Chapter 14 Rallying Support
Kade woke up at noon the next day drenched in sweat and barely able to lift his head off the pillow.
Sage was beside him immediately with water and medication. “Drink this. The fever broke an hour ago but you are still weak.”
He drank and his hands shook holding the glass. “How long was I out?”
“Eighteen hours. Your body needed the rest.” She checked his pulse and pupils. “The poison levels are dropping but you are not ready to fight yet.”
“I have two days.”
“I know.” She helped him sit up. “Cole and the others are in the living room. They’ve been visiting undecided wolves since last night.”
Kade stood slowly and his legs almost gave out. Sage caught him and he hated how weak he felt, how he was dependent on her. But he leaned on her anyway because he had no choice.
They made it to the living room where Cole, Riley, Beth and twelve other wolves were gathered around the coffee table covered in papers and maps.
“Status,” Kade said. His voice was rough but stronger than yesterday.
Cole looked up. “We’ve contacted thirty of the fifty undecided wolves. Showed them the evidence from Marcus’s safe. Bank records. Photos. The notebook.”
“And?”
“Fifteen believe us. Ten are still skeptical. Five refused to look at the evidence at all.” Cole rubbed his face. “The problem is Marcus is visiting the same wolves. Spreading his version. Saying you fabricated everything because Sage manipulated you.”
“What’s his support looking like?” Kade asked.
“Eighty wolves committed to him. Same as yesterday.” Riley pointed at a list of names. “But some of them are wavering. The evidence is making them question him.”
Beth spoke up. “The older wolves mostly support you. They remember your father and how he led. But the younger ones follow Marcus. He’s been grooming them for years.”
Kade looked at the numbers. Seventy wolves loyal to him. Eighty to Marcus. Fifty undecided. He needed at least thirty of the undecided to have a clear majority.
“We need to move faster,” he said. “Visit more wolves. Show them the evidence before Marcus poisons them against us.”
“Already on it,” Cole said. “We’re splitting into teams. Each team takes five names and visits them today.”
Sage cleared her throat. “I should go with one of the teams.”
Everyone turned to look at her.
“That’s not a good idea,” Beth said carefully. “Some wolves blame you for this whole situation.”
“Which is exactly why I need to face them.” Sage stood straighter. “Let them ask me questions. See I’m not manipulating anyone. Hiding me makes it look like Kade’s ashamed of me.”
“I’m not ashamed,” Kade said.
“Then let me help.” She looked at him. “We are running out of time. If my presence can convince even a few wolves, it’s worth the risk.”
Kade wanted to say no, to lock her in the penthouse where she was safe. But she was right. Hiding her gave Marcus ammunition.
“Fine, but you go with Riley and Cole. They don’t let you out of their sight.”
She nodded. “When do we start?”
“Now.” Cole grabbed his jacket. “We’ve got ten more wolves to visit before sunset.”
The teams split up. Kade stayed at the penthouse because he was still too weak to be seen by the pack. Sage went with Riley and Cole to visit three undecided wolves who’d agreed to meet.
The first was a female named Maria who lived in Capitol Hill. She invited them into her small apartment and offered coffee that no one touched.
“Why are you here?” Maria asked Sage directly.
“To answer your questions. Whatever you want to know.”
“Did you know who Kade was when you signed the mate contract?”
“I knew he was Alpha of Seattle pack. I didn’t know his father was Richard Blackwood until after we’d signed.”
“And when you found out?”
“I was terrified he’d kill me.” Sage looked at her. “I’ve spent fifteen years hiding from my father’s legacy. I didn’t even know it was Kade’s father my father allegedly killed until I saw photos in his penthouse.”
“Allegedly?” Maria leaned forward. “You don’t think your father did it?”
“My father told me before he died that he was innocent. That he was been framed. I don’t know if that’s true or not. But I know I’m not responsible for his actions either way.”
Maria studied her. “Marcus says you manipulated the mate bond. Used it to trap Kade.”
“The mate bond isn’t something I can control or fake. It’s biology. Either it’s there or it isn’t.” Sage held out her hand. “You are a wolf. You can sense if I’m lying. Check for yourself.”
Maria hesitated then took Sage’s hand. Pack bonds allowed wolves to sense truth from pack members. It wasn’t perfect but it was hard to fool.
After a moment Maria released her hand. “You believe what you’re saying. That doesn’t mean it’s true.”
“No. But it means I’m not consciously manipulating anyone.” Sage pulled out the documents. “This is what we found in Marcus’s safe. Bank records showing embezzlement. Photos of him with hunters. His own notebook detailing plans to overthrow Kade.”
Maria read through everything carefully. “This could be faked.”
“Look at the dates. The signatures. The official pack seals on some of these records.” Riley pointed at specific details. “This took years to create if it’s fake. Why would Kade spend years forging documents against his own Beta?”
“Because his mate’s bloodline was exposed and he needed a scapegoat,” Maria said. But she sounded less certain now.
“Or because Marcus really has been planning a coup,” Cole said. “He imprisoned me and fourteen others on false charges. Beat some of us. Let one wolf die in the cells. That’s not the action of an innocent man.”
Maria set the papers down. “What happens if Kade loses the challenge?”
“I die,” Sage said simply. “Marcus has made it clear. He kills me whether Kade survives or not.”
“And you’re still here. Still fighting for him.”
“He’s my mate. Where else would I be?”
Something shifted in Maria’s expression. “Alright. I’ll support Kade in the challenge. But if he wins, he needs to investigate what really happened with your fathers. Get the truth. Because this pack can’t heal until we know.”
“Agreed,” Sage said.
They visited two more wolves that afternoon. One agreed to support Kade after seeing the evidence. The other refused to choose sides saying he’d wait to see who won the challenge.
By evening they were back at the penthouse comparing notes with the other teams.
Out of fifty undecided wolves, they’d convinced twenty-three to support Kade. Twelve were still undecided. Fifteen sided with Marcus after his campaigning.
The final count was ninety-three for Kade. Ninety-five for Marcus. Twelve refusing to choose.
“It’s close,” Beth said. “Too close.”
“We have one more day,” Kade said. He looked better after sleeping most of the day. Stronger. “We focus on those twelve undecided tomorrow. Convince them.”
“And if we can’t?” Riley asked.
“Then I win the challenge anyway.” Kade’s jaw was set. “I’m not losing to Marcus.”
The meeting broke up and the wolves left to rest before tomorrow’s final push. Sage stayed with Kade.
“You did good today,” he said. “Maria told Cole you handled her questions well.”
“I just told the truth.”
“That’s more than most people do.” He pulled her closer. “We’re going to win this.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” He kissed her forehead. “Two more days and Marcus is done. Then we figure everything else out.”
Sage wanted to believe him, to think it would be that simple.
But she had seen Marcus’s face at the challenge declaration. He wasn’t planning to lose.
And he would do whatever it took to win.
Even if it meant cheating.
She held Kade tighter and tried not to think about what would happen if he died in two days.
Tried not to imagine her life without him.
But the fear was there. Cold and heavy in her chest.
Two more days.
Either they won and built a future together.
Or they lost and died together.
There was no middle ground.