Alpha Costas falters slightly, as if he didn’t expect me to accept his challenge. But he recovers quickly, a smug smile returning to his face as he nods and turns to his men and starts whispering to them.
I’m about to walk to Uncle Alex when I see Rich and Noah. I run to Noah, a big smile on my face, and I launch myself at him, hugging him tightly.
“It’s good to see you too, Athena,” he chuckles as he squeezes me back.
I pull back from Noah and hug Rich hard as well. “You guys timed your return perfectly,” I say as I pull back from Rich and smile at them both.
“How’s your shoulder and back?” Rich asks softly.
I lower my voice so that only they can hear me. “It’s healing, but it’s still pretty gnarly,” I grimace as I move my shoulder.
“I don’t like this, Athena. There has to be another way,” Noah says, his eyes swimming with concern.
“He’s vicious, Athena. Be careful fighting him,” Rich warns.
“Athena, can we speak please?” Uncle Alex calls out.
I pull Rich and Noah into a group hug. “I’ll be fine. Something happened when I killed Damon,” I whisper. “I feel more… powerful,” I say, pulling back. I give them a wink and walk over to Uncle Alex and Mom.
Cassia rushes over to me, fear filling her eyes as she hugs me. “You’ve already saved me once tonight, Athena. I can’t ask you to do that again,” she says as she pulls away.
I take her hands in mine and give her a smile. “I am still your Delta, Luna. I will die to protect you.”
Tears well up in her eyes, and then she nods.
Uncle Alex clears his throat. “We don’t have much time, Athena, so I need you to listen,” Uncle Alex says low and seriously. I nod and wait for him to continue. “Costas is a bastard who will do anything to win. Whatever it is you can call on inside yourself, you need to use it. Is Enyo ready?” He asks.
“She’s quiet, but she’s here,” I answer him. “She’ll take over if she needs to. It’s different with us now, Uncle Alex. I don’t worry about her anymore,” I explain, giving him a small smile.
He nods with a smile. “I believe in you, Athena,” he says, and for the first time since my dad died, I see tears well up in Uncle Alex’s eyes. He takes my face in his hands and places his forehead to mine. “I’m so proud, Athena. You not only avenged your father tonight, but your Alpha. You got revenge for our whole pack. Now, you will win this fight. For your father, for your pack, and for yourself. After this, nothing will be able to stop you, Athena,” he says, his voice breaking at the end.
Not able to talk, I hug him tightly, a swell of emotions taking over me, but I take a deep breath, not allowing them to get the better of me. I need to focus on them for the fight. He pulls away and kisses my forehead and gives me a big smile. I turn to Mom and bend down to hug her small frame.
“I’m proud of you, honey. So proud,” she whispers, and I hug her tighter.
I pull away before I start to cry, and I turn to Elder Andino and indicate to him I’m ready. I take a deep breath and close my eyes and calm myself. I feel around in my mind for Enyo, and she reaches out to me, as if she’s taking my hand in our mind.
‘*We’ve got this. Let’s show this old bastard who the real Alpha is*,’ she says, her usual cockiness making me smile.
‘*Are we ready to be Alpha, Enyo? This is so much more than what we ever planned for*.’
‘*I’m starting to think that we were born for this. I think the Moon Goddess has chosen us for something important, and we’re gonna show her that she chose the right bitch for the job*,’ she smirks.
I take another deep breath and open my eyes as Alpha Costas stands next to me in front of Elders Andino and Laskaris.
“The rules are simple. You will fight in either human form, or lycan form. The winner is the one who either kills their opponent or makes them submit,” Elder Laskaris explains. “Are you both ready?” We both nod, and everyone forms a circle around us. “Both of you are to keep this a fair fight, and no one else is to get involved,” he announces over the crowd.
I look around, and it looks like nearly everyone who was in attendance for the mate ball has made their way down to watch the challenge. I start to feel nervous, but as I look around, I find the Crescent Warriors standing with my family and Cassia, and I feel their love and strength pouring from them. So, I move my head from side to side to crack my neck and I shake my arms out, allowing their emotions to wash over me and fuel my strength.
I turn back to the middle of the circle and face Alpha Costas, the smirk plastered on his face pissing me off. Elder Andino starts the fight with a nod of his head, and Costas and I move around the circle, measuring each other up.
“How did you do it, pup?” He asks, his eyes never moving from mine.
“How did I do what?”
“How did you command your Alpha and the Elder?”
“Who says I did?” I ask, avoiding his question.
“The Elder did,” he says, getting frustrated.
