Chapter 28: Did You See His Eyes? - Riven's POV

The moment the command was given, my fingers worked the buttons on the shirt mechanically as my entire body vibrated. Muscle memory was taking over as my mind raced.

I couldn’t kill him. I couldn’t let him slip like last night.

But the demon was already awake.

I could feel him coiling in my chest, stronger than he was last night. The full moon’s pull was intoxicating, amplifying my aggression, instincts, and the demon’s hunger for violence.

Finally, it purred. No more hiding. No more holding back. Tonight, we show them what we really are.

"Shut up," I muttered under my breath, pulling my shirt off completely. It fell to the ground like dead weight.

Adrian was doing the same across from me, his movements confident and unrushed. He had studied the fights last night and analyzed me for weaknesses. He thought he knew what he was walking into, but he would fall just like the others. Because he didn’t know. There was no way anyone knew for sure what I was within.

I caught Callista’s eyes in the crowd. She stood with her family, her face pale, but determined as she looked back at me. The mate bond hummed between us, and for that one blissful moment, I felt steady and grounded.

She was watching, I reminded myself. I couldn’t lose control in front of her or anyone. She was the one thing I would never give up.

But the demon laughed. She's always watching and soon she'll see exactly what kind of monster she's bound to.

My father moved to pick up my shirt and took his place at the edge of the platform. His expression was grim and worried. “Remember,” he said quietly. “First blood or submission. Don’t—”

“I know,” I cut him off. “It’ll be fine.”

It was a lie. We both knew it.

I turned back to Adrian, rolling my shoulders to loosen the tension in my still-healing muscles. The wounds from last night pulled slightly, but the pain was distant compared to the other emotions bubbling at the surface.

Adrian stretched, showing off his uninjured body. "No hard feelings, Nightshade," he called out. "But that bond is unnatural. Someone needs to prove it."

"You're welcome to try," I said, my voice coming out rougher than intended. “All I have to say is good luck.”

The demon was already bleeding through, layering my words with something dark.

The Alpha King raised his hand. "Shift."

I closed my eyes and reached for my wolf. He surfaced fast. Normally, it was controlled and slower, but tonight, under the full moon with the demon close to the surface, it was as if I had opened the floodgates. My bones cracked and reformed quickly, the pain almost making me scream. Fur erupted across my skin. My senses sharpened. I could smell every wolf in the clearing and could hear their heartbeats.

When I opened my eyes again, the world had taken on that familiar, shifted clarity. And the demon's presence was overwhelming.

I looked down at my paws and saw shadows writhing beneath the fur. They were only visible to me. The wrongness of it made my wolf whimper, but there was no escaping it. We were one. The demon, human, and wolf were all twisted together.

Adrian's wolf was impressive. He had silver-gray fur, intelligent eyes, and a powerful build. He'd clearly trained for combat and moved with a fighter's grace as he circled me.

But I was bigger, stronger, and infinitely more dangerous.

Show him, the demon urged. Show them all what happens when they challenge what's ours.

The Alpha King's voice boomed out. "Go!”

Adrian lunged first, testing my reflexes. I sidestepped easily, almost too easily. My movements were inhumanly fast, powered by more than just my wolf’s strength. No wolf moved this fast, especially at this age.

Several wolves in the crowd gasped. They'd seen it last night too, but under the full moon, it was even more obvious.

I was too fast and too strong.

Adrian recovered and attacked again, going for my injured shoulder. Smart. He'd identified my weakness and was exploiting it.

His teeth found purchase, tearing into partially healed flesh. Pain exploded through my shoulder, and I snarled, the sound layered with the demon's rage.

First blood to Adrian.

But he didn't back off and didn't give me a chance to submit. He pressed his advantage, going for my throat. That was his mistake.

The demon surged forward, and I felt my control slipping. My vision darkened at the edges as shadows bled into my sight. I caught Adrian mid-lunge, my jaws closing around his foreleg. I heard his bone crack and the yelp that tore out of his mouth. But the demon wasn’t satisfied. He wanted more.

Break him, it whispered. Show them all what happens to those who threaten our mate.

