Ian gritted out. “Unless we watched him poison him, we wouldn’t have the time to prove it. We could cry foul, but it wouldn’t change anything.”
“So what can we do?” I questioned, frantic now. “Heal him?”
“Too late for that,” Raff muttered, and the sweat on my skin turned to ice as I shook my head.
“No. No way. You aren’t dying. Not happening, do you hear me?” I screeched.
“He’ll die in the challenge if we don’t get to him.” Ian shook me, forcing me to look at him. “He needs to pass his alpha status.”
“Alarick?” His name was a whimper, and his blue eyes blazed as he turned to look at me. “But- but you’re not…”
“I told you there’d be a time when I’d take over. It’s just sooner than any of us expected.”
“Pixie, look at me,” Ian urged. “You and I both heal. There’s a chance we can save Raff, even if he gives up his alpha powers to Alarick.” A thread of hope wove its way through me. “But if they have been feeding him poison over the last several days, he’s going to have long-term damage, damage that one healing session won’t cure. Especially one session before a challenge. Alarick has to take the position of alpha.” His hand gripped my chin now, his eyes refusing to let mine look away. “And he’ll have to fight.”
All thoughts fled my mind as I tried to process that. I yanked out of Ian’s grasp, whirling to look at Alarick. “You’ll face Gwyar?”
“Like you faced Ashley.” I licked my lips at that reminder, my human half warring with my wolf. I had fought a duel and won. I had done it for the pup in my arms. He would be doing it for his father and the entire pack. No matter how afraid I was for him, I couldn’t ask him not to. My wolf howled her approval at the thought.
“If you die, I’ll make Selene bring you back so I can kill you,” I warned solemnly. Even Raff barked a weak laugh at that.
“Pixie, you were always meant to be a wolf,” he whispered through the line. “No matter what your outside was, your soul was wolf.” My heart squeezed tightly.
“How do we do this transfer thing?” I inquired, looking between Ian and Alarick. “I mean, can’t he just give it to Gwyar and then we kick his ass for it?”
“That bastard isn’t getting control of my pack for one minute,” Raff snarled. “I’ll bleed out first and let the power die with me.”
“Not an option,” I snapped. “Raff, I will follow you to the afterlife,” I threatened.
“I wouldn’t test her,” Zev advised. “You just focus on staying alive, you hear us?”
“True alpha power only transfers a few ways, and there’s an important distinction,” Ian gritted out. “Just because someone claims to be an alpha doesn’t mean they are. A true alpha receives the power and the knowledge of the alphas who came before him. It has to be completed before the challenge is issued for it to work, the same way your binding was when you became a beta. It’s… metaphysical would be a good word. Other wolves can scent it on you.”
“Okay, so how do we do that?” I pressed, exasperated.
“For a true alpha power to pass on, the best option is, as I said, a binding. He would have to clasp hands with Alarick and transfer his powers into him with a binding oath,” Ian explained with a shake of his head.
“And the other way?” I glanced at the grimaces and a shudder ran down my spine. “I probably don’t want to know the other way, do I?”
“He has to eat my heart while it’s still beating,” Raff gasped out on a wet laugh. “You can see what option Gwyar is going for.”
I gagged. “Wouldn’t that poison him?”
“Not if he has healers standing by,” Ian said grimly. “Especially not after consuming that much alpha power, it would help boost his own healing enough that having a healer with him would mean he’d live through it.”
“We’re running out of time,” Chann whispered, staring at the GPS. “They’ve got to know he’s not where he should be by now.”
“Is there some other way?” I questioned, chewing my lip. “I mean, shouldn’t there be some emergency feature here?”
“It’s not a car, there’s no emergency brake.” Alarick grimaced. “It’s a time-honored ceremony that’s supposed to be done with forethought and planning.”
Luna sniffled, lifting her head. “I can help.” Even Zev tried