Enforcing Boundaries

Chapter 29

Magnus

Felix held my hand in a firm, warm grip as we walked to the training ring. Having him here made me feel like a child, which brought a feeling of absolute safety. Felix wouldn't let anything bad happen to me. I clung to that knowledge as I clung to his hand, and it did a lot to even out my nerves.

We stopped outside the doors to the training building and Felix released my hand so he could grip my shoulders. He stared into my eyes, his own intense and focused. "You've been training since you were a young teen. You helped me defend my family against four attackers. You are a skilled fighter, and you can win this."

There was no room for doubt in my brother's expression, and his absolute confidence soothed the last of my nerves. I didn't want to let Felix down, but I knew that if I lost, he would never hold it against me. That was good – great, even – but it wasn't enough. I didn't just want Felix to accept the outcome of this fight; I wanted him to be proud of me.

And I wanted to make Lachlan proud, too. And Mel, and Everett.

And I wanted to make my pack proud.

I just needed to win this fight and make it through the hearing.

Just, I thought with a flash of humor. As though either of those things would be simple. But the sheer magnitude of what I had to get through today had overwhelmed my senses for long enough that my stress reaction had short-circuited. I didn't feel it anymore. I just felt ready.

I didn't know what Felix saw on my face, but he smiled. It was a creepy expression, with that intensity still in his eyes and with no real joy to be found. I couldn't help grinning back at him. Felix should have been the alpha, not me, but that was okay. I had his support and his faith.

"Let's go," I said, and led the way into the building.

Mel was on one side of the ring, glaring ferociously at Opal across the way while Opal ignored her. When Mel realized we'd arrived, she pushed away from the metal fence surrounding the training ring and joined us, eyes brightening when she registered the mood we were in.

"I can't wait for you to kick her ass," Mel said, not bothering to keep her voice down.

I laughed while Felix shook his head, and we fell into an easy silence while we waited for Kayla. When she arrived, she performed my exam first, which was good – it gave me a few more minutes to spend with Lachlan when he arrived. I was only a little surprised to see that Luin had come to watch the match, but having him here didn't bother me in the slightest. Roy arrived a few minutes later, too, but the audience for this match would be small. The only person standing on Opal's side of the ring was her mate.

My sense of time was definitely distorted, and it felt like only a few minutes later that Kayla finished Opal's exam and Opal walked into the center of the ring. Lachlan had been pressing himself against my right side with both his arms wrapped around me, and I enveloped him in a tight hug.

"I love you," he said. "Good luck."

"Thanks. I love you too." And then he withdrew and I headed into the ring.

Roy met me and Opal in the center. As the highest-ranking pack member whose job wasn't currently under threat of challenge, he would be officiating our match. He recited the rules – which I had heard and read so many times in the past week that I knew them by heart. While he spoke, I watched Opal, wishing I had gotten just a little bit more time to get to know her. It's always easier to fight an opponent you know and I could bet she had done her research on me. Opal gave nothing away except when Roy recited the part about not doing any permanent damage. Her eyes flashed with excitement when he said that part, and it brought back tendrils of unease. The simple fact was that I didn't trust Opal not to bend the rules if she got the chance.