Chapter 240

Caleb doesn’t answer, but I suppose he doesn’t need to. I know what he said. The soft way he is looking at me, combined with the tender way he strokes my cheek tells me all that I need to know.

He said I am his mate.

As a human, I can’t feel the draw of the mate bond as well as a werewolf could. I’d been drawn to Caleb in my own ways, but it’s nothing like he must be feeling. For him to be so confident and so assured, to say I’m his mate so plainly, and to continue to say it with his eyes more than his words…

It has to be true. I am his mate.

I don’t know how I came to be this lucky. But now more than ever, I’m determined to keep Caleb for the rest of my life.

Caleb leans in and kisses me sweetly, just once more, before finally pulling away.

“Come,” he says. “Samuel is beginning to descend, and I want to get there before him.”

Caleb takes my hand and together we descend the stairs to the ground level. There, several soldiers wait to usher us out into the courtyard.

Outside, the rebels loyal both to Gladys and to Samuel stand together in a wide circle, creating the edge of the fighting ring.

Caleb leads me to where Tristan and Bethany are at one end of the circle, then he steps into it. Immediately, the rebels begin to boo him. There are many, and they are all in unison. I can feel the jeering down even in my chest, reverberating off my ribcage.

Whatever differences exist between the rebels, wherever their loyalties, they all seem connected by their mutual hatred for Caleb.

The taunts and jeers are so loud that I want to cover my ears, but I force myself not to, not wanting to show how upset I am by their treatment.

Caleb doesn’t seem bothered, however. Instead, he begins to loosely stretch. Twisting his torso, and lifting his arms.

As this happens, Tristan moves to stand behind Bethany and me, as if protecting us from the crowd behind us. Bethany, however, is terribly distracted. Around the curve of the circle, Cameron stands beside the butler and Gladys. They too have front row spots to the challenge about to begin.

Then, after a moment, Samuel appears from the base of the tower. As he steps out, his half of the rebels cheer wildly. The other half falls silent. They don’t mock Samuel as they did Caleb, but neither do they actively support him.

I suppose, to them, Samuel is still the lesser of two evils. If only they could see how much good Caleb has done, and how much he has planned left to do.

As Samuel steps into the ring, the tension around the circle seems to escalate. It feels as if I’m standing next to a powder keg and someone is about to light a match.

One of the rebels steps forward, toward the center of the ring. Both Samuel and Caleb move toward him. They all maintain a few feet distance from each other, no one willing to get too close just yet.

“Samuel, leader of the rebellion, challenges Alpha King Caleb for his throne,” the rebel says loudly. “You both will shift and prove whose wolf is stronger.”

“Do not forget that Harper is also a prize,” Samuel adds. He smirks at Caleb. “Tonight, it’s my name she’ll be screaming in pleasure. When I ask her about you, she’ll say, ‘Who is Caleb?’”

My stomach twists, bile rising in my throat.

It must be a tactic to upset Caleb.

Caleb glares, his hands curling into fists. “You will never touch her again.”

“Are these terms agreed upon?” the rebel asks, formalizing the challenge.

“Yes,” Caleb says.

“Yes,” Samuel adds.

“Then when I step out of this ring, you may begin.” The rebel backs away to the edge of the ring.

Caleb and Samuel square up, each standing tall, with their arms tense at their sides.

The moment the rebel announcer steps one more step, finally moving out of the ring, both men shift into their werewolf forms.

A moment later, they pounce.

Samuel has been training to be a warrior, Caleb realizes as they spar. Even his wolf is bigger and more menacing. While Samuel is still small compared to Caleb’s massive Alpha wolf, Samuel’s own Alpha must have manifested stronger with the training.

He’s taller and wider than he used to be. Like Caleb, he’s more monster-like than wolf.

They take shots at each other, with claws and teeth. Samuel has gained some speed as well.

At first, Caleb holds back his full strength, determined on merely testing Samuel, seeing his full strength as well as his limits.

Caleb dodges somewhat sluggishly out of the way of Samuel’s bites. Yet, before he can get too comfortable in their seemingly disproportionate strength, Samuel starts moving faster, more purposeful. Caleb has to start paying attention to avoid the well-timed blows.

Caleb hops back from a spot, just as Samuel, bouncing, lands there, claws first. Samuel’s claws create small craters in the ground. If that had been Caleb’s head, it would have be split open.

Yet, even with this new strength, speed, and skill, Samuel is still no match for Caleb. When one of Caleb’s swinging blows strikes Samuel in the ribcage, the man flies back onto the ground, landing hard enough to punch the air from his lungs.

Caleb steps closer slowly, wanting to end this quickly while also remaining on alert.

When he gets too close, Samuel pounces, going from prone to attacking in the blink of an eye. Caleb prepares to protect himself, but, oddly, Samuel doesn’t go for an attack.

Instead, he veers around behind Caleb, and suddenly, Caleb feels a sharp stab straight into his spine at his mid back.

This pain is not from dagger or a blade. No. Instead, it’s a pinprick.

A needle?

As it disappears, Caleb tries to move and suddenly finds that he… can’t…

His limbs are locking up. He feels still and frozen. Like this, he can’t even keep his balance.

Body working against him now, he topples forward and collapses face-first onto the ground.

He’s still conscious, his eyes wide open. With his cheek in the dirt, he can see Samuel looking at him with success in his human eyes. And an empty needle in his human hand.

Then, worse, his gaze shifts to where Harper is standing.

This asshole thinks he already won.

He thinks he can take Caleb’s mate.

In his mind, Caleb and his wolf scream, tearing against drugs that are shackling his body. It’s difficult work, he feels as if his body and limbs are chained down to the ground. Gravity is just too heavy.

But as Samuel takes a step toward Harper, Caleb fights harder.

He will not let this coward touch Harper. He doesn’t care what happens to him, but not Harper.

Grunting and groaning so loudly Caleb once more draws attention to himself as he forces his limbs to move, pushing his legs under his body as he pushes his torso upright.

He turns to face Samuel, who stares at him with shock.

This isn’t over yet.