“Didn’t you listen to a word I just said abouthubris?” she askedcalmly.
“Are you afraid to face me?” Liamasked.
I willed her not toaccept.
“You’ll need a Second,” she finallysaid.
Liam wheeled toward us and craned his neck. “Lucas—”
“Don’t fucking ask me to do this, man.” Lucas shook his head so fiercely his black hair flogged his sheet-white jaw. Liam must’ve said something else to him, this time through the mind link, because Lucas growled a loud, unflinching, “Absolutelynot!”
Liam flung his gaze onMatt.
Matt jerked, and then, like Lucas, shook his head. “No.”
Liam’s eyesnarrowed.
A smile lilted Lori’s lips. “Your pack doesn’t seem very confident in yourabilities—”
“Rodrigo?” Annoyance chafed Liam’stone.
Rodrigo’s face glistened with perspiration. “Take her deal,Liam.”
Have faith in me!His voice raged inside myskull.
I clapped my hands against my ears. I wasn’t alone in doingthis.
I can defeat her! She is weak. I can do this! But I have to do itNOW.
A whimper escapedme.
Liam fastened his eyes on mine for a long moment. So much passed between us then. Regret, resentment, disappointment,affection.
Don’t do it, Imouthed.
Finally he spun back around. “I challenge you without aSecond.”
Epilogue
Cassandra drummedher fingers against the bloodied bandage on her thigh. “Dueling without a Second is unheardof.”
“Unheard of but not unlawful,” Liam said, his voice taut with determination. “Besides, it puts me at a disadvantage. You should be jumping at theopportunity.”
Cassandra studied Liam. “I don’tjump. I calculaterisks.”
I frantically scanned the faces of the Boulders surrounding me. Some had gone ghostlypale.
August’s gaze struck mine. “Liam—”
“Don’t even think about giving me advice, Watt,” Liambarked.
I sucked in air, but it seemed devoid of oxygen. I pulled in another breath, and it went down the wrong pipe. I began to cough so hard I thought I would hack out one of mylungs.
Perhaps Liam could defeat Cassandra, but what if hecouldn’t?
Then . . . then she’d . . . she’d eat hisheart.
Not for the first time today, bile shot up my throat. I was about to spin back around when my gaze landed on Alex’s. He was smiling as though he could taste his freedom, as though he sensed his mother wouldn’t walk away from the challenge, as though he knew she’d bevictorious.
