Chapter 24 Twenty Four
Cassian's POV
I was standing at the parapets, looking over the army below.
Alaric seemed smaller than I remembered. Or maybe I had simply outgrown the man’s shadow. The man who had kept me under his thumb, buried my most innate self, and threatened to take my mother from me.
Instead, he just appeared to be an old man who wouldn’t leave.
Next to him was Lord Darius, the people uncle and previous alpha of Moonvale. The man was a legend. A warrior who had defeated twelve packs, survived three assassination attempts, and was said to have defeated a shifter king in single combat.
And what I’d heard of him was that he had no mercy.
“This is a little clusterfuck,” Theron added, coming up to meet me. He Lycan felt stronger than he had in weeks, almost shimmering with energy. The reclaimed mating bond definitely made him whole again.
I attempted to not be jealous and failed abysmally.
Rhea emerged on Theron’s other side, and at once Alaric’s gaze was fixed on her.
"Daughter!" called up, his pleasant straight voice coming easily. "You've caused quite the trouble. Running away from your wedding. Consorting with Lycans. But it's not too late. Come home, do your duty to the pack and all is forgiven.”
I saw lenses clasp fists in her hands. Her voice was calm and chilling when she finally spoke.
"I'm not your daughter anymore. You murdered my mother. You dampened Cassian’s alpha nature to keep him in check. You’d have killed me when you didn’t get what you wanted."
Alaric's face darkened. “I had to do what was needed for the pack to survive. Everything I do is for the betterment of.”
“The greater good,” Rhea echoed, her voice bitter. “Is that what it takes to make you sleep at night?”
Not going to lie I think lord Darius is already done with all the family drama and everything The Head of House motioned foward. "Enough talk. Im here to make an official challenge.”
He looked directly at Theron. "Single combat. You win, we ride off and agree to your right to the girl. I win, she comes back and makes marriage alliance with my nephews.”
Orin and Kieran were on the battlements, evidently listening. ”Uncle, you are mad,” said Orin. "We didn't ask for this."
“You should have known that before you let her get away.” Darius replied coldly. The pride of Moonvale does not tolerate humiliation. That girl had you both make a laughing stock of yourselves at that wedding. We will have satisfaction."
Kieran’s face was unreadable, but I could feel his nerves. "And what happens if the Lycan does not accept?"
“Then we interpret that as a sign of weakness and we strike.” Darius smiled. "Your choice, Theron."
I watched Theron’s eyes turn silver, his Lycan senses taking control. "I accept."
"No!" Rhea grabbed his arm. “This is what they wanted. You just went through the ritual of mating. You’re just not at 100 percent yet.”
But I also knew Theron wouldn’t back down. It was a matter of pride now. Alphas didn’t back down from a challenge, and certainly not one issued publicly.
“I’ll be fine,” Theron said, placing his hand over Rhea’s. "Trust me."
As we started to prepare for fighting, I saw something that caused my instincts to go haywire.
Alaric seemed too confident. Too pleased with himself.
This was the guy who’d controlled me all my life by manipulation and threat. I knew his tells, his moves.
He wouldn't return only to see Darius fight. He was planning something else.
I pulled Marcus aside. "Something's wrong. Alaric would never risk coming all the way here just for a little sport. He's planning something."
Marcus frowned. "What are you thinking?"
“I’m considering we should look at for any odd force they have?”
We wormed our way in quietly amongst masses of people who were assembling to witness the engagement. I didn’t need to look long to find what I was searching for.
Upon Alaric’s pay were mercenaries concealed. And at least twenty, heavily armed in pure silver. And judging from the smell, something toxic coated their blades.
Poison.
“They’re not here for honorable challenge,” I said to Marcus. "They're here for an execution."
I found Rhea immediately. She was preparing Theron, examining his armor and weaponry.
“We must bring this fight to an end,” I said urgently. "It's a trap. Alaric hired mercenaries armed with poison. They’re going to kill Theron either way!”
But even as I said it, I heard the horn blow. The cue that the fight was on.
We were too late.
The battle was fought in an open field between the opposing armies. So both parties were there to observe-had surrounded the fighters with a living wall.
Theron and Darius stood in front of each other, partially shifted. Theron’s silver hair shone in the sun, his claws were out. Darius was taller, older, his face and arms marred by scars.
The first clash was brutal.
