Chapter 17 Vanessa’s Move
The fight was brutal from the first moment.
Marcus lunged immediately going for Kade’s throat. Kade dodged and countered with claws raking down Marcus’s side. Blood sprayed across the dirt.
Sage watched from the edge of the clearing with her hands clenched so tight her nails cut into her palms. Riley stood beside her. Beth on the other side, both ready to pull her back if she tried to interfere.
The two wolves circled each other. Marcus was younger and his movements were faster but Kade was bigger and stronger. More experienced.
They clashed again. Teeth and claws. Marcus went for Kade’s injured ribs from the warehouse fight. Kade blocked and threw Marcus backward.
Around them the pack watched in silence. Two hundred wolves holding their breath.
Marcus recovered and attacked again. This time he got his teeth into Kade’s shoulder. Kade howled and shook him off. Retaliated by catching Marcus’s leg and biting down until bone cracked.
Marcus limped when they separated. Blood running from his leg. But he was smiling. Actually smiling in wolf form which looked wrong.
Something was off.
Sage watched Marcus carefully. He was hurt but not hurt enough. He should be favoring that leg more. Should be slower.
Then she smelled it. Under the blood and sweat and fear. Something bitter and floral.
Wolfsbane.
“He dosed himself,” she whispered.
“What?” Riley leaned closer.
“Marcus. He’s on wolfsbane. Small amount. Enough to become immune to its effects.” She pointed at Marcus. “Watch his movements. He should be weaker with that leg injury but he’s not.”
Riley watched then swore. “You are right but why would he…”
“Because Kade still has trace amounts in his system from months of poisoning. If Marcus can activate it…” Sage’s stomach dropped. “He is going to use wolfsbane during the fight.”
“That is against the rules.”
“He doesn’t care about rules.”
They kept fighting. Kade was winning now. His Alpha dominance was pushing Marcus back, making him submit instinctively.
Marcus broke away suddenly and ran toward the edge of the clearing, near the trees.
Kade chased him.
Marcus reached the tree line and grabbed something hidden in the roots with his mouth. A small injector.
“No!” Sage screamed.
But it was too late. Marcus bit down on the injector releasing its contents into his mouth. Swallowed.
Kade reached him and they clashed again. For a moment nothing happened.
Then Kade stumbled.
His legs went weak. The wolfsbane Marcus had just taken was activating the remaining poison in Kade’s system. All the trace amounts Sage hadn’t been able to flush out completely.
Kade collapsed.
Marcus circled him. Moving in for the kill.
The pack erupted. Kade’s supporters shouting that Marcus cheated. Marcus’s supporters claiming nothing happened. The neutral wolves didn’t know what to believe.
The elder tried to restore order but no one was listening.
Sage started forward. Riley grabbed her arm.
“You can’t interfere. The rules…”
“I don’t care about the rules. He is dying.”
“If you interfere, they both die. That’s pack law.”
Sage pulled against his grip watching Marcus close in on Kade. Watching her mate unable to stand. Unable to defend himself.
She had to do something. Had to…
Vanessa hit her from behind.
Sage went down hard with Vanessa’s weight on top of her, she rolled and Vanessa shifted mid-movement becoming a golden wolf.
Everyone was so focused on the challenge that no one noticed at first. No one except Riley who shifted immediately to defend Sage.
But Vanessa was faster, she lunged at Sage’s throat.
Sage’s wolf broke free without thought. Pure survival instinct. She shifted in seconds and met Vanessa’s attack with her own teeth.
They collided in a tangle of fur and claws, Vanessa was bigger but Sage was fighting for her life.
They rolled across the ground snapping and biting. Vanessa got Sage’s shoulder. Sage got Vanessa’s ear and ripped it half off.
Now people were noticing wolves turning to watch the second fight happening at the edge of the clearing.
Vanessa was strong but Sage was desperate. She used her smaller size to slip under Vanessa’s attacks. Went for the legs like she had in her fight at the warehouse.
Her teeth found the tendon behind Vanessa’s front leg. Bit down hard.
Vanessa’s leg gave out. She stumbled and Sage pressed the advantage. Jumped on her back and bit the scruff of her neck. Dominance hold.
Vanessa struggled for a moment then went still.m and submitted.
Sage held her there for a few more seconds making sure the submission was real. Then let go and stepped back.
She shifted to human form. Naked and covered in blood. Vanessa stayed wolf. Whimpering.
Half the pack was staring at them now. The other half still watching the main challenge where Marcus was closing in on Kade.
“She attacked me,” Sage said to the pack elder. “I defended myself.”
The elder nodded slowly. “Witnessed and accepted. Vanessa Sterling, you are defeated.”
Beth ran over with a blanket and wrapped it around Sage. “That was incredible.”
“Is Kade…” Sage turned to look.
Marcus was standing over Kade ready to deliver the killing bite.
Sage started running. She still had the documents from Marcus’s safe, she brought them in case they needed more proof.
She ran into the clearing holding the papers. “Stop!”
Marcus turned his wolf head to look at her. So did everyone else.
“I have proof,” Sage shouted. “Proof that changes everything.”
The elder stepped forward. “The challenge cannot be interrupted…”
“This isn’t about the challenge. This is about the truth.” Sage held up the documents. “Marcus Webb is the grandson of Daniel Cross. The corrupt Alpha from Portland who killed both Richard Blackwood and Thomas Monroe twenty-four years ago.”
Silence.
“That is a lie,” Marcus said. He’d shifted back to human form. “More fabricated evidence.”
“These are official pack records. Stolen from the archives.” Sage handed them to the elder. “Daniel Cross was murdering wolves who opposed his expansion into Seattle territory. Richard Blackwood discovered the murders and was investigating with help from Thomas Monroe. Daniel killed Richard and framed Thomas to cover his crimes.”
The elder read through the documents. His face went pale.
“This can’t be,” he whispered. “Daniel Cross was a respected Alpha.”
“Daniel Cross was a murderer. And Marcus is his grandson seeking revenge.” Sage pointed at Marcus. “He’s been planning this for years. Embezzling money. Hiring hunters. Poisoning Kade. All to avenge his grandfather.”
“She’s lying,” Marcus said. But his voice was weak now. Uncertain.
“The dates match,” the elder said. “The seals are authentic. These records were sealed after Daniel’s death.” He looked at Marcus. “Is this true? Are you Daniel Cross’s grandson?”
Marcus didn’t answer.
“Answer him,” Kade said. He managed to stand. He was swaying but upright. “Tell them the truth.”
“My grandfather was innocent,” Marcus said finally. “He was framed. Richard Blackwood was the real murderer and Thomas Monroe helped him.”
“That is not what these records show,” the elder said.
“Then the records are wrong!” Marcus’s voice rose. “My family has been dishonored for twenty-four years because of lies. I’m taking back what should have been ours.”
The pack was murmuring now. Marcus’s supporters were backing away from him, even his inner circle looked shocked.
“You used us,” one of them said. “You lied about everything.”
“I did what was necessary,” Marcus snarled. “This pack should have been mine. My grandfather’s legacy should have continued through me, instead the Blackwoods took it. Well not anymore.”
He shifted back to wolf form and lunged at Kade.
But Kade was ready this time, even weakened by the wolfsbane, even barely able to stand, he met the attack.
They collided one last time.
And this time when they hit the ground, only one of them got back up.