Greykin Valley

| 48 | The Arena

"Chief?" Tokala asked quietly.

For a moment, it looked almost as if Damon was considering sacrificing Bly so that the plan could go ahead. Would he really do that? Would he let one of his wolves die so that everyone else could maybe get away? Jackson wasn't sure, but when the Alpha's conflicted frown faded, he felt relieved.

"Put them down," Damon growled.

Although his pack looked hesitant and confused, they dropped the weapons and backed off. The guns' original owners cautiously grabbed the rifles and then hurried out of the cage while Damon's pack snarled at them.

"Let her go," Damon demanded, glaring at the man who was holding Bly.

"Well, that depends," came Ellis' voice.

Jackson tensed up as he watched Kane's Beta strut out from the left and then stood in front of the bars as the armed men made space for him.

"Are you going to give Alpha Kane what he wants?" the Beta asked.

Damon snarled in response. "I don't know where they are!" he insisted angrily.

"It's true!" Bly said but then winced as the man pressed the muzzle of his gun harder against her head.

"One more chance," Ellis threatened.

"Just tell them!" Julian urged.

"How can we tell them something we don't know?!" Lalo growled at Julian.

Sebastien glared at Jackson from the corner of his eye. "If you Alpha's holding back, you better get him to give up. We need to get the hell out of here—"

"Shut the fuck up!" one of the guards yelled, aiming his weapon at Sebastien.

"Clock's ticking, Damon," Ellis said impatiently.

"I said I don't fucking know where—"

"Bring her out," the Beta grumbled to the guard holding Bly.

Bly started fighting and panicking as the three guards inside the cage grabbed her.

Damon went to move towards her, as did everyone else, but the other guards aimed their weapons at them.

"Don't move a fucking muscle," Ellis warned them. "I don't want to shoot anyone tonight, but I will if you don't all behave."

"Where are you taking her?!" Lance demanded—

Ezhno grabbed him by his shirt before he could try to lunge at the guards, who dragged Bly kicking and screaming out of the cage.

"If you lay one fucking hand on her," Damon snarled.

Ellis laughed as one of the guards pulled the bars to seal the cage. "You'll what? You're in there...and I'm out here. Doesn't look like you'll be doing anything..." he started backing off, "...but watch."

Everyone rushed to the bars, and as Jackson watched them laugh and throw Bly onto the dusty ground, angst started enthralling his racing heart. Julian's dismayed whimpers didn't help, and when he saw all the wolves and people filling up the space which overlooked the arena, dread struck him like a fist. It was happening, wasn't it? Julian told them that Kane would slaughter them one by one here...and Bly was all alone out there.

"Bly!" Lance called in terror as he reached out through the bars.

Bly tried to get up, but the guards kicked her and laughed.

"Stop!" Lance shrieked.

"Dad, what do we do?!" Remus panicked.

Everyone stared at Damon for orders, but it didn't look like he had any. He looked like he was trying to think, but all of the commotion coming from the growing, cheering crowd might be making that hard for him.