"He knew," Mary Jo said uncertainly. "He saw them start it. He wouldn't let me confront them because he was afraid I'd get hurt. He said Mercy and Sam were gone, what was the harm if the upstart coyote's house went up in flames? She deserved a little hurt because of all the pain she'd caused."
Mary Jo looked at Adam. "He meant to me. He was really angry about how the vampires had attacked us . . . how I was hurt because they were trying to get to Mercy. He wanted to get back at Mercy."
"He could care less about me," I told her. "His girlfriend didn't like me better than she liked him. Henry was interested in Adam. He saw an opportunity to get back at Adam, and he jumped at it." I looked at Adam. "The next time you leap into a burning building after me, you'd better make damned sure I'm in there. And wear your shoes, damn it." I looked at his feet again. "You're leaking nasty burn ooze on the carpet."
He smiled. "I love you, too, sweetheart. And thanks to the time you bled all over it, I now know a place that can clean almost anything off the carpet."
"He wanted Adam hurt," I told Mary Jo. "Because if he's hurt, then he's vulnerable. An Alpha can be challenged at any time. Since Adam is hurt, usually he could put it off without anyone complaining, especially since the Marrok doesn't allow fights for an Alpha position without his consent. But the pack is - " I looked at Adam. "Sorry, I know it's my fault. But the pack is broken. Adam can't put this off - not when the pack is in this much turmoil. If he does, he's liable to have worse than a formal fight on his hands - he'll have a rebellion."
See, I grew up in a werewolf pack. I know the dangers. Not even fear of the Marrok can completely control the nature of the pack. That's why an Alpha will do anything in his power to hide his weakness in front of the pack.
"Henry challenged you?" Mary Jo's voice was shocked. "The Marrok will kill him, if you don't manage it first."
"Almost right," said Adam. "Paul is actually the one who challenged me. Climbed in the window of the bedroom about four minutes ago and challenged me in front of Ben, Alec, and Henry. Henry having volunteered to drive Ben to pick up some clothes for Mercy because Ben's hands are still too sore for him to drive easily and suggested Alec tag along."
He paused, and said heavily, "Henry is helpful like that."
Mary Jo nodded. "And Alec is known as a neutral party. Not one of your biggest fans, but not one of the hotheads either."
Adam continued in a gentler voice. "They must have had some signal so that he and Paul appeared in my bedroom at virtually the same moment when neither Warren nor Darryl was there to interfere. Ben and Henry witnessed the challenge. Henry was appalled that Paul would challenge me when I was hurt."
"They set you up," said Mary Jo numbly. "They used me to set you up."
"That's what I was trying to tell you," I said, then added a question casually. "Was it just you and Henry at the bowling alley, or did Paul help, too?"
She nodded, not even noticing all the assumptions I'd made because she was too distracted by the realization that things might not have been as she'd thought they were. "Paul, Henry, and I. Paul suggested it to me. 'Can't have a coyote second in rank in a respectable pack.' " Mary Jo looked at Adam. "He said she wasn't good enough for you - and I agreed. Henry was pretty reluctant. I had to talk him into it. He set me up, didn't he? Both of them set me up."
I felt sorry for her. But I'd felt more sorry for her before I'd found out that the wolf who'd challenged Adam was Paul. Henry was a good fighter - I'd seen him play fight a time or two - but he wasn't a tithe on Paul. Paul . . . Normally I wouldn't worry about Paul taking Adam either, but normally Adam's feet weren't oozing goo on the carpet, and his hands weren't swollen and raw.
That was why I wasn't sorry enough for Mary Jo that I'd let her escape blame by pointing her finger at the other two.
"The bowling alley was you," I said. "Oh, Paul wouldn't cry if Adam and I broke up - but he wants to get rid of Adam more than he wants to get rid of me. Henry . . . Maybe that was the straw that broke the camel's back for Henry - you'd know better than I. Was that the first time he realized how much you wanted Adam?"
Adam jerked his head toward me. I guess he hadn't noticed how Mary Jo felt.
"Paul," began Mary Jo. Then she stopped. Closed her eyes and shook her head. "Not Paul." She gave Adam a wry smile. "Paul is tough, and he's not stupid - but he's not a planner. He'd never have figured out how to force you to accept a challenge before you were ready. She's right. It's Henry. What can I do?"
"Not a darn thing," he said. "Just be smarter next time."
"When's the fight?" I asked, trying to be cool, trying to be a good coyote who lets her mate go out and fight a duel to the death when it hurts him to walk. I had to do it, because sobbing and fussing wouldn't change anything except make his job harder. If he refused the challenge, Paul would be Alpha - and if I knew Paul, his first act would be to kill Adam. Henry was hoping so, anyway.
And the reason it was Paul who challenged and not Henry was because as soon as the Marrok heard about this - Paul was a dead man. And that would leave Darryl in charge of the pack with Warren as his second. The pack would not tolerate having a g*y man in the second position because if something happened to Darryl, Warren would run the pack. So Warren would be killed or be moved by Bran - leaving Henry as the second in the pack.
Of course, Adam would have to lose to Paul for that to happen. I felt sick.
Adam looked at Jesse's clock, which read 9:15. "Fifteen minutes from now in the dojo," he said. "Would you go down and let Darryl and Warren know they'll be wanted for witnesses? I think I'll go lie down for another ten minutes." He was in the hallway when he said, "If I survive, Mary Jo, we'll have to come up with a suitable reparation for the bowling alley. You ruined a very promising evening, and I won't forget about it."
* * *
"YOUR FOOD IS COLD," GROWLED DARRYL, AS I ENTERED the kitchen. "I hope your business was important."
Jesse was still there, drying, while Auriele washed. There was no saving this, not if Paul specified the fight be here - no chance of talking Jesse into waiting this one out somewhere safe; she was too much her father's daughter.
"Paul's challenged Adam," I told them. "Fifteen minutes from now in the dojo in the garage."
Darryl whirled around with a growl, and Auriele stepped between him and Jesse, though I don't think Jesse realized it because she was staring at me.