Chapter Twenty
“Oh my God, Max, come here!”
I went from sound asleep, to battle ready, in point zero zero, zero…zero one seconds. I was naked because I’d changed to my half form and my pajama bottoms lay ruined in the spot I was lying in. I didn’t say a word, just started growling and snarling, jumping in four directions surveying the room, trying to find the threat to my mate. The mate that was at the big window on the back bedroom wall rolling around on the ground laughing at me.
“Oh God,” she said holding her stomach and rolling from side to side. I did not see the humor in the situation. “Look…look out the window.” She pointed from the floor because she couldn’t stand from the hysterics she was suffering.
I walked over, giving her the evil-eye as I stepped over her body for scaring the shit out of me and then having the nerve to laugh. Wallace was walking across the back lawn, no shirt, no shoes and a woman slung over his shoulder.
“Oh my God,” I said in a low voice.
Joffrey came in the room, throwing the door open so hard it bounced off the wall and missed his running body by an inch on its rebound. “You got to see this,” he yelled and stopped.
All good nature left his face about as quick as I’d been woke up and he looked around the room; surveying it, looking for a threat.
“Is everything alright?” He asked after confirming that…no, there was no threat present to warrant my wolfman form; that, and the fact that Josette was still on the floor. She wasn’t laughing uncontrollably, but breathing hard, one hand over her stomach, the other covering her face.
“Yes,” I said and nudged Josette with my foot. “Get up woman.”
“Did you see Wallace?” Joffrey asked, back to his carefree and fun-loving way.
“I did,” I said helping Josette off the floor.
“Did you check out who Wallace was carrying?”
I stopped. Would have dropped Josette, because hey, paybacks a bitch, but then I thought about our multiple births and continued helping her up.
“Who?”
“Lydia Ronin.”
I didn’t mean to let go of her hand. Really.
“No shit,” I said swinging around to look back out the window, but all I caught was a flit of red and green.
“I imagine her father is not going to be pleased with her new choice.” Joffrey said.
Josette stood up. “Priceless,” she said chuckling and she wasn’t talking about Wallace and Lydia.
“Oh good, you’re up,” Lillian said from the door.
“Was I the only one asleep?” I asked.
It was day…barely, the sky still held the grey-blue of dawn, yet there were three people wide awake in my bedroom.
“Who could sleep with what’s happening today?” Lillian asked. I raised my hand. She ignored me. “We’re all taking breakfast in the informal dining room. Just our group, so be ready in fifteen,” she said and closed the door. The mood became serious with her words.
“Hey,” I said pulling Josette to me. “Don’t worry, I got this in the bag.” I kissed the top of her head.
“I know,” she said in a low voice.
“If he loses, it means he was not worthy of all your greatness,” Joffrey said. “But I, on the other hand…”
Josette smiled at his antics. I mouthed a thank you and hugged her closer as he left us alone. In a few hours I would be part of a challenge that would end with an opponent dead. If we weren’t as powerful as we were, it’d be cause for concern, but really, my ability to change into my half form guaranteed my win.
“Oh my God,” she said in a low voice.
I didn’t overreact this time I simple turned my head and followed her gaze. Wallace was coming back across the lawn. Naked. His nakedness, oddly enough, didn’t worry me, the fact that he was running like the hounds of hell were chasing him, did.
“Stay here,” I said. Josette nodded while she watched the redhead giant race across the lawn.
I wasn’t the only one who’d seen the man, by the time I reached the double French doors, Thomas was right behind me. He was bare-chested, had a gun in one hand and a sword in the other. Constantine had on striped silk pajamas and a narrow sword I wasn’t entirely sure wasn’t a damn fencing iron. Even Mr. Bishop came. He joined the party John Woo style, with a pistol in each hand.
Wallace muscles weren’t bodybuilder defined and he was in no way fat. The only word that fit was solid. Big and solid. Fast, big and solid, and he had stamina. The sprint across the yard had to be at least half a mile but his breathing was easy when he came to a stop in front of us.
“Ronin will declare a weapon right before the start of the duel.”
“I thought he couldn’t do that?” I said.
“He can because of the last minute change in the challenger,” Constantine answered.
Fighting to the death seemed savage, but since the first man slapped another across his cheeks with a pair of gloves, there have been rules on how to end a life like a gentleman. Because a wolf’s fight is about dominance, werewolves rarely fight with a weapon. If your human or wolf form is not strong enough to win you didn’t deserve the right to be called stronger. A kid could kill someone with a gun.
“What is his weapon?” Thomas asked.
I prayed it wasn’t a damn old timey duel where I’d have to take ten steps and turn and shoot.
“A sword,” Wallace answered. “It seems the elder Dupre has been quite informative.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. Josette told us the first full moon night that my father was in the house. He and Brianne, but it was decided we would wait for Ronin to show his hand. I fully expected to see my dad at the challenge, at which point I would have proceeded to beat the shit out of him for still being on our lands and send him packing.
“Alright,” Constantine said and turned to me. “How’s your sword play?”
“Really,” I said giving the tiny Frenchman the bullshit lip. “Dude, I’m nineteen. I stop playing with swords around the time I stop thinking Hans Solo was the shit…in fourth grade.”
“Lydia says her father is close to a master swordsman.”
The comment made Constantine and Thomas raise an eyebrow. I guess they hadn’t seen him carrying the woman off.
“How were you in fourth grade?” Mr. Bishop said.