I threw Adrian across the clearing with more force than necessary. He crashed into the dirt, scrambling to get back up, but I was already on him. My jaws found his throat. I didn’t crush it, not yet, but the threat was clear. He had to submit or I would kill him.

Adrian struggled, clawing at me, but my grip was iron. The demon wanted to bite down, wanted to feel his life slip away, and wanted to paint the ground with his blood. I was barely holding him back by a thread. Just a few more seconds and I wouldn’t care if he submitted. I’d tear out his throat.

"Riven!" Callista's voice cut through the bloodlust. "Riven, stop!"

The bond flared, bright and hot, cutting through the demon's control. I felt her pulling at me, anchoring me, and begging me to come back.

But this time, the demon fought back.

No, it snarled. We're not done. He challenged us and threatened what's ours, so he dies.

My jaws tightened on Adrian's throat. I heard him whimper and felt his wolf submit completely.

"First blood has been drawn and there is submission!" The Alpha King's voice boomed. "Release him, Nightshade!"

But I couldn’t. The demon had taken too much control and the moon was feeding it power I had never felt before.

"Riven, please!" Callista was closer now; I could smell her even through the bloodlust. "Come back to me!"

She's ours, the demon purred. And we're protecting her. This is what we do. This is what we are.

“Riven, please. I’m okay. You won. You’re not a monster, remember?” Her voice was right beside me now. “Riven, you are my mate. Not this. Come back to me. You’ve protected me, okay?”

Her hand touched my fur, and the bond exploded between us like lightning. For one moment, I felt it. The demon’s grip loosened and control started to return. I could do this. I had to come back for her.

Then, as if Adrian knew how close I was, he yelled, “I submit!” He choked out. “I submit!”

I backed away, my whole body shaking with the effort of maintaining even this much control. My eyes met Callista's, and I saw the fear there. It wasn’t fear of me, but for me.

Run, I wanted to tell her. Get away before I hurt you too.

The Alpha King stepped forward. “Adrian Moonridge has submitted. The challenge is answered and the bond will stand.”

When I glanced back, he was looking straight at my face. Something told me he knew what I was just by the smirk on his face.

"Shift back, Nightshade," he commanded.

I closed my eyes, trying, but the demon was still too strong and fighting me for control.

“Come on, Riven,” Callista said softly. “You can shift back. It’s over now.”

She's right, I told the demon. We won. The bond is recognized. Now let go.

Never, it hissed. This power, this freedom, is mine.

She's in danger if you don't, I interrupted. The wolves are scared. They'll attack to protect their packs if they see what I am. And she's standing right next to us.

That made the demon relinquish his hold. He might want chaos and violence, but he understood one truth. Callista was essential. Without her, I would lose control completely and it might destroy us both.

Slowly, painfully, I felt the demon retreat. I shifted back to human form, collapsing to my knees as soon as the transformation completed. Every muscle trembled with exhaustion and the aftershocks of the demon's control.

Callista was there immediately, wrapping her arms around me despite my blood-covered skin.

"You did it," she whispered. "You won."

"Barely," I managed, my voice hoarse. "That was too close."

The Alpha King's voice rang out across the clearing. "The final challenge has been answered. Riven Nightshade and Callista Monroe are recognized as mates under pack law."

Relief crashed over me, so intense it was almost painful. We had done it and our bond was officially recognized.

"I object!" he shouted. "This recognition can’t stand!"

My heart sank. Of course. It couldn't be that simple.

The Alpha King's expression remained neutral. "State your objection."

"They're sixteen years old," the Alpha said, stepping forward. "Both are still children under pack law. Mate bonds don't manifest until eighteen for a reason. Wolves need maturity to handle the intensity of a fated bond. To recognize this now sets a dangerous precedent."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd.

The Alpha King glanced down at us and shook his head. “I can’t fight what fate has deemed true. They are a bonded pair, though I’m sure they will wait to have their ceremony. There will not be any more challenges.”

“We won’t let it stand,” another alpha yelled, though I wasn’t sure which one. “This is unnatural. Did you even see his eyes?”