And I’m still standing.
I have the right to refuse, but it means exile and now more than ever, I can’t leave Twin Cedar Pass.
There’s a sickening sorrow where my fear sat, and I release a bone-deep sigh before answering, “I accept.”
“I’ll inform the Alpha,” Bayne declares, the smugness gone from his face.
Even my idiot brothers have enough self-preservation not to challenge me.
I should’ve gone straight to Callie and snuck back onto pack grounds when there were less people,I lament while making my way toward the challenge ring. With the chance of whoever set the fire coming back, I wanted to make sure I could stay the whole night and watch over her.
The ring is an isolated clearing deeper in the woods that’s nothing more than a glorified circle of dirt surrounded by matted down grass from the numerous spectators throughout the years. Behind me, there are the clear chimes of a large bell-- the announcement that a formal challenge has been issued.
It doesn’t take long for everyone to gather, and there’s a cascading echo of gasps each time they see who’s in the ring. The beta’s name is Eckert, and standing on the edge of the ring with a mixture of pride and fear on their faces, is his wife and eldest daughter. His two boys are considered too young to attend a formal challenge. I wish I could tell them how much I don’t want to do this. That if things were different, I’d just leave.
Instead, I do what I’ve had to too many times. Shut away my true self, deaden any sympathy I might have for this man, and prepare for more blood on my hands.
Eckert methodically removes his clothes, carefully folding them, before handing them over to his wife to hold. Naked, he stands coolly in the center of the ring waiting for the Alpha to officiate. There’s no one on my side. There never is. If I let her, Sam would stand for me, but… it’s better this way. Safer.
Unlike Eckert, I only remove my jacket and flannel, discarding them without care at the edge of the ring-- signifying that I won’t shift to fight him. This is the greatest insult one wolf can issue, insinuating that their opponent is too weak to be worth their stronger form. It’s also my last and only warning to back down. At this point, it would mean exile for him and his family, but at least they’d all be alive.
There’s another round of gasps and a blanketed wave of murmurs when I reach the center of the ring. Eckert’s piercing blue eyes blaze with rage taking in my jeans and heavy boots.
“I wish I could say you’d live long enough to regret this insulting display,” he spits, his wolf already heavy in his voice. “Just further proves that you may be a wolf, but you’re not one of us.”
It’s a low blow, as much a jab that my mother is human as it is that I’m an outcast, but it bounces off my deadened heart and I only stare back. Unfeeling and uncaring.
The crowd hushes when the Alpha approaches and makes his way to the only chair in the entire clearing. A rough stone block that’s been chiseled down to make the seat of honor. There’s a harsh tick in his jaw when he sits, but there’s no other sign of his displeasure. On either side of him stands one of the twins. Bayne’s poker face is stronger than Daveth’s, who can’t seem to stop fidgeting.
Under a hundred years old, the Alpha is still well in his prime, and it shows in how he holds himself. His body is rigid, chin tilted up, even sitting, his presence shows he clearly stands above everyone around him. And seeing his face is like looking into a fun house mirror that’s aged me eighty years. There’s no visible doubt that I’m this monster’s son. Same body. Same eyes. Same hair. Same mouth-- his always bent into an aggressive frown.
“Eckert Sereda, you’ve issued a formal challenge to my son, Connor Lopez, and he has accepted,” the Alpha shouts, his rumbling voice filling the clearing. “This will be a challenge to the death. If either tries to escape before the challenge has concluded, you will be hunted down by the pack, killed, and eaten. Is that clear?”
“Yes, my Alpha,” Eckert answers with a thump to his chest.
I meet the Alpha’s gaze, my hate for the man palpable, and nod. With one word, he could stop this, but he won’t. The bastard feeds off violence.
His lips press tightly together in distaste at my silence, but he doesn’t comment. “Combatants, face each other and on my word, the challenge will commence.”
Turning to face Eckert, I rapidly catalogue his weaknesses and evaluate what he’s likely to do. Will he shift or now that I’ve shown I won’t, will his pride keep him in human form? For the sake of his family, I want to make this quick and clean.
There are already shouts and cheers for the beta, some of simple support, others calling for my demise. It’s white noise to me, but I can see that the crowd is inflating his ego. He widens his stance, arms up in a defensive posture but palms flat.
I stand with my arms loose at my sides, and my weight braced mostly on my back leg. It telegraphs nothing of my plans, instead I appear bored and uncaring. For some reason, these people have short memories, and never remember that appearance and intent are two different things. That battles are as much mind games as violence.
He puffs up his chest and growls at my display, and I smirk in reply. He’s just where I want him. Angry and over confident.
Partial shift, until he realizes his mistake. Kill him before he has a chance to fully shift.
“Fight!” the Alpha shouts.
While Eckert’s claws and teeth are still shifting, I do a sharp, lightning-fast, low kick to his left knee. Between the amount of power I put behind it and the steel toe of my boots, the knee shatters instantly. Call it unethical, but I fight to win. To live. I didn’t ask for this, but I will fucking end it.
He immediately falls into the dirt, screaming when his full weight lands on his knees. I only have moments before his wolf tries to save him. While he’s distracted by the pain, it’s a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. There’s an audible crunch when my boot meets his skull, and blood pours from his face.
The crowd no longer cheers, shocked as I take down their champion in seconds.
His teeth and claws are now free, but he’s too disoriented to use them. He tries to roll over, get back on his one good knee, coughing and choking on the blood that now covers his face and drips down his chest.
