Karik's gaze locked on me, and I saw the exact moment he processed it. Saw the disbelief, the rage, the humiliation of losing his prize to someone he considered beneath him.
"Prove it," he snarled.
I reached back without breaking eye contact, my hand finding Ellie's arm, pulling her gently forward until she stood beside me. Close enough for him to see. I reached up and carefully moved her hair aside, revealing the bite mark I'd left on her skin.
The proof was undeniable.
For a heartbeat, I thought Karik might actually lunge at us right there. His entire body went rigid, muscles coiling, lips pulling back from his teeth. Several of his wolves moved forward, ready to follow if he gave the command.
Then he took a breath, and I watched him force control back into place. When he spoke, his voice was ice.
"When?"
"Just after you left last time," I said evenly.
"Convenient." The word dripped with venom. "How interesting that you managed to mate her mere days after our agreement. How fortunate."
"The bond chose," I said, holding his stare. "As it always does."
"The bond," Karik repeated, his voice mocking now. "Of course. The sacred bond. How could I possibly argue with that?" He turned his attention to Rivik, and the false politeness was gone entirely. "You arranged this. You knew I was coming, knew I had a claim, and you had her mated to prevent it."
"I followed pack law," Rivik said calmly. "As did Daska. Mated females cannot be claimed by unmated males. You know this."
"Pack law," Karik spat. "You hide behind pack law while breaking every agreement we made. You promised me access to the human female. You promised compensation for my losses. And now you tell me she is mated.”
"And as she is mated to a member of my pack, she is under my protection," Rivik said, his voice hardening. "That is all you need to know."
"Your protection." Karik laughed, harsh and bitter. "How noble. How honourable." He took a step forward, and I felt our own warriors tense in response. "You're weak, Rivik. You've always been weak. Too concerned with honour and law to do what's necessary. Your pack is dying. You need females, as do I. And yet you give a breeding female to a bear shifter."
"I gave away nothing that was mine to give," Rivik said quietly. Too quietly.
I knew that tone. Knew what it meant.
Karik heard it too. His expression shifted, predatory satisfaction creeping into his features. "Then perhaps it's time for new leadership. Leadership that understands what's necessary for survival."
The challenge hung in the air, unmistakable even though he hadn't spoken the formal words yet.
Around us, both packs reacted—snarls, growls, the shuffle of feet as warriors prepared for violence. I felt Ellie press closer to my side, felt her terror through the bond like a physical weight as she understood the threat against Rivik. If circumstances were different I might have smiled. Rivik thought that Ellie couldn’t sense the bond between them, but even I could feel the way she was simply aware of his presence, her fear for his safety, the draw she felt to him. It still broke my heart we couldn’t share her like other pack members might, but I understood his position. Now though, I watched his response to Karik.
Rivik stood perfectly still, his gaze locked on Karik, and I saw the calculation happening behind his eyes. Saw him weighing options, considering outcomes, preparing for what came next.
"If you wish to challenge my authority, Karik, then speak the words. Make it formal so all can witness."
"Oh, I'll speak them," Karik said, his smile returning. "I challenge your right to lead. I challenge your strength, your wisdom, your fitness to guide this pack. And when I defeat you,when you're bleeding in the dirt at my feet, I will take what should have been mine from the start."
His eyes found Ellie again, and the look in them made my skin crawl. Karik had come for Ellie and he had come for blood, and he would have it one way or another.
"Challenge-" Rivik said flatly.
"No."
I stepped forward, putting myself between Rivik and Karik, and felt every eye in the clearing lock on me. Rivik's hand shot out, gripping my shoulder. "Daska—"
"It's my right." I didn't look at him, keeping my eyes fixed on Karik. "She's my mate. My responsibility. Mine to defend."
"I claim right of combat as Ellie's mate," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. "By pack law, when a mated female is threatened, her mate has first right to defend her. You want her, Karik? You go through me first."
I felt Ellie's horror spike so sharply it made my chest ache. She was afraid for me. I hated that she was afraid, but I knew she’d really only seen one side of me. The skirmish at the river when we met had been nothing more than a tussle, but this would be more.
