It had been a week of agony. As I stood within the circle, naked and body painted, I thought back on the look of agony in Kyle's eyes when I had requested the death of his two female Betas. He had sat there for an hour, looking at me, talking to another pack member in his head. I could see that he knew there was no point trying to persuade me not to go through with it; and no other route was clear. In the end, though he said it with as much regret and agony as possible, he had finally said yes. All week as I healed and regained my strength the pack had been in turmoil, Kyle had been miserable and I had been attacked in the corridors. I may be their Alpha's mate but I wasn't wolf yet and these people had died to protect me: now I was demanding the death of two valuable pack members. Regardless, the week had passed and I now awaited them both in the traditional sight of a challenge.
Though I couldn't shift, Kyle had insisted I be naked and decorated in the traditional way in order to appease the pack. He wanted this to be a challenge and not the death sentence the Betas and he knew it would be. I had the strength of an old one. This would barely be a fight. I struggled to keep Kyle's pleading and woeful thoughts from my mind. I was learning to identify when the bond was manipulating my own thoughts, but the strength of his current emotions would have had me calling of this whole thing immediately. I couldn't do that. They had killed Caleb before I had the chance; no way was my fae going to allow another of our abusers to walk free.
Shoulders tensed and ready, I watched as the pack shifted around me: sorrow and fear on their faces. All of them had seen or at least new of my capabilities. It was one of the reasons my claim as Alpha female hadn't been challenged, to fight me was considered an extremely dangerous thing to the pack; as they did not know what rules I was going to follow. My heart twanged. I didn't want the pack to fear me, I didn't want them to forever cower in my presence and never trust me. Yet, I couldn't live in this state of fear. I was a warrior, a trained assassin and the thought of the two blondes brought paralyzing tremors along my nerves. They needed to die so that I could be the strong Alpha I would need to be.
Muttering began to stir the crowd, all eyes fixed to the shifting wolves on my right. Slowly, the moving sea of people parted to allow the two blonde betas into the circle, both painted as I was; the swirling loops of red paint enhancing their lithe figures. They looked strong and powerful. Again, my head was split about what I was about to do. These two females were key protectors of the pack and had been kind once my position as future female alpha had been established. The humanity within me argued furiously against the obstinate anger my fae harboured towards the two females before me: fear was a weakness and these two embodied my fear. For the fae there was only one solution: kill. I watched, calm and still, as the muscles of the two blondes tensed under their taught skin; each flex and pull a beautiful show of subtle strength. They were ready.
Kyle began to speak, his voice echoing over the silent crowd, dictating the rules of the challenge. I heard none of it; I understood only because my mind was part of his, my attention was fully locked on the two wolves opposite me as I pulled my fae to the surface. I felt my strength flowing under my skin, my magic lurking within my mind; ready for my call. With the allowance of my fae to take control, any semblance of doubt I held was put aside. My eyes flitted from weakness to weakness on my opponents forms, my plan of attack formed before Kyle had even finished his speech. I crouched. My body compressed into one spot; a small target with no sign as to planned direction of movement. I hissed.
I didn't hear Kyle begin the fight, only felt the tension in the crowd amplify once more. The two females leapt towards me from both sides, an effort to pin me, I presumed. I smirked. Before they had finished pushing off the ground I was standing where they had been, the smirk becoming a smile as the crowd gasped and the two wolves collided. With a yowl, I leapt forward, landing on the second females back as she was mid-way through her shift, taking her with me as I rolled. My hand struck her part shifted face, grabbed her neck/scruff and tossed her into the path of the first female, now fully shifted. The first wolf had to evade her companion, causing her to leave herself open to my attack, my hand ploughing into her wind pipe, holding her aloft before throwing her across the circle. I followed her as she sailed through the air, my hands grasping the second wolf as it lunged at me; flinging her into the first female as she hit the ground.
Around the circle, the pack shifted. I could feel both their excitement and fear. A fight riled up any wolf but this was not a balanced fight, this was a slaughter. I could see many heads turned to Kyle with pleading eyes; I could feel them pleading with him in my head. Stopping a moment, allowing the two wolves to collect themselves, I reached out through Kyle's mind to the entirety of the pack. As soon as I was sure they were all linked to my mind, I brought back to the surface the memory of the pain I had suffered at the hands of the two female wolves in the circle with me. I watched as they all flinched and whined; my pain felt as if it were their own. I ended the memory to follow it with the question: 'would you deny me my right to their lives by your pack law?' I looked at Kyle, his face awash with sorrow and pride. I had made the pack understand why I was demanding this price, but it still did not save his two pack members from my wrath. I inclined my head. Though we disagreed, his respect of my wishes earned him my respect in return.
Turning my attention back to the two wolves, I managed to catch the first wolf just before her jaws closed around my neck. Surprised at how close she had come to landing a blow, my punch to her stomach was soft and had little effect. Screeching, I lept on her, my hands tearing at her jaw, feeling the skin start to tear beneath my grasp. She howled in pain, pinned to the ground as her mouth was slowly being torn apart. A growl from behind me, forced me to relinquish my grip in the first wolf, the air knocked out of me as I allowed the second wolf to collide with me. I flipped in the air, my body landing ready to meet the second wolf head on. She continued to plough towards me: head down and snarling. Smirking, I moved to the side and caught her leg as she breezed past me, holding tight as I felt the bones snap and break through her skin. Wheeling around, I flew at her as she tried to get up from the floor without the support of her front leg. Already it was beginning to heal. I threw a strong punch at her face, allowing my hands to loosen slightly as the wolf's head retracted from the collision, my sharp nails tearing through the skin on her face. Unconscious and bleeding, I dragged the second wolf over to where the first wolf still lay: skin torn and bleeding.
Standing over them both, I relished the easy victory. Only one had landed a hit and even that I had allowed in order gaining a better footing. I tilted my head back and yowled my victory, the pack answering with a howl. The howl, though on time, was weak and unsure. This duel was up to my discretion in terms of whether my opponents were to live or die. I crouched over the first wolf, her eyes wide and scared, mouth hanging uselessly with the tongue flopping around like a fish. I barred my teeth at her and brought my hands to her neck.
"You brought me great suffering and a fear that still weakens me." I hissed. "How can I let you live if I am to be weak as a result?" I growled the question, the fae furious that the end to fighting had allowed my human to resurface slightly. The wolf stiffened beneath my hands at my words, her eyes fixed on mine. Suddenly, I felt her relax. She tilted her head, barring her throat to me in a gesture of submission. I felt her conscious brush mine, overwhelming me in the sensation of excruciating pain and acceptance. For the first time, I saw the true person the wolf beneath my hands was and how much pain the memory of my torture had caused her and her twin. Neither one was trained to torture; they were fighters who had done as their alpha had bid them to do. Every time I had blacked out, they had begged the alpha to find another way to get the information, but he refused. Now she knew how I had felt and she didn't want to live if she could not be forgiven by me.
I yanked my thoughts from hers. Without meaning to, the wolf had brought the human part of my nature to the front. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at the pain I had caused both of these wolves. Both would probably be scarred for life and would certainly be in hospital for a while. Had I not tortured wolves at the behest of my Queen? Had I not caused people unbelievable amounts of pain in my life? How was I any better than these betas? I stepped back, tears causing the swirls on my face to run: almost as if I was crying tears of blood instead of salt.
