Challenged Mate: Alpha Games Book Two, page 23
“Maybe he is,” I allowed. “But I’m not going to let Hunter, or anyone else, suffer any longer. Not when I can stop it. So, are you going to help me with the wording of the blood vow? Or do I need to do it myself?”
Asher released a quiet, disbelieving chuckle. “What was the Mother thinking by giving me such a headstrong mate?”
I lightly punched him in the arm. “You’re lucky to have me.”
He caught my wrist. “I know I am.” He kissed my palm. He was making it a habit of that.
I loved it.
I smiled and closed the distance between us, curling my hands around the back of his neck as my chest pressed against his pecs. “So, you’ll help me?”
So many emotions flittered behind his gaze.
He wanted to say no, but he was stronger than his protective emotions.
I loved that about him.
“Yes, I will help you.” His forefinger trailed my jaw line. “I don’t like it, but I trust you to be careful until you can come back to me.”
“You’ll wait for me?” I meant the question to be teasing, but a note of worry underlined the words.
“We’re fated, Blair. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”
My smile widened. Lifting on my toes, I pressed my lips against his once, then murmured, “Talk like that will get you lucky.”
His arm tightened around my waist. “We’ve already established I’m lucky.”
Our kiss deepened.
Too soon, Asher drew back and pressed delicate kisses on my nose, cheeks, and forehead. I felt the depth of his affection in every brush of his lips.
And I knew, no matter what would come, everything would be all right.
It had to be.
The Mother brought us together.
And nothing would tear us apart.
Thirty-Seven
As much as I wanted to stay in our cylinder of privacy, the black magic loomed ominously overhead.
Literally.
Even within our isolated space, I could feel the wrongness of the power threatening to bring harm to the innocent shifters within the Wilds Pack town.
With one last kiss, I stepped out of Asher’s arms. He reached forward and held onto my hand. Then, he removed the barrier.
The first thing I saw once my mate’s magic cleared was my father’s tight expression. He looked ready to beat his fists against the opaque magic keeping me from sight. Seeing I was unharmed, he lowered his arms and unfurled his hands.
Despite the fact my father was once mated to the most powerful sorceress alive, he still wasn’t comfortable around magic.
“Have a nice chat?” Hugh asked with a bite, pulling my attention away from my father.
The Graystone sorcerer’s face was hard as granite. Irritation ticked the muscle in his jaw. He didn’t like our disappearing act.
“Very,” Asher replied coolly, pretending not to notice how the sorcerer’s eyes flickered with ire. Gently, his fingers squeezed mine.
I took that as my cue.
“I agree to come with you,” I stated.
“Blair, no—”
“But you must swear the blood vow first,” I cut off my father’s protests. Each of my fellow shifters emanated their unease, but no one else tried to speak.
Hugh, on the other hand, looked positively delighted by the turn of events. “That is very good news, Blair. I will, of course, make the blood vow.” He reached behind him, lifting the back of his shirt. He pulled out a long, jagged dagger. Its jeweled hilt glinted in the afternoon sun’s light.
Hugh held the dagger’s blade against his palm.
Before he could utter a single word, Asher said, “If it is agreeable to you, Graystone, I would like to dictate the terms of the vow.”
The sorcerer frowned. “There is no need.”
“I disagree,” I countered. I released Asher’s hand so I could cross my arms over my chest. “I will only willingly leave Wilds Pack lands and help you retrieve the Moonstone if my safety is guaranteed. To ensure that is the case, Asher will choose the wording of the vow. If you truly have no ill-intentions, then it shouldn’t be a problem.”
It was as clear as the Summit Pack’s lake on a cloudless summer day that Hugh Graystone wanted nothing more than to reject our proposition.
Once again, his pale eyes flared with ire. His handsome features twisted with disdain.
I wasn’t sure he would acquiesce. I braced myself for the cloud of black magic to descend and wreak havoc on town.
