The Challenge (The Pack 2)

A shimmer filled the air around his body and a moment later, Caleb laid naked in my arms. Leah still had a hold on his leg, her hand wrapped around his thigh, as the majority of his wounds healed from the shift. The effort took what little energy Caleb had left though as he passed out again.

“Whoa, that was cool,” Leah whispered, staring down at Caleb’s now human body. “So cool.”

“You can quit gawking,” Anna snapped, throwing a towel someone had found over Caleb’s naked body. Leah looked up, startled. A flicker of understanding flashed across her face and she pushed herself up. Trent steadied her when she stumbled and she flashed him a smile of thanks.

“We need to get him home,” I stated and she gave a jerky nod. “Someone will escort you home,” I ordered, giving Trent a pointed look. He huffed, tugging a sucker out of his pocket as he nodded grudgingly. “Thank you. We owe you yet another debt of gratitude,” I informed Leah and she bobbed her head, not replying as she watched me lift Caleb onto the stretcher some of the Pack had brought to get him home. Several of us grabbed the sides, holding it steady as we headed toward the path to home.

Chapter Eighteen

“You can let me go now,” Sam growled, jerking out of Payne’s hold and reeling on him. “What did you think you were doing anyway?”

“Keeping you from interfering and having it declared a forfeit,” he responded hotly, running his hand through his hair. Probably so he wouldn’t be tempted to strangle her, I mused as I watched them argue.

When Sam had shouted for her ex to die, I’d stood there in disbelief. It was only Payne’s quick action that had kept her from lunging into the middle of the ring and killing him herself. I wasn’t sure what had happened between her and Frank Hanley but from the brutal satisfaction I’d witnessed on her face when she saw him dead, I’d have to say he deserved what he got.

“That wouldn’t have happened,” Sam spouted off, chest heaving as she stared him down. “Probably wouldn’t have happened,” she concluded after another minute of calming down. She looked down and saw Nicky clinging to my hand watching her. “Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” He shrugged, two fingers hooked inside of his chubby cheeks, seeming unaffected by his mom screaming for his dad to die. It made me wonder what else he may have witnessed in his short life to make that seem commonplace.

Payne met my eyes, then flicked his gaze down to where I still had a stranglehold on Nicky’s hand and arched a single eyebrow. I shrugged, mouthing, “Dom,” as if that answered everything. Payne nodded slightly, his gaze wandering around the clearing and I figured he’d get his answers later.

“Nicky, you want a candy bar?” Payne asked, holding out his hand and Nicky eagerly took it as Sam bit back whatever scathing remark she was about to give. “Let’s hit up the vending machine and then go watch cartoons.” Sam opened her mouth, to protest no doubt, but he shook his head warningly. She conceded, nodding as she took Nicky’s other hand.

“Chocolate sounds good right now,” she admitted, her eyes straying back to the blood-soaked ground for a moment before she straightened and followed Payne and her son back to the motel.

“Apparently, I’m now an Uber driver,” Trent drawled, appearing next to me with Leah in tow.

“It was only a matter of time before you were forced to find gainful employment,” I responded, having to force a smile after I saw Leah’s hands. They were covered in blood. “Caleb?” I asked worriedly, checking the connection to Dom. It was there, a low hum that didn’t speak of death.

“Fine,” Trent assured me with a lift of his eyebrows. “It appears Leah here is a vet in training.”

She ducked her head, rubbing her fingers together as she tried to flake the blood off. “I’ve helped my dad a few times,” she said dismissively. “Setting a leg isn’t a big deal. His shift did all the work.”

“Yeah, but he couldn’t shift with a broken leg and was losing a lot of blood. Your quick action saved him,” Trent explained for my benefit.

“Wow, that’s impressive, Leah. I know the Pack appreciated it.”

“Not all of them,” she muttered under her breath and I pretended not to hear. “Can I clean up before I get ‘escorted’ home?” She used air quotes, telling us exactly how she felt about being escorted.

“Of course, you can use my room.” I let her inside the apartment, quickly closing the door behind her as I hissed to Trent, “He’s okay?”

“Yeah, no joke, she saved the day.” Trent eyed the door Leah was behind as he yanked the sucker out of his mouth. “Caleb owes her his life.”