Chapter 20: Chapter Twenty

Tyler Trip

I hobbled away from the three unconscious humans, barking an order at the remaining enforcers to join Sarah. They scurried off, throwing lingering glances my way as I grimaced.

The blade from the Sun Warrior had buried itself deeper into my flesh than I’d first realized. The wound was bleeding profusely and my right leg was almost entirely numb.

I grunted and shook the leg, trying to stir some sensation.

I forced myself towards the southern border, my mind filled with thoughts of Caroline and the three gunshots that had rung out just moments before.

My stomach twisted for her, the thought of her family being hurt was unbearable. She wouldn’t be able to handle such a loss.

The forest was eerily silent as I hobbled through it, pausing every few steps to lick at the wound and try to stimulate the healing process.

I could feel a deep tear beneath the skin that wasn’t going to heal quickly.

The sound of a wolf’s footsteps approached and I turned to see Theo. As a wolf, he was sturdy with a patchwork of black and gray fur.

He halted a few feet away, his eyes unblinking as he stared me down.

When he didn’t lower his gaze or his muzzle, I growled to assert my dominance. But he held his ground, only conceding a single step backward.

I let out a growl in earnest, pressing my ears close to my skull, puffing myself up to my full height as I snapped and snarled.

Theo didn’t flinch from my gaze, refusing to submit to me.

There was only one reason he could resist bowing his head to me: his loyalty was no longer mine.

I growled again, and this time, he growled back. He no longer saw me as his alpha. His loyalty was with Ryan; it probably always had been.

I shifted and Theo followed suit. His eyes were less confrontational in his human form, but his defiance remained.

“He’s on his way,” I said, my voice tight.

Theo nodded. “Yes.”

I felt my jaw clench. “You stayed to pick the perfect moment, didn’t you? Stayed to call him to challenge me when it was most inconvenient.”

Theo’s eyes were so hard I wondered if I had ever really known my head scout. Had I paid him enough attention?

“Ryan should be the alpha of the pack, Trip. It’s not personal. He’s willing to do anything for this pack and—”

“I don’t give a damn,” I cut him off. “The pack is mine.”

“Even if you’re not what’s best for it?”

“And Ryan is?” I shot back. “What did he do that was so fucking great while I was off fighting for our kind at war?”

Theo bristled. “You wouldn’t understand because you chose the cause over the pack.”

I recoiled. “Is that the kind of crap Ryan feeds you, Theo? There wouldn’t be a pack if I hadn’t chosen the cause. If we’d lost the war, our entire species would have been wiped out.”

Theo shrugged me off. “Ryan was here when it mattered to me.”

“Fair enough,” I retorted, “but you didn’t have to go behind my back like this.”

“I’ll also do whatever it takes for the pack,” he confessed.

His admission made me pause. “What exactly did Ryan make you do?” I asked, frowning.

He was so different. The Theo I knew before the war had always been engaged. He’d been fun-loving and charismatic. This Theo hadn’t even come to say hello when I’d returned.

Theo’s face twitched. “I did what was necessary to keep the pack safe.”

“Theo…,” I murmured, taking a step closer with my hand outstretched. “What did Ryan make you do?”

Theo growled and backed away. “I’m sorry, Trip, but you can’t have this pack.”

He shifted back into his wolf form and disappeared into the trees. I watched him go, muttering a few curses under my breath before I turned my attention to my shoulder.

My entire right side was soaked in blood now and my arm hung limply at my side. The wound was deep and gruesome.

Deciding I was faster on two legs rather than limping on four, I headed into the woods, only pausing when I passed an outpost to grab a pair of shorts.

It took all my strength to head north. I could only hope that Caroline’s family was safe and that she was with them.

***

Ryan was waiting for me in the center of town.

He spread his arms wide when I approached. “Tyler,” he greeted, “it’s good to see you, buddy.”

I gritted my teeth. “Where have you been hiding, Ryan? What unfortunate town did you inflict yourself on?”

“Oh, I wasn’t far,” Ryan replied, his smile widening. “You know why I’m here.”

I was slowly becoming aware of the people around me. My pack was gathering to watch.

Jackie was among the crowd, her brown eyes wide and worried. Bennie was there, too, standing near the back as he chewed on a thumbnail.

“What are you here for, Ryan? You are banned from my territory.”

