Rigaldo kept his word, jumping eagerly into their training sessions and joining the runners each week. Otis stumbled over himself the first time he tried to attach a crate to Rigaldo, unaccustomed to working with wolves quite that size. "I'm so sorry," he said, when one of the clips pinched the alpha's skin, quickly setting about adjusting the straps again.

Rigaldo laughed. "Don't fret. I can handle some pinching."

He won them over as easily as he had her pack. The first few weeks of training, he followed her lead, sparring, gently, with a couple of her wolves and offering them pointers. Until Alex joked, "I'd like to see how Nat compares to you."

Natania tensed, and she focused on not letting her fur spike as Rigaldo glanced at her, a playful glint in his eye. "Well then, now will you accept my challenge? We never did get to spar at the games."

Her wolves all stopped in their training, turning to stare at her. Shit, she thought, would her pack still respect her if she lost? She gazed over them, eagerness in all of their eyes. They wouldn't if she refused.

Leah padded up to her, "Don't," she whispered. Natania shot her an agonized look.

"I don't have a choice," she muttered, and understanding flashed from her mate. She had heard how badly the pack doubting him had affected Branson, even if she hadn't been there to see it. If Natania bowed out of this fight, the pack would begin to doubt her as well.

Natania walked to the center of one of the rings and Rigaldo faced her on the other side. "Don't worry," he soothed. "I'll go easy."

Natania set her jaw. Condescending prick, she thought. She felt tiny, facing him. She was the largest wolf in her pack, and of her father's wolves, only he and Ezra, albeit the latter by only a tiny amount, had height on her. Rigaldo had two entire feet on her.

"Go Nat," Bran cheered and she flushed. There was not a chance in hell she was winning this. Natania fluffed out her pelt, at the very least, he might get more fur than skin. Rigaldo watched her calmly, wearing a playful smile.

"Whenever you're ready," he said.

Natania aimed to run past him and swipe her claws down his flank, but he shot out a paw, catching her chest and flipping her onto her back before she could blink. He held her down for only a second before stepping back. "Try again."

Natania burned with embarrassment, lashing her tail as she got to her paws. She swiped upwards, expecting him to block, then dove under his chest. She got a light scrape along his belly, but then one of his hind legs hit her throat. Rigaldo spun around, his front paw replacing his back, holding her down without much effort. This time, Natania sank her teeth into his paw before he could retreat.

The silver wolf winced, but raised his foot and took her scruff in his teeth, forcing her to release him. He dropped her back on the ground and took a few quick steps back. "You can do better."

Natania pinned her ears, rage curling in her chest.

"Calm down," Leah urged from the sidelines. "If you lose focus, he'll have you."

He has me already, Natania thought with a scowl, but took a deep breath, letting her pelt settle. She curled her paws, sinking her claws into the ground. The only advantage she'd have is her speed. Natania made a feinting blow, diving forward, then halting at the last second and rolled to her left, she shot out a paw, knocking one of his forelegs out from under him and leaped onto his back.

She didn't get him over as she'd intended but clung onto his flank. "Better," he said, "but not quite." He dropped onto his side, crushing Natania beneath him.

"Quit playing with me," she snapped when he backed off once again. It was more embarrassing being taken down repeatedly than just finished off.

His gaze darkened for a second before he shrugged. "Okay."

She almost regretted it as soon as she said it. He waited long enough for her to get to her paws then struck, she jumped backwards, avoiding his first hit, but he adjusted quickly, swatting her out of the air. Natania rolled back to her feet when she hit the ground and met him in a head on attack. She got her teeth into his shoulder, but he pushed her backwards, making her feet slip out from under her and pinned her on her back. One paw on her chest. She clawed at his stomach with her hind paws, he was too heavy for her to push off.

"That's enough," he said.

Natania snarled and tried to rear upwards, to no effect so she dug her teeth into his foreleg, higher up than before.

"I said enough," he growled. "I don't want to hurt you."

She ignored him, and tried to roll out from under him. He let her turn onto her stomach, then sunk his teeth into her neck, pushing her muzzle into the ground. She felt his excitement press into her back and froze, he was enjoying humiliating her.

