Page 50 of The Alpha's Bullied Mate

She didn’t speak.

The door shut behind them with a loud, final click.

Hayden sucked in a deep breath, steadying himself. A baby. It changed everything, moving forward. Though he had never allowed himself to think about the ‘what if’ of whether Monroe defeated him, now… His wolf growled with renewed determination while his heart hammered.

But was it because of the baby, or because of the way Mica had shown him her doubts?

He checked on Ryder, finding him sleeping peacefully. Tess sat with him and Echo, and she got to her feet when he came in. Her long veil of black hair hid her face as she gazed at the floor.

“How is he?” Hayden asked, nodding toward Ryder.

“He’s developed a mild fever. I gave him some medication and am trying to keep him cool.” Tess’s shoulders slumped forward. “I’ve never seen an injury this bad. Even when Mica got sick, she was never this badly off. Echo hasn’t shown any signs of waking up. I will be giving her a sponge bath soon… but our efforts to keep her hydrated aren’t going to be enough for long.”

Hayden nodded. It was as he expected. Though Mica had found a way to remove the aura-demon from her mother’s body, Echo was already gone.

“If she doesn’t wake by the time the challenge is over, we will have to end her suffering,” he murmured.

Tess flinched. “As you command, Alpha. But if I may speak freely?”

Hayden nodded once.

“That won’t be enough time for Mica. Especially considering your challenge tonight. She is my best friend, and I know she worries for you. The stress of having to care for whatever injuries you receive in the challenge match and lose her mother may be too much.” Tess wrung her hands, sighing. “And I believe that she and Ryder ought to be the ones to make that decision. But of course, your commands will be obeyed.”

“My injuries?” Hayden repeated. She was right about Echo, of course, but his heart sank hearing those words. Had Mica’s doubts infected the rest of the pack?

Tess glanced up at him. “Well… yes. Monroe is a strong fighter. He will injure you before he is defeated.”

Her simple phrasing hit Hayden in the stomach like a punch. She didn’t doubt he’d win. This meant that this random she-wolf had more faith in him than his own mate did! The words Mica had used played over and over in his mind.

She said,I’m being asked to risk everything I love,but was he really part of that? Did she love him, or was he included just because of the mate bond? All this time, could she have just been acting a role, rather than having true affection and reason for standing by his side?

“Monroe said he’d take Mica as his mate if I lose,” he murmured aloud, not meaning to.

Tess’s gaze was clear. “I know. And that’s how I know that you won’t lose. The stakes are far too high.”

They were, indeed.

“Stay with them,” Hayden told her. “But if Mica sends for you, go to her. She is distraught about her mother and brother, and I have work to do.”

He left the room, trying once more to shove aside the fight he’d just had with Mica. Hayden hated that these doubts in their relationship had cropped up now of all times! But he couldn’t let that make him doubt himself. He couldn’t allow this fight to change the outcome of Bluebell Valley’s fate.

If he was going to take care of this pack the way he needed to, then the challenge had to happen. His resolve strengthened as he strode to the training grounds. The rest of the special ops team was there, training various wolves. He shifted to his wolf form, his clothes shredding off in the process. Then he threw his head back and howled.

The rest of the pack gathered around him, adding their voices to his song. Those regulated into the house, either because they were injured or they were caring for the injured, joined in as well.

Mica appeared in the bedroom window. She gazed down, but her lips remained closed.

Hayden wheeled around. He raced from the yard, leading the pack across the salt barrier. His team gathered at his flanks as he led the way through the town. It was eerily quiet, but as they approached the challenge grounds, howls broke out all around them. Dozens of wolves swarmed in from all sides. They ringed the challenge grounds, holding themselves low to the ground as they snarled and growled.

Beside him, Finn growled. Hayden cocked an ear toward him. Finn staggered his growls, turning them into rapid burstslike counting. The message was clear; dozens more wolves were now possessed by the demons.

Which meant this couldn’t happen at any better time.

Hayden threw back his head and howled his challenge. The answering yips and howls were from the wolves ringing the challenge grounds. But where was Monroe? Was he backing out?

Then he appeared, sauntering through the gathered crowd. His wolf had a reddish-brown coat, and the guard hairs along his back gleamed silver in the sunlight. He was a massive beast, one of the biggest Hayden had ever seen. He walked with deliberate grace, as though he didn’t have a care in the world. He even stopped to sniff a flower just before entering the challenge grounds.

It was all a show, meant to make Hayden doubt himself. It wasn’t going to work. Hayden put a carelessness in his own stride as he strode into the challenge grounds. His side of the pack howled their unison support. The special ops team was the loudest of them all.

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