I stop moving around the circle and take my stance. “I’m merely a Delta, Alpha Costas. I have no authority to command anyone, let alone an elder,” I say. He has to know about the chosen. He’s been working with Damon; it can’t be a coincidence.
“You’re lying!” He yells and rushes towards me. He throws punches at me, and I manage to block all of them except the last one, which lands on my right cheek, and I feel it crack. I stumble back a few steps, holding my cheek, and I rub it a couple of times, trying to ignore the pain. Alpha Costas laughs and turns around, giving his men high fives like he’s twelve.
“You’ve got this, Athena!” I hear Ryna yell out.
I roll my shoulders and walk back to the middle of the circle, taking my stance again. Alpha Costas is still laughing with his men, names like weak bitch being thrown in my direction.
“Why were you working with Damon, Alpha?” I ask, turning his attention back to me.
“We were business partners,” he smirks, but something flashes in his eyes.
“Now who’s the liar?” I smirk back, making him growl and rush me again.
I block all of his punches this time, and when he tries to sweep my legs out from under me, I avoid it and land a hard kick to his chest, causing him to fall back on his ass. I hear laughs and people mocking the Alpha as he quickly gets to his feet, his cheeks flushed pink from embarrassment. He tries attacking me again, but this time I strike him first, landing a hard punch to where I just kicked him. It winds him, and I take the opportunity to grab him by the neck, lift him off the ground, and then slam him down hard. I hear some of his ribs crack and he writhes around on the ground, clutching his chest and trying to breathe.
When he finally catches his breath, he stands and faces me, with his canines elongated and a murderous look in his eyes. He turns around for a moment as if to collect himself, but he suddenly turns and runs at me, and I don’t see the flash of silver until it’s too late. I roar in pain as he plunges the blade into my side and twists it. Black spots fill my eyes as pain tears through me and I drop to my knees, gasping for air.
Shit. I think he’s punctured my lung.
I hear roars around me as everyone realizes what’s happened, the blade protruding from the side of my chest, wedged between two of my ribs. I see the rest of the Elders run into the middle of the circle, trying to hold everyone back, as Alpha Costas grabs me by the throat and lifts me from the ground. My hands grab the one around my throat, trying to pry his fingers off me, and I kick, but my feet don’t connect with anything, my chest burning as I’m deprived of air. And that’s when I feel it. A familiar sensation floods my body, and my arms drop to my side as heaviness overtakes me.
I feel for Enyo, but I can tell she’s already weakened.
‘*Wolfsbane. It’s the same one Catherine used*,’ she whimpers, confirming my suspicion.
I start to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and my vision darkens as my heartbeat slows dangerously.
‘*No! It’s not ending this way*!’ I yell at her and close my eyes. I feel my body go limp, and I think I hear screaming around us, but I focus inward, and I look for that spark of power that has been bubbling under the surface since the day the Crescent Warriors carved my mark into their chests. I pull on it like a tether, and I feel my strength returning. I let it wash over me, and I start to feel the effects of the wolfsbane lessen, and I can feel Enyo’s strength coming back too.
‘*Let’s kill this son of a bitch*,’ Enyo says, and I open my eyes.
The blue glow of our eyes reflects back in the shocked eyes of Alpha Costas as I grab his wrist and break it, causing me to fall to my feet as he screams in pain. I stand slowly, my eyes never leaving him, as I pull the blade from my chest and throw it in the dirt. I take a deep breath and I feel my lung re-inflate.
“THAT’S NOT POSSIBLE! YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!” Costas screams in confusion.
A deadly grin forms on my face as I stalk towards him. His face pales and he tries to back away towards the edge of the circle. “Submit to me,” I growl, but not using my aura.
“I WILL NEVER SUBMIT TO A BITCH! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A FILTHY WHORE!” He screams and tries to escape through the circle. But someone pushes him back in and he lands at my feet.
“Have it your way,” I say in a deadly voice I don’t even recognize, and I place my hands on either side of his head. Before he can say another word, I tear his head from his body and throw it at the feet of his men. “Return your Alpha to his territory. And if I ever see you on our land again, you will meet the same fate,” I warn them.
They nod and retrieve Costas’ body and take him towards the cars near the pack house.
When I can’t see them anymore, I relax slightly, and I drop to my hands and knees and vomit, my body trying to expel what’s remaining of the wolfsbane. People rush over to me, but I can’t tell who’s who as my body shivers violently, black spots filling my vision again and I feel someone apply pressure to the wound on my side.
‘*Hospital. Toxic wolfsbane*,’ I manage to send out a mind-link, unsure of who would hear it, before I pass out.