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The crowd laughs, and it infuriates him more.
With a roar, he flies at me, and then there are no more words, just the challenge. I’m fast, but he’s stronger. I need to wear him down, so I dance out of reach again and again. He only lands one hit that staggers me, but then he starts to slow. I see it, and so does he, and that’s when I go in for the kill.
I slam my foot into his face and then his chest, sending him stumbling back. Stepping closer, I smash my fist right into his face. He blinks as he crumples to his knees. Flipping over him, I grab his neck in a chokehold. “Submit.”
Growling, he elbows backwards, but I ignore the pain and squeeze harder, dominance oozing from my every word as his wolf rebels, trying to obey me. “Submit.”
It’s a fight of strength and dominance, and with a whine, he crumples to his stomach. Rolling onto his back, he exposes his belly despite his anger. I drop on top of him, one knee on either side of his body. I ignore the flare of lust in his gaze and grab his chin as my voice rings out.
“For the crime of an unprovoked attack without challenge, I mete out punishment in form of your fangs. You will be unable to hunt or attack until they regrow in a year.” I force my thumb into his mouth and grip his exposed fangs. No matter his defeat, he cannot change them back fast enough, and I rip them out as he howls.
Blood sprays across me as I stand to show the now silent crowd. “Let it be known, I will not tolerate defiance to the alpha or this pack. Rules are rules, and if they are broken, you will be punished.” I step off him as he covers his face and sobs.
Losing your fangs as a wolf is akin to losing a limb.
Good, let it hurt, let it be a reminder every time he changes and they are missing. Fangs take a minimum of a year to grow back, no matter how much you change, and I’m hoping in that year, he’ll change his tone.
Otherwise, Tetrim is bound to die. He’ll hurt someone or push too hard.
This was a warning, a chance to change, so we’ll see if he takes it.
“What’s going on here?” Jang booms as he forces his way through the crowd, his eyes widening when he sees me and the fangs in my hand.
I meet his gaze, dominance flowing from me in waves as I curl my hands around the stolen fangs. “I issued a challenge and won.” I step over Tetrim’s body and nod at my alpha before moving past him.
The crowd parts for me. Smirking to myself, I pocket the fangs, knowing Tetrim is well and truly defeated this time.
I strung the fangs on a leather necklace, and now I wear them around my neck—a reminder and a warning. Dom finds me outside of my cabin. I know Jang will find me sooner or later, but he knows I was in the right.
“Are you okay?” I ask him. His lip is still split, and he has a black eye, but he doesn’t look bad.
“Fine, he hits like a baby. You were a badass though.” He chuckles.
Sighing, I look back out over the water, knowing what I need to do as the afternoon fades but unsure I can. For a moment, I just enjoy the peace, knowing it might be the last time I do after tonight. “Why not hold the party for the graduates tonight?”
He frowns. “Tonight?”
“We need something positive to distract the pack from the challenge and the hunters. It’s last minute, but it can work, don’t you think?”
He blinks at me before smiling. “Sure, I’ll go tell the others and get it sorted. See? This is why you are the next alpha, always thinking of us.” He kisses my cheek as he jogs off, and I watch him go, wondering if he will still think that after tonight.
Especially after I just used him to get what I need.
I stay here a little longer, my feet in the water, needing the comforting warmth and magic to give me strength for what I’m about to do. That’s where Jang finds me.
“What the hell happened, Quinny?” he demands.
Things are still tense after our last fight, and I don’t have the energy to butt heads with my alpha or my dad right now. “I don’t want to fight.” Something in my voice gives him pause, and he softens.
“What happened?” he asks quietly.
I look at him, memorising his face. I need this moment of warmth because I don’t know if he will still love me later.
“I handled Tetrim. If I didn’t take a stand and knock him down, then he would have ended up dead. He would cross the wrong person or break the rules one too many times. Hopefully, he’ll learn from this,” I explain.
“You are thinking like an alpha. One choice to head off others,” Jang says. “I’m proud of you.”
“I hope you remember that,” I tell him as I look back at the water.
