Crowned by Fate Chapter 80

Skye's POV

Relief surged through me as I watched Ryder half-carrying Nadia toward our vehicle.

Every instinct screamed at me to rush forward, to throw my arms around her and confirm she was really here, really alive.

But I remained rooted in place, hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. Kane's warriors were watching our every move, waiting for the slightest opening to strike.

Behind Ryder and Nadia, several Oasisborn warriors emerged from the rocky terrain, moving in a protective formation. I counted quickly—seven, eight... only nine altogether. My heart sank as I realized one was missing from the original rescue team.

"Where's Elias?" I whispered, more to myself than anyone else.

Adrian's eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, his expression confirming my worst fears before he returned his attention to Kane, maintaining his chokehold on the Alpha.

Kane's labored breathing filled the tense silence of the SUV. "Can you release me now?" he rasped. "You have what you came for."

Adrian didn't bother responding, instead gesturing sharply for Ryder to hurry. I threw open the driver's side door, keeping my movements deliberate and controlled despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

"Get her in the car," Adrian ordered as Ryder approached with Nadia. "Then call Marcus. We need immediate extraction."

Ryder nodded grimly, easing Nadia into the backseat of the second SUV before pulling out his phone. Behind them, our warriors maintained a defensive perimeter, weapons trained on Kane's approaching forces.

Through the dusty haze, Kane's Beta approached, keeping his hands visible as he stepped into the no-man's land between our groups.

"Alpha Adrian," he called, voice carrying across the barren landscape. "We fulfill our end of the bargain. Now release our Alpha."

Adrian's grip on Kane didn't loosen. "Not until my people are safely across the border."

Ryder stepped forward unexpectedly, his young face hardened with grief and rage. "We're missing a warrior," he announced, his voice carrying the weight of authority beyond his years. "Elias fell during the extraction."

My breath caught. Elias—one of our first warriors, a quiet man who'd joined Oasisborn during its earliest days. He'd been kind to me when I'd first arrived, showing me the pack's borders without judgment or suspicion.

"We demand the return of his body," Ryder continued, standing tall despite the blood staining his shirt—not all of it his own. "We won't leave him in enemy territory."

Kane's Beta hesitated, eyes darting between Ryder and his captive Alpha. After a tense moment, he nodded curtly.

"Bring the body," he called over his shoulder.

Minutes that felt like hours crawled by as we waited, the desert wind swirling dust between our tense standoff. Finally, two of Kane's warriors appeared, carrying between them a body wrapped in a simple black tarp.

They laid their burden gently on the ground before retreating. Ryder and another warrior moved forward, verifying it was indeed Elias before carrying him back to our waiting vehicles.

"It's him," Ryder confirmed, his voice tight with contained emotion.

Adrian nodded, then addressed Kane's Beta again. "We're leaving now. Your Alpha will be released once we've crossed safely into our territory."

The Beta's face twisted with barely suppressed rage, but he stepped back, signaling his warriors to hold their positions.

With practiced efficiency, our people loaded into the vehicles—Nadia carefully placed in the back of the lead SUV with me, while Elias's body was secured in the second vehicle. Adrian maintained his grip on Kane until the very last moment, shoving the partially paralyzed Alpha roughly toward his waiting Beta before jumping into our vehicle.

"Drive," he commanded, and I didn't hesitate, slamming my foot on the accelerator.

In the rearview mirror, I watched Kane stagger, the wolfsbane making his movements uncoordinated as his warriors rushed to support him. His eyes, however, remained fixed on our retreating vehicles, burning with a hatred that promised this confrontation was far from over.

***

The tension in the vehicle only eased marginally as we crossed into Oasisborn territory, where Marcus waited with a heavily armed escort. The blind security chief gestured for our convoy to continue toward the compound without stopping—we weren't truly safe until we were deep within our borders.

In the backseat, Nadia leaned against my shoulder, her eyes half-open, breathing shallow but steady. Despite her obvious weakness, her hand found mine, squeezing with surprising strength.

"I knew you'd come back," she whispered, her voice hoarse from what I suspected was screaming—or worse. "I knew you wouldn't leave me there."

Tears burned my eyes as I gently squeezed her hand in return. "I'm so sorry it took so long," I choked out, unable to keep my voice steady as I took in the full extent of her injuries. Bruises in various stages of healing covered every visible inch of skin, and dried blood matted her short black hair. "What they did to you..."

Ryder's fist slammed against the door panel, startling all of us. "This isn't right," he growled. "Elias is dead. You two tortured within an inch of your lives. And what did Kane lose? Nothing! That bastard walks away with a slight headache from the wolfsbane, while we bury one of our own."

"Kane will answer for this. I'm filing a formal complaint with the North American Werewolf Council and requesting an audience with the Alpha King himself." Adrian's voice cut through Ryder's rage.

"If they cannot provide justice, I will publicly challenge Kane to a formal duel. And I will finish this—permanently."

My blood ran cold at his words.

The public duel was an ancient werewolf tradition, rarely invoked in modern times but still binding under pack law.

When conflicts between packs couldn't be resolved through normal channels, an Alpha could issue a formal challenge, requesting combat under the Council's supervision.

It was a desperate measure, often ending in death for one of the combatants.

"You can't," Ryder protested immediately, leaning forward in his seat. "You're our Alpha. The pack needs you. I'll represent Oasisborn in the duel."

Adrian's jaw tightened. "You're not ready to face Kane. He's been Alpha for over fifteen years—he's killed challengers before."

"Stop. Both of you," I interjected, forcing reason through my exhaustion. "We need to focus on healing Nadia first, then strengthening our defenses. Kane might be licking his wounds now, but he didn't actually lose anything today. He'll be planning his retaliation already. We need to be prepared."

Ryder reluctantly nodded, his attention shifting to Nadia, his expression softening with undisguised concern. He had grown up under Nadia's strict training, and despite their frequent bickering, his devotion to her was obvious.

Adrian kept his eyes on the road ahead, but I could see the tension in his shoulders.

We were approaching the main compound when a wet, choking sound broke the tense silence. My head whipped around to find Nadia convulsing beside me, dark blood spilling from her lips, staining her already ruined clothes.

"Nadia!" I cried, gripping her shoulders as she seized. "What's happening? Nadia!"