Chapter 10
Kaiden
Her taste in my memories and her growl played like a record, teasing me and my wolf. /Turn Around./ He commanded, I ignored. This was important; an Alpha was attempting to make residence in my territory. He would never make a good pack member, having led, and never been told what to do. He would make trouble. There can only be one Alpha, and there can only be one Luna. If I died, he would kill Eclipse or make her a Rogue, a death sentence.
I galloped with all the speed I could muster, but I wasn’t alone. As I heard a roar of acceptance to my challenge, my warriors came to bear witness. There is always a risk when you have so much to lose.
I’d just gotten the smallest taste of what it meant to have a mate, and as the Pale Lady is my witness, I would not let this go so easily.
[Alpha, the Rogue is a lone red male.] growled Warrior Dawson, a dusty brown furred wolf who ran at my left.
[If you all scent that this wolf is of Alpha strength, then issue all pack return to their homes, or close their shops until further notice.] I growled in response.
[Of Course Alpha] he nodded, running off to carry out my order.
Those that were left ran in formation with me in front, but no one who encountered him would fight him before I got there. He’d declared war, something I would have to handle. As Alpha, I was so until I was defeated, and as a Rogue, he would be so until he was accepted into a pack, though the chances of that was low. Nothing good comes from adding Alpha minded wolves into a pack.
[Turn Around.] Demanded Rakaam more so than the last, I had no choice but to ignore.
It wasn’t like I didn’t want to. I felt so agitated that I left her practically begging on the front porch; I could smell she wanted more. Rakaam was pissed at me, he wanted his she wolf, to show her what he could do. I never heard her growl before, and I had never wanted to hear something again so badly. I let out an annoyed roar of challenge acceptance, to let him know that I was coming with Death, and one of us this day would be reaped.
The Clearing of Challenge was already a clean, circular arena, as I made sure of that myself. Every pack had one, and as I got closer, I became mentally ready. I could scent this wolf from the forest, and I could tell that he was of a good bloodline. For the most part that didn’t matter… but he also smelled very young. Possibly no older than 20 if I could guess. It’s never good for a wolf to be that young and that strong. He would likely be reckless. When I arrived finally, I let out another howl, one that had even my seasoned Warriors hesitate.
I stood at the clearing, seeing him step out the forest, his tail high in the air in disrespect. He’d not been so easily intimidated. Maybe I would have let him live if he was only passing through, maybe. But he swaggered, a fresh solid red furred young male, almost the same size as me, though a head shorter, another rarity. I growled for him to stand down, kicking my back feet to claim what was mine. [This grass is mine. This dirt, you walk upon it because I allow it. The fallen leaves are mine to crunch under my paws if it is my wish.]
He responded by walking to the edge of the clearing, though he kept one eye watching me, and marked a bush. He taunted me. [What is yours is now mine, old man.] He spat mind linking me. [I smell your weakness, stand down, and you and your followers can become Rogues to live another day.] he boasted in wolf speech this time, kicking his back legs on the ground, tail high.
He trotted to the middle, as if to mock me that he was ready, and I was wasting his time. If that was how he wanted it, so be it. I walked to him head high, tail up as a black flag, and we stared each other in the eyes, though he still did not back down.
This would be the last warning he would get. He had ample time to run away, but if he wanted to die, I would not deny him.
We now circled each other, almost as a dance. Each of us tense, sizing the other up as an initiation of battle. There are many cases were just seeing an opponent will cause the other to submit, neither wanting to die. But he does not understand that I have too many lives at stake.
There is no guarantee that because he is strong, that he will lead well. The prison must make money, paychecks approved, accounts maintained, the supplies have to be ordered and delivered to the shops, domestic disputes must be resolved, councils met with other alphas, keeping down war. We live by might, but rule by mind, and I was the keeper of these lands. My tail was already raised as high as it could go, and my wolf was itching to get him in his teeth. He eyed me intently, so full of confidence, his green eyes revealing his thoughts.
My eyes were red, my wolf made a deafening roar, causing my warriors to submit. [I challenge to defend what is mine.] I growled.
He roared just as boastful. [I challenge to take what is earned in fair combat.] He growled in response.
We lunged at each other, trying to grapple each other to the ground to rip out each other’s throats. Blood was now all I wanted. All I saw was red. We snapped at each other, though he missed, and I grabbed his front leg and crunch down, shaking it, trying to rip it off. The sweet metallic taste flooded my mouth, hearing him snarl was like music to my ears. He did not fall like I expected, and grabbed skin over my ribs, flaying it from the flesh.
The pain caused me to let go, and he ran to the edge of the clearing. I was close behind. I thought he’d surrendered but he tricked me, whipping around, and biting my left front paw, crunching it as I did his leg. Before I lost it, I bit him repeatedly, but he would not let go. He made a mistake by not doing so, he left the opening I was hoping for. I bit down on the back of his neck where his shoulders connected, putting all my weight down on him, forcing him to let go and his body collapsed to the ground. I crunched his neck, shaking it like a ragdoll, euphoria and testosterone flooding my veins.
I had to protect what is mine, lest someone take it. No one will take what is mine, and I shook until he did not move, but his heart still beat. I let out a roar of dominance, and it was returned with howls of loyalty. They kneeled as low as they could, some even exposing their bellies like pups. They knew I was on a high right now, and that nothing would stop me from continuing my rampage if I or my wolf felt disrespected. All will kneel or die by claws.
I nodded the smallest nod for them to stand, and they cautiously pledged their loyalty. Some, with tails curled licked the bottom of my muzzle, to appease me. It is an old, almost outdated custom, but it confirms to me that they are still loyal, that they would not dare challenge me. My senses were on high alert. My body was tense, but I kept my tail high despite the pain from having my pelt partially peeled off me.
He could no longer hold his form, nor I, and I stood looking down on him asserting my dominance by my presence. “He still yet lives, take him to the holding cells” I growled. My warriors did not hesitate, one picked up his limp body in his mouth and scampered into the setting sun to carry out my order. I could finish him, but he breathes so he will learn. There was a small emergency clinic in the prison, so I wouldn’t deny him medical care, not that he deserved it. He will understand my complete and total zero tolerance, for I would expect no less.
I went to the infirmary to get stitches, wolf bites this deep need help, and I didn’t want them to get infected. I was bruised and covered in fresh scars. I found some cotton shorts, needing help from one of the nurses to pull them up. She was terrified by my look of deathly seriousness. I did not want to make my Luna jealous or make her feel like I wasn’t taking her seriously by being covered in the scent of another she wolf, it’s just that that was all who was there at the time.
I felt my bones popping into place in my hand, but it would need at least the rest of the night to heal. Little bones are a nightmare, because they had to be constantly monitored in order to heal properly. I let Rakaam take over so that I could heal faster; I want to get to my Luna.
The doctor said that they had to amputate the challenger’s lower arm. He will never be an alpha now. You can rule a thousand years easy, but the moment you lose, you lose everything. There is no coming back from that. We live as long as we aren’t killed, and there are so many threats, but he will live. I will allow it, for now he is no threat, and he will learn his place in that cell when he wakes up.
Kneel or die.
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