Chapter 9

I stared up at Elroy in shock. To invoke the Alpha—it was the only way to fight someone without their Fated Mate being injured as well, but it was also the most serious of all challenges. It was a gift from the Goddess, a privilege for Alphas alone, but the price for failure was astronomical.

Elroy had to wager his Alpha status on this win. If he lost, he’d be a Beta for the rest of his life.

“I accept,” Damian said firmly, shocking me even further. Was he insane? Elroy was far stronger, and far more ruthless, than Damian would ever be. But then I remembered the overthrow of 1781.

The pack’s name was lost to time, but the Alpha had challenged a Beta and the Beta won. The Moon Goddess changed the Alpha into a Beta for losing, but she also changed the Beta. From that day onward the Beta lived as an Alpha, eventually becoming the Alpha of the entire pack.

A lot of Moonshadow wasn’t sure Damian could be the pack Alpha because of his status. If he won this challenge, that wouldn’t be a problem anymore.

And, I realized, he’d take Elroy’s place as Eclipse’s pack Alpha. He’d rule two packs.

If he won, the city of Lunaris would be in his hand. I could see why someone as power-hungry as him would take that risk.

“Then we will meet at New Moon Square in two hours,” Elroy said, as the waiter detangled himself from the tablecloth. “Oh, and the loser will be paying for any damages incurred by the café.”

“I look forward to our challenge,” was all Damian said. He took Louisa by the waist and led her past us, his shoes crunching on the broken plate. We both watched him for any sudden movements, but he walked out of the café without even looking back.

Oh, I did not like that. The little rat had something up his sleeve and I knew it.

The silence was heavy. With those two gone and the dining area cleared out, the only people there were myself, Damian, and the waiter. I realized I was still on the ground and went to stand.

“…Why didn’t you come to me?” Elroy asked, not looking at me. “I could have helped you with this. Do you not trust me?”

I blinked quickly, looking at his sturdy back. I shouldn’t trust him, after he threatened to imprison me under his castle, but…

“It’s not that,” I sighed. “Damian is my problem, and I should be the one to solve it.” Elroy frowned.

“You’re my Luna,” he said sharply. “Your problems are my problems.”

I knew he could be saying that just because they affected his pack now, but something told me he meant it on a more personal level than that. It felt…kinda nice.

His arms were also nice, I realized as he stepped closer to wrap them around me. My eyebrows shot up into the sky at the unexpected affection. His hands were calloused, but his hold was light.

“I am your Mate,” he sighed into my hair. “I am the father of your child. You have to learn to rely on me, or you’re only going to make more trouble.”

I let myself sag—just a little!—into his hold, deciding that he had earned it. He had saved me from a potential kidnapping, after all, and despite his harsh tone I could tell he had genuine concern. I could only assume that to be an encouraging sign.

“…I’ll come to you with things in the future,” I said. I was genuinely going to try, too. “Now what’s up with all this blood?”

Elroy snickered and backed up, releasing me. “It’s not mine,” he said, “there was just a group of Rogues trying to get into the city. I solved the problem.”

Okay, so they were dead. That did explain the large red patches soaked into Elroy’s clothes.

“It’s not going to be a problem in the challenge,” Elroy assured. “I’ll have that creep screaming for mercy before he gets even one hit in.”

I rolled my eyes, tempted to tell him that Damian made up for his lack of physical strength with an incredible battle sense. He was one of the few Betas who really excelled in training—I swore he could hatch up a plan to fight the stars themselves, and it would work. But I didn’t bother with the warning because, well, I didn’t think Elroy needed it.

No, frankly, the outcome was certain. Damian was smart, and quick on his feet, but he wasn’t going to win. There was nothing there to question, nothing to worry about.

So why was I worried?

Was I…actually concerned about Elroy? I shook my head at myself. That was just stupid—but I couldn’t deny that in the moments I assumed Elroy was injured my heartrate had been twice its normal speed.

It must be because he was the father of my child. A combination of hormones and instinct that told me he was someone I needed to keep around. That had to be it—it certainly wasn’t anything else.

“Are you hurt, Luna?” the teenager asked, clearly very worried. “That woman hit you…”

Elroy growled, and I mentally rolled my eyes.

“Oh, relax,” I said. “I protected my stomach, and this is Louisa we’re talking about. I know you don’t know her, but trust me when I say she has noodle arms, at best.”

Elroy still frowned, but I ignored it. “I’m fine, thank you,” I told the waiter, as if he couldn’t hear what I’d just said to his Alpha. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” the teen said quickly. I smiled at him.

“Good. If you so much as find a bruise I want to know it, alright?” I looked over to Ellory with a wicked smirk.

“We’ll include it in what Damian has to pay for when he loses.”

The new moon symbolized the board wiping clean, the scales rebalancing, and the birth of a new era. That was why New Moon Park was the only acceptable place for a challenge.

Challenges didn’t happen often, let alone challenges involving a pack Alpha, and word had travelled fast. There were far more spectators than I’d thought would gather in just two hours. Then again, this was Elroy’s first official appearance as Eclipse’s Alpha, so maybe it wasn’t so surprising.

Oh, and Damian was getting pummeled, obviously.

To say my heart was in my throat when the two men faced off was an understatement. It’s funny how, even knowing the outcome with a certainty, I was anxious for it to be over with. That was only natural, though—this challenge was going to determine the fate of my Bond.

Also, I was still sure the baby had something to do with it, because I couldn’t deny that my worry was focused on Elroy’s health.

It was quick though, almost anticlimactic. The crowd held its breath, then burst into roars as Elroy struck first. Damian ducked, ducked again—oops, he took that one on the chin. Ouch.

The Beta staggered but didn’t fall, quickly shuffling out of Elroy’s reach for a moment of reprieve. Elroy didn’t follow him, but did stand there in perfect sparring form, just waiting for Damian’s next move.

Like I said, Damian was quick—he darted in, under Elroy’s jab, and got in close enough for a solid uppercut. Unfortunately for him, Elroy avoided at the last moment and hooked one foot behind Damian’s left knee. Elroy was unbalanced and went down, but he took Damian with him.

Then Elroy had Damien pinned, and just like that, the challenge was over. The crowd screamed. It was over so quick I barely had time to hold my breath.

Still, it gushed out of me in a relieved exhale. But then I caught Louisa’s smirk across the arena and my stomach fell into a vat of ice.

Something was wrong. I knew something was wrong.

Suddenly Damian gained a burst of power, getting his foot on Elroy’s chest and pushing him back just barely. Then his hand was in his pocket, and then there was blue powder in Elroy’s face.

I stared, aghast, as Elroy coughed and stumbled back. Damian grinned like a maniac, and this time when he swung Elroy didn’t dodge.

I felt the blood draining from my body as Elroy struggled to get his feet back under him. He seemed slower, somehow, almost sluggish, and I stared in horror. I knew Damian was desperate to win, and I thought I knew what he was using to do it, but would he really use a forbidden substance?!