Declan stood. “I say those tests were not accurate.” Then he sat.
A hush fell over the chamber. The type of hush that dragged out, stretching to a thin wire that vibrated with every heartbeat in the room. Even the Kozlovs had gone quiet, eyes glittering like predatory insects in the gallery. Beside me, Savannah’s hand curled into a fist, the knuckles gone white against the black of her dress.
The Councilwoman finally lifted her head, lips already pursed in a verdict.
“Council will now render its judgment,” she said, and the timbre of her voice was all the warning I needed.
“For the separation and nullification of the disputed mate bond, as proposed by the Eastern and Midwestern Kingdoms are as follows. The witches' votes are split; three aye, one nay. Vampires are split; the West aye, the East nay. Wolves are split; two aye, two nay. Demons are, aye. Angels are a nay.”
Her gaze was cold as a morgue’s drawer. “The ayes have it. As per Council law, Savannah Calloway’s mate mark will be stripped, and she will be remanded to the custody of King Dominic Madison pending further review.”
A sound like a punctured lung went up in the gallery—shocked indrawn breath, then the hiss of a hundred minor predators relishing the kill.
Guards moved at once. Two advanced on Savannah, hands out, their eyes fixed not on her but on me. I felt the wolf in my blood rise, claws prickling at the beds of my nails, every bone in my body shouting for release. But the next moment, everything went cold, then brilliantly, terribly clear. I heard a voice—not my own, not even the beast’s, but older than either. It said:She is yours. The Council does not matter. Remember who you are.
I stood up before the guards could reach her. The entire chamber tilted on its axis.
“I invoke ancient law,” I said, my voice ringing through the stones.
Every head turned. The guards froze.
“I challenge Dominic Madison for the right to my mate,” I said. “By ritual combat. Witnessed. Final. No substitutions. You know the words.”
The Council Chairwoman’s face drained of blood, and for a moment I thought she might faint. Instead, she turned to the scroll at her elbow and scanned it with trembling hands.
“There has not been a challenge in a hundred and fifty years,” she said.
I ignored her. “But there is precedent.”
Bronc was on his feet now, every muscle wound tight. Rafe looked at me, not with shock, but with a kind of raw pride. Juliet grinned—she was the only one.
Dominic rose to the bait at last. He stood, face darkening, fists balled at his sides.
“I accept the challenge,” he said.
Declan tried to interrupt, looking at Dominic. “Youdorealize what that means, don’t you? The winner takes all. Kingdom. Power. Life. Are you prepared to lose?”
“Too late. He already accepted. I came here prepared to die,” I told Dominic. “Didyou?”
All the color washed from his face.
The Chairwoman tried to reassert control. “This is most irregular. There are—”
Rafe interrupted her with a wave of his hand. “Youknowthe law. It supersedes even the Council. The challenge is binding.”
Kazimir Kozlov spoke up, voice as soft as falling ash. “You should allow it, Madam. Else we will. And your precious Council will look quite foolish.”
She nodded once, defeated. “So be it. The challenge will be held in three days’ time. This will allow everyone time to travel to King Dominic’s estate where the challenge will occur on the battlefield there. No weapons allowed, but those the Goddess gave you. The result is final, as it is a fight to the death. Savannah will remain with her current pack until the challenge is decided.”
The guards retreated, not quite sure where to stand. Savannah sagged into her chair, stunned, eyes wide. When she looked at me, there was fear, but also something like awe.
Dominic smirked, but the confidence was gone from his eyes. He was a wolf, but I saw the man in him, saw the cracks.
Declan slumped back in his seat, jaw working, but he said nothing. For the first time, he looked mortal.
I took Savannah’s hand again. The tremor was gone.
“We have a few more days,” I said. “Eat. Rest. Whatever comes next, I want you strong.”
