I didn't look away from Karik. His expression had shifted from amusement to something darker.
"Well," he said slowly. "That's unexpected." He tilted his head, studying me like I was a puzzle he was trying to solve. "You'd fight me? The healer?"
"Yes."
"For her?"
"Yes."
He looked at Ellie, then back at me, and something cold settled into his features. "You'll die."
"Maybe. But you'll have to kill me to get to her." I was gambling, and I knew it. But Rivik had far too much faith inlaw and justice. The alpha in front of us used the politics and niceties of wolf shifter society as long as they served him, but underneath, he was a killer, and I could see it clearly, even if Rivik couldn’t. The only thing that Karik understood was violence.
"The bear wants to fight," Karik said, and his wolves laughed. Low, mocking sounds that echoed across the clearing. "How touching. How noble. You're braver than I gave you credit for, bear."
"Enough talk," I said, surprised by how calm I sounded when everything inside me was screaming. The bear was pushing against my skin, demanding release, demanding blood. "Accept the challenge or walk away."
"Daska, please…" Ellie's voice broke behind me, and I felt her hand clutch at my arm. Through the bond, her fear was overwhelming, drowning out everything else. I covered her hand with mine, trying to pour every reassurance I had through the bond.I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. But this is the only way I can truly protect you.
Her fingers tightened on my arm for one more moment, then released. I felt her step back, felt the physical distance open between us even as the bond kept us tethered together. She was giving me space to fight.
I love you.The thought came unbidden, clear and certain, and I wondered if she could feel it through the bond. I'd never said the words aloud, had been too afraid, too uncertain. Now I might not get the chance.
I turned back to Karik and found him watching me with that predatory focus that made my bear snarl in response.
"It seems a waste,” said Karik. “You could have lived, healer. Could have found some other female to warm your furs. But you've chosen death instead." He smiled, showing too many teeth. "How romantic."
I didn't dignify his words with a response. Instead, I rolled my shoulders, feeling the tension coil through my muscles, and let the bear rise closer to the surface. Not shifting yet but letting it wake fully, letting its strength flood through me.
His smile widened, and I saw genuine pleasure in his eyes now. He wanted this. Wanted the excuse to tear into me, to prove his dominance in the most primal way possible. Part of me wondered if he'd been hoping for exactly this outcome all along.
"I accept your challenge, bear," he said formally, his voice carrying across both packs. "Combat to death. The victor claims the female. But let's make it interesting." His eyes swept across our gathered pack, then back to his own wolves. "One bear against one wolf hardly seems fair. You're larger, stronger. I'd hate for anyone to say you won through an unfair advantage."
My stomach twisted. I knew where this was going.
"So let's even the odds." He gestured to two of his largest warriors, both of whom stepped forward with eager grins. His tone was reasonable, almost friendly. "I propose you allow me to choose two of my wolves to fight beside me. Three against one. That seems more... equitable, don't you think?"
Murmurs rippled through both packs. Some of Rivik's wolves snarled in outrage at the audacity, but others... others looked thoughtful. Worried. Because Karik was right in one sense—a bear against a single wolf wasn't an even match. Size and strength gave me an advantage that couldn't be ignored.
But three wolves? That changed everything.
"Daska, no," Rivik said sharply behind me. "Don't agree to this. It's a trap."
It was. I knew it was. Karik was trying to stack the odds, trying to ensure my death so he could claim Ellie without having to face Rivik directly. Three experienced fighters against one would be brutal, possibly fatal.
But if I refused, he'd call me a coward.
“They are my terms, bear. If you survive—" He paused, letting the word hang. "—then I'll acknowledge the mating and leave. But when you fall, when you're bleeding out in the dirt, the female becomes mine."
Murmurs rippled through both packs. I heard Rivik's sharp intake of breath behind me, felt Ellie's absolute terror spike through the bond.
"No," Rivik said sharply. "That's not—"
"I accept your terms."
CHAPTER 27
ELLIE
