Blood Challenge (3 page)

She had progressed to heavy foot stomping by the time Davinia returned. She stopped in mid-stomp with a sheepish grin. “I can’t feel my toes.”

Davinia smiled, but didn’t respond to her comment. “You can go down. I’ll show you the way. You must be quiet. Don’t make your presence known. I beg you. The others would be upset, and Viggo would take the brunt of my shame for disobeying.”

She made a non-committal sound and picked her way down the steep incline carefully, staying two steps behind Davinia and a little off to her side, in case she fell. Ellie didn’t want to hit the woman and knock her down the hill.

They followed the slippery slope to the bottom, where the land evened out. She followed Davinia a few more steps before pausing when the other woman held up her hand. She pointed to a large tree, and Ellie ducked behind it. Davinia did the same with another tree beside it, and they leaned out cautiously to watch the meeting being held in a clearing. A bonfire provided illumination, and those in attendance crowded around it. Some sat on logs, and others stood up.

Ellie’s eyes widened as she saw those assembled. Men comprised the majority of the gathering. Hairy, bare-chested men, whose chests gleamed in the firelight. Her gaze unerringly picked out Rica among the group, and her pussy clenched when she saw the sheen of sweat glowing on his impressive frame. She followed the line of black fur down his stomach, to where it disappeared inside the waistband of his snug jeans. She leaned out farther, struggling to get a better view.

As soon as she realized what she was doing, Ellie darted behind the tree again, feeling a flush heat her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she was lusting after that man, when it was obvious he hated her. Not her, specifically, she suspected. Rica seemed to be the type to hate anyone who wasn’t like him.

She forced herself to focus on the meeting.

“She can’t stay. She isn’t one of us,” said a burly man with greasy hair. He shook his fist as he spoke.

“What choice is there?” another man replied. He was slim, but with muscles that rippled as he paced across the clearing. He was handsome, with an even tone that conveyed calm.

“You and that wife of yours should have left her out there. That’s a solution,” yet another man shouted.

“Take her back,” said a huge woman sitting on a log. She was also shirtless, and her large breasts jiggled when she got to her feet. Graying-brown hair cascaded down her front to hide her sagging breasts, but they continued to bounce as she raised her voice. “Leave her there. It’s not our responsibility if she doesn’t find her way out of the mountains.”

“You would leave her to die?” Rica spoke without a trace of emotion in his tone.

“Surely you don’t want her to stay, Alpha?” There was a note of deference in the woman’s tone, but she didn’t back down. “She isn’t one of us.” She turned her glare to the younger, calmer man. “We’ve had enough outsiders brought into the Pack lately.”

“You dare speak about my wife?”

Ellie’s eyes widened further at the man’s display of temper. She had pegged him as a peacekeeper, until that moment. She turned her head to look at Davinia, finding the other woman huddled against the tree, with her head down. It must be Viggo down there, speaking up for his wife.

“The subject of Viggo’s wife has been settled.” A hint of anger laced Rica’s voice. “The issue up for discussion is what to do about the outsider.” He took a few steps forward, taking time to meet the eyes of each member assembled. “I’ll allow a vote on the matter, but the decision rests with me.”

The greasy-haired man shook his head. “But—”

Rica turned to him, snarling. “Do you challenge me, Istal?”

The other man sank to his knees in the snow, bowing his head. “No, Alpha.”

Rica nodded with satisfaction. “Voice your opinion. Yea, she stays. Nay, she goes.”

Ellie held her breath, awaiting their reaction. Her heart sank at the overwhelming majority of nays that rang out from the clearing below. She looked at Davinia, and her frightened expression didn’t improve Ellie’s confidence.

Once the voices died down, Viggo stepped forward. “The decision is yours, Rica, but know I won’t support cold-blooded murder. If you decide to leave that woman in the mountains, you aren’t the leader I thought you were.”

