“Ten,” Bane answers grimly.
Ten. That’s more than I had against Scar. When I challenged, it was only me and him. Another sign of a weak man is when they need backup to handle their business. Ten wolves against me. Fine. Let them come. At this point, what else do I have to lose? If I die mate-less, I am a weak Alpha — but if I win. No one will keep me from my mate.
The ice cavern hall is alive with growls and whispers, a tide of restless energy rolling through the gathered pack. Mates cling to their chosen partners, their eyes darting nervously.
I leap down onto the ice floor, nails extending and scraping the slickness, my voice booming through the chamber. “Who here challenges me?”
“I do.” Steele steps forward, gray eyes full of arrogant fire.Always the follower, never the leader. Now he thinks he’s worthy? Or was that all a show to hide behind Olcan?
“I do,” another says, stepping beside him. Is it possible he was the ringleader this whole time?
“I do.”
One after another, until ten wolves stand in a line against me.
“You understand what this means?” My voice cuts through the din. “This is no scuffle. This is a fight to the death for Alpha. Your mates will be left with corpses to burn. Do you accept?”
Steele’s lip curls. “Too bad you don’t have a mate who’ll mourn you. Maybe she saw what we all see — that you’re not man enough to lead our pack.”
That stings worse than the claws to the throat. Ember never said those words, but she also never said the ones I needed to hear.
“If you’re not fit to be a mate,” Steele sneers, “You’re not fit to be Alpha.”
I bare my fangs. “We’ll see.”
I shift, white fur exploding over my skin in a rush of pelt and power. The challengers follow suit. My roar shakes the cavern walls, and the fight begins.
The moment I land back on all fours, the cavern chaos ensues.
The first wolf lunges head on, jaws wide. A rookie mistake. I meet him chest to chest, my weight double his, and slam him into the ground. His neck is exposed for one fatal second. My teeth close over his throat, hot blood spurts across my muzzle, and he’s gone.
Another leaps from my blindside, fangs catching my shoulder. Pain sears through me. I twist violently, rolling us both across the slick ice, until his skull cracks against the wall with a sickening thud. His body twitches once, then stills.
The third and fourth come together — smarter, pack-trained. One dives low for my legs while the other snaps for my throat. I leap, forcing the low one to the side beneath me. My claws rake the high one’s face, shredding an eye. His scream echoes as he stumbles away. The low wolf recovers, launching at me from behind, but I whip around and catch his snout in my jaws. With a savage jerk, bone snaps. He drops, gagging on his own blood.
Three down.
The blinded wolf tries again, half mad with pain. His claws rake my flank, but he’s sloppy. I seize his throat in my teeth and crush it. Four.
The fifth wolf is massive, bigger than the others, bigger than even Olcan was. He barrels into me with brute strength, slamming me into the cavern wall hard enough to rattle stalactites loose from the ceiling. My ribs scream. He snaps at my face, so close I can feel his breath, hot and rancid. I shove my claws up under his belly and rip, hot entrails spilling across the ice. His eyes widen in shock before his body crumples. Five.
The sixth and seventh circle me, growling, working together like true predators. They strike from opposite sides, snapping and feinting, forcing me to turn in frantic circles. I bare my fangs and lunge at the one on the right, but it’s a ruse because the one on the left leaps, claws tearing deep into my back. White hot agony streaks down my spine. I roll hard, smashing him against the floor, pinning him beneath me. My jaws crush his skull with a sickening crunch. The other leaps again, catching my ear this time, shaking his head viciously. I twist, using his own weight, and slam him down so hard the impact echoes like a drum. I rip his throat before he can recover. Seven.
I’m bleeding, panting, the cavern floor slick beneath my paws. But I stand tall. I am Alpha.
The eighth wolf charges with reckless fury, desperate. I lethim hit me, let his teeth find my foreleg. Then I roll with the motion, dragging him beneath me, and claw my jaws down over his spine. One brutal shake, and the bone snaps like kindling. He goes limp instantly.
The ninth is Franz, a long-time Aurora pack member. Someone I considered loyal. He even coached me before I challenged Scar. He hesitates, seeing the carnage, seeing his packmates broken at my feet. His eyes dart to his long-time mate, Lucia, sobbing in the crowd. His paws tremble slightly, but he comes anyway, honor-bound to fight once a Challenge is declared. I almost pity him. Almost.
He darts left, then right, then leaps for my throat. I catch him midair and slam him down so hard his skull splits against the ice. Lucia screams as his body shifts back to human, blood pooling like a halo around his head.
Nine.
I stand alone, surrounded by corpses, just like I told them. My chest heaving, my white coat matted with gore. My muscles shake from exertion, my body screaming in pain, but my eyes lock with the last wolf still standing.
Steele.
We circle each other, both back in human form, panting, blood running down our skin. His chest rises and falls, eyes glowing.