That’s why I rocked back on my heels when Hugh said, through clenched teeth, “Very well. Tell me your words.”
Asher paused for only a moment. “You, Hugh Graystone, vow no harm shall come to Blair Hemmings by your hand, or the hand of any coven member, while you work to retrieve the Moonstone. You also vow to release Hunter Warner and none of your brethren will step foot on Wilds Pack territory, or any pack’s territory, unless explicitly invited by the pack’s alpha.”
“A wordy vow,” Hugh stated with cool detachment. “And additional items added.”
“Consider them precautions,” Asher replied. “You’ve proven you are willing to resort to violence against shifters. Blair will not risk her safety without these assurances.”
I ran Asher’s words through my mind, searching for any gap in my safety, but his words were thorough.
“I will make the vow,” Hugh, once again, shocked me with his acceptance. Without warning, he sliced his palm and uttered words in an unfamiliar language. Then, he repeated Asher’s words, word for word. His blood dripped onto the ground, sizzling and steaming upon contact.
My father muttered a curse.
I pressed my lips together to refrain from muttering one of my own.
Vaguely, I heard Chase and Axel whispering to one another. Kayla commented something about “mistake”, but I was too focused on the vow Hugh was weaving to pay them much mind.
As the last syllable fell from Hugh’s mouth, a ruby red streak of magic flew out from his bleeding palm in an arc. I gasped as the power went right through me, amazed that I didn’t feel a thing.
I looked at my father. I’d seen the magic fly through him as well. He patted his stomach with both hands, but nothing was amiss. He, too, was unharmed.
“The blood vow is made,” Hugh declared. His icy gaze landed on me. “Now, you shall uphold your end of the bargain.”
I stepped closer to the ward separating us, but I moved no further. “Release Hunter to my father. Then, I will join you.”
His answering scowl was fierce, but he snapped his fingers above his head. Stanley stepped out from behind the trees, dragging a bound, disoriented Hunter with him.
Behind me, Chase, Kayla, and Axel growled.
Asher, once again, moved to stand by my side.
My eyes drank in my former future beta. He was disheveled—more so than he’d been in the weird magical conversation Hugh had dragged me into. If I had to guess, I’d say Hunter recently put up a fight. His face featured a fresh bruise, and his arms and legs were covered with dirt—as if he’d rolled around on the forest floor.
But what caught my attention the most was the odd, glowing red aura circling his head.
“What is that?” I gestured to Hunter’s head as Stanley halted beside the sorcerer.
Hugh didn’t even glance at Hunter to see what I was talking about. He already knew. “A thought scrambler,” he answered. “Your friend proved quite crafty in trying to escape. I didn’t wish to hurt him, so he needed to be subdued in another way.”
My nostrils flared. “Remove it.”
“Done.”
Hugh didn’t so much as raise a finger or utter a syllable. The red light simply vanished.
I watched as Hunter came back to himself. I saw the moment he recognized me. His eyes widened with fear. “B-blair,” his voice cracked. “W-what—”
“Untie him,” my father commanded, interrupting Hunter. The strength of his alpha voice traveled over me. “Now.”
Stanley looked to Hugh—like a faithful servant awaiting orders.
The action sent Chase over the edge. “You’ve always been an asshole,” he sneered at his brother. “But I never painted you as a traitor.”
Stanley’s gaze narrowed, but he didn’t speak.
I waited for Hugh to give the order for Stanley to release Hunter, but the sorcerer seemed content to watch the drama unfolding before him.
“What? Nothing to say for yourself, you piece of shit?” Chase taunted. He stomped forward until he stood less than three feet from his brother. Only the ward kept him from moving further. “What did Graystone promise you to betray us—to risk the lives of your innocent pack members?”
A flicker of guilt traveled across Stanley’s face, but the evidence of his remorse disappeared quickly.