Ellie couldn’t hold back a gasp as Rica leaped at his brother, landing gracefully before him. She heard Davinia cry out when Rica grasped Viggo by the throat and lifted him to his toes. She saw her friend start to rush forward and hurried to intercept her, holding her around her thick waist. “Remember what you told me. Viggo would be in trouble if they see us.”

Davinia’s lips trembled. “He won’t hurt him. Rica wouldn’t hurt his brother, his Beta…would he?”

Ellie shrugged, having no answer. They ducked behind the tree together, holding hands, as they watched the scene unfold.

“Are you challenging me, brother?” Rica’s soft purr barely carried to them, but his anger seemed to resonate around the clearing and up the hill. “Do you question my ability to lead?”

“Not if you make the right decision,” Viggo said with a gasp.

“I see.” Rica thrust him away, causing Viggo to land on the ground. “You’ll support me if I make the decisions you want.” He turned his back on his brother. “The woman stays.”

Ellie expected a flurry of protests, so the eerie quiet surprised her. She looked at Davinia. “Why aren’t they arguing?”

“They wouldn’t defy the Alpha. Only someone planning to challenge him would.”

“Will Viggo challenge Rica?”

Davinia shook her head. “He’s allowed more leeway, because he’s Beta…I think. I’ve only been to one meeting.”

“What happened?”

Davinia looked away from the meeting. “I was summoned to hear the decision of the Pack about whether I could join or not. They had already decided when they sent for me. I thought Viggo had convinced the Pack to allow me to marry him and live here, but now I suspect Rica was the one who made the final decision.” She blinked, but a tear still streamed down her cheek. “That would explain their attitudes toward me.”

Ellie patted her shoulder, but her attention returned to the group when Rica began speaking again.

“We don’t want her here. None will deny that, but we can’t force her into the mountains. We aren’t savages, despite what some think. She has my protection until the thaw. Do any challenge this decision?”

Once again, silence greeted his statement, although there seemed to be a wave of anger flowing from the group. Ellie jumped when Davinia pulled on her sleeve. She turned her head. “Yeah?”

“It’s time to leave. Your fate has been decided, and the rest of the meeting isn’t our business.”

Ellie nodded and turned to follow Davinia. She looked back briefly, and her heart stuttered as her gaze locked with Rica’s. She tried to convince herself he couldn’t see her from so far away, and sheltered by the tree, but she wasn’t sure about that as she hurried after the other woman. She shivered, wondering what the penalty was for eavesdropping on one of their meetings. Would he change his mind about allowing her to stay?

* * * * *

That must have been the end of the meeting, because Davinia and Ellie had barely returned to the cabin and settled by the fire when Viggo entered. He had put on a shirt and coverings, and his expression didn’t betray anything.

Davinia got to her feet, rushing to remove Viggo’s fur cloak. “Ellie, this is my husband, Viggo. Viggo, this is Ellie.”

He nodded to Ellie. “She can stay.”

Davinia nodded her head, but gasped when he lifted her hand and held it to his cheek.

“Your hand is cold as ice. Have you been walking, Davinia?” The question was light, but his tone carried a hint of suspicion.

She shrugged. “I showed Ellie a bit of the village. She’s feeling better today.”

“Hmm.” He eyed them both, and his lips compressed. Finally, his gaze settled on Ellie. “He wants to see you.”

She didn’t have to ask whom he meant. “When?”

“Right now. Since Davinia gave you a tour, I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding his home.”

“Oh, we didn’t get that far, Viggo,” Davinia said in a rush. “I’ll show her.”

“No. You’ve been out too much already. It’s not good for the baby.” He gestured to Ellie. “I’ll show you. Come along.”

She got to her feet reluctantly, increasingly convinced Rica had seen her at the meeting. She suspected he had told Viggo, judging by the other man’s behavior. She didn’t argue with him as she slipped her feet into the damp boots and shrugged on the thick parka.

