by Anya Byrne
However, he didn't move. He didn't take his revenge. The challenge was set for later today, and he would be patient, and claim the pack along with everything else.
When the battle ended, Blanchefleur turned and shifted back to her human form. When she looked at Argent, and at Sasha, she seemed diminished, like something had extinguished inside her the moment she'd finally avenged her mate.
But then Argent stepped forward, picked up her cloak, and then draped it over her shoulders. He guided her aside, away from the view of the rest of the werewolves. Sasha wanted to follow his mate with his gaze, but he didn't, respecting the fact that Blanchefleur probably needed as much privacy as she could get in a courtyard full of people.
Clearing his throat, he drew everyone's attention to him. "Now that we have that little matter settled... I believe our challenge is the only thing that remains. Right, Father? Would you like to fight me now and end this already?"
It was worth it to ask if only to distract everyone from Blanchefleur and Argent. He didn't actually expect results, but today seemed to bring a lot of surprises.
As Sasha waited for a reply, his father hesitated, a shadow of panic on his face. He threw a look to the side, where Sasha could now spot his mother standing. She didn't react in any way, but perhaps Sasha's father saw something he didn't.
The older werewolf stepped forward and nodded decisively. "Yes. Actually, I would like that."
In his demeanor, Sasha glimpsed a ghost of the man his father had once been, the shadow, the memory and the dignity that had kept both Sasha and Vanya back for so long. He felt a pang of hurt in his chest, but it was chased away by something stronger, the recollection of his father's treachery and everything the man had done to hurt Argent.
This battle was unavoidable, and could only end in one way. They both knew it, which was why his father had tried to avoid it through all the means at his disposal. There was no way out anymore, nowhere to run. They needed to end this so that they could start over. And Sasha was very much looking forward to his new beginning, no matter what he had to do to acquire it.
****
It was not easy for Argent to stand back and watch the two challenges. He had known he would have to do it, and that going through with the fights was the best possible thing that could happen. That didn't make it any less frustrating to be a helpless observer to the whole process.
He'd braved his mother's battle stoically, somehow knowing that she would win, if only because of her absolute resolve. And it wasn't that he didn't have the same confidence in Sasha, but when his mate shifted to start the fight with his father, a jolt of panic shot through him.
Sasha's father had no chance. They all knew that. Sasha was younger, stronger, and he was angry and determined. There was no way Boris could win. So why had he accepted to fight so openly?
After everything that had happened, Argent simply could not believe the man had a change of heart or had decided to give up with dignity. He didn't deem Boris capable of that.
Perhaps Sasha knew his father better. Argent's experience with the current leader of the Maximoff pack was limited at best. Nonetheless, Argent couldn't shake the feeling of "please, Sasha, finish this now, please, please, please," combined with his distinctive urge to drag his mate away from the courtyard and back to their den where they were safe.
It was impossible, and Sasha would never allow it, so Argent was stuck watching and waiting. Waiting for what? For something to happen? For the battle to end? Maybe waiting for the moment when he could breathe again.
He noticed the rigidity in Sasha's shoulders and forced himself to be calm and trust his mate. His anxiety would simply make things worse and distract Sasha, and that was something he could not allow.
The two wolves—Sasha and his father—were now circling each other in the center of the courtyard. Well, not quite in the center—they were a bit to the right, since they were avoiding Florent's corpse. Argent told himself his mate would manage to handle the situation with just as much ease as his mother had her own challenge. Ironically, he'd been the one to comfort her earlier, but now, she was holding him, not speaking, simply anchoring him.
And then, Sasha was lunging toward his father. Argent had thought his mother had been fast, but Sasha struck like a snake, impossibly quick. Sasha's father didn't have time to dodge or counter-attack. Sasha's claws raked over his shoulder and his snout, sending him falling to the side with a pained whine.
Boris didn't stay down, not that Argent expected him to. He was on his feet in moments and attacking Sasha. It should have been easy enough to dodge... But Sasha didn't.
Something glinted at the corner of Argent's eye, and he gasped as pain erupted over him, emanating through his bond with Sasha. It all happened a heartbeat before Boris struck his son, and if Argent hadn't sensed it, and been watching for it, he might have missed the whole thing.
Argent couldn't tell if anyone else had noticed, but he had no time to hesitate. He could see Sasha faltering, the silver poisoning working quickly, slowing his reflexes and giving his father the opening he needed. Sasha fell, with his father on top of him, ready to tear into his throat. It would take but a moment, and Argent would lose his mate forever.
He'd already shifted and was half-way across the courtyard before Sasha even hit the ground. At the very last moment, he leaped on Boris, shoving him off Sasha.
Boris rolled away from him and snarled, ready to fight Argent, but it never got to that. Sasha's mother stepped forward, and despite the apparent solemnity of her demeanor, Argent could see the satisfaction glinting in her eyes. "You had no right to interfere in the challenge. You've dishonored yourself—"
Argent didn't bother to let her finish the phrase. He shifted back into his human form and gasped out, "Sniper! There's a sniper. Sasha was shot. Vanya... We need a doctor here."
