“We can figure that part out later,” Ian snapped. “Raff, how close were they?”
“Close,” he answered. “They were stupid. Went too long between drugging me. I had just enough left to command Borris to take me here. Knocked him out. Stole his phone. Locked him in the car. Got the room.” His voice was weakening now, and I could feel tears fill my eyes. “Called the emergency line.”
“Dad, we’re close,” Alarick told him. “I don’t care if you call the human cops and get yourself arrested for something. You can’t let him issue that challenge.”
“Someone explain,” I snapped.
“It was Gwyar,” Zev replied, the engine roaring as he pushed for more speed, weaving around cars on the highway. “Somehow, he managed to drug and poison Raff to weaken him. He’s an alpha, so he’ll probably survive that part. But he wants to issue a challenge before he can see a healer. He knows he can’t take Raff on at full strength, even at half strength. But when he’s like this? Hell, even Luna could win against him.”
Raff snorted, though the sound was ugly. “Thanks for that, pup.”
“He wants Lupine Hollow,” Alarick snarled. “If he issues an alpha challenge, demanding control of the pack, my dad can’t refuse it.”
I gawked at his back. “But he poisoned him!”
“It doesn’t matter,” Ian gritted out. “Unless we watched him poison him, we wouldn’t have the time to prove it. We could cry foul, but it wouldn’t change anything.”
“So what can we do?” I questioned, frantic now. “Heal him?”
“Too late for that,” Raff muttered, and the sweat on my skin turned to ice as I shook my head.
“No. No way. You aren’t dying. Not happening, do you hear me?” I screeched.
“He’ll die in the challenge if we don’t get to him.” Ian shook me, forcing me to look at him. “He needs to pass his alpha status.”
“Alarick?” His name was a whimper, and his blue eyes blazed as he turned to look at me. “But- but you’re not…”
“I told you there’d be a time when I’d take over. It’s just sooner than any of us expected.”
“Pixie, look at me,” Ian urged. “You and I both heal. There’s a chance we can save Raff, even if he gives up his alpha powers to Alarick.” A thread of hope wove its way through me. “But if they have been feeding him poison over the last several days, he’s going to have long-term damage, damage that one healing session won’t cure. Especially one session before a challenge. Alarick has to take the position of alpha.” His hand gripped my chin now, his eyes refusing to let mine look away. “And he’ll have to fight.”
All thoughts fled my mind as I tried to process that. I yanked out of Ian’s grasp, whirling to look at Alarick. “You’ll face Gwyar?”
“Like you faced Ashley.” I licked my lips at that reminder, my human half warring with my wolf. I had fought a duel and won. I had done it for the pup in my arms. He would be doing it for his father and the entire pack. No matter how afraid I was for him, I couldn’t ask him not to. My wolf howled her approval at the thought.
“If you die, I’ll make Selene bring you back so I can kill you,” I warned solemnly. Even Raff barked a weak laugh at that.
“Pixie, you were always meant to be a wolf,” he whispered through the line. “No matter what your outside was, your soul was wolf.” My heart squeezed tightly.
“How do we do this transfer thing?” I inquired, looking between Ian and Alarick. “I mean, can’t he just give it to Gwyar and then we kick his ass for it?”
“That bastard isn’t getting control of my pack for one minute,” Raff snarled. “I’ll bleed out first and let the power die with me.”
“Not an option,” I snapped. “Raff, I will follow you to the afterlife,” I threatened.
“I wouldn’t test her,” Zev advised. “You just focus on staying alive, you hear us?”
“True alpha power only transfers a few ways, and there’s an important distinction,” Ian gritted out. “Just because someone claims to be an alpha doesn’t mean they are. A true alpha receives the power and the knowledge of the alphas who came before him. It has to be completed before the challenge is issued for it to work, the same way your binding was when you became a beta. It’s… metaphysical would be a good word. Other wolves can scent it on you.”
“Okay, so how do we do that?” I pressed, exasperated.
“For a true alpha power to pass on, the best option is, as I said, a binding. He would have to clasp hands with Alarick and transfer his powers into him with a binding oath,” Ian explained with a shake of his head.
“And the other way?” I glanced at the grimaces and a shudder ran down my spine. “I probably don’t want to know the other way, do I?”
“He has to eat my heart while it’s still beating,” Raff gasped out on a wet laugh. “You can see what option Gwyar is going for.”
I gagged. “Wouldn’t that poison him?”
“Not if he has healers standing by,” Ian said grimly. “Especially not after consuming that much alpha power, it would help boost his own healing enough that having a healer with him would mean he’d live through it.”
“We’re running out of time,” Chann whispered, staring at the GPS. “They’ve got to know he’s not where he should be by now.”
“Is there some other way?” I questioned, chewing my lip. “I mean, shouldn’t there be some emergency feature here?”
“It’s not a car, there’s no emergency brake.” Alarick grimaced. “It’s a time-honored ceremony that’s supposed to be done with forethought and planning.”
Luna sniffled, lifting her head. “I can help.” Even Zev tried to whip around and look at her, though he quickly turned his attention back to the road.
“Luna, sweetheart, what do you mean?” I inquired quietly, shifting to see the little girl’s face.
“Selene says I can.” The silver ring I’d noticed in her eyes before was darker now as I brushed away her tears. Her lip trembled slightly. “She says it will hurt though.”
“Pup, this isn’t for you,” Alarick told her gently, stroking her hair. “You shouldn’t even be here.” The dark silver ring moved farther into her irises, and a subtle glow beamed from her skin.
“Uh, I’m thinking she disagrees,” I murmured, my wide eyes taking in the subtle change.
A voice I’d come to recognize as Selene’s whispered from Luna’s lips. “It is too far from the moon for me to help her, my power is only full when the moon is. This power is hers to wield, as is the price to bear. Zeta, Beta, heal her as she uses it to ease her burden.” The goddess slipped from the girl, and Luna shook her head.
“It itches when she does that,” she complained before looking at a shocked Alarick.
“You are pack. He is pack. Touch is just…” She wrinkled her nose, looking at me pleadingly as if searching for a word.
“Helpful?” I suggested.