To Right a Wrong (11 page)

Ethan ignored her and went to the closet, took out a sweatshirt and tossed it to her. She caught it. “Why won’t you answer me?”

“Busy.” He kneeled, pulled a small wooden box toward him, and lifted the lid. He took something out and pocketed it before pushing the box back into place.

“Ethan, stop for a minute.” She stood up and blocked his path. “Talk to me. Do you think Jordan is safer away from Greggoire?”

“I don’t have time to discuss this, little one.” He stepped around her.

She grabbed his arm. “Dammit, Ethan, just stop. What the hell is going on? Our main concern
is
Jordan. That was the deal, remember? We have no idea where he is now that Greggoire lost him too.”

“I haven’t forgotten, but we’re life mates now.” He rubbed his forehead. “The challenge will be the first hurdle.”

“No! Ethan—”

He sighed and closed his eyes for a second before cupping her face in his hands. “Listen.

You heard Greggoire’s threat. He’s already planning to take you away from me. He’s fighting to the death. The same way he fought your father. Just like we predicted, the old rules don’t apply anymore. You’ve got to be prepared if I don’t make it out of this alive.” He kissed her temple and held her to his chest.

She pushed away from him. “Don’t say that!

Shut the hell up. I don’t want to hear you talking this way. I will
not
lose another person that I love.”

She walked out of the room. Losing him wasn’t part of the plan. It wasn't supposed to be this difficult. They'd come back, find Jordy, and deal with Ethan reentering the pack the right way, the way it had been done in the past. At no time had she considered that one of them might die. Now she didn’t know if Jordy was in danger or where he even was. And Ethan…

He was a part of her. If she lost him, she’d die. Bit by slow bit, she’d fade away without her mate. She was sure of it.

“Little one?”

She paused in her mad escape to the kitchen. She pressed her lips together. The truth of the matter hurt too much to even think about.

No way was she going to talk about what could happen. It all seemed much more dangerous than she realized.

“Now is not the time to be stubborn, Dani. We
don’t have much time. Dig deep and talk to your
wolf. She knows what must be done. Face it, deal
with it, and then we’re going to go out there, end
this rampage of Greggoire’s and get your brother
back.”
She sensed him heaving a sigh.
“I
promised you from the first day I met you that I’d
help you. I love you, and I want to make sure you
are up to what will come. You have to trust me.”
She returned to the bedroom and, standing in the doorway, her breath hitched in her chest.

Ethan stood with his back toward her, strong, determined, confident, and what did she do? She refused to face the truth because she was scared. That wasn’t the kind of person she was.

She needed to stand up beside him and let him see that she believed in him. He’d come out on top tonight and be the alpha. It was destined.

She stepped into the room and gazed down at the weapons gleaming against the burgundy comforter. No longer alone, she needed to concentrate on getting her mate through tonight, because without him, she’d not complete what had to be done. “What do I need to do?”
Chapter Thirteen

Dani walked beside Ethan’s big silver wolf.

She curled her fingers into the thick fur at the back of his neck. She wanted with all her heart to avoid the challenge. Greggoire always fought dirty, to the death, and who knew what would happen? It was no longer a fair game for her kind.

“I’ll be all right, little one.”
Ethan turned his head and gazed over his back.
“I love you. I’d
never do anything to break us apart, and that
includes losing tonight.”

She nodded and compressed her lips into a thin line.
“We’ll be fine. You’ll win. We’ll find
Jordy. Drover will go back to normal. I have to
believe that.”

The pack, in human form, stepped back to make way for Ethan and Dani. She held on to him until they’d broken through the crowd, then remained beside him. The air thick with tension; she wasn’t ready to separate from Ethan and leave him alone yet. She struggled to breathe.

She finally gave up and let her wolf take control.

“Okay, little one, step back. Remember what I
told you.”
Ethan looked up at her.

Dani dropped to her knees and threw her arms around the wolf. She kissed the side of his furry neck.
“I love you. Don’t leave me too.”

“I won’t. I love you too much not to win.”
He stepped forward and pushed her away.
“Go
now.”

