for us, Thorn behind the wheel.
“Come on ladies, we’ve got places to be.”
“You can’t rush this kind of badass, Thorn. It takes time to look this fierce,” I tell him, and his laugh booms inside the vehicle.
“You certainly have a way with words, Remy. I’ll give you that. Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”
The engine starts and it’s only a few minutes until we reach our destination. Lycans sat in a huge circle, spread out across the grounds, and Roman standing in the middle, the moonlight glinting off his skin. His hair is down, wild, but he stands there, arms crossed, like a force to be reckoned with. The personification of the calm before the storm I know that is coming.
We come to a stop and all climb out the Jeep. Roman looks towards us and I still, just staring at him. I see the rage inside of him, hidden behind his facade of calm. I feel it through our bond, the range of emotions, his rage, his worry, but overriding it all, his love, his confidence in us both. His knowledge that we’ll come out on top today.
I send him the calm I find in that dark place inside of me, and start my path through the gathered Lycans to stand at his side. My eyes not leaving his. Not as the whispers come as I move through the people. Not as cheers start to raise at Thorn’s yells, driving up the hunger of the crowd supporting us. I soak it in, the power in the air around us. I stop directly in front of Roman, the charge between us palpable. The crowd dies down, but I barely notice as the world falls away. It’s just him and I. Together. Against all odds.
Together, we will succeed.
He takes my hand and closes the distance between us, his eyes promising me of what will come later, after we are done here.
Roars sound in the distance as Echo, Aryna, and their supporters approach. The sound draws us apart and I stand by his side, waiting, watching as they get closer. They fill the hole in the circle from the Lycans surrounding us, and the two of them keep coming, standing opposite us in the center.
Roman looks to Theron and tilts his head, before taking my hand. He walks me towards him, where Thorn, Tobias, and Leandra are stood with him. Arya and Echo go back to where their supporters sit, when Theron’s voice fills the space between us.
“Two challenges will take place today, in this sacred circle, upon our sacred land. Echo of Shadow Pack, challenges Roman, the Alpha of Alphas to the death, challenging to take the spot held by the Knight family since the beginning of pack. Today, the histories will show that the challenge was accepted, and whatever the outcome, our laws will be upheld.” Howls erupt from the Lycans around us, and it’s as if the very earth quivers at the power gathered here.
Roman steps forward, and with a growl, he shifts, his midnight wolf emerging, swallowed by the shadows of the night, as if the very moon and stars are behind him in this fight.
Echo follows suit, his wolf is much smaller than Roman’s, a tawny brown, flecked with white and black. The only similarity is the glowing of their silver eyes. I’ve noticed before that all wolves have the silver glow, but only Roman’s are the same in his human form.
“Let it begin,” Theron’s voice ripples across the space and their fight begins. I don’t look away, I barely move or breathe as they circle each other. The bond between Roman and I shuts down, I can still feel him there, inside of me, but after a surge of love from him, I’m shut out from his emotions, and I’m not sure whether to be grateful for that or not, but I’m glad that I will not be a distraction for him in that way.
Echo charges at Roman, and leaps through the air, using his size to his advantage, but he underestimates his Alpha. While Roman is bigger, he is not slower, and so they clash. Teeth and claws, the cheers of the crowd like a dull hum in the background as I focus on the wolves in front of me. As much confidence as I have in Roman, Echo is fueled by hate, and that, in itself, is a powerful thing. I flinch as Echo breaks through, and bites down on Roman’s