Natania pinned her ears and tightly tucked her tail, but gave up struggling against him. He held her for several embarrassingly long moments, until one of her wolves cleared their throat. Rigaldo stood up, dropping his hold on her neck and sidestepped away.

Natania got to her feet slowly, pelt bristling and refused to look at him.

"So, not well," Alex remarked, answering his previous question. A muffled murmur of agreement went through her pack and Natania felt the first touches of doubt grow in their bonds. Bran stepped up to Rigaldo's side. "Do you think you could teach us more?" he asked.

Her wolves crowded around Rigaldo, except for Leah and Valerie who shuffled her away from her over eager pack.

"He did that on purpose," Leah growled once they were a good enough distance away.

"Are you hurt?" Valerie asked, nosing around her flank.

"Just my pride," Natania hissed, shrugging her off. Rigaldo had taken her down repeatedly, but all she had to show for it was a few bruises. He had been extremely careful not to wound her. It made the humiliation worse. At least when her father had dumbed down his strength in their training, they'd both had wounds to show for it.

She didn't want to admit that it also frightened her, that he didn't have to do much to leave her entirely helpless.

"I'm surprised you didn't stay back there," Natania said to Valerie.

The tan wolf gave her an irritated look. "I remember how uncomfortable he made you two years ago, I'm not joining his fan club." Valerie sank to her stomach. "What is he doing here Nat?"

Natania shot Leah a look. They hadn't really given an explanation to his presence, her father had forbidden it. As far as the others were concerned, he was just visiting.

"Your call," Leah said.

Natania bowed her head. Bran should have been there with them, but he had wholeheartedly embraced the other alpha, looking up to him like some sort of beacon. The betrayal stung, and she didn't think she could trust him to keep that to himself anymore. Valerie was the only other wolf that knew about her relationship with Leah, and she had kept it to herself. Natania figured she could trust her with this too.

"Alistair found out. About Leah and I last year," Natania explained. Valerie winced. "He gave me an ultimatum, to pick a pureblooded mate, or he would." She lashed her tail. "I didn't think he meant it. Didn't take him seriously. And this is the result."

Valerie furrowed her brow. "So he's here to what? Be your mate?"

Natania bared her teeth. "Essentially."

Valerie shifted with discomfort. "So I didn't just imagine that then," she mused.

"What?" Leah pricked her ears, coming around to the front of them and sitting down so they formed a circle.

Valerie ducked her head with embarrassment. "He just looked like he would have, um, if he didn't have an audience."

Natania flinched. It took a second for it to click with Leah, and her mate snarled. "I'll kill him if he tries."

Natania surged to her feet. "It's just become blatantly obvious that we can't do anything to him. I can't kill him, I can't even fucking fight him without being put on my ass."

"You could run," Valerie said. "I'd go with you."

Natania shook her head. "I can't run." She took a deep breath then explained, "Alistair bargained with him, a blood bargain. Without knowing the terms, they'd just hunt me down. There is nowhere I could hide that would be far enough away to escape it." She growled deep in her chest. "That's why they're so dangerous."

"What if we kill him?" Valerie tilted her head in thought. "He can't possibly beat all of us."

Leah broke in. "Bargain magic doesn't work like that, he'd just come back as a ghoul."

"That's disturbing," Valerie said," but we can outrun a ghoul."

Natania shook her head again. "That's assuming we'd even be strong enough to beat him in the first place. That would still leave Alistair." She closed her eyes. "We can't do anything until we know the terms. If we can complete the bargain, then we have more options." She dug her claws into the ground. "But he'll have my pack by then." Naturally or by charming them, he'd have his claws deep in her pack soon enough.

"Tell the pack," Valerie said. "Most of them wouldn't support him if they knew why he was here."

"Alistair already threatened her family," Leah said with a frustrated growl. "She won't risk Sara."

Valerie's ears drooped. "What if I tell them?"

"Then he'll kill you," Natania said. "I'm tied up in fucking knots." Natania started to pace. "There are no steps I can make that won't hurt someone I love."

"So what are we going to do then? Just sit around and wait for one of them to tell us what the bargain was?"

"Survive, for now." Natania glanced up at the sky. "Maybe I'll piss him off enough that he regrets ever bargaining with my father."