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The weight of Orion's challenge hung heavy in the air, and the battlefield had descended into an uncomfortable silence. Both sides' soldiers shuffled nervously, their eyes darting between the two Alphas. The conflict they had been training for had been reduced to a single, violent encounter rather than being about armies fighting each other.

Ryker stood motionless, a mask of composure covering his face. Standing next to him, however, Thalia sensed the energy coiling beneath his skin like a tempest about to erupt. His golden eyes met Orion's, unflinching and unflinching.

Orion grinned. "Good," he said, the word slipping off his lips like a blade's edge. "Then let's fight them in a way that will be remembered."

Thalia balled her fingers into fists. Orion's confidence had a perilous quality that caused her heart to race—not out of fear, but out of anticipation. If he wasn't sure he had the advantage, he wouldn't have suggested this combat. Why, the question was.

Orion's battle council stirred from his side. One of Orion's senior commanders, Malric, a guy with thick hair and greying hair, strode up with a somber expression. He said, "My lord," in a quiet whisper that only Orion could hear. "You ought to think again about this. Ryker is stronger and younger—

Orion looked at him and silenced him. "He's an idiot," he whispered. "And the easiest people to break are idiots."

Malric paused, but then a different voice interrupted, one that was tinged with contempt. "This is superfluous," a woman yelled. Her dark auburn hair was braided back, and her angular features were curled in annoyance. She was tall. "We have enough numbers to completely destroy them. Why stake all on one battle?

Lyara. Orion's most reliable tactician. In contrast to many of his colleagues, she had always valued outcomes over showmanship. She also obviously didn't enjoy Orion's gamble at the moment.

Orion let out a breath and gave her a look that was almost amused. "Because it's not just about winning, dear Lyara," he drewled. The goal is to shatter them. I won't only take Thornwood if I defeat Ryker in front of his army; I'll break their morale. Furthermore, it is far simpler to manage a disorganized force.

Despite her clenched jaw, Lyara remained silent. When Orion made up his decision, she knew better than to question him.

Ryker was already getting closer to Thalia on the opposite side of the battlefield. She said, "This isn't right," loud enough for him to hear. "Orion never engages in combat unless he is positive he will prevail. He has a plan.

At first, Ryker remained silent. Rather, he kept his eyes on Orion, his face unreadable. Then, after a pause, he muttered, "I know."

Thalia squinted her eyes. "So why agree?"

Something sparked in his eyes for the first time since Orion's challenge, something strong and unshakable, as he turned to face her. "Because Orion isn't the only one involved," he stated. "It concerns me. About demonstrating that the real Alpha of Thornwood is not a despot who has stolen a throne but rather the person who was destined to hold it.

Thalia examined him, looking for signs of hesitancy on his expression. She couldn't find any. Ryker was prepared for the battle. He had no fear of what Orion had planned.

She wasn't persuaded, though. "Then allow me to fight alongside you," she answered.

The slightest smile twitched his lips. "The war is still yours even if I lose. I won't fall, though.

A voice called out across the field before she could continue to protest.

"Enough waiting!" Orion stepped forward and called. In the moonlight, his armor shone, sharp and black like a horrible beast's teeth. "This is over now."

The land between the two armies was worn and trampled with the strain of waiting. Here, under the watchful eyes of hundreds, in the center of the battlefield, would be the duel.

Ryker took a step forward and stopped in front of Orion, rolling his shoulders. In sharp contrast to the self-proclaimed Alpha in front of him, Ryker was fire and power, his posture firm, while Orion was dark and imposing.

With a banner raised, a soldier from Orion's side—likely one of his enforcers—came forward. He said, "The rules are simple." "The battle is one of death or submission. No meddling. Thornwood's destiny will be determined by the winner.

There was silence. Then—

Orion drew his dagger and murmured, "Enough talking." "Let's get started."

Ryker made no move to grab a weapon. He didn't have to. His strength came from the blood coursing through his veins and the instincts that had been refined over years of survival, not from steel.

Orion was the first to move.

A haze of movement.

The collision of bodies.

The impact of their collision sent shockwaves through the earth when they collided in the middle of the field. Ryker was quicker, sidestepping with deadly grace, but Orion struck quickly, his blade a glittering arc through the night.

The conflict developed in a precise and ferocious dance. Orion was a predatory fighter, calculating, effective, and hitting where he believed it would cause the greatest pain. However, Ryker battled like a storm—unpredictable and unrelenting, his blows driven by the fervor of all he had lost and all he was resolved to recover.

They traded blows, neither letting the other get away with it. When Orion's blade touched Ryker's side, blood splattered, but the younger Alpha hardly batted an eye. With a vicious blow in return, he knocked Orion back a few paces.

A whisper swept across the assembled troops.

Orion had made a mistake.

Uncertainty appeared on his face for the first time.

Ryker applied pressure. The other Alpha reeled as he charged forward and slammed his fist into Orion's jaw. Orion's breathing was labored as he spat blood onto the ground.

"Do you have anything else?" Despite the slash along his ribs, Ryker's voice remained steady as he teased.

Orion's eyes grew gloomy.

Orion then twisted violently, his fingers grazing a secret bottle concealed beneath his armor, before Ryker could respond.

The air abruptly changed.

Ryker stumbled, his eyes darting for a moment. A peculiar flaming feeling swept through his veins. Once confident and strong, his body felt... heavy.

The first sign was Thalia's sudden intake of breath.

Then—

"Toxin," she muttered.

Orion grinned.

A state of mayhem broke out on the battlefield.

Ryker's motions slowed as his body struggled to contain whatever betrayal Orion had let loose. For the first time during the struggle, he stumbled as his vision became blurry.

Orion purred softly, his voice full of victory. "You honestly believed that I would fight fairly?"

With his breath heaving, Ryker fell to one knee. The world swayed.

Then—Orion advanced to make the kill.

Thalia felt her heart hit her ribs hard. She moved forward one step at a time. The duel's rules were irrelevant now.

She had no intention of witnessing Ryker's demise.

And as Orion lifted his sword for the last blow—

The air was shattered by a thunderous roar.

The ground shook under the weight of something enormous that smashed through the woods. Ancient and enraged, a horrible presence.

The warriors let forth gasps of dread.

Orion froze, too.

Thalia's gaze expanded.

Due to the fact that entering the combat was unexpected.

Something that was not supposed to be there.

It had arrived in search of blood.