Ryan smiled coolly. “I’m here to challenge you for your position as alpha of this pack.”

“You have that right,” I said grimly.

Ryan’s eyes were feverish. “I do,” he agreed, “and as the challenger, I also have the right to choose when we fight.”

His eyes dropped to my wounded shoulder and the trail of blood that reached the waistband of my shorts. “And I choose now.”

A few people shouted out insults, declaring it was cowardly to fight while the pack was under attack and while I was injured.

I thought it was a smart strategy…and far beneath my childhood friend.

I nodded. “Standard rules apply,” I rumbled.

“Trip—” Jackie started.

I held up a hand. “We fight hand-to-hand, no seconds, until one of us concedes or dies. Winner takes the title of alpha and control of the pack.

“There will be no interference, no one else will be involved. Just me and you, Ryan. That’s it.”

Ryan cracked his knuckles and rolled his shoulders once. I tried not to think of the flare of pain in my shoulder. “If you concede, you go,” he added boldly. “You leave the pack and never come back.”

I locked eyes with him, and he didn’t look away. “You know I wouldn’t stick around, Ryan.”

His face flickered for a moment, but he quickly masked it and we began to circle each other, like predators.

I tried to move the fingers on my right hand, but the pain was so intense I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out. My right arm was out of commission, and the thought made my stomach twist.

I let out a low growl, trying to push away the fear and doubt so I could take Ryan down.

He growled back, earning cheers from the wolves in my pack who were rooting for my defeat. I took note of their faces and committed their names to memory.

“Do something!” someone yelled.

Ryan lunged at me with a wicked grin, crashing into my injured shoulder. I cried out as I hit the ground, the pain in my arm making my vision blur.

Jackie screamed my name and Bennie held her back, his eyes hard as he watched me fall.

Ryan was on top of me in an instant, still grinning as he grabbed my wounded shoulder and hoisted me off the ground. I gasped and cried out as he dug his thumb into the knife wound.

“Come on, Ty,” he taunted, “you’re a big, tough alpha.”

I growled and tried to swat him away with my left hand, but he easily dodged my clumsy attempt.

Nausea swirled in my stomach as his finger dug deeper into my wound. Soon, I couldn’t feel my right arm at all.

Ryan leaned in close, whispering in my ear. “I’m going to kill you now, Trip.”

As soon as he pulled back, I slammed my head into his, splitting the skin above his eyebrow. Blood poured down his face, closing his left eye, and he loosened his grip on my shoulder.

I pushed him off and charged, wrapping my arms around his waist and slamming him to the ground, making sure his head took the brunt of the impact.

He howled and swung at me, hitting my jaw. I shook it off and punched him in the cheek, hard enough to split the skin on my knuckles.

Ryan blinked, momentarily stunned, as he tried to clear the blood from his eyes.

I growled, encouraged by the howls of my pack. I wrapped my left hand around his throat and squeezed, watching as his face turned from red to purple to blue.

He tried to buck me off, but I bore down, using all my weight to keep him pinned.

Suddenly, Ryan shifted beneath me, transforming into a whirl of fur and claws and teeth.

I was thrown off as he changed forms, and when I hit the ground, pain shot through my shoulder.

I coughed up dirt and tried to prop myself up on my left arm, looking over at Ryan, who was now standing tall in his wolf form. He shook his massive head as he took deep breaths.

“Shift, Trip!” Bennie yelled.

The rest of the pack joined in, but I shook my head. I couldn’t shift with my arm in this condition.

As a human, I was at a disadvantage. As a wolf, I would be doomed. If I couldn’t walk on my front leg, I would be easy prey.

I struggled to my feet, took a deep breath, and prepared myself for the new challenge. I had to fight Ryan in his wolf form as a human, and with only my left arm.

Blood was still oozing from the knife wound, made worse by Ryan’s probing fingers. I held my injured arm behind me, trying to ignore it as I focused on using my left.

Ryan paced in front of me, his tail swinging low as he grinned. He knew he had the upper hand.

“You’ve always been a coward, Ryan,” I shouted. “You never made a move unless I was right in front of you.

“You were always too scared to throw the first punch or make the first move. You were too afraid to enlist with me. You left me alone at the recruitment table and—”

Ryan growled and took a step closer.

I swallowed hard. “It’s a good thing you never made it to the front lines,” I taunted. “You would’ve wet yourself at the things I saw. At the horrors of war.

