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A commotion behind him assured him that the other Alpha had finally called for reinforcements, but Ryan never shifted his focus, trusting the men with him to continue to watch his back and to handle anyone foolish enough to try to come to the aid of their alpha.
Ryan smelled it then, jealousy; the other man reeked of it. His entire attack was based on it. Ryan was alpha at a younger age, and under his reign, the Coldridge pack had flourished. In Darius’s eyes, Ryan had it all and his mating to Kelly was the last straw. It had broken something in him to believe Ryan had a perfect life. Ryan couldn’t believe the stupidity of Darius’s beliefs, and he shook him hard before letting him go.
“All this because you have an inferiority complex? Stay off my land and away from my pack. You are a wolf without honor.” Ryan turned, unwilling to fight someone so pathetic.
It was an error that he quickly realized when hot blinding pain struck his side. He looked down expecting to see claw marks and was shocked to see a knife wound instead. It was their custom to fight with tooth and claw not man-made weapons.
The wound was bleeding heavily and spots danced in front of his eyes. The urge to shift was undeniable. The calculating look on Darius’s face assured Ryan that the other man would capitalize on any advantage Ryan shifting gave him, but Ryan was fast and he knew Darius would underestimate this ability to shift on the fly. He pressed his back against the porch rail to give himself as much space as possible, then let the change pour through his body.
He pushed energy into the wound in his side, forcing it to close quickly all while controlling which parts of his body shifted first. He swiped out at Darius with newly formed claws, catching the man across his sternum making him growl. In response, Ryan returned the throaty rumble with one of his own flashing sharp fangs in a predatory warning. Darius used the time to shift form as well, and the fight was on between their beasts.
The confines of the porch weren’t an ideal spot for a fight and the wood behind Ryan splintered under their weight as Darius charged him. The two of them fell into the yard below in a tangle of teeth and fur. Yips and growls filled the air as the two fought, and with his acute hearing, Ryan could tell the men in the clearing behind them fought now as well.
The fight between the two alphas wasn’t a controlled fight for dominance or a ritualized fight arranged by the council. It was a brawl, both men sacrificing their bodies pushing themselves to the limit to get the upper hand on their opponent.
Darius struck out at Ryan, and a loud crunch accompanied the pain that exploded in his hip. Memories of his father’s injury went through his head, making Ryan more vicious than before. He rolled using his weight. Ryan pinned Darius under him, his powerful jaws snapping at his throat.
“Yield!”He threw the command out through the common channel that all Lycans used to communicate giving Darius one final out, but true to his character Darius continued to fight dirty. He shifted back and yelled for a blade.
Ryan didn’t know if any of Darius’s men would respond. He didn’t wait to find out. He lunged at the other man’s throat his teeth tearing into his flesh easily. Ryan kept his hold shaking Darius ignoring the revulsion he experienced as blood poured from the mortal wound and Darius stopped struggling.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Darius was dead. Shock that he’d taken another life left Ryan trembling. With his last breath, the fighting had stopped as if his pack realized their leader was gone, but Ryan remained in his shifted form long after members of the council had come and removed the body.
There wasn’t much time to remain numb though. He had killed another alpha and decisions would need to be made about what happened to the Sourwind pack now. Ryan shifted back to his human form accepting the clothes his brother offered. Jace was covered in cuts and bruises but nothing that appeared to need medical attention.
“The others?”
“Everyone is fine. His pack didn't fight well if those were his best. How is your hip?”
“I’ll live.” Ryan shrugged off the concern knowing that he’d be favoring the leg for a while but thankful that there wasn’t more permanent damage. Right now, his mental state was more of a concern than any physical injuries. The fight hadn’t been an official challenge for leadership, but the loss of their alpha would throw the pack into chaos as they fought amongst each other.
He didn’t want to expand his territory though nor did he want the responsibility of new pack members some of whom were bound to be resentful that he had killed their alpha. All he wanted was to go home where he could be with his mate.
As if summoned by his thoughts he felt her presence in his mind flooding him with warmth and acceptance. He couldn’t hide the turbulent feelings he was experiencing at taking another life and he didn’t try to.
“He would have killed you, Ryan, then he would have tried to take the pack if he could have fought off Jace. You didn’t have a choice.”
It was true, and he knew that, but it didn’t make him feel better about killing the other man. He let his connection with Kelly slip away, groaning as he stood and made his way into the house where the others were meeting.
He caught Brett’s eye. There was sorrow there but no anger or resentment. It made the choice not the take control of the pack easier. He just wasn’t sure if Brett would be powerful enough to step up and fill the void that Darius’s death created.
“I don’t want the pack.” He announced to the room when he was offered leadership by the council members present. “If there isn’t anyone here who can assume leadership then I request that the council representative takes the role of alpha temporarily.”
The eyes in the room all fell on Brett making Ryan feel guilty that the man was on the spot, but the man didn’t disappoint. His voice came out clear and commanding as he said he would step into the role.
“Can we trust there will be peace between the two packs now?” Arthur, one of the other council members asked. He wasn’t the Sourwind representative but any of the council had the right to question any of the alphas
“I have no issues with Brett.” Ryan rushed to assure everyone, not wanting to return to how the council used to govern. “There will be peace.” He looked to Brett extending a hand to the man. They shook and Ryan spoke again. “The fight was never for control of the pack. Darius sent men to attack me and to take my mate.”
Brett nodded his acceptance of Ryan’s explanation, and a tentative peace was struck between the two packs. Ryan left Byron and Jace to negotiate the terms of that peace with Brett, adding only one term to the conditions of the new treaty. The two packs would share information about their members and Clay would begin his investigation into the infertility issues in their territory.
When he got home Kelly was waiting for him, as he knew she would be. He searched her face for any signs of censure or disgust over what he’d done but found none.
“You are my mate after all that we’ve been through do you think that what you did to protect us would make me feel any differently towards you?”
“Well, there is one more thing needed to solidify our bond.” He felt her trepidation and couldn’t suppress his amusement.
