Mated To An Enemy

Caleb agreed to Jonas’ terms and then promptly left. Jonas had already prepared rooms for both visiting Alphas to rest.

Axel was left with Jonas.

“What the hell is this?” Axel asked after Caleb was gone. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”

Jonas laughed.

“Like the boy said, it’s a fight,” Jonas replied. “He and I will duke it out, and whoever wins is the battle master to the wolves of Broken Crag.”

“You don’t mean you’re giving up your role as Alpha, do you?” Axel asked.

“This wolf don’t give up nothing,” Jonas growled. “If the boy can take me down fair and square, he earns the respect of my wolves.”

“With all due respect, what does that mean?”

“He will earn the right to ask them to follow him onto the battlefield. Whether they follow is up to them,” replied Jonas.

“Not you?”

“I don’t tell my wolves who to fight for. I may be the voice the rest of you alphas recognize for this pack. But that don’t mean these wolves don’t have voices of their own.”

Axel nodded in understanding.

“What about you?” Axel asked. “Will you join the fight?”

Jonas smiled.

“If Summer can beat me in silver and iron, I ain’t got no problem following him into war.”

“In silver and iron, what does that mean?”

“Follow me,” Jonas said, standing from the table and walking towards the door that led outside.

The moon was high up in the sky now, and the air was cool. Axel followed Jonas across a small bridge. He led him to the highest point on the small island. He pointed across the river to one of the many holes in the canyon walls leading to their tunnel system.

“That one there,” Jonas said. “It leads to the richest deposit of silver in the territory.”

Axel swallowed as he started to understand where this conversation was leading.

“Down there is where we’ll fight. With the mountain holding back the wolf, and each of us wearing iron chains.”

“Are you going to take a shot of wolfsbane first?” Axel offered sarcastically as he processed what he had heard.

He knew the wolves of Broken Crag were different. They chose to live in an environment that was toxic to them. They saw it as building their personal strength, and honestly, he respected them for it.

But this sounded like too much.

Jonas laughed.

“I have thought about it!”

“You do understand that you are insane, right? Like that’s not a surprise to you, is it?” Axel said.

“I have heard worse,” Jonas smiled. He leaned forward on the wood railing before him. “The boy’ll be fine. He’ll feel sick a couple of days, but it won’t kill him.”

“Will you?” Axel asked.

“No,” Jonas laughed. “I do want to help you boys. That don’t mean I’ll go easy on him. Just that I hope he can prove himself. I know the right side to take in this war.”

“There isn’t a war.”

“There is. It’s been building a long time,” Jonas said. “Sooner rather than later, it will surface, and we’ll all get caught up in it.”

“Hopefully, not too soon,” Axel sighed.

Jonas looked at Axel.

“Ya know, your dad has never liked me,” Jonas said.

“My dad doesn’t like most people.”

“Why do you like me, Axel?”

“Who says I do?” Axel smiled, leaning over the rail. “You’re a grumpy, crazy old man that treats me like a kid.”

“That is true,” Jonas laughed. “But you have never shied away from me or my wolves. No matter how grumpy I’ve gotten.”

“I don’t really like you, but I do respect you,” Axel said. “Your wolves live in a way that should make them weaker, but they’re all strong. They should be miserable, but everyone that I have met here, while grumpy, is still very happy.”

“We find our strength by conquering our weakness,” Jonas replied.

Axel nodded.

“You finally got over it?” Jonas asked.

Axel looked at him with confusion.

Jonas pointed to his own face and then at Axel.

“Oh,” Axel said, touching his scar gently. “I’m getting there.”

“Good,” Jonas said. “You have been drowning yourself in that weakness for too long. You lead a people now, no time to gasp for breath.”

“I have someone to find,” Axel sighed. “Hard to do with one eye covered.”

Jonas laughed again.

“Whatever reason finds your strength.”

***

Not long after sunrise Caleb was guided to the entrance of the tunnel. He was stripped down to his boxer briefs and led to stand beside Jonas, who was already in a similar state of dress. Behind them were two large men carrying a simple wooden chest between them.

Further back stood Axel and about fifty other men and women waiting to follow them down a hollowed-out narrow tunnel. Old wooden planks lined the ground while heavy stone posts were spaced evenly with small lights strung between them, lighting the way in the small passage.

They walked for some distance before the narrow tunnel expanded until it became a large cave lined in silver ore. At the center of the cave, a large circle had been carved out of the ground. Five stone pillars surrounded the ring.

Caleb and Axel both felt the heavy weight of their wolf being forced down into submission, to retreat deep inside of themselves. They fought the urge to leave the room.

Caleb followed Jonas and the two men carrying the chest into the center of the cave. While Axel followed the rest of the wolves as they spread themselves out between the pillars to watch the battle.

The two men placed the chest down between the two alphas. They each pulled a pair of heavy workman’s gloves from their pocket and put them on. As the chest was opened, Caleb could see a sheet of chains linked together. One of the men reached in and pulled out the first one. He approached Jonas, and now it was clear what the sheet was. A chainmail shirt made from iron.

Jonas opened his arms. The man brought the chainmail to him. He slipped it over his head and let it fall across his back and chest.

Jonas clenched his jaw and roared out as the metal burned against his flesh.

The wolves of Broken Crag howled alongside him.

“Through weakness, we find our strength!” Jonas shouted.

The wolves echoed back his words, along with grunts and howls of excitement.

The second man now approached Caleb.

He opened his arms, and the man brought the chainmail over his head and let it fall.

Caleb closed his eyes and hissed as the fire spread over his bare skin. He clenched his hands into tight fists and ground his teeth together, taking a deep breath through his nose.

“Let out your voice, Summer!” Jonas shouted, growling out his pain. “Let us hear the agony! Don’t let it silence you!”

Caleb growled. The chainmail scratched and burned against his skin. The silver in the walls and floor made him feel heavy. And Jonas was just pissing him off.

“Once we have left the circle, the fight begins,” said the man that had placed Caleb’s chainmail.

The two men had picked up the chest. They were leaving the circle.

“Come, boy,” Jonas said as his nostrils flared with the heavy breaths he took. “Through weakness, you will find strength.”

Caleb watched as the second man’s foot finally left the circle.

“Hear this!” he roared as he charged at Jonas.