f he wished to.
A gasp came from the crowd when Nicky fell to his knees, but now it seemed the entire pack held its breath to see what would happen next.
Marco leaned over, putting his hands on Nicky’s shoulders, holding him in place. He brought his mouth down close to his throat to let him feel his hot breath on his neck. He could feel Nicky’s whole body jerking with fear. Marco slowly straightened and turned his back on Nicky, speaking to the wolves assembled in the ring.
“The challenge is over. The rogues’ challenger has shown his submission. Your challenge failed. Take your pack, Shawna, and get out. ”
Dead silence filled the area around the ring for a long moment, and then Marco’s pack burst into excited yips and howls. The rogues watched them moodily and filed slowly out of the clearing. The wolves of Marco’s pack surrounded him, thumping him on the back, the younger wolves punching and shoving each other good naturedly.
Ian slapped his Alpha on the back. “You handled that perfectly, Marco. What did you say to make him submit to you? Where is Nicky anyway? Did he leave?”
Puzzled, Marco turned, his eyes searching the clearing. Nicky was nowhere to be seen. He had vanished, apparently leaving when the rogues left. Fear clenched at Marco. He took an involuntary step forward. Had Nicky left him again? Didn’t he want to be with him? He must have submitted only because he felt some loyalty still and hadn’t wanted to take away Marco’s rank as Alpha. Marco’s heart clenched and turned icy. Nicky had no interest in staying as Marco’s submissive mate. He’d made that abundantly clear. How many times did he have to say it before Marco’s stubborn heart understood?
Turning to Ian, he shrugged with bravado. “Who knows? Who cares? Let him go with the other rogues. I tried to make it work with him, but he’s impossible. I’m tired of him and his antics. ”
Still Marco reached out with his mind to find Nicky. He could catch the faintest echo of him close by, and his heart slowed a little. Despite his words, he worried. If Nicky didn’t want him, he wasn’t sure what he would do.
“Where is your mate, Alpha?”
Marco whirled around to see Shawna standing in front of him. He glared down at her. “I thought you’d have enough sense to follow your wolves and get out. ”
“I feel responsible for Nicky. He tried to help us, and he had no idea you would think of what he did as a betrayal. He’s a good person, Marco, and he truly loves you. ”
“And why would you think I’d be interested in that information?”
Shawna’s eyes flashed furiously at him. “Don’t be a fool, Alpha!”
Marco’s pack members bristled at the insult to their Alpha and growled angrily, stepping closer behind Marco. Likewise, a few of Shawna’s pack members guarding her gathered closer, growling back, some baring their teeth.
Shawna put up a hand to stop all the posturing. “Even if you’re not interested in him as a mate anymore, you have a responsibility to him as a member of this pack. Your wolves brought him here. Against his will, I might add. You took his life away from him, and you at least owe him another one. ”
“He’s not dead or hurt, Shawna. I could sense it if he was, and I still feel him close by. Besides, he doesn’t have any interest in being here with me or this pack. Let him leave here if that’s what he wants. ” He tried to make his voice indifferent. His pride wanted no one to know he’d never let Nicky leave him.
“He can’t go home, Marco, and you know it. ”
“Why not? You keep telling us you have proof that he won’t turn feral. If your theory is correct, there should be no reason he can’t go home. ”
Shawna shook her head stubbornly. “You’re not thinking straight. He’s been changed, Marco. He has to be in a pack. He still has to feed from one of us from time to time, and you know it. He’s refused all feedings I’ve offered him. I’ve even offered to find him another mate. ”
The thought of Nicky with another mate, feeding from him, making love to him filled Marco with outrage and fury. Nicky was his. Only his. He would take great pleasure in killing anyone who came between them.
“If he’s on his own, I don’t know what could happen to him. He hasn’t fed in over two weeks. Our mates have never gone so long. I tried to talk him out of it, but he was insistent. He wanted to see if he was really changed. He’s very stubborn. ”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Marco said, rolling his eyes.
“Even if you can still sense him alive, he may not stay that way long. There may be Hunters in the woods. And he has to feed soon and from you, Marco. He won’t accept anyone else. He was almost destroyed by what happened between you. If you ever cared for him at all, help me find him before it’s too late. ”
Marco had become more and more uneasy as she spoke and panic washed over him. Turning to his beta, Ian, he gave him a significant look. “We have to find him, Ian. She’s right. He’s so… he does things without thinking. I could sense he was terribly upset during the challenge. Maybe I pushed him too far. We have to find him. ”
Ian nodded with concern, and the entire pack moved, mobilizing for the search. Marco turned back to Shawna, his voice still gruff, but with a hint of apology. “Thank you for letting me know. We’ll find him. ”
“If you don’t mind, Alpha, we’ll help too. He brought all this on himself trying to help us. We made it worse when we urged him to be our champion. We knew he didn’t know what it would mean, and we took advantage of him. ”
Marco nodded curtly, her words cutting into him like a knife. He brought all this on himself. She meant Marco’s wrath, partly caused by his own failure with his mate. He knew that now. He’d let his temper get the best of him with Nicky, not just because he’d sided with the rogues, but because Marco had failed to satisfy him. He’d failed to make him feel a part of his life. He’d neglected his mate, and at the end, he’d almost killed him. A sudden image of his teeth sinking into Nicky’s sweet throat made him ill again, and he barely kept the bile from bursting from his mouth.
From nearby, an unearthly, feral howl split the air, making everyone freeze in panic and fear. Marco was stricken with horror, knowing it came from Nicky. He turned, shifting as he ran, desperate to get to him.
* * * * Nicky stood outside the circle, standing behind a grove of laurels, growing as twisted and crooked as his love for Marco had become. He listened to the words Marco said to Ian with disbelief and heartbreak. “Who cares? I’m tired of him. ”