Chapter 53—Trial by Combat

Jude

I was so angry that my moment with Rosie had been cut short just when I’d finally had my mate to myself and was already planning how the rest of the evening would go, but instead I’d been interrupted by a goddamn emergency. "Angry" would be an understatement for what I was feeling right now.

I didn’t miss the disappointment that flickered across Rosie’s face when I’d told her we had to leave nor the sadness that tugged through our bond, yet she’d smiled sweetly at me as if she was completely okay with it.

After I’d successfully driven Rosie home on Baby with her arms wrapped tightly around my waist the entire ride, I found myself reluctant to let her go as I hugged her at the cottage door, savoring her scent and kissing the crescent-shaped claiming mark on her neck.

It was physically painful to detach myself from her, to pull away from her warmth, her scent, and the way she fit perfectly against me, but I’d make it up to her later after meeting Marcus.

"I’ll be back soon," I murmured against her forehead, pressing a kiss there, and she rubbed her nose against my chest while twirling the edge of my shirt between her fingers.

"Don’t be late," she mumbled, looking up at me with those beautiful blue eyes that literally took my breath away every single time.

So beautiful.

"Sweetheart, if you don’t let me go, I won’t be able to leave," I said because my resolve was already crumbling just from the way she was staring at me.

She huffed and pouted, which was absolutely breathtaking because that expression literally made my brain short-circuit, and then she detached herself from me and took a few steps back, putting distance between us.

"Go before I won’t be able to let you leave," she grumbled, crossing her arms, and I couldn’t help but smile at her adorableness.

I went behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her back against my chest with my head resting in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent one more time.

"I’ll be back in a jiffy before you know it," I promised.

She turned in my arms and returned my embrace and whispered, "I trust you," against my chest, and those three words made my heart clench with love for her.

My smile bloomed wide as I patted her hair adorably, running my fingers through the soft strands. "I love you too, sweetheart."

I quickly gave her one more peck on the lips and then turned toward the door without looking back because if I looked at her again, I knew I wouldn’t be able to walk away, and I’d say, "Fuck the emergency," and carry her back inside.

It physically and mentally hurt me to detach myself from her, to put distance between us when every instinct I had was screaming at me to stay with my mate. She’d become everything to me, my entire world, my very existence, like the breath I needed to survive, and leaving her felt painstakingly painful.

My expression hardened the second I was on Baby and pulled away from the cottage. Damn it! I hoped whatever Marcus had called me in for was actually worth interrupting my date, or else...

The ride to the Winter mansion passed in a blur as I reached and parked Baby outside the main pack house and rushed inside to find my mother, Elena, pacing in the foyer.

She rushed to me the second she saw me and cupped my face in both hands, searching my face while I smiled and pecked her cheek.

"My boy," she murmured, and I could see worry deeply etched across her face, which made me frown.

"What happened, Mother?" I asked in a low voice.

Before Elena could open her mouth to respond, River came trudging down from upstairs, and the moment I saw his face, my entire body went rigid. His face looked completely disgruntled, and he had a healing bruise spreading across his jaw.

My frown deepened, and I left my mother’s embrace before meeting River halfway. "What’s up, bro?" I inquired.

River rubbed his forehead and sighed heavily before slumping his shoulders. "Let’s get to the alpha office."

I entered Marcus’s office, and a growl nearly erupted from my chest at the threatened aura I felt radiating through the room. My eyes flashed gold as my wolf surged forward, wanting to show dominance, thinking it might be Marcus trying to assert authority again, but what I saw made me freeze.

There were two elders standing solemnly near the windows and an angry-looking old alpha seated in one of the chairs who looked creepily similar to Josh fucking Carter. The resemblance was so strong it made my skin crawl, and I could feel my canine (I’ve been using fangs) wanting to elongate so I could sink it into this man’s neck just for having the audacity to look like my mate’s piece-of-shit ex-boyfriend.

And there, behind the old alpha cowering, sat Josh himself, looking meek and beaten down, and the sight of him made my wolf bare its teeth with hatred.

I shoved my hands deep into my pockets to keep myself from doing something I’d regret, to stop myself from launching across the room and finishing what I’d started when I’d ripped his canine out.

