Chapter 10

From Inside the Ring

Elroy’s wolf was displeased. No, actually, Elroy’s wolf was enraged.

This man, this worm, hurt his Luna, broke her heart, tried to take her from him, and now couldn’t even stand on his own merit in front of the Goddess? Elroy snarled, clearing his eyes of the blue haze just in time to dodge a right hook. He should be moving faster!

His usual power felt far away, but there was too much on the line to lose now.

So Elroy did what he did best when push came to shove—he shoved back. He all but jumped onto the little Beta weakling, tackling him to the ground without finesse or tact. He made sure to land squarely on top of the worthless fucker’s diaphragm, just for fun.

The sound Damian made was a pained one, something between a groan and a wheeze, pushed out past vocal cords paralyzed by a lack of air. He should be winded for quite a while after this, Elroy grinned to himself.

His eyes were still tearing, but his wolf was urging him forward. He was fighting for his child—he didn’t have the luxury of fighting nice anymore.

Elroy sat heavily on Damian’s stomach and rained down tight, powerful punches all over his upper body. Damian’s nose was already broken, courtesy of his Luna Elroy thought proudly, but he had other bones worth breaking.

Then Elroy stopped abruptly. At that same moment the Fated Bond was severed, signifying Elroy’s victory, and Olivia could breathe. It was like an iron manacle had opened and fallen off of her.

She was free. She clasped her hands in front of her in prayer and thanked the Goddess, tears in her eyes.

Meanwhile Elroy simply smirked down at his so-called challenger, spitting blood and blue saliva to the side. “You know,” he said conversationally, “wolfsbane has some awfully hazardous side-effects for Betas—guess your supplier didn’t tell you that, huh?”

He held in his laughter as he stood, Damian looking up at him with abject terror on his swelling face. Elroy could see him realizing what a stupid fool he’d been. All he’d had to do was marry Olivia and he’d have it all.

He’d have the status, the house, the wife, the job; hell, his wife was even going to do the job for him, and he’d thrown it all away. Now he only had what he was, and he was nothing.

Elroy’s jaw hurt, his face throbbed, and his nose stung from wolfsbane powder—not to mention the headache already setting in. He’d be detoxing for days. His side burned in agony.

He’d never felt better.

Through Olivia’s Eyes

I was still swaying on my feet, reeling from the floating feeling of finally being free, but I could still see. Nobody else seemed to notice, but Elroy was struggling. He was glowing with pride and power, but he was also red-faced and sweating, far more than a few punches could justify.

He was in immense pain, but he couldn’t show it to the crowd.

I ran forward into the arena, playing the part of the proud lover with a very real smile. We weren’t lovers, but that didn’t change what he’d just done for me. So I made sure to make it look like I was leaning into him instead of keeping him upright.

He looked down at me gratefully, and from this close I could see the tightness around his eyes. Maybe he got more wolfsbane than I thought?

He did relax slightly though, discretely letting me take a little of his weight as he put his arm around me with a big, boyish smile. I had literally just watched him beat my ex-Fated Mate into the dirt and here I was thinking he looked almost cute.

“Everyone,” he bellowed, “I thank you for bearing witness to this challenge. Now that my Luna is no longer tied to a two-faced, cheating bastard,” there were hoots in the crowd, “we will be holding our own Mating Ceremony soon! Glory be to the Goddess!”

A hundred voices echoed back, “Glory be to the Goddess!” and I was finally able to guide this stubborn bastard somewhere quiet.

“Thank you,” I murmured quietly, too soft for anyone but him to hear over the cheers. “Elroy, thank you.”

That stupid fucker lied to me.

He’d said ‘the blood is all from the Rogues’ and ‘none of this blood is mine’ and ‘I’m not injured’—well, he’d implied that last bit, but he’d as good as said it and he knew it.

But of course that was all false, because the moment I realized there was blood leaking through his shirt I glared at him and he confessed everything. “It’s just a cut along my side,” he said nonchalantly. “It’s not pretty but it’ll be healed by morning.”

“It would heal by morning,” I hissed, “if it weren’t for the goddamn wolfsbane.” Elroy blinked.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. Now get your shirt off and sit in that chair. Where are your first aid supplies?”

Elroy just looked at me with bemusement—probably not used to being bossed around—but he didn’t seem to mind it because he did as I said. “The ensuite,” he said. “There’s a whole bucket under the sink for it.”

Of course it was a bucket. What kind of grown man would have an actual first aid kit? I rolled my eyes and went to look for it.

It was easy to find, at least, and surprisingly well stocked—my thoughts stopped in their tracks the second I walked out of the bathroom, though. That was not a small cut.

“Elroy!” I screeched, “that’s not a cut, that’s a fucking gouge! That’s so much worse than you made it sound! You fought with that?!”

“It wasn’t as bad before the fight,” Elroy said, wincing slightly as I took a closer look. The gash was a little jagged at either end, meaning it probably tore further while he was fighting Damian. It really was quite deep.

I frowned as I dug through the supply bucket briskly, not bothering to tell him off. It wouldn’t do any good, and he had a wound that needed treatment. There was fucking gravel in it.

“I’m pulling out debris,” I said shortly, “it might sting.”

From the way he hissed, I assumed it did.

For a while we sat there in silence, him just watching me and me just fuming. How could he be so reckless, hiding a serious injury like this? I get that he didn’t know there would be wolfsbane, but still.

“…I’m not sure why you’re mad,” he said eventually. “I won the challenge.”

I didn’t answer. Elroy frowned, clearly frustrated at my lack of celebration when he had risked everything to free me (for his own gain or not), but how was I supposed to explain this feeling? He took my chin in his hand, forcing me to look up at him.

I sighed and put down the iodine.

“I’m mad at you for lying,” I said. “I’m mad at you for taking an unnecessary risk. But mostly I’m…I’m mad at myself.”

Elroy just held me there, waiting patiently, and I tried to string the words together.

“I’m an Alpha too,” I said quietly, looking at my lap. “We have the same instincts, the same wants. I want to take care of problems, take care of people, prove myself.

“But I can’t. I haven’t been able to in a long, long time, and today… Today you fought another battle that should have been mine, and you did it hurt, and got even more hurt doing it.”

I choked up a little bit. “I’m mad at myself for being a useless Alpha.”

My lip wobbled. I’d never actually said that out loud before—hell, I’d barely dared to even think the words in my own mind. But I was weak, I was useless, and without my wolf I always would be.

Today was just…the culmination of years of being beaten down. It wasn’t really about Elroy, but he’d kicked off the perfect storm.

For a moment Elroy didn’t say anything, and I didn’t look up. When he did speak again his tone was surprisingly soft.

“You’re right, we are both Alphas, and you are carrying my child—protecting you, fighting for you, is an honor, not a burden.”

Then he grinned a little. “Besides, what kind of Alpha doesn’t want to mark his own Luna?”

I shook my head. “You make it sound so simple,” I said quietly.

“It is,” Elroy insisted. “But if you still feel the need to repay me, do one thing for me. Just one thing, and the debt’s wiped clean.”

I looked up at him, nervous. Was he going to ask for sex? Was that safe for the baby?

“…What is it?” I asked carefully.

“Please let me meet my future child.”