Chapter 38 The champion
RYAN'S POV
Adrian's offer to champion Lisa felt like a deliberate provocation even though I knew rationally that was not his intention.
He was being honorable, offering his strength to protect an ally and friend. But emotionally, the idea of another Alpha fighting for my mate was completely unbearable.
The mate bond that had been dormant for weeks suddenly roared to life with possessive fury that made my wolf snarl inside my chest.
Every instinct I possessed screamed that I should be the one to protect Lisa, to stand between her and any threat, to prove my worth through action instead of failed promises.
I stepped forward before I could second-guess the decision. "No. I am her mate so I will fight for her right to lead this pack."
Lisa's face was completely unreadable as she looked at me. The look on her face was confusing as I could not tell if my offer angered her or touched her or meant absolutely nothing at all.
"You stepped down as Beta because our personal issues were compromising the pack," Lisa said, her voice careful and controlled. "How is this different, Ryan? How is you fighting as my champion any less compromising?"
The question was fair and it cut deep because she was right. "Because this is about you being challenged unfairly," I said, forcing myself to meet her eyes even though I wanted to look away from the doubt I saw there.
"This is not about us or our relationship or the mate bond. This is about Sophia trying to steal what you have earned through your own strength and leadership. Let me do this one thing right, Lisa. Let me fight for you when it actually matters."
The room fell silent after my words. It was as if everybody stopped breathing while waiting for Lisa's response. Nathan looked ready to volunteer himself as an alternative option, his body gingered with readiness.
Daniel watched Lisa carefully, waiting for her decision without influencing it in any direction. Then there was the man of the moment, Adrian, he stood quietly, his offer still on the table and his expression showing no offense at my outburst.
Lisa stayed quiet for a very long time. She looked at each of us in turn, her gaze measuring and thoughtful. When she finally spoke, her words were not what any of us expected.
"The challenge is in three days," Lisa said, her Alpha voice firm despite the exhaustion I could see in the tight lines around her eyes. "I need time to think about who should be my champion. All of you, please leave me alone to process this decision."
It was a dismissal that left no room for argument so we filed out of her office one by one. I tried to catch Lisa's eye as I passed her desk but she deliberately looked away, her attention fixed on papers in front of her that I knew she was not actually reading.
Outside in the corridor, Adrian approached me before I could escape to somewhere private to deal with the emotions tearing through my chest. He moved with the confidence of an Alpha comfortable in his own skin and power.
"I do not want your mate, Blackstone," Adrian said quietly, his voice low enough that only I could hear. "But I do want Lisa. The woman, the Alpha, and friend I have come to respect and care about. If you cannot see the difference between claiming someone through a bond and actually loving them for who they are, you have already lost her."
The words hit me. I wanted to argue, to defend myself, to explain that I did love Lisa for herself and not just because of the mate bond. But the protests died in my throat because Adrian was right. I had spent so long focused on the bond, on what destiny promised, that I had failed to show Lisa I valued her beyond that mystical connection.
"She deserves better than both of us," I said finally, the admission costing me pride I could not afford to hold onto anymore.
"Maybe," Adrian agreed. "But she gets to decide that, not us."
He walked away after that, leaving me standing alone in the empty corridor with nothing but my failures for company.
That night, sleep stayed so far from me. I lay in bed staring at the ceiling and replaying every moment with Lisa, every mistake I had made, every time I had chosen wrong. The mate bond pulsed weakly between us, a reminder of a connection that was breaking because of my own choices.
Somewhere in the pack house, Lisa was making the decision that would determine not just the challenge outcome but possibly the entire future of Moonstone Pack. And I had no idea which of us she would choose or if she would choose anyone at all.
The next morning brought no answers. Lisa avoided all of us, conducting pack business through Daniel and refusing private meetings. She meant her distance and I recognized the strategy. She was creating space to think without being influenced by our presence or emotions.
Nathan found me in the training yard where I was working through combat drills with punishing intensity. My body ached from the work but the physical pain was better than the emotional turmoil.
"She might choose you," Nathan said, watching me strike the practice dummy with force that would have broken ribs on a real opponent.
"Or she might choose you," I countered, not stopping the rhythm of my attacks. "Or Adrian. Or herself."
"Would that be so bad?" Nathan asked. "Lisa fighting her own challenge?"
I stopped mid strike, the question freezing me in place. "It would be dangerous. Sophia is vicious and Lisa has been suppressing the mate bond which weakens her connection to wolf strength. She could lose."
"She could also win," Nathan said quietly. "And prove to everyone, including herself, that she does not need any of us to validate her strength."
The thought terrified me more than I wanted to admit.
Two days before the challenge, Lisa still had not announced her decision. The pack was getting anxious, warriors asking questions about the strategy and preparation. Sophia had sent a formal notice that she would arrive the morning of the challenge with witnesses from three neutral packs.
I was in my quarters when someone knocked. I opened the door to find Lisa standing there looking exhausted but determined.
"Can I come in?" she asked.
I stepped aside wordlessly and she entered, the first time she had been in my space in months. The room suddenly felt too small with her presence filling it.
"I have made my decision about the champion," Lisa said without preamble.
My heart stopped. "Who?"
That night, Lisa dreamed of the challenge but in the dream, it was not Sophia she was fighting. It was herself, her own doubts and fears manifested in physical form. She woke with clarity and certainty. She needed to fight this challenge personally, not hide behind a champion. Whatever happened, she would face Sophia herself and prove her strength on her own terms.