Mercy Thompson 01-05 - THE MERCY THOMPSON COLLECTION

mat. “Paul has chosen today to challenge our Alpha,” he announced baldly. His lips twisted as he said, “He eschewed the formality of running the challenge by the Marrok.”
    No one murmured or looked surprised. They all knew what Paul had done.
    There was the bare chance that the Marrok would look at the mess the pack was in and allow that Paul had no choice but to challenge. The chance that the Marrok wouldn’t kill Paul would have been slightly greater if Adam hadn’t been hurt already. But Paul probably thought that he was in the right and that he could convince the Marrok of the same thing.
    I suppose anything is possible. I don’t think Paul understood just how unlikely that was. He’d never, to my knowledge, actually met the Marrok. Henry, who had, probably told Paul that it would be all right. People like Henry are good at getting others to believe them.
    Darryl looked around the audience. “My job is to see that you stay off the mats. I am willing to ensure that this is a fair fight with your life. Are we clear?”
    â€œExcuse me,” said Mary Jo’s voice.
    She was just this side of five feet tall so I didn’t see her until she stepped onto the mat in front of Darryl.
    â€œI call challenge on Paul,” she said.
    And then there was noise, a great howl of noise as the whole garage full of werewolves objected—women don’t fight in challenge fights.
    Darryl raised his hand and quiet spread reluctantly.
    â€œI’m within three of his rank,” she said. Her eyes were properly on Darryl’s feet, though her face was turned to him. “It is within my right to challenge him for the right to fight the Alpha.”
    I stared at her. This was not something I’d have expected of the Mary Jo who had allowed the fae to set fire to my house while she was supposed to be standing guard.
    â€œYou’re not within three ranks,” growled Darryl.
    She held up her hand. “Paul,” she said. Then she held up one finger “Henry.” Another finger. “George and me.”
    She was right. That was where I’d have put her, too.
    â€œYou are an unmated woman,” Darryl said. “That puts your rank at the bottom. Alec is after George.”
    â€œAlec,” she called, not taking her attention away from Darryl. “Who is more dominant, you or me?”
    Alec stepped around the other wolves and looked from her to Paul. I could see the answer he wanted to make, and Darryl started to relax. Adam, I noticed, was watching Mary Jo with surprised respect.
    Alec opened his mouth, then hesitated. “You all could tell if I lied,” he said. He raised up both his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Mary Jo.” He looked Darryl in the eye, and said, “Mary Jo outranks me.”
    And chaos reigned. Paul stuck his head in Darryl’s face and raved. He was one of the very few people in the pack tall enough to stand eye to eye with Darryl. If there hadn’t been so much noise, I’d have been able to hear what he said—but I could guess. Paul liked Mary Jo. He didn’t want to kill her.
    Mary Jo stood there; like Adam, she was an island of quiet in the uproar. She was small, but every ounce of weight she had was muscle. She was tough as boot leather, quick, and agile. I wasn’t as certain as Paul was that she’d lose—I wouldn’t want to fight against her. If she won, she could yield to Adam. If she decided to fight—and I didn’t think she would—she’d be coming into the challenge tired and possibly hurt.
    Then I remembered the way Henry had thrown her into the island in the kitchen. She had either broken or cracked her ribs when she hit. Though I couldn’t see it in the way she was moving, there had not been enough time for her to heal. No one healed that fast unless they were an Alpha with a full moon outside.
    â€œEnough,” roared Warren suddenly, his voice ringing out over the hubbub like a shot fired in a crowd.
    Darryl turned to Mary Jo, and said, “No.”
    â€œNot your call to make,” she informed him. “Adam?”
    â€œI have a problem,” he said. “Justice demands that I must step away from this determination because I am more than a little vested in the decision. In the name of justice, then, let it fall to the next three in rank—Mercy, Darryl, and Auriele.”
    He