“You would have disgraced yourself, let me down, and failed this pack.”

Ryan lunged and I dodged.

“You were a coward then, Ryan, and you’re a coward now. Choosing to fight me while there are intruders in our territory. Fighting me only when I’m injured.”

There was a murmur of disapproval from the crowd. I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter though, Ryan, because cowards are easy to fight. Every punch they throw reeks of desperation.”

His glare intensified.

“Coward,” I taunted softly. “That’s all you’ll ever be remembered as.”

Ryan lunged with a howl, and I braced for impact. His front paws hit my bare chest and he dug his claws into my skin, snarling in my face as he pushed me to the ground.

I hit the ground shoulder-first and used all my strength to kick him off, sending him rolling away.

I got to my feet in a cloud of dust, crouching as my pack cheered. Ryan had slid a few feet away and was slowly getting up, snapping his jaws in frustration.

My chest was bleeding, my arm was numb, but adrenaline was coursing through my veins.

Jackie screamed as Ryan lunged again, this time easily pinning me down and sinking his teeth into my shoulder without hesitation.

I screamed until my throat was raw, but he just bit down harder, shaking his head violently.

I blacked out for a moment, coming to with Ryan looming over me, his jaws dripping with my blood. My childhood best friend was gone. My rival was gone. All that was left was a predator.

I tried to crawl away, but he placed a heavy paw on my chest and dragged me back. My bare back scraped against every rock and twig on the ground.

“Fuck,” I cursed, looking at the wound. I could see the white of my bone through the torn flesh. My stomach lurched and I had to swallow back bile.

Ryan laughed and I punched him in the throat, causing him to cough.

While he was distracted, I pulled myself away. My wound was bleeding heavily, and my vision blurred as blood pooled on the ground beneath me, staining the grass and dirt red.

“Tyler!” Jackie screamed. “Tyler, are you okay?”

I couldn’t answer her. I had to focus all my energy on staying conscious and blocking out the excruciating pain in my shoulder. By the time I managed to get to my feet, Ryan had recovered.

He paced back and forth, his lips pulled back in a snarl. His fangs were stained with my blood. A sense of dread took root in my chest as I watched him, fully aware of the strength still left in his legs.

Rowan rushed forward, his eyes wide as he took in the sight of my shoulder and then Ryan. I gave a slight shake of my head, feeling the grief settle in my stomach.

Rowan shook his head in return and yelled something, but my hearing had become muffled. He glanced over his shoulder, and when he turned back, panic was etched on his face.

Following his gaze, I saw the top of Grant’s head as he sprinted up the mountainside, parting the crowd with ease, Han at his side.

Then I saw her.

Caroline was cradled in Grant’s arms. Her thigh was ripped open, the leg itself a sickly purple. Blood was trickling down her leg and dripping onto the ground. Grant was smeared with it.

Her head lolled in his arms and my knees gave out.

I collapsed to the ground, my vision blurring as I watched Jackie sprint towards Caroline, followed by Bennie and Rowan.

She wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be if they were rushing to give her medical attention.

I didn’t feel the ground as I was slammed against it, and I barely felt Ryan’s teeth as they sank into the flesh of my side.

None of the screams or warnings reached my ears as Ryan savagely attacked me, tearing into my flesh with sharp teeth and hard nails.

I closed my eyes, thinking of Caroline; her wild red hair and freckled nose.

~“Do you think we can learn to love each other?”~

Why hadn’t I told her how much I admired her then? Why hadn’t I expressed how the past month with her had wiped away years of nightmares?

How she was the strongest woman I knew, the most considerate, and the most loyal.

Why hadn’t I told her that I thought of her when we were apart, worried about her safety, and saw her face before I fell asleep?

Why hadn’t I told her that I was in love with her?

There was a brief pause in Ryan’s assault. I opened my eyes and heard a collective sigh of relief from the crowd. They had thought I was dead.

Ryan loomed over me, now in his human form. His face was twisted with anger, grief, and triumph. “Who’s weak now?” he spat.

I swung my hand upward, hitting him hard enough in the chest that he was thrown backward.

The crowd fell silent as I somehow managed to stand despite my injuries. I forced my battered body forward and crouched over Ryan.

I had nothing left to say to him as I pounded my fist into his face over and over, not stopping until every one of my knuckles was as broken as his jaw. His eyes were streaming with tears and his nose was running.

