Chapter 146 Chapter 146: Alpha Fight

Chapter 146 Chapter 146: Alpha Fight
Senna’s POV

I did my best to comfort Kalev on the walk back. I knew firsthand what it felt like to lose a wolf. He was holding up well, but both our hearts hurt over the loss of Orrin.

It had been so bitter sweet. It was sad to watch Kalev say good bye to his wolf. But he was right. He was offering Orrin mercy. Orrin’s suffering was so profound and so deep, we couldn’t even come close to understanding it. At least this way, he didn’t have to suffer anymore.

As soon as we approached our village though, we knew something was wrong. We heard the cheers and shouts before we’d even stepped onto the main road.

“What is that?” Kalev asked.

A large group had gathered in the village grassy area. They were yelling and hollering, pumping their fists in the air.

We rushed towards the group. We found Junie and Thistle in the crowd. Thistle’s eyes were locked onto the crowd. Junie was chewing her lip nervously.

“What’s going on?” I asked Junie.

She looked at me, fear in her eyes.

“It’s an alpha fight,” she said.

“What?” I gasped.

That couldn’t be.

Our sector had chosen a traditional way of life, which meant we’d chosen an alpha and a Luna to govern us. We’d all decided that. And it had been working. Our village was peaceful. Everyone was happy. Our alpha and luna were good people. They were honest and fair.

As I looked through the crowd though, I saw our current Alpha, Sebastian, circling another man, Jett.

“How did this happen?” I asked. Kalev looked at the two men in the centre of the circle and shook his head.

“Jett challenged him,” Thistle explained. “He claims he feels that he should have been chosen as Alpha, but that Sebastian bribed people to vote for him.”

My jaw dropped open. Both of the men shifted. They snarled at each other. The crowd cheered them on. In traditional packs, the only way to take the alpha position from someone else was to challenge them and beat them. Alpha fights often resulted in death.

“This isn’t happening,” I said.

My mind reeled. The wolves circled each other. Then Sebastian got down on his hunches and lunged towards Jett. He sunk his teeth into Jett’s throat. Jett howled and tossed him off.

“But we all voted,” I told Kalev. “Why would Jett do this?”

Suddenly, Petra’s words flashed through my mind. “You can cut off the head of the monster, but another one will just grow back.”

Is that what was happening? We’d all agreed, fair and square, that Sebastian would be the alpha. But now Jett was challenging him. Was Jett power hungry? Had Petra been right? Were there really people who would do anything for power and prestige.

Horrified, I glanced around at he crowd. They were cheering. They were smiling. They were loving this. Half the people were cheering for Sebastain. But the other half were cheering for Jett.

I couldn’t believe this. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. It had only been six months. Six months of peace. And someone was already trying to take power from someone else?

“I can’t watch,” I said, turning my head into Kalev’s chest.

“Come on,” he said, wrapping his arm protectively around me. “Let’s go. Junie. Thistle. You shouldn’t watch this either.”

We turned to leave just as Sebastian let out a howl that shook me to my core. I didn’t want to see. I could only imagine. I had a bad feeling that one of those wolves wasn’t going to survive this fight.

The sectors had spent years sending people to the Slave Games to die. The capital had watched. They cheered when we died.

And now, this crowd was cheering on this fight. They were watching these two wolves kill each other. How was this any different than what the capital had done?

By the time we got back to our house, I was shaking.

“Kalev,” I said, slinking down into my chair at the dining room table. “This isn’t…right.”

“I know,” he nodded. He understood what I was thinking without me having to say it.

“They’re all watching. Like it’s some sort of entertainment. Six months,” I sighed. “It’s only been six months. Was your mother right? Is this what people are truly like? We fought so hard. But Kalev. What if we didn’t really change anything?”

He sat down beside me and took my hand in his.

“I don’t know what to say,” he shook his head. “I’m just as shocked as you are.”

“And so what if Jett wins?” I said. I felt so utterly defeated. “How long will it be until someone else challenges him?”

This would happen again. I knew it. I could feel it. It was only a matter of time before someone else stepped up, someone who craved power, and tried to take it away from the person who had it.

“I don’t have the answers,” he told me sadly.

My mind flashed to the forest. To the spot I’d chosen where I sat alone in the morning, watching the sun rise. It was so peaceful there. There was no violence. No power struggles. No death in the name of entertainment.

I looked up at Kalev.

“I want to go,” I told him. “I want to now more than ever. I don’t want to stay here. I don’t want to be a part of this. Your mother left because she couldn’t stay here and watch it all fall apart. I can’t either.”

I was doing my best to stay calm. But my heart was racing. I was almost frantic. The thought of watching everything we’d fought for fall apart was too much for me. I felt sick over it.

Kalev clamped his hands over mine. “Take a deep breath,” he said. “I hear you. I’m listening. And I agree. I don’t want to be here anymore either. So…” He locked his eyes on mine. “Let’s do it, Senna. Let’s leave and never look back.”