Chapter 32

Walking through woods is more intimidating when she’s alone. Even though she knows that Noel will follow not too far behind her, Kira finds the expanse of black sky and the labyrinth of identical trees more shapeless than usual, like there are no landmarks. 

She blames her fear. 

With Jayden, she felt safe as she was coming to understand the layout of the forest, but running is different without a second pair of eyes, and she finds herself doubting every step. 

She knows if she picks up the stream then she can follow the boundary as far as it goes, but what if Jayden and Liam are somewhere else in the forest?

She stops and closes her eyes.

Jayden is the Alpha, but he’s also more than that to her. 

Her wolf should be able to find him. She reaches out, tries to push her mind across the woods in search of him, of his familiar voice, but she can hear nothing. 

She remembers what Noel said that trusting her instincts is important for a wolf,  and she lets herself drift in the direction that her paws take her.

Her white fur is a beacon in the woods. She knows she could never stay hidden if she tried. 

Her coat seems to emit light, though she knows really it only draws in every glimmer of moonlight that it can find until the glow nestles in among her fur.

Like she’s carrying stardust on her back. She feels vulnerable being so on show without Jayden by her side to protect her, even though she knows no predator prowls these woods that could ever take on a wolf. 

Except another wolf.

Kira is distracted from the worry by a growl. It isn’t close enough to being directed at her. It never will be. 

She recognizes Jayden’s growl, and the low bark that follows. 

Kira runs again, but she’s just approaching a clearing that the pack have visited before, a body slams into her, and she falls to the side with a whine, snapping at air. 

Fear takes a grip on her before she recognizes the soft tan wolf and realizes that it’s Noel, flooring her close to where the trees open up.

Stop.

It was the first time she'd heard Noel’s voice like this. 

Jayden told her that she might hear him, as the Beta, but it catches her off guard. 

He must have caught up with her fast. Noel is more experienced in these woods. Though he couldn’t contravene a direct order from his Alpha and take Kira into the forest himself, he could surely stalk after her to keep her safe if Kira made her way here. Clever Noel.

Kira immediately tries to jump up because the barks are loud here. Low growls rush through the trees. Noel pushes her down again.

It isn’t safe.

As soon as Noel leaves her, Kira manages to scramble up. 

Her innate need to follow the command of the Beta is not as strong as it is for the Alpha.

He races after her and skids to a halt at the tree-line. She can see Jayden, and when she scans her gaze around she can see Liam too. 

Jayden is upright, in a dominant, confident stance, while Liam is low, aggressive, almost more catlike than wolf-like.

They’re circling each other.

Kira doesn’t have time to feel a flash of satisfaction that she was right. 

She would tell Jayden that later, both Jayden and Noel, and she'd make them see that they needed to trust her in the future.

But that can wait. All she can feel now is fear, and a violent instinct to guard. 

She needs to get herself into the clearing. She needs to get closer to Jayden. 

Her wolf is smaller, so if she gets in front of him, she can nestle under his neck, guarding that most vulnerable part from this attacker.

Jayden looks larger than ever. His lips are curled back to show gleaming teeth that Kira has before seen tear into animal flesh. 

The canines are like blades, evolved to kill. 

Everything about the wolf is a product of evolution, an apex predator. And the enemy wolf has those features too.

Liam is no longer part of their pack; he’s a threat. The challenge is clear. The old Alpha and this new challenger have carved out this space in the forest, alone, to fight.

Did Jayden know?

Kira tries to think back to their conversations. Jayden isn’t a fool. 

He wouldn’t have believed Liam and the kids’ stories about wolves in their territory when he had a good relationship with the neighboring Alpha. 

He wouldn’t have come out here alone with Liam, a wolf who he knows to hate him, insisting that no one accompany him, not a single ally. 

He wouldn’t have sent his Beta, his best fighter, to babysit his mate back in the house when he could have been patrolling the other side of the perimeter if anyone threatened the town. 

Not unless he knew.

A wave of pained anger makes Kira shiver. 

Jayden knew this would be a fight.

Liam snaps his teeth, but Jayden doesn’t take a step back. His black eyes shone. He doesn’t look afraid. 

Jayden is the Alpha. He isn’t scared of a fight. His dominant wolf might even crave moments like this. 

He’s so far in the red zone that at first he doesn’t notice Kira or Noel. Only when a branch cracks beneath Noel’s paw does he turn, and his growl turns to a snarl.

No human words make it through to them. His wolf is in the driving seat. But the command is clear: ‘back off.’

The challenge must take place between two.

Noel crosses in front of Kira, forcing her back, but Kira tries to push forwards again. 

She won’t watch Jayden being torn apart by Liam. Whether he wins or not doesn’t matter. Those teeth could rip a limb from the body and Liam losing isn’t worth Jayden losing an arm.

The ground is torn up as Liam lunges, claws tearing the earth, and Jayden dodges him easily, snapping back as the smaller wolf stumbles. 

Jayden doesn’t take advantage of the slip. He just circles again, like he’d prefer Liam to tire before making any kind of attack. 

Liam isn’t stupid. His father was the Alpha and Kira saw the way he gathered supporters. He won’t be swatted aside like a fly.

Sure enough, Liam is smarter this time. He snaps forward at Jayden’s legs, rather than his stronger torso, and Jayden is wrong-footed.

He’s bigger, with much more body to manage. If she were to fight him, he’d try to knock him off balance too. 

The first time they hunted, she remembers watching Liam flit through the trees, gray lightning.

He’s the quickest in the pack. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in agility. Jayden slips on the leaves.

Kira darts forward from behind Noel, all her thoughts on protecting her mate, but Jayden’s eyes swivel to her.

'Stay!'

The command is clear and sharp in her mind, and when Kira tries to step forward her body won’t obey. 

Jayden had given her an order. It isn’t a request. Her wolf can’t disobey.

She howls in rage, scratching at the forest floor, but her wolf shrinks back, submitting to the Alpha.

In the moment of distraction, Liam bites, and Kira whines, watching blood spill from Jayden’s shoulder.