Chapter 26 The Cage
Ryder POV
Twenty-four hours.
That's all we have to turn Jolie into something resembling a fighter. Twenty-four hours to prepare her for a challenge that should've never happened.
I watch Knox demonstrate a blocking technique for the third time. Jolie mirrors his movements, her footwork improving but still hesitant.
"Faster." I cross my arms. "Mara won't give you time to think."
Jolie wipes sweat from her forehead. "I'm trying."
"Try harder." The words come out harsh, but I can't help it. Every second that passes brings us closer to tomorrow night, closer to watching her get torn apart in front of the entire pack.
Knox shoots me a warning look. "Take a break, Ryder. You're making her nervous."
"She should be nervous." I pace the length of the training ring. "Mara's going to come at her with everything she's got. This isn't some friendly sparring match."
"I know that." Jolie straightens her shoulders. "Can we go again?"
Luna appears with water bottles. "She needs rest, not a drill sergeant."
"She needs to survive." I round on Luna, my wolf pushing at my control. "And coddling her won't help."
"Neither will breaking her before the fight even starts." Luna hands Jolie a bottle. "Drink. Then we'll work on defensive moves."
I want to argue, but Doc steps in front of me. "Walk with me."
It's not a request.
We head toward the compound's edge, away from the others. The sun's setting, painting everything in shades of blood and fire. Appropriate.
"You need to get your head straight." Doc stops by the fence line. "This fear you're carrying—she can feel it."
"I'm not afraid." The lie tastes bitter.
"You're terrified." He turns to face me fully. "And you're projecting it onto her."
I grip the fence post hard enough that wood splinters under my fingers. "She's going to die in that cage."
"Maybe." Doc's bluntness cuts through my denial. "Or maybe she'll surprise you."
"She's had weeks of training against someone who's been fighting for years. The math doesn't work."
"Math doesn't account for heart." Doc leans against the fence. "Or desperation. Or the fact that she's got more to prove than Mara ever will."
I shake my head. "That's not enough."
"It might be." He pauses. "But only if you believe in her."
"I do believe in her." The words rip out of me. "That's the problem. I believe she's brave enough to get herself killed trying to prove something to wolves who aren't worth her blood."
"Then teach her to fight smarter." Doc pushes off the fence. "Not harder. That's the only advantage she's got."
He walks back toward the ring, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the darkening sky.
Shadow paces inside my head, restless and furious. He wants to lock Jolie away somewhere safe, somewhere Mara and pack law and challenges can't reach her.
But that's not what she needs.
I force myself to breathe, to think past the panic clawing at my chest. Doc's right. Jolie can't beat Mara through strength. She needs strategy, speed, and the willingness to fight dirty.
I can teach her that.
By the time I return to the training ring, it's fully dark. Someone's set up portable lights, casting harsh shadows across the space. Jolie's going through drills with Knox, her movements sharper now but still telegraphed.
"Stop." I step into the ring. "Knox, take a break."
He hesitates, then nods and moves to the sidelines.
Jolie faces me, breathing hard. "What now?"
"Now I teach you how to win." I circle her slowly. "Everything you've learned so far? Forget it. Traditional fighting won't save you tomorrow."
"Then what will?" Her chin lifts.
"Cheating." I stop in front of her. "Mara expects you to fight like Knox taught you—blocks, counters, defense. She'll be ready for that."
"So what do I do?"
"You don't give her what she expects." I move behind her. "You're smaller, faster. Use that. Get inside her reach where her strength doesn't matter."
I demonstrate, moving close enough that our bodies almost touch. "Here, she can't get leverage. Can't use her weight advantage."
Jolie turns to face me. "And then?"
"Then you hurt her." I tap her temple. "Eyes, throat, knees. Anywhere that'll drop her fast. This isn't about honor—it's about survival."
Understanding flashes across her face. "You want me to fight dirty."
"I want you alive." I grip her shoulders. "Whatever it takes."
We train through the night. I show her pressure points, weak spots, ways to turn an opponent's strength against them. Luna joins us, adding her knowledge of dirty fighting. Knox contributes cage tactics he learned in underground rings.
By dawn, Jolie's exhausted but different. There's a hardness in her eyes that wasn't there before.
"Get some sleep." I catch her as she sways. "You've got twelve hours."
She leans into me for a moment. "What if I lose?"
"You won't." I make it sound like fact, not hope.
"But if I do"
"Then I'll burn the whole world down." The words come out emotionless. Because it's not a threat or a promise. It's just truth.
She looks up at me, searching my face. "Ryder"
"Sleep." I cut her off before she can say something that'll break what's left of my control. "That's an order."
The cage sits in the center of our compound, twenty feet of chain-link and concrete. Pack members gather as the sun sets again, their faces lit by torches and headlights.
This is ancient pack law. I can't interfere, can't stop it, can't do anything but watch.
The knowledge eats at me.
Jolie emerges from the clubhouse wearing loose clothes that'll shift with her if needed. Her face is pale but composed. Luna walks beside her, whispering last-minute advice.
Mara's already in the cage, rolling her shoulders and grinning. She looks confident. Too confident.
"You can still back out," Mara calls as Jolie approaches. "I'll only tell everyone you're a coward."
Jolie doesn't respond. Just climbs through the cage door and stands in the center, waiting.
I take my position at the edge with the other pack leaders. Cass stands to my right, Knox to my left. Doc's nearby with medical supplies ready.
"Fighters ready?" I force the words out.
Both women nod.
"This is a challenge fight for pack position." My voice carries across the gathered wolves. "It ends when one fighter yields or can't continue. No weapons and no outside interference."
I meet Jolie's eyes across the distance. She gives me the smallest nod.
"Begin."
Mara lunges forward with a roar, and everything inside me turns to ice.