“I will challenge my father tonight. In the morning we fight,” he breathed. “The earlier the better, don’t you think?”
I didn’t even know when I nodded. Lyles had been very happy to see me, and he scolded Sia for not bringing me sooner. We are at Lyles’ house, and I don’t think I want to meet the pack just yet. I am now a rogue, and upon seeing me, their first instinct is to kill me.
“About that, Lyles, I don’t think you should challenge your father for the alpha title.”
He looked at me like I was stupid. He then looked at Sia. “You talked her into this, didn’t you?”
Sia raised his hands in defense. “Hey, I know nothing.”
I scowled. The bastard. Denying me when I needed him. What happened to always saying the truth?
“Well, Crinka, I know exactly what your problem is,” he said and I laughed.
“You do? Funny because I didn’t think I had any problems.”
Sia rose a brow at this. What? You didn’t stick to telling the truth, so why should I?
“Your problem is, you don’t want me to be an alpha, because you don’t want to challenge me for it?”
I laughed at that. “You’re stupid. How can I challenge you to an alpha title if I’m a rogue?”
“It has happened before,” Sia said quietly.
“Still. I don’t want you to challenge your father for the alpha title because I don’t want you to end up like me.”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t believe that. I know you well, Crinka and I know that some part of you, if not all of you, wants to be alpha again.”
“You might be right about that,” I began.
He doesn’t let me continue. “I am right.”
I roll my eyes at his cockiness. “You’re the only family I have left and I don’t want to lose you because you won’t listen.”
“I’m listening alright, but your words are plain stupid. I’ll challenge him for the title, and none of you are going to stop me,” he says and walks out of the house.
“I told you it wouldn’t work. What are we going to do now that he has refused to listen?”
“We pray.”
***
The pack seemed disturbed about the challenge, but Joe was cool with it. Too cool with it. And it was then I realized he had some tricks up his sleeve. I needed to save Lyles at all costs. If he could play dirty, then I could too.
I woke up very early when the pack was still asleep. I’m not a morning person, and that shows how urgent my mission is.
I tiptoed to Joe’s room. He was sprawled out on the bed with Nidea. I wanted to end his life right there, but it would be too easy. I found what I was looking for. His perfume. It’s dumb, but Sleepy Joe always wears perfume to a fight. Pulling out the syringe I had in my pocket, I injected liquified wolfsbane into his perfume. After making sure the perfume was well mixed, I hurried out of the room, and back to Lyles’ house. I found Sia drinking coffee when I returned. I wrinkle my nose at the smell.
“You’re up. I’m surprised,” he said, still looking at me.
I pray he doesn’t sniff out the wolfsbane. I masked the scent, but you never know with Icelanders.
“Go get dressed. The fight will begin at 8 a. m.”
We marched towards the arena at a quarter to eight. I wore a face cap under my hood, and paired it with some sunglasses, to block my face from view. Sia dressed normally, and a couple of girls ogled him as he passed. I don’t blame them. Sia is extremely good-looking. Lyles is in the ring only in shorts. He is anxious, and he has every right to be. I would feel the same way if I were fighting my parents.
Sleepy Joe graces the ring fifteen minutes past eight. The guy has a knack for being late. He has this stupid grin on his face, and I smile when I smell his perfume. I grin. Just like I predicted, Nidea rubbed it as well.
Lukas read out the rules, but I tuned him out. The bell rang and I watched with bated breath father and son wrestle for power.
Joe attacked first, punching Lyles in the shoulder. Lyles staggers back and releases a battle cry before charging at his father, kicking, dodging, and punching.
With time, Sleepy Joe becomes sluggish. It’s working. Lyles uses this to his advantage and finishes him off, snapping his neck. Nidea collapses at the same time Joe falls to the ground, dead. She is convulsing on the ground, foam seeping out of her mouth. Nobody attends to her except for her handmaiden, and I’m guessing the pack didn’t like Nidea very much.
Lukas steps into the ring, takes Lyles’ hand, raises it, and declares him the alpha.
And that’s when Anita decides to make an appearance. Lyles’ eyes don’t leave hers as she walks forward, stopping some feet away from me. In a small voice, she said, “Baby I’m pregnant.”
My eyes widened I didn’t know they had mated. Lyles narrowed his eyes at her. Wait a minute, shouldn’t he be happy?
“That’s impossible. We haven’t even fucked.”
If Anita is pregnant, as she claims, who is responsible? I catch her looking at Sia, her eyes holding so much warmth. It clicks. I take a much-needed step backward. It couldn’t be. Anger bubbled within me. I wanted to kill her. She and the stupid child in her womb.
Lyles noticed after a while, the exchanged looks between her and Sia. He understood. He leaped from the ring in utter rage, and landed before Sia, smacking him hard across the face. My face started to sting.
“How dare you? I should have killed you a long time ago!”
