Chapter 219

.

Olivia’s POV

It was dangerous to return to the hotel after what I had done, but as I had so little to my name to begin with, I wasn’t going to leave anything behind. Besides, as far as I could tell, Julian nor anyone loyal to him knew where I was residing exactly.

Even so, I was going to pack my things and move just in case. After a direct attempt on his mate’s life, he wasn’t likely to be patient or kind with me. As I was already exiled, the next in the line of possible punishments was execution.

I wasn’t going to stick around and let him lob off my head.

When I got to my hotel room, I turned on the television, allowing the news to play as I packed my bags.

They covered the debate, and Amber’s fall. They warned people to be on the lookout for me, which was frustrating, though I was kind of used to it by now, after having been on the run for so long.

Then they reported on Tony issuing a challenge to Julian, with the winner become Alpha.

And Julian accepted.

This kind of change of Alpha was an archaic tradition that had mostly been weaned out as technology became more advanced, people became more comfortable and satisfied in their lives, and battles and wars in general were not as prevalent.

Yet the rule had remained possible, even if no one implemented it anymore.

Perhaps Tony could see the shift in public perception same as I had, and his Hail Mary play was to challenge Julian, just as mine had been to kill Amber.

Both of these plans had problems, though I would argue Tony’s was much stupider than mine.

If Amber had died, Julian would have been so devastated, he couldn’t possibly lead anymore.

Tony’s plan required that he physically outmatch Julian. Just looking at the two of them, side by side, told exactly how this challenge would go. Tony was going to get annihilated.

I was halfway packed when the door to my room opened and then slammed closed again. Only Tony had the other key, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard his angry voice.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded. “Why would you push that bitch from the rafters in the middle of my debate?”

“You were losing,” I said. “Julian was winning his pack back. I had to do something to try to stop that.”

“All you succeeded in was earning him more sympathy!”

I wasn’t going to let him speak to me like this, disrespecting me so blatantly.

Turning from my half-packed suitcase, I faced him, my own accusations heavy on my tongue. “And what about you? I heard about your challenge. Did you know that Julian had already bested Alpha Roman, who I will remind you was a trained fighter? You’ve only ever played pretend at being a tough guy, Tony. How are you expecting to win?”

Tony’s face went red with flustered anger. “I had to do something, or we were going to lose everything, no thanks to you.”

“He’s stronger than you, Tony,” I said.

“I’ll think of something,” Tony snapped back. “There has to be something I can do. I can’t let Julian keep winning at everything. He doesn’t deserve it…”

In my opinion, Julian was much more deserving that Tony. But, as Julian had already declared himself to be against me, it would gain me nothing to back him.

Instead, I had to focus on my own horse in this race. The only one who would accept me. Tony.

Tony could say all day long that he would think of something, but I didn’t trust him to think his way out of a wet paper bag, let alone a situation like this. He likely didn’t even know where to begin.

No. Saving us both from this situation had to fall onto me.

Again.

I was more capable than Tony by far, and I was also more desperate. I’d come too far to turn back now.

I wasn’t going to lose everything again.

Amber’s POV

When Julian and I returned home, as soon as we opened the door, Alice came bursting out to hug us.

“I’m so glad you are okay,” she whispered to me, when she had her arms wrapped around me.

“Your dad was protecting me,” I said. “Nothing could hurt me.”

Julian gave me a soft smile.

Meanwhile, Aunt Kathy came to the door. “I’m sorry,” she said. “We watched the debate… I didn’t know it would be so… intense, or I wouldn’t have let Alice see…”

“It’s alright,” I said. “No one could have guessed what would happen.”

“Yes,” Julian said, but glanced at me. “Though we will be having a talk about why you followed Olivia up to the rafters in the first place.”

He’d already said his opinion in the car, that he was worried I would put myself in that position to begin with.

I understood where he was coming from, but just as he had protected me, I had to protect him as well.

Olivia going into an employee only area could only mean trouble. I wasn’t going to let her affect the debate – and Julian’s rule as Alpha – even more than she already had.

I gave him a look which I hoped conveyed my feelings here. That I protected him and would do it again, even at risk to myself.

He disapproved of course, but wouldn’t say so in front of Alice or Aunt Kathy.

“I saw Tony challenge you,” Aunt Kathy said, reclaiming both of our attentions. “I know you don’t have any choice now.”

“I’m sorry, Aunt Kathy,” Julian said. “If there could have been any way to avoid this, I would have done so. I thought the debate might have worked…”

“He’s always been impulsive,” Aunt Kathy said. “But this foolishness is something new with him. He’s so blind, so stubborn, he cannot see the trouble he is causing. Or maybe he simply doesn’t care. I have no idea what has gotten into him.”

I had a few suspicions. Mostly, that Olivia was involved, manipulating him as she had others, like Chase, in the past. He clearly had some pent-up resentment toward Julian, but I couldn’t imagine it turning him into someone violent from the way I was told he used to be. Not without outside influence, anyway.

“Violence, in this case, is now necessary,” Aunt Kathy said. “I fear that a challenge will be the only thing to convince him of his foolishness now. To protect the pack, you must do this, Julian. For all of our sakes, I rescind my request to avoid the challenge.”

“Thank you, Aunt Kathy,” Julian said.

She nodded and turned away, clearly upset. But her permission had been given, and now Julian could focus on what he had to do without worrying about the approval of his closest family members.

Truly, I hoped his family could survive this tear in loyalty between them.

That night, as I was about to crawl into bed for the night, there was a knock on my door. Going to the door, I pulled it open and found Julian standing on the other side.

There was heat in his eyes, and though he didn’t say anything, I knew he wanted.

I wanted it too.

So I opened the door further, wordlessly inviting him in.