Vanya rushed forward and knelt next to Sasha. One of the elders joined them, scanning Sasha's prone form. Sasha was still conscious, but he was bleeding badly. It was hard to find the place where the bullet had struck, and Argent might have been unable to detect it if not for his connection with his mate.
There was no bullet hole, he realized, just a tiny pinprick that signaled the place where the projectile had struck Sasha. Still, when Argent brushed his hand over the wound, that simple touch blistered his skin and made him slightly light-headed.
"What is this?" the elder asked, sounding horrified. "What treacherous weapon could do this?"
Vanya was already getting up, barking orders in Russian, instructing the members of the pack to search the area. Argent burned with the desire to hunt down the person who'd shot his mate, but being here for Sasha was more important.
A gentle hand squeezed his shoulder, and his mother whispered, "We need to get him inside, mon cher. Have faith. He will not leave you."
Argent pressed his hand to the wound, ignoring the burn, focusing on his bond with Sasha and willing his mate to live, to stay like his mother had said. Something inside him shifted and swelled, and then Sasha was opening his eyes and staring up at him. He didn't change shapes, but his breathing seemed to ease.
With his free hand, Argent pet his mate's snout, and was rewarded with a tired lick. A single tear trailed down Argent's cheek, falling onto Sasha's fur. They were going to be okay. Somehow, they'd yet again dodged disaster.
Chapter Six
It was not at all the pack takeover Sasha had expected. In fact, he was for the most part, completely unconscious while other people handled the problems he should have dealt with. He was pretty proud when he managed to shift into human form on the second day, but Argent's glares kept him in bed under threat of grievous harm—or at least grievous withholding of sex.
Sasha couldn't even begrudge his mate for it. He was tired. He'd done a lot of thinking, and he'd realized that he should have paid more attention to the fact that his father had apparently gained access to a drug that affected a werewolf's libido so deeply, like it had to Argent. If that had bee
n the case, it was only natural that a poison would be within his means. The only reason he hadn't used it before was because it would have been suspicious if Sasha suddenly perished outside a challenge.
The sniper who'd shot Sasha had never been found, and Sasha's father refused to shift to tell them anything. Sasha's mother claimed she hadn't known about this other plan, so they were at least for now, stuck.
On the third day, Argent's mother came to see Sasha. She only said a phrase. "Tell me to find out, and I will."
Sasha knew what she was offering. He understood that there were methods he might not be completely comfortable with, things he would not like anyone close to him to be forced into. He looked into her tired eyes, and he shook his head. "No. You've been through enough. This is my burden."
Blanchefleur seemed surprised. She had obviously expected him to take her up on the offer. After all, why would he not? They had the same target in this—finding out the culprit in the attack so that Argent would be safe.
But because of Argent, Sasha refused to hide. So on the fourth day, despite a lingering weakness in his muscles, he kissed Argent's protests away. "I have to do this, lyubov moya. For the pack, for you—for all of us."
Argent's shoulders slumped and he set his head on Sasha's shoulder. He hugged Sasha tightly, but nodded. "I know." When he pulled away, he fixed Sasha with a steady glare. "But I'm coming with you."
Sasha knew better than to try to be overprotective this time around. He also knew Argent wanted to challenge Boris, and perhaps would have done so, if it hadn't made things more complicated, and if they didn't still need the man.
The former Alpha had been placed in a cell beneath the mansion. It was cold and damp down here, and Sasha had never liked the area in the slightest. He supposed it was a reminder of all the unpleasant things he might have to do now that he was Alpha.
When he reached the cell, he found his father still in wolf form, like he'd expected. With a gesture to the guards, he had them open the door, then stepped inside, followed by Argent.
His father bared his teeth at him and snapped his jaws at Argent, but he was bound down, so he couldn't have reached either of them if he tried. Sasha didn't have any more patience for games.
"Listen closely. We need information on the sniper."
Boris released a snort, or at least, a lupine equivalent of it. Sasha was not surprised. He crouched on the floor so that he could be on eye level with the former Alpha. "I'm tired, Father. I'm tired of playing by the rules while you break them. It's time for you to pay, and to be given a taste of your own medicine."
He got up and stared coldly at his father. "I know better than to think we can easily draw the information out of you. But in case you've forgotten, Mother is still very much at our disposal. I look forward to your reaction when you feel the pain I felt."
He was only half-bluffing. As much as it pained him, as much as he dreaded becoming a tyrant like his father, he was willing to risk it, for Argent, for their new family.
The thought startled him for some reason, even if, by rights, it shouldn't have. After all, he had Argent and Vanya, and now Blanchefleur. They were his family, yes. He ignored the knowledge or perhaps the memory of something pulling at him, when he'd been burning in the flames of silver poisoning. He embraced the anger that came with the protectiveness, casting aside whatever misguided feelings of loyalty had kept him from seeing his father's treachery at the challenge.
"You will not deceive me again. You've been my father and my Alpha for decades, but I'm done. You crossed the line."
His father must have realized Sasha was serious, because he shifted into his human form. "And to pay me back, you'll cross it yourself." He grinned. "I'm proud of you, Sasha. You really are my son."
