Trifecta: Ice [Complete]

Ch: 38 Referendum

Matthias' POV

"Come on, man," Elise's brother complained, as if I had not been the one waiting for him for almost an hour.

He could wait for two minutes.

I had stopped by Nick's house to talk to him about a couple of last minute things, before I ran over to Serge's territory. I wanted to be there for Elise. Nick had arranged everything, because he understood what was at stake as well as I did.

The challenger had given new life to the overused phrase, "Most important election of our lives."

What happened to Elise would rise and fall on what happened between Serge and the challenger.

I was conflicted. My initial fury at the bastard had died down to embers of constant hatred. I doubted I would ever forgive what he had done to her, but her insistence that she was safe and the fact she seemed to be somehow coping had worn down my active anger. Combined with the fact we had no idea what would happen to her if the leader who cursed her lost his position, I found myself hoping that he would just win the damn vote and end the challenge there.

It pissed me off to have to hope he would win.

I barely knew Landon, but I hardly wanted Elise's fate to fall into his hands. Better the devil I knew, as much as it pained me to admit it.

I threw my bag in the back and hopped into the passenger side of Nick's pickup. Sean started moving immediately.

He had the nerve to be impatient, which was a bit rich considering I would have been there already if I had simply run. While I was talking to Nick Sean had come in and decided he wanted to go with me.

It was not like Sean to volunteer to help his sister with anything, but perhaps the curse had made him more concerned about her welfare than usual.

We careened down the dirt road. I had seldom come this way before the curse and I had typically been rushing through the forest towards the site of the latest breach if I did. I was getting completely sick of it.

What I would not do to see her restored and brought home.

"I'm getting way too used to this road," Sean complained as he turned the wheel to follow the curve of the gravel.

"Yeah. Why'd you want to come anyways?"

"Eh, just felt like it."

I shrugged. As long as he was not going to annoy her, I did not really care.

"Where's Terrence and Dave?" I asked.

He shrugged and accelerated into the straight stretch. "I dunno."

The three were practically conjoined, but I did not really care if Sean was acting odd.

I reclined the seat slightly and watched the road ahead.

* * * * * * * * *

We pulled into Serge's house and I jumped out the moment Sean stopped. I grabbed my bag and strode to the front door. I knocked and the door opened a minute later.

"Come in," Serge said briskly and strode away down the hall. He looked like shit and I wondered if he had it in him to defeat Landon if it came down to a fight.

I would worry about that later.

Elise did not look any better than she had the day before. I could tell the disruption of the challenge had been difficult for her. She was sitting on the couch snuggling with Serge's wolf. The animal watched me with wary eyes. He disliked me, probably because he could remember that I had threatened his master.