"So, the rules are pretty simple. The one who submits or the one who dies loses. Am I clear to both of you," my father said. "However, I’d prefer if you knocked out the other. I don't want bloodshed," he mind-linked us. The whole pack had already gathered to witness who would be the next successor and ruler of the Blue Moon pack.
I looked at my brother. He was everything to me. I would do anything for him, and I knew he would do the same, but today, it was not about relationships or who could sacrifice what. It was about the future of the five hundred wolves who had their hopes in our father and us.
Also, it was in our blood. We lived with and for dominance. And no two alphas can live under the same roof without a blood bath. One has to accept the other's dominance.
With the whistle indicating the fight had already started, August lunged towards me without wasting a second. Even after training without me, I still knew his tactics. I quickly dodged his upper-cut and delivered a kick at his abdomen. I smiled—still the same fighter.
He looked at me, and I swore I saw his lips twitching, suppressing a smile. He quickly recovered and came into a fighting stance. Kick-kick-punch, kick-kick-punch—still my same older brother, same old tactics.
"I thought the training might have helped you," I said, smiling.
"You have no idea."
Something flickered in his eyes, and the next moment, I was on the ground. He held my neck with his hand and tried to chain my hands with the other.
"Yield, Esma," August said mockingly.
Okay, maybe he had learned new techniques. But I also had some moves up my sleeves. With my left leg, I took his neck in a chokehold and pulled him above me.
I quickly rolled over and stood up.
"Now the fun is over, brother. I guess you have warmed up already."
And with that, I let my wolf take control, and soon I was standing on four legs, covered in a chocolate brown coat. Me and my brother had the same coat except for our eyes. His wolf had blue eyes, and mine had silver. I looked in my brother's direction. He had already changed into his wolf.
His wolf loved mine. He was waiting for us to make the first move.
Just as we were about to fight, the hairs on my neck stood up. Something was wrong.
To prove my doubt, hundreds of wolves were erupting out of the forest, baring their canines. And then something happened I wasn't ready for. Definitely not in this scenario. I quickly changed back.
The most alluring and hypnotizing scent of strawberries and cardamom hit my nose and knocked me off my feet.
The scent of my mate.