Sasha snorted. "If you're trying to get me angry or appeal to my sense of shame, save it. Your words can't touch me anymore."
Maybe it was cruel. A small part of him still cared about his parents, and probably always would. Years and years of living with them didn't fade away just like that. But Sasha refused to shy away from what needed to be done because of those feelings.
It might be inhumane to use his mother like this, but Sasha was not human, and he could accept the necessity. In fact, it would be far crueler to hurt his family by proxy, holding back when he should have taken control of the situation. He had no doubt that in the long run, inaction could be deadly.
His father's smirk faded. "You truly would hurt her to get to me."
"Congratulations. You finally got the message. Now... If there's anything left in this world that you care about, if she is genuinely important to you, I want the truth."
Boris narrowed his eyes, and then shrugged. "There's no truth to tell, Aleksandr. You're under the impression that I'm in the center of this great conspiracy, but I'm not. I simply use people for my own benefit. You know that."
"And who exactly did you use this time around?"
"I don't know who they are, and you won't be able to find them either." His father let out a bitter laugh. "Whatever you think you can do... You're wrong. They came to me, and they'll come to you."
Sasha struggled not to lose his temper. "Who is they?"
Boris hesitated for a moment, and then seemed to make a decision. "Very well. I'll tell you what you want to know. On one condition."
"What condition?" Sasha asked between gritted teeth.
"Your mother needs to be safe once I'm... once I'm gone."
Sasha had no idea what to make of that, but he nodded. It would be far easier for him to promise her safety, rather than to threaten with harming her. His father seemed satisfied with the vague gesture, because he said, "They're humans, Sasha. They know about us, and they've been leading us around by our noses for centuries."
Sasha would have expected anything but that. "Wait, what?"
"It's true. I was shocked when I realized it too, but when you have a human assassin threatening you with a silver gun... Well, it's a little hard to deny it. They have most of the guilds under their control, and some of their leaders aren't even aware of it."
"You must be joking." Sasha glowered at his father. "You'd have me hunting after this vague, ominous threat that means nothing? What kind of fool do you take me for?"
"I don't expect you to believe me now, but I have no doubt that you will investigate. In time, I will be proven right."
"What about the drugs?" Argent intervened. "Where did they come from?"
"Ah, yes. Ask Elena about them. A stash still remains in our den. Perhaps you can learn something from analyzing it." His gaze turned to Sasha once again. "And remember... You promised."
"And unlike you, I'll keep my word, as long as your information checks out."
"I don't expect anything different."
Without another word, Sasha's father changed into his wolf form once more. Sasha took that as the end of the conversation and left the cell, with Argent trailing behind him.
"Do you think he was telling the truth?" Argent asked when they were out of earshot.
"I don't know, but simply the fact that he spun such a wild tale is worrisome. And... Why would he ask me to protect Mother minutes after I threatened her?"
The answer to that question came hours later, when Sasha was just returning from his parents' den, stash of drugs in tow. He was greeted by a pale Vanya, and he instantly knew something was very wrong. His brother's words confirmed his guess. "Sasha, Father was found dead in his cell. He was murdered."
****
It stood to reason that the former Alpha's demise made the Maximoff pack incredibly anxious, and Sasha's job even more difficult. He had not forgotten about his oath to his father, but it was also pretty hard to care for a woman who had lost the will to live.
The only good thing about the entire debacle was the fact that no one seemed to blame Sasha for Boris's death, despite the suspicious circumstances. In fact, his father's involvement with silencers was widely believed to have caused the man's downfall. Oddly
, Boris's sad end also led pack members to give Sasha less trouble about his homosexual mating. In the big picture, his sexual preferences seemed less important than the secrets Boris had been keeping.
Sasha and Laurent coordinated to organize a new Gathering, and preferably one every month from now on. Their people had become complacent, too trusting in the old ways, and innocent men and women had suffered because of it. No longer. Besides, if Sasha's conversation with his father was to be believed, they had even bigger problems than that.
He was as of yet unsure whether he would let the entire Gathering know about what his father had told him. Boris's death suggested there might be a traitor in the pack, or at least someone else connected to the supposed humans, and that made him anxious, uncertain of the loyalty of people he'd once thought he knew.
With everything that was going on, Sasha would have probably had a mental breakdown if not for his mate's support. Argent was with him every step of the way, helping him with suggestions, seamlessly providing both a sounding board for Sasha's plans, and a haven from it all.
The strain was getting to Argent, though. For a couple of days, he couldn't eat a damn thing, and if he tried, he threw it up. Sasha had doctors look at Argent's hand where Argent had touched his wound, but nothing seemed wrong. He was momentarily appeased when his mate started eating well again—but it didn't last.
A few weeks into Sasha's stint as Alpha, he received a message from the United States. He grimaced in displeasure when he realized it was from a silencer guild, one he'd come into contact with during Dean Simmons's "visit." The Malik of the guild in question claimed to have a matter of great importance to discuss with the Gathering, related to a strange attack on the Lone Wolf Pack.
"They were attacked?" Argent asked when Sasha shared the content of the message with his mate. "What happened?"