Chapter 243

Chapter 243
Steven's POV

After finishing our conversation with Stephen, Hazel and I returned to our cabin. I could feel the tension radiating from her body—not fear or anxiety, but a fierce determination that had settled into her bones.

She had just challenged her father for control of his pack, and there was no going back.

We had barely closed the door behind us when someone knocked. I opened it to find Ethan and Skylar standing there, both looking slightly hesitant.

"Mind if we come in?" Ethan asked.

I stepped aside, gesturing them inside. Hazel was already in the small kitchenette area, making coffee. The cabin wasn't much, but it had the basics—a tiny living area with a couch and two chairs, a mini kitchen, and a bedroom.

"You saw my interaction with Ryan earlier, right?" Skylar asked without preamble as she settled onto the couch next to Ethan.

"Yeah," I nodded, taking the chair across from them. "He seemed nervous around his Alpha."

Skylar's expression darkened.

"My former pack is... oppressive. Ryan's been trying to leave for years, but he didn't know where to go."

She glanced at Ethan, who gave her an encouraging nod.

"He's afraid to come to our pack," she continued. "He's worried his Alpha would come after him."

"Once he's a member of our pack, there's not much his Alpha could do," Ethan interjected.

"But he doesn't want to be the center of conflict," Skylar explained. "He was wondering if he could join your pack instead."

I looked over at Hazel, who was bringing coffee for everyone.

"My pack, your pack—like Ethan, I don't see much difference anymore," I said, accepting a mug from her. "But we'd be happy to take him and his family in." I paused, considering our current situation. "Does he understand we're still building? That it requires a lot of work from everyone?"

Ethan nodded. "I was clear about that. They're being worked to near starvation in their current pack. The idea of building his own house actually excited him."

I covered my face with my hands, rubbing my eyes tiredly.

"I've been worried about this. We know some packs abuse their members—hell, most of our pack is made up of those people now. But I'm concerned that as word spreads about who we are, where we are, what kind of pack we are... we're going to have more and more wolves showing up at our borders."

Hazel placed her hand on my arm, her touch reassuring.

"We'll give shelter to those who need it. Everyone deserves a chance—you and I both know that better than most."

After confirming that we'd welcome Ryan and his family, we said goodbye to Skylar and Ethan.

Once they left, I turned to Hazel with a wry smile.

"At this rate, we're going to need to buy all the land between us and Silver Moon," I joked, though there was truth behind my words.

Hazel let out a low whistle. "That's going to cost a pretty penny."

"Maybe," I conceded. "That stretch isn't really suitable for a standalone pack, but it would make a good expansion area. It would also connect our territory directly to Ethan's and William's, which would increase our security." I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "The Council might be willing to sell it cheap, since no other pack would want it."

I led my mate toward the bed, exhaustion finally catching up with both of us.

"Tomorrow, after Christopher teaches his brother and that obnoxious Beta a lesson about what a real wolf looks like, I'll talk to the Elders."

I woke early the next morning, eager to watch Christopher deliver some well-deserved payback.

The Beta competition would be a perfect opportunity for him to prove himself to those who had belittled him for lacking a wolf.

When we met for breakfast, Christopher seemed perfectly calm, but Zinnia looked like she might throw up at any moment.

"Zinnia? Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.

"Mmhmm," she mumbled, not taking her eyes off her plate. Christopher wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close and kissing her hair.

"Just do your best, baby. You'll be amazing no matter what."

"Zinnia, you're an excellent fighter. Why are you so nervous?" Hazel asked gently. I swear I could see Zinnia's lips trembling. If the competition was causing her this much stress, I'd pull her from it.

"She's afraid of disappointing you," Christopher explained, his voice soft.

"Zinnia," Hazel reached across the table to take her hand, "we're already proud of you for making it here. You don't have to prove anything to us."

Zinnia finally looked up. "You've given me so much. I want to show that your investment in me was worth it. I've never competed in anything like this before."

"Zinnia, if I didn't believe in you, I wouldn't have selected you," I said firmly. "But if you don't want to compete, I can withdraw your name right now."

Her head snapped up. "No! I want to compete! I just... I want to make you proud, that's all."

"Then don't worry," I assured her with a smile. "We already are."

After breakfast, we headed to the arenas. Today featured only 448 competitors—current Betas, retired Betas, or anyone over eighteen with Beta bloodlines could participate. Some packs, like ours, had two entries.

"I'll go support Zinnia. You stay here for Christopher," Hazel said, recognizing that I needed to be here for him. I kissed her quickly before she left.

"Mind-link me about how she does," I called after her. She turned, giving me a wink before following Zinnia to her arena.

I turned back just in time to see Christopher entering the ring. He stood quietly, waiting for the match to begin. As his Alpha, I could sense his nervousness, but I admired how he pushed those emotions aside, focusing entirely on the task at hand.

That's why I loved having him as my Beta—he had the makings of an excellent Alpha.

His brother's Beta couldn't have been more different. The man entered like he was in some human boxing match, bouncing around the ring, shadow boxing and raising his fists to encourage cheers from the crowd.

When the match began, the Beta charged forward. Christopher ducked under the swing, delivering a powerful blow to the man's stomach before spinning away, ready for the next exchange.

The Beta was still bouncing, but slower now, breathing harder. That hit had made him reconsider his strategy—he clearly hadn't expected Christopher to be so strong.

Christopher maintained a defensive stance, patiently waiting for his opponent's next move. It didn't take long before the Beta charged again. This time, Christopher took a hit to the ribs but used the opening to land a punch directly to the Beta's face, dropping him to his knees.

I could hear Caius shouting venomously for his Beta to get up.

The Beta wiped his mouth, spitting blood before climbing to his feet and rushing Christopher again. Christopher sidestepped, sweeping the Beta's legs out from under him. As the Beta crashed to the ground, Christopher drove his fist into the man's stomach, forcing the air from his lungs with an audible whoosh.

Christopher stood back, waiting for his brother's replacement to rise again. From the stands, Caius threatened to strip the Beta of his position if he didn't get up.

The Beta struggled to his feet, turning to face Christopher, who finally spoke.

"Is it worth it? For an Alpha like that?" This time, Christopher went on the offensive, delivering a merciless series of blows—to the stomach, the ribs, the kidneys, the head—until the Beta lay at his feet.

"Do you yield?" Christopher asked, his voice eerily calm.

"Fuck you!" the Beta snarled, bleeding from multiple places as he staggered to his feet.

"I gave you a chance," Christopher said simply, then moved in again. This time, he swept the Beta's legs and, instead of striking his stomach, drove his elbow down hard on the Beta's knee. There was a sickening crack, followed immediately by the Beta's agonized scream.

The referee called the match, declaring Christopher the winner. Our pack howled and cheered for his victory. Christopher turned and walked toward me without so much as a glance back at the Beta or his brother.

I couldn't have been prouder.