t know how to fix it. The blood on her thigh caught my attention. “Are you hurt? Did you reopen your wound?”
She backed up, shaking her head. “The only thing hurting is my heart.”
Then she spun on her heel and walked away, Faye following behind. Her shoulders rose and fell several times as she breathed deeply, and it was all I could do to stand there and watch her go. I needed to make this right, but I didn’t know how to make her see things from my perspective. Instinct told me that going after her right now would only make things worse.
As I watched her walk away, I felt real, physical pain that had nothing to do with my wounded arm. I’d hurt my mate, and she’d pushed me away.
My chest tightened as I thought about the discussion with my father. About how I’d lost control of my Contention. How there were whispers among his peers about how I’d handled Branson.
