Chapter 227

Sarah POV

Before I was even done with the sentence, Shota had darted in, taken up the jacket, pants, shirt, cummerbund, and all the rest and walked swiftly back toward me and Matthew. I looked over to the girls, but they were sitting there calmly flanked by our friends.

The two alphas bowed to each other and transformed. Zane was again in his stunning wolf form, with fur so black it shone blue along the tips and sharp teeth that gleamed white as he pulled back his lips and growled. I felt a swell of confidence, but when I looked over to his opponent, the gray wolf seemed almost twice his size.

I remembered that previous challenge I had watched Zane perform and the skill of the female alpha he fought. Orman was nothing like that, lumbering over tank-like and swinging a massive right paw at Zane’s head. Zane leapt back, snapping, and the blow missed, as did the bite.

Zane crouched as though making to leap, and instantly Orman was on his rear legs as though anticipating a collision mid-air. Zane bolted forward, his head ramming Orman’s exposed stomach. Orman collapsed around him, slashing at his back, and blood spurted across the fighting area and even onto some of the spectators, who were cheering and screaming for both wolves.

Zane clamped his jaws around Orman’s neck, and Orman reared back and rolled them over, clawing at Zane’s stomach with his back paws. More blood flew, this time from both of them. They both twisted and reared back, roaring into each other’s mouths as Orman got on top.

Zane writhed and bucked, and Orman was dislodged. Zane clamped down on Orman’s front paw, which seemed an odd strategy until Orman screamed in pain and leapt away. Though he almost crashed into a table, Zane chased him and nipped viciously at his flank. Orman seemed to bend in half to rear back and snap at Zane, who avoided his teeth and raked down Orman’s already bleeding flank.

With decidedly less confidence and energy, Orman baked away, looking for an opening. Zane again pursued him, jostling through several more moves before digging his claws into that flank again and ripping back muscle to the bone. Orman wailed in pain and attempted to move back, but he slipped on his own blood and collapsed to the floor.

I waited for them to transform and declare Zane the victor, but they stayed as wolves, staring into each other’s eyes. Zane threw his head back and howled, obviously exposing himself. Orman tried to get up and attack him, but then he collapsed again to the floor. He was obviously minutes from death.

Zane transformed and turned on Alpha Colette, who stumbled back against her table. Her beta husband and children did not come to assist her, letting her stand there alone.

“What do you have on him that he would rather die now than admit defeat?” Zane shouted.

“I don’t—”

“Do you need me to challenge you again, Alpha Colette? Have you another champion waiting to defend you?”

She just stared at him. He turned around to the dinner guests who had witnessed to a coup, his naked bloody covered in blood and his lungs heaving with his efforts. The transformation had removed his injuries, but he was still battle-weary, or at least should have been. He looked ready to take them all on.

“Well?” he demanded of the crowd. “Will one of you champion this dishonorable jackal?”

No one said anything. Barely anyone moved.

Zane turned back to Orman. “Yield and swear yourself to me, and I will protect you from whatever Colette holds over you.”

Orman whined and closed his eyes.

“Yield, swear yourself to me, and I will pledge you my protection,” Zane insisted.

There was another faint whine before the wolf shuddered, stretched, and became a man again.

“Travis,” Zane said without looking away from Orman’s moaning form.

Travis and Alicia moved forward and picked Orman up to set him on a nearby chair.

Zane turned back to Colette. “You may consider all alliances between Orleans and Cavendish null and void until such time a new alpha is elected to lead the pack.”

Alpha Colette gasped and fell to the floor. Her mate grabbed their children and went on his knees.

“Alpha Zane, I plead for sanctuary for myself and my children.”

Zane nodded. “Granted.”

Colette’s mate picked up a child in each arm as though they weighed nothing and ran over to Matthew’s chair as Melissa was heading over with Chloe and Grace. Delia followed along with Whitfield and Lainey.

Travis walked over to a table and grabbed a pitcher of water, then turned and flung it on Zane to wash off some of the blood.

“His pants,” I murmured to Shotz, who quickly handed them over. Zane pulled them on, looked over the crowd going with him, and nodded.

“Yes, leave with them!” ex-Pack Alpha Colette called after us, making her way to her feet. “Leave with your inner government, unsanctioned and unsecure. Leave with your personal network of slaves!”

“Oh, shut up, Colette,” Ambassador Torrin said, leaving the table we had sat at together with her son following her up to the dais, where she spat on the floor. She turned back to the stunned crowd.

“In response to a threat to Alpha Zane’s family, his friends, including me and my son, have formed a network for sharing information, a network we plan to expand to all those who seek justice and a free and equal wolf society.” She turned to her son, they nodded to each other, and then they turned to join us.

“You traitor!” Alpha Colette shouted. “You try to leave here with them, and I’ll see you executed!”

Torrin turned slowly, ice in her eyes. “I doubt that, Colette.”

“I still have friends! You’ll regret this!”

The ambassador looked pointedly around them, then made a chuffing noise I knew was just about the worst insult werewolves used.

“Have you truly not realized it yet, you idiot? You’ve lost. You’re nothing now.”

Zane nodded to Travis and Alicia, who helped Orman lead us out. Colette’s mate followed with Philippe and Jaqueline and then Melissa with Zane’s Grace and Chloe, who I saw looked fiercely proud.

Delia, Whitfield, and Lainey went next, and then Zane nodded at the Torrins, who walked out to some muting gasps. Shotz seemed to realize that as the alpha’s impromptu second in the challenge he needed to stay next to Zane, so I went next, followed by the alpha and the human.

Ted was waiting for us on the plane.