Chapter 18 Night Before
Kade stood over Marcus’s body and the clearing was completely silent.
Marcus wasn’t dead. Not yet but he was beaten. Blood pooling beneath him, his breathing shallow and ragged.
The pack waited.
This was the moment. The Alpha’s choice, kill or show mercy.
Kade shifted back to human form, his legs almost gave out but he stayed standing. Sage wanted to run to him but this wasn’t her moment. This was his.
“Marcus Webb,” Kade said. His voice carried across the clearing. “You stand guilty of treason, of murder, of attempting to destroy this pack from within. The penalty is death.”
Marcus shifted back. Lay there bleeding on the dirt. “Do it then. Kill me.”
“No.”
Everyone stirred. Confused.
“I won’t kill you,” Kade continued. “But you are exiled. You will leave Seattle tonight and you will never come back. If you ever set foot in this territory again, if you ever contact anyone from this pack, if you ever speak our name, then I will hunt you down and finish what I started today. Do you understand?”
Marcus stared at him. “You are letting me live?”
“I’m letting you leave. There is a difference.” Kade turned to the pack. “Twenty-four years ago my father died believing a good wolf had betrayed him. He spent his last moments thinking someone he trusted had turned on him. I won’t let that poison continue. I won’t let this pack be built on revenge and death.”
He looked at Sage. “Both our fathers were innocent. Both were murdered by Daniel Cross, that legacy ends today.”
The pack was quiet for a moment. Then one wolf started clapping. Then another, within seconds the whole clearing erupted in approval.
Marcus’s former supporters were clapping loudest. Relief that their Alpha was merciful. That he wasn’t the tyrant Marcus had painted him to be.
“Take him to the edge of the territory,” Kade said to Riley and Cole. “Make sure he leaves.”
They dragged Marcus away. Vanessa tried to follow but Beth blocked her.
“What about me?” Vanessa asked. “Am I exiled too?”
“Yes,” Kade said. “You are stripped of pack membership. You leave with Marcus tonight.”
Vanessa’s face crumpled. “Please, I made a mistake. I was angry and stupid. Please don’t…”
“You attacked my mate during a sacred challenge. You chose your side.” Kade’s voice was hard. “Now live with it.”
Beth escorted Vanessa away.
The pack elder stepped forward. “The challenge is complete. Kade Blackwood remains Alpha, all pack members will now pledge their loyalty.”
One by one the wolves came forward. Even those who had supported Marcus. They bent their necks in submission and acknowledged Kade as Alpha.
It took an hour for everyone to pledge. By the end Kade was swaying on his feet. The wolfsbane was still affecting him, he needed treatment.
Sage pushed through the crowd when the ceremony finished. “We need to get you home.”
“I’m fine.”
“You are dying on your feet.” She grabbed his arm. “Don’t be stupid.”
He let her support him to the car. Cole drove while Sage sat in back with Kade, he was unconscious before they left pack territory.
Back at the penthouse she worked for three hours flushing the activated wolfsbane from his system. It was worse this time, the dose Marcus had used was concentrated. Designed to kill.
Kade’s fever spiked to dangerous levels. His heart rate was erratic, twice she thought she had lost him.
But by evening he was stable and sleeping. Still weak but alive.
Sage sat beside the bed and finally let herself break down. Tears she had been holding all day. Fear she had been suppressing. The relief of him being alive hitting her all at once.
She cried until she had nothing left. Then she washed her face and went to make food she wouldn’t eat.
Riley and the others stopped by around eight to check on Kade. She told them he would recover. They looked relieved. The pack had been messaging all day asking about their Alpha’s condition.
“He is a hero,” Riley said. “Letting Marcus live when he had every right to kill him. That is real strength.”
After they left, Sage went back to the bedroom. Kade was awake. Watching her.
“How long was I out?” he asked.
“Six hours. How do you feel?”
“Like I got hit by a truck.” He tried to sit up and winced. “What happened after I passed out?”
“Cole and Riley escorted Marcus to the state border. Made sure he left. Vanessa went with him.” She helped him sit up. “The pack has been sending messages all day. They are calling you merciful, strong, everything a good Alpha should be.”
“I just didn’t want more death.” He rubbed his face. “Too many people have died because of the lies between our fathers.”
“It’s over now.”
“Is it?” He looked at her. “We proved Marcus was behind the attacks. We proved our fathers were innocent. But we still don’t know the whole story. Don’t know exactly what happened twenty-four years ago.”
“Does it matter? They are both dead. Daniel Cross is dead. Knowing more won’t bring them back.”
“No. But it might help us understand.” He reached for her hand. “Come here.”
She sat beside him on the bed. “You should rest.”
“I’ve been resting for hours.” He pulled her closer. “I need to ask you something.”
“What?”
“The mate contract, the year agreement. It has been four months.” He met her eyes. “Do you want to stay?”
Her heart stuttered. “What are you asking?”