Page explained a little bit about her visit with the witch and thankfully, Allie was just as eager to believe it as Page was. She wanted Randall to be okay, so both women found it easier to believe a woman that neither one of them really knew. She had been right before, so Page believed her more than she possibly should have.
Allie said that she was going to go talk to Ben. She wanted Page to come with her, but Page was hesitant and then they both were. There was no telling how her older brother was going to act. Ben had a reputation of taking things too far. Page knew enough, so she tried her best to dissuade Allie from going. She was convinced that they could find him without getting Ben involved with no idea ahead of time what he was going to do.
“Trust me, I know Ben. He is hard to deal with, but he loves us, and he would know if something happened to Randall.”
Page wasn't as sure if she believed it or not, but Allie’s optimism started to rub off on her. Page didn't want to think of how things could be about to go completely wrong. She wanted things to go right. Everything had been going wrong lately and all she could figure to herself was that she needed to have a little bit of faith, even if it was for nothing.
Since Allie was so convinced that her brother Ben would be someone they could go to, all Page could do was go along with it. The thing was, she didn't want to be there when it happened. Instead, she stayed back where she’d found Allie staying. Alliewas going to find out whatever information she could, and then come back and tell her. Page was a nervous wreck, sure that something was going to happen. As much as she was trying to fight the nerves that refuse to be ignored, Page wondered again if she was doing the right thing.
Page waited impatiently to find out where Randall was. She needed him badly and was desperate to see him again. It felt like there had been so much time that had passed, but now the two of them were sure to be put back together. Page couldn’t wait for it. It would be better than ever, but she didn’t want to wait. It was what she hoped for anyway, really not knowing at all how it was going to go. Nonetheless, her fingers were crossed.
Chapter 19
Randall
Randall got up the next morning from some of the best sleep of his life. While he had stressed that he could lose and Page would be left to fend for herself, it was only because Ben had gotten into his head. That’s all it was or rather, all he could make of it. He wanted Ben to believe in him and know that he would be okay, but that didn’t seem to be the case. Ben had made him doubt himself and now he wasn’t sure who he should put his faith into. Knowing that one way or another it would end that morning though, made the sun brighter and the feel of the day more special. It was all just how it was supposed to be.
He was reminded right away though, that he had a fight in less than an hour and he wasn’t prepared. How could he be, when he had been in a cell for months? He hadn’t been able to do much of anything in the small, confined space. He needed to stretch and get ready. Randall had a lot riding on the fight. It was a fight to the death most of the time, though the winner could decide to spare the other. Randall wondered if he would or not. He imagined that he would, but he had no idea what was going to happen, until it happened.
Ben came to see him and again, he tried to get him to back out of it.
“If I didn’t know any better, brother, I would think that you didn’t have faith in me.”
Ben agreed, “I have faith that you will lose, and I don’t want to lose my brother. It’s really that simple.”
Simple or not, it wasn’t something that Randall wanted to hear. He had hoped that his brother would see that he was serious, and he would succeed. “Why is it so hard to believe that I can win?”
Ben sighed. “It’s not a bad thing you know. You just don’t have it in you. You’re not a murderer.”
Randall didn’t think that his brother knew what he was capable of for Page. Randall was sure that he would win, he had to. There was no other way for it to work. Randall wanted to tell his brother off and convince him, but Randall wasn’t convinced. He really wasn’t good at it. He didn’t like fighting.
“Do you really think I am going to lose?” Randall wondered aloud. He shouldn’t have asked, didn’t want an honest answer, but Randall must have thought that it would somehow all work out. How, he had no idea, but somehow.
Ben refused to let him pretend, even for a moment. “Yes, you are going to get taken down and I don’t know if I can watch it. Once it starts, I won’t be able to stop it and if I do stop the fight, it will look bad on us both.”
“Then don’t stop anything, Ben. You really shouldn’t have come if you were just coming in to psych me out. I don’t need that. I am already freaked out enough.”
Ben said he was sorry, but he didn’t back down. It was going to be a mess and if Randall didn’t work it out soon, he would be stuck in that loop forever.
After he left, Randall was uneasy and trying his best to not focus on what was said. It was hard for him to think of much else and he knew then that his brother was right. He was a failure and that was the only ending that he had to look forward to.
He had a small breakfast and went to the cliffs where the fight was going to be after that. He got there a few minutes early and was greeted by half the clan already there. He was Alpha’s brother, so, of course, people wanted to know what was going on with him. He had disappeared and gossip had been swirling about Randall ever since. Most of the people there didn't even know that there was a fight, only that they heard something about Randall coming back.
Randall was beloved by most of the clan and when it became clear that he was there to fight Ethan, not even one of their own, Randall was quickly deemed the favorite that had to win. It was nice to have people believe in him and root for him. He wished that his brother could have been as supportive, but that obviously wasn't going to happen. Ben was nowhere to be seen, though he would be there soon enough.
Ethan made a big show of coming out. He was a pretty big guy, and Randall did feel like there wasn't much to be done. As much as he wanted to believe that everything was going to turn out okay, deep down he knew better. There was a big part of him that worried. Ethan had his shirt off and Randall was just as muscular, but Ethan had marks going down his side like he was counting something. Randall's imagination took off and, of course, he started to believe that each line meant a death and that would mean that Ethan was nothing short of a serial killer. A very prolific one at that.
It was then that Ben decided to appear, and Randall didn't want to look at his brother. He didn't want to see the “I told you so” look on his face. The whole time, Ben had told him again andagain that he needed to get out of the fight. He had even offered to let him run, something that was a source of embarrassment, but still it had been suggested. It meant that Ben really had loved him and wanted him to not be sacrificed. Ben had tried to save him and all he had done was be upset that he hadn't supported his ignorant ideas. There was no going back now; he didn't even know if he would if he could. His brother was trying to help him, he’d tried. He’d just wanted him to live. Why hadn't Randall listened?
The crowd was getting bigger, and they were also losing patience. With all of them around, Randall knew that he didn't have too long to wait. Much as he wanted to believe that it was all going to work out, Randall knew then that it wasn't. Right then, moments before the fight started, Randall knew that he wasn't going to win. It was an overwhelming feeling. While he should have felt sorry for himself, he didn't think of himself at all. He was thinking about Page. What would happen if she was found? Randall asked Ethan to promise one thing.
Ethan smiled like it was funny for him to make any kind of request. Maybe it was. “You shouldn't be showing how futile you think the fight is.” What was Randall thinking? “What do you wish to ask of me, right before I take you out?”
Randall hated how cocky Ethan was and how he very well could be right. Randall shouldn’t have come there. He should have listened to his brother. Ben was right and Randall was filled with regret that did him no good.
“Just take care of her, that's all I'm asking. If this does not go the way I planned, I only ask that you take care of her. Page is worth more than any other woman you will ever find,” Randall said.
Ethan waved him off. “She's not really as loyal as I would hope. Someone in my position needs to have a woman that knows how to stay close to the man she is with. I can't say for certain that Page understands loyalty. She is beautiful though. Maybe with the right training she could be worth something.”