She walked behind him silently. They turned the opposite direction from where Davinia had led her, and Ellie eyed everything. The village was roughly a square, with a clearing in the middle that held only a well and water pump. Small and medium-sized cabins took up three sides of the main square, but three buildings dominated the last side of the square. A church held center position, with a huge wooden cross affixed to its roof. The buildings on each side were smaller, but not as small as the other cabins.

“What are those?” she asked.

“The general store and post office, but there’s no mail this time of year.” He pointed to the building on the other side of the church. “That’s the school and library.”

She didn’t ask any other questions as they walked to the end of the square. His succinct answers hadn’t invited more probing. They stopped in front of a medium-sized cabin. Viggo pointed to the gate. “He’s expecting you.”

She swallowed, resisting the urge to plead with Viggo to accompany her. She didn’t feel comforted by his presence in any sense except she didn’t want to face Rica alone. Ellie squared her shoulders. “Thanks for showing me the way.”

“You can find your way back?”

“If I’m still alive,” she offered with a hesitant grin.

“Yes,” Viggo agreed, deadpan, and turned to walk back to his home.

She watched him go, delaying the inevitable moment of confrontation. Finally, she couldn’t put it off any longer and walked to the fence, opening the wooden gate. She walked up the wooden walkway and stepped onto the porch. His house was charming in a quaint way. The sort of place her parents might rent if they ever lowered themselves to take a roughing-it vacation.

She eyed the intricate wood moldings around the door and traced a finger down the ornate design of the wood. She was about to reach for the knocker—the head of a wolf, with a ring in its mouth—when the door opened. She took a step back, bracing herself, wondering what he would do to her.

Chapter 3

He hadn’t put his shirt on. That was the first thing she noticed. The second was his hard expression. He stared at her without speaking. Ellie took a deep breath and tried to smile. “Viggo said you wanted to see me.”

He nodded, taking a step back to allow her to walk inside. “Come in.”

She swallowed and forced her feet forward, brushing past Rica’s impressive frame as she entered the dim living room. Lanterns provided a surprising amount of cozy light. She walked into the main room and looked back at him, waiting while he closed the door and walked over to her.

He moved silently, with inherent grace. Rica stopped a couple of feet from her. He didn’t sit on the overstuffed sofa, and he didn’t offer her a seat. He crossed his arms. His gaze swept over her. “What is that ridiculous stuff on your face?”

That wasn’t the question she had expected. Ellie unconsciously pushed back strands of short blonde hair to reveal the complete tattoo on her cheek. It was an intricate design of blue lines. Each line was of varying lengths, and all met in the center of the design. The lines represented the lifespans of the chiefs of the Árvore tribe, while the dot in the center of the tattoo stood for the heart of the people.

“It’s a symbol of the Árvore tribe of South America. I stayed with them for a while.” She touched the silver spike in her left brow, above large gray eyes. “A product of misspent youth.” She extended her left forearm. “This is a marker of the different groups of people I’ve lived with through the years.”

“Why have you lived with these people?”

Her mind raced for an answer. She couldn’t reveal she had written books about a few little-known tribes. Ellie thought Rica wouldn’t have any trouble grasping what her profession was, or what her purpose was in coming to Corsova, if he knew that. “I took an extended vacation for a time. I felt like staying with the groups and learning from them. It was a growing experience.”

“What were you on vacation from?” Again, his gaze swept over her. “You don’t strike me as the hardworking, useful type.”

Her eyes narrowed at the insult, but she couldn’t retort and maintain the façade she had adopted. She shrugged and tried to project a simpering smile. “Oh, whatever strikes my fancy. Mother and Daddy don’t care if I hold a real job. They know I’m gaining life experience.”

He snorted, leaving no doubt of his opinion about that. “Well, don’t expect to gain life experience with us. I’m permitting you to stay until the spring thaw, but you aren’t a guest. You’ll help Davinia with whatever chores she has. You’ll also be available to the other women, if they ask for help.” He shook his head. “That’s doubtful.”