“Trip!” Ryan gasped.

I grabbed his collar and slammed his head against the ground. The crowd jeered.

“Tyler!” he grunted.

I stood and stomped on his shin, breaking the bone. He screamed and writhed, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe through his dislocated jaw.

I reached down and hoisted him up by the collar again, my stomach churning as his head lolled.

“Ty…,” he whispered.

For a moment, I was transported back in time. Back to when Ryan and I were kids, causing trouble for the pack elders and laughing about it late into the night when we were supposed to be asleep.

I remembered Ryan standing by my side at my parents’ funeral. I remembered our first day of high school, coaching each other through our first encounters with girls.

I remembered Ryan’s advice when I first met Del and how kind he had been to her. I remembered training with Ryan, studying with him, laughing with him.

I remembered the day Del died. How Ryan had wrapped his arms around me and stopped me from running into the flames after her.

He had prevented me from throwing my life away after she was already long gone. I remembered him holding me afterward while I cried, and he had cried with me.

“Enough,” I commanded harshly, “that is ~enough.~”

He was crying now. “I concede.”

There was a murmur throughout the crowd as I dropped Ryan to the ground. “Kill him anyways!” someone shouted.

“Enough!” I roared. “This is over!”

I turned slowly, locking eyes with everyone who was gathered. Some shrank back, some glared, and others smiled with pride.

I straightened up to my full height, lifting my chin as I panted heavily.

“Anyone who sided with Ryan Stellar leaves with him.” There was a stunned silence. “There is no room for traitors here.”

I didn’t turn around again. I didn’t want to watch Ryan struggle to his feet or Theo rush to help him.

Nor did I spare a glance at those who hadn’t been loyal to me, now forced to abandon their lives.

I limped slowly and steadily towards my house, accepting each “Congratulations” with gritted teeth.

Rowan met me at the door as I approached the porch, quickly descending the steps to support me. I was grateful that he took as much of my weight as he could.

“Damn, Tyler,” he cursed, “you’re a mess.”

“Where is she?” I grunted.

“Inside,” Rowan replied, helping me up each step. My body trembled with the effort it took to walk and stay upright.

The house fell silent as I entered. Bennie and Jackie watched my every move with wide eyes, and Jackie took my hand as I passed her. I didn’t have the energy to squeeze back.

Keegan and Lux were huddled together in the corner of the kitchen, their eyes heavy as they watched me approach. Keegan nodded his head in a sign of respect.

Aaron wasn’t there. I assumed he was still securing the territory with Sarah.

Caroline was laid out on the kitchen table. Her face was turned away from me and her injured leg was propped up.

She was drenched in her own blood and her skin was a ghastly purple from the loss of it.

Han was sitting at her side, pressing a cloth to the back of her neck and occasionally stroking her hair. His dark eyes were bloodshot.

Grant was leaning against the counter. He seemed to be looking through his sister rather than at her. His hands were red and his front was soaked in blood from carrying Caroline.

My throat closed up.

“She was shot,” Rowan murmured.

I pushed away from him and reached for Caroline, taking her hand despite Han’s low growl. It was cold… So unlike the woman whose skin was always warm to the touch.

Her skin was pale; the sun-kissed glow was gone.

“So much blood,” I whispered.

“The bullet hit an artery,” Grant said gruffly.

I swallowed. “Is she…?”

“Han, how is she?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

“She’s okay,” Han replied, his voice sharp. “She’s going to pull through.”

I felt the room spin a little.

Rowan reached out, his hand firm on my shoulder. “Trip, you need to rest.”

“Who did this?” I asked, my voice shaky. “Who shot her?”

“Moray.”

A growl rumbled in my chest, my inner wolf stirring, itching to break free.

“I’m going to make him pay,” I vowed, the taste of revenge bitter on my tongue. “Every single human who dared to invade my mountain will pay.”

“Trip,” Jackie’s voice was soft, soothing. She reached out to me, her image blurring as my head started to spin. “Tyler?”

“I’m going to make him pay,” I repeated, my voice a mere whisper. I leaned forward, wanting to hold Caroline’s hand again.

Suddenly, there was a shout, and the floor seemed to rush up to meet me. My head hit the edge of the table on the way down. Jackie’s voice echoed in my ears, calling my name as my vision blurred and then everything went black.