Chapter 249

Alaric’s POV

The ring was likely the way Lilia was poisoning her opponents, pricking them while they were forced to shake her hand before her matches. Yet without being able to attain the ring and hold it high for everyone to see it, any accusation would likely not work.

When Cara told me that Charlotte had been disqualified for accusing Lilia of cheating, I understood that we had to think of something else.

“I could try to approach her and take the ring before the match…” Cara said.

I loved Cara but she wasn’t trained in subterfuge. Lilia would undoubtedly catch her, and with the head commissioner in Lilia’s pocket, Cara would undoubtedly catch trouble for trying.

“I could come in and speak to her,” I said. “I can’t be disqualified.”

“But you can be disgraced,” I said. “Breaking into the locker room before your lover’s match would be frowned upon by anyone who heard of it. You can’t risk it.”

My frustration and anger started to spike, not at Cara but at the situation. I hated feeling powerless.

For Cara to risk her health like this… For Lila to cheat…

I wanted to tear this entire competition down, but I couldn’t.

“I can handle this,” Cara said.

“Cara…”

“Hey. Look at me.”

Listening, I lifted my gaze to hers. She was looking at me with such softness that it took my breath away. Gods, I loved this woman, and with each day, my love for her seemed to grow. Just when I thought my heart had totally filled, there always seemed to be room for more.

“I’m going to be okay,” she said. “I’m going to take down Lilia and win.”

“But the poison…”

Cara had amazing willpower, but willpower alone wasn’t going to be enough to win the day here. That poison was enough to bring down a bear, a panther, and an Alpha without much effort. Cara, though much stronger than she used to be, wasn’t invincible.

“I have an idea,” she said.

That surprised me, though maybe it shouldn’t have. “What is it?”

“Do you think you could find me some thick leather gloves?”

Cara’s plan was sound. For the prick of the ring to be concealed and not easily noticeable, it had to be quite small and fragile. A pair of thick leather gloves should be enough to bend the needle away from her, protecting her from the poison.

“I’ll find some,” I said, and immediately set out to do just that.

Fortunately, one of the landscapers nearby had a pair that they were willing to part with for enough coin. I hurried back in time to catch Cara exiting the locker room once more in time for her fight.

Seeing me, she was immediately relieved. I gave her a kiss for luck, then watched as she put on the gloves. As she made her way to the ring, I hurried back to the stands to tell her brothers everything that had happened.

When I came nearer, I stopped suddenly.

Noel was there, speaking hurriedly with Landon and Eamon.

Cara’s POV

The gloves were a bit big on my hands, but the leather was thick and solid. None of the other contenders had worn gloves in the ring. Shifters preferred to have their hands free, just as they did not like their paws covered in their animal forms. Yet, wearing gloves wasn’t against the rules, I checked by calling Ruby while Alaric was searching.

Ruby knew the rules forwards and backwards. She told me herself that there was no rule against gloves, and if anyone tried something to stop it, she’d be down there with her rulebook so fast, heads would spin. Right then, she was at the hospital, helping Richard diagnose the patients.

With her assurance that I wasn’t going to be disqualified for this, I stepped into the ring with confidence Lilia’s little trick wasn’t going to work. At least not during the handshake.

I would have to be careful during the fight itself, as I was certain she would still try to scratch my skin however she could.

Lilia was not one to play fair.

“The contenders will now step forward to shake hands,” the referee announced.

Lilia and I both moved forward, stepping into the middle of the ring. She held out her hand. In the light, I could see a tiny glint off the sharp edge of a barely-there needle shooting up from the ring. I held my hand too. Catching her hand with my gloved one, I squeezed her fingers.

I focused on the feeling in my hand, but the needle did not penetrate through the gloves. The plan worked, and the poison was deflected.

Lilia immediately frowned. She looked to the referee. “She can’t wear gloves! That’s cheating!”

It wasn’t, but the referee seemed unsure. He looked to wear the commission was sitting.

Even though I knew Ruby would rush to help, I didn’t want to drag this out. I had only needed the gloves for the handshake, not the competition itself.

“It’s fine,” I said, releasing Lilia’s hand. “I’ll take them off now.”

The referee seemed relieved, but Lilia didn’t.

“We have to shake again,” she said.

“I don’t think two handshakes is in the rules?” I asked, glancing at the referee.

“A second handshake is not necessary,” the referee said.

Lilia glared at me.

I removed my gloves, then readied myself.

When the bell rang, Lilia and I circled each other. She seemed much less confident now, and more panicked, her eyes darting up at the commission like she expected someone to come save her.

No one was going to come. If she wanted to win, she had to beat me for real.

She must have sensed that, because she squared up again and came at me, her palm flat, the needle on her ring pointed toward my skin.

I dodged her at once and she flew by me. As she did, I put my foot out. She caught me and tripped, falling flat down onto the mat with her hand under her.

I couldn’t see her hand with her ring, but as she didn’t get up again, I could only imagine she stabbed herself with her own paralyzing poison.

The crowd seemed confused. What kind of fight was that?

Even the referee was waiting for Lilia to stand. When she didn’t, he went to her and rolled her onto her back. Sure enough, her palm was pressed to her stomach, and she was unconscious.

“How can this be?” the referee said to himself. “Did she hit her head on the fall?”

There was no red mark on her forehead.

“Check her ring,” I told the referee. “But be careful.”

The referee seemed confused but did so. Lifting her hand, he immediately turned it over and revealed the needle still outstretched.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“Proof of her cheating,” I said.

Around us, the crowd had been quiet enough to hear what I had said. Now, the whispers were erupting, spreading back through the crowd, even to the stands and up through them.

In the stands, the commission stood up as one.

The head commissioner stormed forward.

“What has Cara done?” he demanded. “Cara set all this up. She clearly cheated!”

He wanted to turn this on me?!