Page 77 of Dawn Unearthed

“And I will protect this pack with my life.” Sage’s voice was calm, collected, and firm. “I might be new to all of this, but I want to get to know you. An outside force shielded me from the world of magic. Faith and the other necromancers and whoever’s working with her wanted me kept away from Ravenwood. But I’m here now. I’m going to catch up. I promise I will protect you. I’m learning my magic, and I will use it to safeguard you and this town. You don’t need to push Rome away. I promise I won’t do anything to take him away from you. I will use all of my power to keep you safe.”

My bear preened at her words, and I could see some others nodding as if they saw her strength and felt the passion in her words—her magic. They could likely sense her power, but she couldn’t do anything more right now.

All she could do was wait. But, hopefully, they would see the strength she had and feel the truth of her words.

“This means nothing,” Alden growled. “I call for an alpha challenge. To the death.”

I blinked as someone gasped, and Sage gripped my arm. There were other murmurs, shouts, words. I wasn’t listening to it. Instead, I just looked at my triplet, at my brother, my blood. And I knew I would have to kill him.

Because there was no going back. Magic snapped within me, and the challenge called me forth.

Once you were in a pack circle and someone called for an alpha challenge to the death, there was no going back. One of us would leave the circle alive, the other would be gone forever.

Even in my wildest nightmares, I hadn’t thought Alden would do something like this. I had been wrong. Terribly wrong.

“So be it,” I growled, my bear in my voice.

“Rome,” Sage whispered.

“There’s no choice. You can feel the magic, right? Through the bond?”

“It feels like a vise. It’s so tight.”

“It’s the ways of our people. I’m sorry this is how you’re being introduced to the pack.” I leaned down and kissed her, and she gripped my shoulders, pulling me closer. “Be safe. There’s nothing we can do?” she asked.

“Nothing.”

And I could feel through the bond that she understood. If I didn’t die here today, if these weren’t my last words, I would have to kill my brother.

And I didn’t know who I would become afterward.

Alden stripped off his shirt and slowly crept into the center of the circle. Four men stood beside him, all in his corner. Those were the traitors I would have to deal with. I looked at Trace and Ariel, who nodded, Trace staying beside the witches, and Jaxton, who could do nothing since he wasn’t bear but a shifter of another group. Ariel moved closer to my other trackers and the elders, and I knew they would protect those weaker.

Because if I beat Alden here, it wouldn’t strip out all of the rot. It was only the beginning.

“What do I do?” Sage asked.

“Go stand by Trace. Get the others out if this goes poorly.”

She shook her head, her eyes narrowed. “You mean if you die?”

“Yes. If Alden becomes alpha, he will kill you and anyone else he can. Protect the weak, the cubs. Get Faith. Do all that you can. I need to take care of my brother.”

I kissed her again, even as rage filled her face. I could feel it dancing across the bond, but she simply gave me a tight nod before walking to Trace. Ash and Rowen stared, ready. Jaxton and Laurel had gone to the other side of the circle, and I knew that they would protect those on their side, as well.

We didn’t have to speak. We knew each other so well that it was understood we would do what we could to help those who couldn’t help themselves. I had to push that from my mind, though, and focus on what was in front of me.

Alden, my brother. My challenger. “Are you ready?”

“You didn’t have to do this,” I said. “I don’t understand why you’re doing this.”

“You had everything handed to you. You were alpha, and Trace was beta. What did that leave me? Nothing. You never gave me a chance. You never listened to me. Instead, you went to the witches, the hawks. You listened to everyone else and ignored me. And, in the end, you hurt your pack. We needed you, and you did nothing. Now, you have to reap what you sowed.”

I shook my head and stripped off my shirt. “No, dear brother. It is you who will have to do that.”

“To the death,” Alden growled, his bear in his eyes.

“To the death.”

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