Holding her head high, she managed to find the will to keep walking. She refused to cry or show any doubts. If Ethan could stroll into the challenge without showing any fear, so could she. Inside her body, her wolf caressed her soul.

Her wolf was the one creature who knew the real anguish and apprehension she was going through…and understood.

Ethan’s wolf stood motionless, staring across the open space nestled between the river and the forest. He straightened his ears. Warmth came from her core. Looking at Ethan was like catching a glimpse of God. The legend, the prime alpha, the pack’s savior had returned.

Someone touched the small of her back. She whipped around and let herself relax at the sight of her friend. “Hi, Shelley.”

“You hanging in there?” Shelley crossed her arms and looked at Ethan.

Dani licked her lips. “Yeah.”

“This won’t end up like the last

challenge…with your dad.” Shelley turned and gave her an understanding smile. “He’ll be all right regardless if he wins or loses.”

“He’ll win.”

“I’m just saying…” Shelley reached over and gave Dani’s shoulders a pat. “I’m going to go stand with Brad, but if you’d like to come with me, you’re more than welcome.”

Dani gazed over to her left. Stan Jenson and Keith Pegrow stood beside Brad talking. Her wolf growled and she covered it with a cough.

“Thanks, Shelley, but I’ll stay right here.”

“Okay. I’ll talk to you afterwards.” All quiet conversations stopped. On the opposite side of the clearing, the cluster of werewolves parted. A large tan wolf led Greggoire's woman—Dani refused to call her Greggoire's life mate since he claimed two females—toward the edge of the grass. Her heart quickened. Greggoire had arrived, but where was the other woman? Had Greggoire found Jordan?

Was the human woman at his home caring for Dani’s baby brother?

Glancing around the circle, she spotted no one with a small child. She raised her hand to rub the base of her neck, stopped, and lowered her arm. Everyone’s eyes were either on Ethan or her, and she damn well wouldn’t give them any sign that showed her not one-hundred-percent confident that Ethan would walk away the winner.

The alpha and the challenger slowly walked toward the middle. There was no whistle, no bell, and no giant red flag that waved in the air signaling the start of the fight. It came down to the wolves. She stared at Ethan and sent all her energy to him. Unable to speak with him or distract him in anyway, she hoped that her obedience and support would empower him.

The two animals circled each other, stopped, and picked up their path around an invisible barrier that neither one of them were willing to break until the moment was right. Ethan kept his head lower than his shoulders, and never broke his gaze from the tan wolf.

Greggoire trotted toward Dani’s side of the field. Muscles rippled along Ethan’s back and he lunged between Dani and Greggoire. Her breath caught in her throat. Her nerves threatened to snap.

Ethan growled and surged forward only to stop before making contact. She fisted her hands at her sides. This was too much to take.

Greggoire changed directions. Ethan lunged, this time toppling the tan wolf. She gasped and covered her face before quickly removing her hands. Not knowing was worse than hiding away from the action in the circle.

Jaws snapped shut with a spine-tingling
clink
. Lips curled back, the white canine teeth gleaming in the moonlight. Blood flew in the air as both wolves fought to get the upper hand. Her stomach seized. She swallowed the bile crawling up the back of her throat choking her. She’d never realized how much her mother must have suffered watching her dad fight Greggoire. Then she’d had to face life without her mate.

Ethan rolled with Greggoire on his back, broke away, and flipped to his feet. He snarled, saliva dripping from his mouth. She gazed over his wolf form. He had a bloody spot near his shoulder and another one near the paw on his back left leg.
He’ll heal.

He’d barely recovered his breath before Greggoire attacked again. Ethan turned, grabbed Greggoire’s neck in his mouth and flipped over onto his back. He strained, trying to break through the wolf’s spinal cord with his teeth. He blew out his mouth to keep from drowning in an odd, bitter taste. Proof that Greggoire used Jordan to build up his strength as a werewolf lay on Ethan’s tongue. The normal flavor of blood was absent, replaced with a vile mixture of sickness.

Whipping his body upright, he kept his clutch on Greggoire’s throat and forced the tan wolf to the ground, holding him in a death grip.