Careful to keep a tight grip on Hunter, Stanley finally replied, “Our pack has been isolated for too long. Wolfstan wants to ally with the other packs, but they are weak.” He sneered derisively. “To be strong, we need to ally with the covens. We need to strengthen the magic in our bloodlines, not dilute them with weaker shifters.”
“You speak of your shifter pack members like they are beneath you,” Asher joined the discussion.
Heightened hatred sparked Stanley’s next words as he turned to his alpha. “It is you, Asher, who relishes the fact our family members are the only half-blooded sorcerers in the pack. You are the strongest, and you want nothing more than to keep the rest of us under your thumb.
“While you mate a powerful half-sorceress, the rest of us will have to be content to mate fellow pack members with diluted blood lines or debase ourselves and mate someone from another pack.”
The vehemence with which Stanley spoke about other shifters bewildered me.
I wasn’t the only one.
“What are you talking about, Stanley?” Kayla asked sharply. “Debase yourself? What lies have you let this sorcerer whisper into your ear? This isn’t you.”
Stanley stared at his cousin over his brother’s shoulder. “This is me, Cousin. For too long, I’ve sat on the sidelines while our numbers dwindle and our pack’s needs press on our throats.”
“What do you think Asher was doing in the freaking Alpha Games?” she yelled. “He was trying meet our pack’s needs.”
“He was securing his own bloodline’s strength, and nothing more,” Stanley countered.
“You’re delusional,” Chase scoffed, shaking his head. “Completely, and totally, delusional. You know covens view us as abominations. Graystone is no different. The dirt underneath his shoes is more valuable to him than you, and yet you help him.”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen.” Hugh tsked, finally deciding to interrupt. “Surely, there is no need to bicker. Our agreement has been struck. In good faith, I will untie Hunter and let him cross the ward. Then, Blair joins me.”
“Agreed,” I called out before anyone could speak.
Hugh gave Stanley a nod.
Stanley moved behind Hunter and made quick work of the ropes around his wrists. As the rope fell to the ground, I noticed an odd gleam coming off the twine. I squinted, then sucked in a breath as I noticed the silver filaments woven through the ropes.
Bastards.
Hunter stumbled forward with help from Stanley’s shove.
I moved before anyone else and met my friend at the ward, catching him by his elbows as he made it across.
“Blair,” he croaked. “What are you doing?”
“Saving your ass,” I smiled softly. I glanced at the raw skin around his wrists and winced. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” His hands gripped my arms, eyes still wide with fear. “But you must listen to me. You can’t go with Graystone. You need to stay in Wilds territory.”
“I don’t have a choice,” I murmured, hoping my soft, confident tone would reassure my frantic friend. “We made a deal.”
“Screw your deal.” His breaths grew ragged. “Graystone is not to be trusted. He let me into his coven’s lands, just to capture me to manipulate you.”
I dipped my head. “I know, Hunter. But trust me, it’s taken care of. Hugh can’t hurt me. Not without hurting himself. I’m going to help him with something, and then I’ll be back here, safe and sound. I promise.”
“Blair,” he groaned my name. His grip on my arms tightened. Then without warning, he drew me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me. My wolf bristled at being so close to a male who wasn’t Asher, but I reminded her Hunter was our friend. He’d been with us our entire life, and the Mother only knew what he went through with the Graystone coven—all to help me.
Into my hair, Hunter muttered, “You’re too stubborn. Always have been. It’s one of the things I love about you.”
I returned his embrace. “Stephanie is here. You’re both welcome to stay for as long as you like.” I knew Asher wouldn’t mind the offer. “You’ll be safe here behind the Wilds Pack’s wards.”
Hunter squeezed me. “Watch your back with Graystone. Be on your guard.”
Before I could reply, he stepped away.
I didn’t know why until I saw him staring over my shoulder.
I turned at met Asher’s stare.
My mate was worried; he didn’t try to hide it.
But he wouldn’t try to change my mind. We’d made the deal. I would follow through.
A silencing barrier fell around us, encompassing everyone on this side of the wards. Asher didn’t bother with the visual block this time.