Sia steps back, putting enough distance between them. “Lyles, I’m going to leave now, so you don’t get hurt.”
Lyles laughed. It was bitter.
“How about you stop running away like a fucking coward and fight me like a man?”, he said pushing Sia back.
“Lyles, I think you should listen to him. He’s…” I begin.
“Shut up! Oh, just shut up! How long did you know about this? For how long did you know that he was fucking my mate behind my back? He even had the mind to get her pregnant!”, Lyles barked at me.
“Lyles stop it.”
He laughed again. “I guess it’s in his blood huh? To fuck other people’s mates. Oh, how I pray I find your mate before you do. I bet she would be a sexy little virgin. Oh, how it would feel to be buried inside that tight little hole.”
Sia punched him square in the nose. I hear a crack and I’m certain his nose is broken.
Lyles laughed, wiping away the blood. “Is that all you got huh? Hit me. Hit me you fucking bastard.”
Sia’s eyes hardened. “I don’t want to hurt you, so take your mate and get out of my face.”
“I’m not going down without a fight. And this bitch? She’s unfit to be a mate!”, Lyles yelled angrily. “Now stop speaking and hit me!”, he said punching Sia in the shoulder.
Anita just watched; eyes wild as she looked between them. I’m fighting hard to keep my wolf at bay because all she wants is to kill Anita.
“That’s enough.”
The authority in that voice. I would recognize it anywhere. What is Ruarc doing here?
Lyles looked at him. “And who are you?”
“Someone you don’t want to know.”
He turns to Sia. “Father has heard of your fling with Anita, and now that there’s a child, it’s high time we ended things,” Ruarc said unfeelingly.
“What does that mean?”, Anita asks, her voice feeble.
“You die.”
And before we could say, Robert, Anita drops dead to the ground.
Lyles’ agonized scream tears through the air. He shifts and attacked Ruarc. Ruarc stepped away, and Lyles collided with a few pack members. He rose again and charged at Ruarc, who waves at him, and Lyles is thrown into a tree, groaning in pain.
“Someone clean up this mess,” Ruarc ordered, and two males picked up Anita’s lifeless body. I can’t believe she is dead.
“You didn’t have to kill her,” I say stiffly. He is not listening to me. His eyes are trained on my neck, and I know exactly what he is looking at. I gasped. I forgot about that.
“I believe I gave you a long time. Why haven’t you removed it?”
“I… I forgot.”
He tilted his head to the side. “I find it hard to believe you just forgot. You didn’t want to remove the mark in the first place,” he pointed out.
“So what? You can’t hurt me.”
He laughed. “Oh, I won’t even touch you querida. Your wolf will suffer for your mistake”.
I gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Oh, I would.”
And with that, he walks away. Why does he even care about Sia’s mark? Could it be that he wants me? I scoff at that. Yeah right. Like that could ever happen.
****
I don’t think I have ever cried the way I did when I held Lyles’ lifeless body to myself. I refused to believe that Lyles had committed suicide but it was true. The signs were there. He had hung himself, and I know he did it because he was tired. I wanted to blame Sia or Ruarc, but pointing accusing fingers would not bring him back. Tears streamed down my cheeks, as I stood by his grave.
Here lies a friend, a brother.
I am trying hard not to break down. I needed to be strong, the pack needed me. They wouldn’t admit it, but they did. Standing here by his grave, made me realize that I am alone. Leo’s death, and so are my parents. Lyles is dead, and Sleepy Joe and his wife are no more. I am alone.
“Everything is my fault,” I whisper. “Everything is my fault.”
“Don’t blame yourself.”
It’s Ruarc.
“I wish it’s all a dream.”
My voice gets stuck in my throat and I cry harder. He engulfs me in his arms and I buried my face in his shirt, soaking it with tears.
He pats my back. “Sch. It’s going to be okay.”
“I want to forget,” I say suddenly stepping out of his hold. “I want to forget Ruarc. Help me forget please.”
“I don’t…”
I shut him up with a kiss. Our lips move in sync, and I moan to him as he strokes my nipple through the thin material that is my shirt. I can’t even remember the last time I wore a bra.
We pull apart, and I’m breathing hard. My lips tingled from where he kissed me. I’m hungry for more, and I know he is too.
“I should go,” he said breathlessly.
“Stay,” I beg.
His eyes darkened. “Querida, if I don’t go now, I would lose control.”
“Then do. I want you Ruarc. It’s crazy to want you despite my bond with Sia, but I want you.”
“Don’t say things like that to me querida.”
“I’m just telling the truth,” I take a step forward, licking my lips. “So, will you stay?”
“Maybe later on. You’re not thinking straight Crinka. you’re vulnerable right now and I don’t want to take advantage of you in this state.”
I tried to reach for him again, but he moved out of my reach. I sighed and so did he.
“I’ll see you later.”
Then he disappears.
He has left me, and once again, I’m left alone.