One strong snap and he’d sever the head of the alpha. In years past, it was at this point that the challenge was called. He’d be declared the winner…and the Drover pack’s new alpha.

“Come on…unless you’re scared.”
The voice momentarily stunned Ethan. Only mates were able to throw their thoughts to each other.

“As you can tell, things are different now. You
no longer qualify as an alpha.”
Greggoire squirmed, but Ethan held on.
“The pack needs
someone strong enough. My abilities make life
easier for everyone.”

“Give it up, Greggoire.”
He bit down harder.

Greggoire struggled to break the hold.

“Never.”

“You leave me one choice, cousin.”
Ethan slid his hind legs back, giving him enough stability to kill.

Greggoire laughed in Ethan’s head.
“You
were always too soft, Prince.”

Ethan’s jaw opened and he recoiled. He stared at the tan wolf struggling to his feet. This didn’t make any sense. Greggoire wouldn’t have known how Loren used to torment him whenever he was alone by calling him Prince, because the twins rarely had anything to do with each other because of Loren's insane jealousy. The hair rose on his back. He bared his teeth and growled.

“I see you’ve figured it out.”
The tan wolf stepped sideways.
“You always were slow. What
would grandfather say to you now, Prince?”
Ethan lowered his head, shocked.
“What
kind of game are you and Greggoire playing with
the pack, Loren?”

“Greggoire?”
Loren snarled.
“He was weak
and in my way, so I got rid of him, just like I will
get rid of you and everyone else that threatens
the new movement.”

Not letting Loren back away from him, Ethan shifted his stance and blocked him from Dani’s view.
“Where’s the boy? Is he still alive?”
Loren stared him down.
“You’ll never get the
boy.”

The slightest twitch on Loren’s shoulder gave him away. Before the tan wolf could leap, Ethan lunged and caught Loren underneath the jaw.

Ethan landed hard, never losing his grip.

Growling, he scooted around trying to protect his vulnerable underbelly from Loren’s claws.

Shifting his mouth to the back of Loren’s neck, he used all his strength.

An artillery of crunches splintered the air as Loren’s spine disconnected at the neck. Ethan shook his head, ensuring the kill, then getting loose of the vile werewolf. He stepped backward, his heart racing.

He’d killed the alpha.

The headless wolf lay on the grass, no longer a threat. Ethan inhaled deeply as he stayed rooted to the spot to witness the dead werewolf slowly transform back into his human form. It was the way of his kind to shift in death to protect the existence of the werewolves should humans find a body.

Dani threw her arms around his neck.
“You
did it, Ethan. I knew you could.”
She ran her hands over the wounds scoring his back, his sides, his legs.

Mr. Lehman stood above Loren’s body frowning. The others in the pack shuffled away from Ethan, confusion and pain showing on their faces.

“Tell the others I will be back. I’m going to
shift and get dressed first.”

“Do you want me to come? You’re hurt.”
He rubbed against her leg.
“I will be fine. I’ve
been through worse.”
He walked through the crowd without gazing at one member of the pack.

Chapter Fourteen

The grave silence of the pack was exactly the opposite of how Dani felt inside. She wanted to shout at all the werewolves that her life mate was the new alpha, and they didn’t need to be afraid. Instead, she stood and stared at the remains of the man who’d killed her parents, stolen her brother and had planned to kill her mate.

Every promise she’d wished upon him was paid in full. She swallowed. Now she had to find her brother.

The pack murmured. Dani lifted her chin and turned to see Ethan. In the deep recesses of her soul, her wolf whined.
“I love you.”
Striding forward with his shoulders back, his hair swept away from his face, Ethan reentered the circle and stood beside the slain werewolf.

“As my father, his father before him, and all the other long line of Tolenes that have carried the Drover pack over many, many years, I ask you to listen to what I have to say.”

To show support, Dani joined Ethan at his side.

Ethan squatted beside Loren’s body and rolled the headless form over. “Do you all see the mark on his lower back?”

A green tattoo in the shape of an X lay over his right butt cheek. Dani chewed on the inside of her cheek. She had no idea what Ethan meant by showing everyone a marking obviously done by an amateur.