Darius glided through silences like a man who’d fought a couple thousand battles. His strikes were precise, calculated. never tried to outmuscle Theron. He was looking for weaknesses.
But Theron was faster. Stronger. In every little undertaking centuries of practice appeared. He whipped right around Darius's attacks, throwing down with irrepressible violence.
Moments in, it was obvious Theron was winning.
Too clear.
The more the fight developed, the more horrified I was. Blow after blow Theron struck, and Darius reeled. The other alpha was bleeding all over, obviously no match for her.
Then Darius did something unexpected.
In his wisdom, he wanted to expose himself, to keep his defense open at the left.
It was an obviously bad mistake, and it had to be intentional. Theron, high on combat, swallowed the bait.
He attacked with what would’ve been the death stroke, claws heading for Darius’s bared throat.
Darius turned at the last moment with supernatural swiftness. Theron's claws ripped into his chest and cut deep.
Theron reeled back, and I saw it at once. The dusky color of Darius's claws. How the wounds weren’t coming basic and normal.
Poison.
"No!" Rhea screamed, attempting to rush the field.
I pulled her to me, keeping her at bay as she tried to get loose. "Wait. Now if you go out there they’ll kill you too.”
Theron fell to his knees, the poison taking hold quickly. Too fast for NO standard silver poison. This was unnatural, this was something designed to kill Lycans.
Alaric came up to him, victory in his eyes. "Nightshade extract. Specially modified to aim down Lycans. The indefinite articles are used to determine at least one perspective from which reason might not intervene, though still even Theron cannot escape it.”
He looked directly at Rhea. "Come quietly, daughter. Or watch him die slowly."
Rhea wrenched herself from my grip, with more strength than I had ever known her to have. She legged it to Theron, and knelt beside him.
Her hands shimmered with silver flames to heal him already. But I knew it wasn’t working. The poison was already moving far too quickly - blackened streams of veins had long since begun to spread outwards from the wound.
Something I’d never experienced before enveloped me in rage.
This man. Two: this son-of-bitch who raised me, wielded me like a club, to force back my true nature as it suited him. Who'd killed Rhea's mother. Who’d attempted to make an assassin of Rhea.
My alpha power swelled, and I made no effort to rein it in.
And then I was full, my body morphing in seconds. And then, I bit into Alaric’s throat with my claws reaching out.
The man who had been our tormentor. It was time to end this.
But as my claws made to strike, another figure was faster.
Lilith materialized in an undignified surge that was faster than any physical being should be able to move. She caught me in the air and flung me away as though I was nothing.
I crashed to the ground with a thud and felt the wind getting knocked out of me.
Lilith stood over Theron and Rhea, her face impassive. I was confused for a moment: I couldn’t tell if she was there to help, or to finish me off, completing Darius’ work.
You out of the way, girl,” she said in a commanding voice to Rhea.
"No," Rhea said firmly. "I'm not leaving him."
Lilith's amber eyes softened slightly. “If anybody’s going to rescue him, it’s me. I've survived Nightshade poisoning before. I know how to counter it."
She put her palms on Theron's chest, and power exploded from her. Different from Rhea's silver flames. This was older, grimy, faintly red-hued.
“Please help me,” Rhea whispered to Lilith. Our two healings together might be enough." But you have to trust me."
Rhea only paused for a moment before giving the affirmative. Her sterling inferno met with Lilith's red surge and they conjoined into what seemed like liquid starlight.
I haul myself up but continue to examine the two ladies, working together for the sake of saving a man they both loved.
The mercenaries that Alaric had kept concealed around us started to press toward the front.
But so did our forces. The warriors of Marcus and Theron made a circle in front. And so Orin and Kieran came down from the wall to defend though, in theory, they were warriors on Alaric’s side.
‘You deceived us, uncle,’ Kieran said coolly, his blade out. “You told me that would be an honorable challenge.”
“Honor is for fools,” Darius growled, looking too worse for the wear. "Power is all that matters."
“Then you have failed," Orin sneered his usual charm vanished. “Because you just united every force here against you.”
He was right. Theron’s pack, the twins and their warriors, even some of Alaric's own wolves seemed repulsed by the treachery.
Alaric saw it too. Triumph turned to worry in his face.
“Stand down,” he told his mercenaries. "Retreat."
But it was too late. The battle had already begun.