The elders looked at me with grave expressions, and the old alpha, who I assumed was Josh’s father, looked like he wanted to lunge at me. His body was coiled with tension, rage rolling off him in waves, and I stood ready for his attack, actually hoping he’d be stupid enough to try something. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

He lunged suddenly with a roar, but River stepped between us to intercept and was immediately flung across the office, slamming into the wall with a thud.

A deep feral growl tore up from my chest and resonated around the entire room. I hated when someone hurt my people, and River was my pack.

"Enough!" one of the elders barked, hitting his staff against the floor. "Young alpha, please take a seat."

I forced myself to nod stiffly and took a seat across from Marcus, who had his hands folded on his desk with his jaw resting on his clasped hands in a stipple while having an unreadable expression on his face.

"Thank you for honoring our impromptu call, young alpha," one of the elders said formally.

The elder gestured to the fuming old alpha and introduced him as Alpha Carter, Josh’s father, and I nodded curtly because the resemblance was unmistakable and they both looked equally mediocre and trashy. Looking at Josh and his father, my disdain must have been clearly visible on my face because Josh actually flinched and shrank further into his chair.

Pathetic.

The elder continued in a grave, solemn tone. "Alpha Carter has laid a formal complaint about his son’s injury caused by you. He claims you removed young Joshua’s canine, which, as you know, is forbidden under pack law and is a mark reserved only for rogues who have been cast out."

I didn’t feel a single shred of remorse as I met the elder’s eyes steadily. "I did that because Joshua Carter hurt my mate. He violated her privacy, distributed intimate video of her without consent, and humiliated her publicly. He deserved far worse than what I gave him. " I could feel my body trembling in rage, remembering the shit this excuse of a wolf has made Rosie go through.

Josh’s father bellowed with rage, his face turning red. "You removed my son’s canine, his honor as a wolf, because of some human girl!" He spat the word "human" like it was the vilest insult he could think of.

My growl vibrated through the room again, deeper and more threatening this time. "I won’t allow disrespect toward my mate, my Luna!" I snarled, and my eyes flashed gold as my wolf surged forward, wanting blood.

Josh cowered away, and I felt a savage satisfaction at his fear... He should hide.

Both Alpha Carter and I were on our feet, our eyes flashing between human and wolf as our animals pushed for dominance and wanted to tear into each other. The air in the room crackled with tension.

"Enough!" the elder shouted again, slamming his staff down hard. "Both of you sit down now!"

We reluctantly sat, though neither of us broke eye contact, still locked. One of the elders turned to Alpha Carter. "What do you want as appeasement for this offense?"

"I want his canines removed also," Carter snarled, pointing at me. "An eye for an eye. If my son must bear the shame of being canineless, then so should he."

Marcus surged to his feet with a growl that shook the room. "Not my heir! I won’t allow it!"

The elders looked between themselves and nodded slowly, and I could feel the buzz of their private mindlink as they communicated silently.

Finally they turned back to face us, and one spoke with grave authority.

"We have come to a conclusion. Young Alpha Jude acted to protect his mate, which is his right and duty as her bonded partner, so his actions were valid under protection law. However, the removal of canines was an extreme punishment that violated pack law. Therefore, there will be a trial by combat to settle this dispute."

He hit his staff on the ground three times, the sound echoing with finality.

"In a week, Alpha Carter must provide a strong representative to fight Young Alpha Jude in the arena. The victor will determine the final judgment. May the goddess be witness to this decision."

Josh’s father protested loudly, arguing that it wasn’t fair that I should face any punishment, but the looks on the elders’ faces made it clear the decision was final.

The Council only got involved when disputes between packs threatened to escalate into war or when pack law had been violated in ways that required outside mediation. Their authority was absolute in these matters, and even an alpha like Carter would have to abide by their judgment or face exile.

Alpha Carter begrudgingly accepted with a snarl and looked at me with pure, undiluted hatred before striding toward the door.

He paused in the doorway and turned back to sneer at me. "We will meet again, boy. Better prepare yourself because you are going to be torn apart."

I met his gaze steadily, not fazed by his threats. "Bring whoever you want. Bring your god of war if you have one. I’ll st ill walk out of that arena as the winner."

And I was speaking the truth because I’ll surely come out victorious.