Outa. The interpretation came to me.Lion.
Faline wriggled her fingers. “All digits accounted for. No hands cut off. No prizes collected.”
He smiled at that like it was an inside joke between them. Sick fucks.
Colton’s icy exterior cracked with emotion. “We’re at a bit of an impasse, Jackals. You have my mate. I have yours.”
Surprised kicked up my eyebrow. The asshole previously rejected his mate like she meant nothing to him. Now he wanted her back. It didn’t make sense.
More ice melted away from his cold exterior. “Once we release them, we both know they’ll be casualties.”
Game, set, match. Battle waged. Defeat declared. The conquered side remained to be decided. Whoever it was, death called to us, lingering on the borders of my war powers. While we might rescue our mate and save her life, one or more of our lives were doomed. Could the War god in me relinquish the challenge? Fight the ultimate war and be proud of my effort in the afterlife?
Harder questions hit me in the gut. Could I leave my woman, child, and unborn babies down one or more fathers? The possibility of never meeting my progeny destroyed some of the fight in me.
Kids were high on my list of goals. I always wanted them, and not just to get an heir. My father and I shared a special bond, and I missed our long conversations on his back porch over a beer. Sports, bikes, and business. I longed to have that with my kids. To take them camping and fishing. Teach them all about guns and motorcycles. Everything my dad showed me. Fuck. Decisions warred within me.
Castor tugged on the bond to indicate one minute passed.
Sweat trickled down my neck. I had to keep this motherfucker busy for another two goddamn minutes.
Set dwelled in my periphery, his bloodlust pressing on me. Avatars who came before me were all men of war. High-ranking military officers or chiefs battling enemy forces. Psychologists battling the war of the mind with depression and incurable mental illnesses. Physicians battling wars of the body with cancer, heart disease, and strokes. The list went on.
Me, I was a man of guns, knives, and bikes. Born in violence when a rival club gunned down my mom. Bound to die in violence. Today might be the day I met my maker.
Maybe there’s another way,Set suggested.Brokering the peace you long for. Laying down your weapons for the love of your family and brotherhood.
Fuck. I hadn’t thought of that. Now I couldn’t stop considering it. My mate would go free. Alive and well. Her men would all live. We would meet our babies, teach them everything we knew, raise them to be good people with a bad streak—the devil in me couldn’t resist that temptation—and hopefully they’d carry on our tradition and take over the club. Make us fucking proud, whatever they chose.
“What if we let you live?” Hatred born from vengeance withdrew at my proposal and my body rocked at the loss of my motivation this past year.
“Are you sure about this, Slade?” Zethan prodded, playing along with his role of questioning me, drawing out the game.
The counter in me started ticking again with hope.
Aaliyah’s eyes brimmed with pride. She never expected me to make such a huge sacrifice. Her response extinguished more of the revenge fueling me.
Colton’s eyebrow hiked with interest and amusement as if he suspected I fucked with him just to get him to release my mate. “Please, Slade. Don’t insult my intelligence with a promise that you’ll let me walk away with my mate.”
Surrender and treaty kindled in my belly. Iwoulddo this for her. Forthem.
Hell, I shocked myself by making the offer. This cunt almost destroyed my club. Killed two of my men. Almost killed my mate, my VP, and friend. Drove a wedge between my best friend and me. Stress from Alaric’s arrest, kidnapping and cut off finger left him at breaking point. Our mate glued back the pieces and rescued him from the edge. Here I just proposed to let Colton walk away scot-free for all the duress, pain, and tension.
Hardest decision of my life. Sometimes a War god had to make deals to preserve the safety of his territory, his men and their lives. Living a long life, growing old with my woman, watching my kids grow, and meeting my grandbabies meant more to me than revenge. If we survived, it was a choice I’d make a thousand times over.
History taught me a lesson in going against my woman, supporting the club over her and almost losing her, then losing Zethan for the decision. Fuck. I’d rather lose everything than lose them. And that was saying something for a man like me.
If Colton stayed out of our business, then we’d leave him alone, much as my pride hated to extend this deal.
“I mean it.” My heart beat faster with the hope of his agreement.
The clock ticked with more urgency as the time to strike bore down on us.
“Do it, Colton,” Faline urged. “Just walk away.”
Colton regarded his mate with cold fury. “I’m going to punish you for stealing my casino,littleouta.”
She shivered at the threat. Challenge accepted. “I won’t give it up without a fight.”