"Do you have your phone?"
I tapped my back pocket and nodded. “Yes.”
“Good. Call me the moment you arrive. And text often. I’ll worry otherwise.”
“Done.”
Kayla appeared at his side. Her brown eyes gleamed with tears. “You better be careful, Blair. And get back here the moment you hold up your end of the bargain.”
“I will,” I promised.
Axel and Chase approached next. The latter surprised me by grabbing me and hoisting me into a tight hug. “I’ll keep an eye on him while you’re gone.”
Emotion thickened my throat as I met Asher’s gaze over his shoulder. “Thanks, Chase.”
The blond shifter released me and gave me a quick nod before stepping aside.
Axel’s hug was swift.
And then I was left with my father.
There was so much he and I needed to discuss—so many worries I needed to address. So many wrongs I needed him to atone for—or, at the very least, to explain.
But all that would have to wait.
I shoved all those emotions aside and stepped into him. His arms enveloped me. He held on tight. “I tried to keep you from this.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. “I know, Dad. I know.”
“I love you, Blair.”
My lips quivered. “I love you, too.”
I opened my eyes as our embrace ended.
Once again, Asher stood before me. I saw the conflict in his gaze. His instincts rode him hard—urging him not to let me go—but the male behind the instincts won out.
He released a heavy sigh.
I wasn’t sure who moved first, but in a blink we were in each other’s arms. Asher kissed me like his life depended on it—full of promise and unspoken words of affection.
We were fated mates—destined to be together—but he and I still had so much to learn about each other.
We had our whole lives ahead of us—lives that we would journey with each other.
I just needed to deal with the Moonstone first.
I cupped the side of Asher’s face. We broke our kiss. “I’ll see you soon,” I vowed.
“Yes, you will.”
It took everything within me to pull out of Asher’s embrace. I met each of my companion’s gazes one last time, lingering for another moment on Asher’s.
Then, I crossed the ward and accepted Hugh’s outstretched hand.
Thirty-Eight
Traveling through the portal was anticlimactic. I’d expected a sensation similar to a rollercoaster—or how it felt to leap from a tall tree onto the ground.
But it felt no different from a strong breeze blowing through my hair.
One second, I stood on Wilds Pack territory. The next, I was in a room filled with shelves of books and ornate, expensive tapestries. Hugh stood beside me. I didn’t know what happened to Stanley.
I watched the pale-eyed sorcerer move to a heavy oak desk placed in front of the far wall.
“Where am I?” I asked.
“My home.”
“And where is your home?”
“You don’t need to concern yourself with that right now. Sit. We have much to discuss.” Hugh sat behind the desk and waved to a green cushioned chair in front of him.
I frowned but obliged.
Once I was seated, Hugh leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. He watched me carefully as he asked, “How long have you known Wolfstan was your fated mate?”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but Hugh waved his hand and said, “Do not bother lying to me. I saw the magic tendril linking your souls.”
I closed my mouth.
Shit.
“Since the Alpha Games when your rogue sorcerers nearly killed me.”
Hugh leaned back in his chair with an aggrieved groan. “Idiots.”
I lifted a brow, confused by his reaction.
Seeing my expression, Hugh scoffed. “Surely, you know you are not meant to have a fated mate.”
My heartbeat stuttered, and a pit grew in my stomach.
Calm down, Blair, I tried to reassure myself. Don’t freak out. Not yet.
I didn’t respond, but Hugh didn’t need me to.
He leaned against his chair again, staring at the top of the bookshelf behind me as he said, “You’re marked. You belong to the Graystone Coven. The Mother shouldn’t have bestowed a mate upon your soul. It simply isn’t done.”
Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I didn’t know what to say.
Denial was pointless.
I wasn’t interested in openly discussing the cursed mark my mother unknowingly transferred to me at birth, but it didn’t seem like I had a choice.
“I don’t belong to the coven. I don’t belong to anyone.”
