Chapter Sixty-Seven: Simon's POV
I took a deep breath, though it hurt.
My bones began breaking and reforming, heat surging through my veins, Knox rushing out from between heartbeats, my body welcoming it in that utterly familiar rhythm.
My chest expanded, body completing transformation between tearing and remaking.
The bandages held for a few more seconds, then snapped, white strips falling silently to the ground.
Black fur surged from beneath my skin. My spine curved and lengthened into a wolf's arc.
My legs reshaped into powerful haunches capable of crossing the entire field in three strides.
My hands, those that had signed contracts and cupped Carol's face, now became claws that could tear through steel.
My wolf form made Grey look smaller.
His shoulder height was about five feet, while I stood at six and a half.
My frame was broader, heavier, the result of decades of battle and genetic advantage.
My fur was pure black, not a single stray hair.
Under the floodlights, my coat seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it.
Every hair stood on end, filled with power.
I moved, muscles rolling beneath skin, solid and strong.
Then I raised my head and howled.
This wasn't a challenge, but a declaration. I am here. I am Alpha. Don't forget why you fear me.
The pack fell silent. Even Grey froze.
Instinct made him lower his head, but pride refused to surrender.
His wolf screamed inside to submit, but he himself clenched his jaw tight.
For three heartbeats, the only sound was that howl dissolving into the night sky.
Then the pack erupted in cheers and howls, the roar that came with recognizing Alpha dominance.
I ignored it. My attention was entirely on Grey.
He had recovered from his brief paralysis and was circling me, looking for an opening.
Grey attacked first. His sprint was fast, too fast for slower wolves to dodge.
He lowered his body, aimed at my injured side, exposing his fangs ready to bite.
I sidestepped, pivoted on my hind legs, and as Grey overshot, my front claws swung out, slashing across his hind leg.
Grey yelped in pain, stumbling.
I lunged, aiming for his scruff, but he twisted at the last moment, snapping back at my nose.
We separated and began circling again.
I could feel blood flowing from my side, the shift had torn the wound open again.
Grey lunged again. This time with full force, charging furiously at my chest.
I didn't dodge. I met him head-on.
Two massive wolves collided in the center of the field with a dull thud.
Claws tore at each other, teeth snapped at each other, and for a few seconds we became a rolling mass, black and grey fur indistinguishable.
Grey's teeth sank into my front leg, piercing fur and skin, grinding against bone.
The pain was sharp and immediate, cutting through the adrenaline-induced numbness.
I roared in fury, rage flooding my veins.
I twisted my head and bit down on the thick fur at Grey's scruff.
I clamped tight, and the young wolf's struggles intensified because my teeth found his vulnerable nape.
Grey's paws left the ground, his entire body suspended from my jaws.
He struggled frantically, but I held too tight for him to break free.
I slammed him into the dirt, pinning him with my body, teeth still locked on his scruff.
Grey kept struggling. His claws scraped my shoulders, body arching to throw me off.
But I held steady, teeth tightening just enough for him to understand—I could easily crush his throat.
The young wolf's struggles weakened.
He let out a high-pitched whimper, the sound of submission. I could feel his resistance fade.
I held the position for five more seconds. Long enough, any longer would be humiliation.
I stepped back, blood dripping from my leg and side wounds. Grey lay in the dirt gasping, completely defeated.
The pack exploded again.
Howls rose up, that primal chorus that only came after witnessing dominance and submission.
"Alpha! Alpha! Alpha!"
The chant started somewhere in the back and spread, rolling through the crowd until it seemed the entire night was calling my name.
I didn't join them.
I stood over Grey, watching him slowly rise, every movement painful.
He didn't shift back to human form, remained as a wolf, head low, tail tucked.
Every part of him spoke submission.
For a moment I thought it was over.
Grey challenged, Grey lost. By pack law, this should be enough.
Then Grey's voice suddenly flooded into my mind. The pack's shared mental link, but his voice sharp and cold.
"You think beating me accomplishes anything?"
The words carried hatred, hatred deeper than a fight.
"The Valodin family is already falling apart, Simon. Everyone knows. The eastern border is gone. The Andreas family keeps bleeding us. How many wolves died this year? How many more will die, just because you're busy playing house with your human pet instead of actually leading."
My lips curled back, exposing teeth, a low growl rolling from my chest.
Grey acted as if he didn't hear.
"You can't protect this family," Grey continued, his voice taking on something almost pitiful.
"You're clinging to power out of pride, but everyone can see you're losing. Andreas, the Council, even our own people, they're all just waiting for the day you finally can't hold on."
Before I could respond, Grey turned and ran.
He didn't run toward the pack, but toward the forest at the edge of the training grounds.
His grey-brown figure became a blur in the darkness, weaving between tree trunks, vanishing completely into the forest within seconds.
Self-exile.
By pack law, a wolf who challenges and fails but chooses to flee rather than submit becomes a lone wolf.
The pack bond is severed, protection withdrawn.
For most wolves, this is a death sentence. Lone wolves rarely survive long without pack support.
But it also meant Grey had made his choice. He'd rather gamble his life in the wilderness than bow to me.
I turned toward the edge of the field, no longer looking at the forest.
Each step sent pain stabbing into my side, the wound torn completely open during the fight.
I could feel blood running down my fur, smell it mixing with Grey's scent and sweat.
But I couldn't stop, couldn't show weakness. Not now.
The pack was watching, looking for any shred of evidence that what Grey said might be true.
The pack stepped back, opening a path before me.
Their faces blurred in my peripheral vision, some cheering, some uncertain, all waiting to see what I would do.
I forced myself to hold my head high despite the pain, my injured leg wanting to buckle with each step, but I clenched my jaw, refusing to let it collapse.
"She's coming." Knox's voice sounded.
I couldn't stop myself from turning.
Following Knox's direction, I saw her. Carol pushed through the front of the crowd, running toward me.
Her face was pale, eyes wide with worry.
She completely ignored pack protocol, didn't care how dangerous it was to approach an Alpha after a challenge ended, didn't care about approaching a wolf still battle-ready.
She only cared about one thing. She needed to reach me.
Leon was rushing to intercept her, but I could tell he wouldn't make it.
Carol was running too fast, with stubborn determination, charging toward me regardless.
In that moment, watching her run toward me while I was still a wolf, covered in blood.
Something in my chest clenched tight.
She watched the entire fight.
She saw me bleed, saw me pin Grey down.
And now, she just ran over like she didn't see any of that violence, like she didn't know the wolf standing here was as dangerous as the one I just defeated.
I forced myself to keep walking forward, not listening to her footsteps behind me, pretending not to hear her calling my name.
The manor loomed ahead, windows glowing in the night.
I walked through the back door, down the hallway, into my room.
As soon as I closed the door, my legs gave out.
I shifted back to human form, pain crashing over me like a wave, dropping me to my knees on the floor.
I was naked, covered in blood, the side wound torn so badly I could see muscle beneath the skin.
I found clean underwear and gritted my teeth to put it on.
Footsteps sounded in the hallway. Carol.