by Shea Balik
After witnessing Saber in action, Chadwick had started crossing himself whenever the deadly man was around. It would have been hilarious if Kellach didn’t find himself wanting to do the same the first time he met Saber. The man’s intense coal black eyes seemed to be able to see right into Kellach’s soul. It was as if Saber were judging him and Kellach had to admit to not being able to breathe easy until Saber gave him a nod and shook his hand.
Since they had won, they now had to wait for the Council to come to them to see if they will accept the challenges given them. It was doubtful they would show. Any who did, would most likely try to use some sort of trick to defeat his or her challenger. Although there were a couple of the Council members who were pretty strong in their own right and would likely believe they could defeat anyone who dared oppose them.
They would be wrong.
Trygg had seen what each of the men and women who had volunteered to not only face a member of the Council in the ring, but to take their position if they succeeded in defeating them. He also knew each shifter on the Council. Trygg would bet on each of them losing.
If wasn’t because some of them couldn’t win, because at least two members had a good chance. It was their cockiness that would be their downfall. The Council had grown too powerful, too warped in their belief they were undefeatable.
Anyone, no matter their size or skill, could be beaten. It was something Trygg had learned in his many years as a Hunter for the Council. Even the mighty had a weakness.
“We’ve had word that four out of the seven Council members are on their way here. The other three have disappeared.” Brecken’s announcement wasn’t exactly a surprise. Trygg was pretty sure he could guess which three had run.
“Regrettably what happens with those three seats will depend largely on what happens with the four who have accepted the challenges.” The crowd groaned and moaned about the laws and that those three seats should be forfeit.
They were right, but the reality was, the four Council members who had accepted the challenges would need to lose for the law to be enforced. “All right,” Brecken shouted. “Settle down.”
Once the crowd had become quiet he said, “We have plans to set up a ceremonial ring, so please make sure to get with Chadwick to see if you can help with anything. The first challenge will take place at eight in the morning the day after tomorrow. The second challenge will take place one hour after the first one is done and so on until all four have finished.”
Brecken motioned to the group standing just off the side of the front porch. “I’d like to introduce you to the seven men and women who have challenged the Council for their positions.”
The crowd erupted in applause as the seven men and women stepped up onto the porch. “Tanis Cruz from the Angel Pride,” Brecken announced when the first woman approached.
Tanis was tall and lithe, who walked with the feline grace of her lion. Her golden hair and sparkling blue eyes gave her the appearance of an angel, but Trygg wasn’t fooled. Tanis was as deadly as they come. She had ten older brothers who had been determined no man would ever touch her. So they’d trained her to fight by any means necessary to ensure no harm came to her.
As Brecken continued the introductions, Trygg put his arms around his mate, glad they had both survived, even if he was still sore from being shot. His wound had mostly healed, but it still pulled if he moved too quickly.
Still, they were alive and he had his mate in his arms. “With my being injured I’d be willing to bet everyone would understand if we had to go upstairs and rest,” he murmured in Kellach’s ear.
His mate tilted his head back and gave him the most radiant smile. “And would we really be resting if we did that?”
Trygg moved his eyebrows up and down suggestively. “Hell no, but they don’t need to know that.”
Something within Trygg settled happily when Kellach chuckled. The sound was like a balm to his weary soul. They had been through so much already and Trygg wasn’t naïve enough to believe it would be over any time soon. Even if their people won against the Council, there was little doubt there would be those who would fight to keep things as they were.
“And finally,” Brecken’s voice boomed over the crowd capturing both Trygg’s and Kellach’s attention once more. “I would like to introduce the man who has challenged Chief Refugio Costa for leadership of the Council, Saber Thorsen.”
Trygg studied the man his brother introduced. Saber was the only one of the seven challengers he’d never met. The man had been elusive. Many believed him to nothing more than myth, but Trygg had known better. The Council’s file on Saber had been over twelve inches thick, yet no matter how much information they had gathered, none of the hunters had ever found him.
“Damn,” Kellach said with shutter. “I’m not easily afraid, but that guy could give me nightmares.”
Trygg couldn’t agree more. It wasn’t his size, which was impressive at around six-feet-four and probably two hundred and twenty-five pounds but it was the air of death that seemed to surround Saber. The man exuded danger.
From the reports Trygg had read, that wasn’t far off the mark. The ape shifter had a way of creating a path of destruction that was hard to hide. But whenever the Council sent someone to investigate, the survivors kept their mouths shut about what had caused it.
“I just hope Brecken knows what he’d doing by asking Saber to take over the Council,” Trygg murmured to his mate. “Admittedly I don’t know him, but from what I’ve heard, that man is dangerous.”
“Now that you’ve met the challengers, I expect everyone here to help get things ready for the main event in two days.” Brecken gestured to Edrick. “If you have any questions, direct them to Alpha Edrick.”
Cheers went up as those on the porch disbanded.
“So?” Kellach asked with a wickedly sexy grin as he turned in Trygg’s arms to face him. “You ready to get some much needed rest?”
“How could I say no to that?” Trygg leaned down to kiss his mate’s soft lips. When he finally lifted his head amongst several catcalls and whistles, they were both breathing heavy. “I’m not sure anyone’s going to believe that we’re going to rest if we keep this up.”
Kellach shrugged. “As long as no one tries to stop us, I don’t care what anyone thinks. I just want to go up to our room so you can fuck me into the mattress.”
There was no stopping the groan that erupted from Trygg’s throat at the thought of finally sinking into his mate’s tight body. That it was his mate to suggest it, only made it that much sweeter. “You don’t care about being the bottom?” he asked to be sure.
But his mate shot him a grin. “Nope. It took my very loving mate to make me see there is no such thing as being weak so long as I’m true to myself.”
“I love you, my pretty kitty.”
Kellach lifted up on his tiptoes to press their lips together. “I love you, too. Now take me upstairs and make love to me, mate.”
“Gladly.” Trygg took his mate’s hand and raced into the house and up the stairs to their room. Their laughter could be heard as the door slammed shut.
There was no predicting what life would throw at them in the next few days, weeks, months or even years. Even with the threat of the Council coming here, the furniture for Kellach’s bar had been ordered and would arrive, with any luck, the day after they defeated the Council for their seats.
Kellach had even asked Trygg to be a full partner in the bar and run it with him. How could Trygg be anything but happy? Sure the future may be uncertain, but right now, with Kellach in his arms, Trygg couldn’t ask for anything more.
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