The clearing seemed to hold its breath. Every wolf stood frozen, eyes flicking between Damon and Marcus. The firelight flickered against sharp teeth and tense muscles, but no one dared move.
The challenge had been spoken. The law of the pack could not be denied.
Selene's pulse roared in her ears. She knew what this meant—two wolves entering the fight, only one walking away as Alpha. And the loser? Stripped of power, stripped of honor… if he survived at all.
Damon's voice rumbled through the night. "You dare challenge me, Marcus?"
The Beta's eyes gleamed. "You've already failed us, Damon. You risk our blood for your human. I won't let you drag the pack into ruin."
A chorus of growls rumbled through the gathering. Some in agreement, others in outrage.
Damon took a single step forward, and the ground seemed to quake beneath him. "Then come. Face me under the moon."
The pack formed a circle around the two men, the air charged with primal tension. The moon hung high above, its light spilling like silver fire across the ground.
Selene stood just beyond the ring, her chest tight, her mark burning as if it knew what was coming.
Damon began stripping off his shirt, the muscles in his back flexing beneath his skin. Marcus followed, his expression set in grim determination.
For a brief moment, Selene saw them not as Alpha and Beta, but as brothers once bound by loyalty. How had it come to this?
The silver-haired elder's words echoed in her mind: Unbreakable bonds carry the heaviest prices.
The shift came suddenly.
Bones cracked, skin split, fur erupted. Damon's form rippled and burst into his massive wolf shape, black as night with golden eyes burning like fire. Marcus followed, his fur a steel-gray streak, his size nearly matching Damon's.
Two titans, circling. Growls rolled low and deep, rattling the earth.
The pack howled as one, a sound of fury, grief, anticipation.
Then they lunged.
Claws slashed. Teeth snapped. Damon's jaws locked on Marcus's shoulder, throwing him to the ground with brutal force. The earth shook with the impact.
Marcus retaliated, his claws raking across Damon's flank. Blood sprayed, dark against the moonlight.
Selene cried out, but her voice was drowned by the howls.
Her mark seared as if every blow landed on her own body. She felt Damon's rage, his determination, his agony. The bond was raw, bleeding into her. She clutched her wrist, trembling.
Don't fall, Damon. Don't let him take this from you.
The fight raged like a storm. Damon's power was overwhelming, every strike meant to end it quickly. But Marcus fought with desperation, fueled by belief in his cause.
The pack's loyalties split with every clash. Some howled for Damon. Others cried Marcus's name.
Selene couldn't bear it. She stepped closer, until she stood just at the edge of the ring. Wolves snarled, but none stopped her. Her eyes never left Damon.
"You are not alone," she whispered, clutching the mark on her wrist. She poured everything she had into the bond—fear, love, defiance, hope.
Damon staggered as Marcus drove him back, but suddenly his golden eyes blazed brighter. He surged up with renewed strength, slamming Marcus into the earth.
The ground split beneath the impact.
Marcus snarled, thrashing, but Damon's jaws closed around his throat. One snap, and it would be over.
The circle of wolves fell silent, waiting.
Selene's breath caught. Damon's body trembled with the decision. His teeth pressed into Marcus's skin, just enough to draw blood.
The law demanded death. The pack demanded blood. But Selene's heart whispered another truth.
"Damon," she breathed. "Don't let him turn you into what they fear."
Through the bond, she felt him hear her. Feel her.
And in that instant, Damon released his grip.
Marcus collapsed, gasping, blood dripping down his throat but life still in his eyes.
Damon rose above him, towering, golden eyes fierce. His growl shook the clearing.
"I am Alpha," he thundered. "Not because I kill. But because I protect. This pack is mine. And she is mine."
He turned, eyes sweeping the circle of wolves. "If any challenge that, step forward now."
Silence.
One by one, wolves bowed their heads, their howls rising in reluctant unity.
Damon stood tall, bloodied but unbroken. Marcus lay at his feet, defeated.
The fight was over.
But as the pack dispersed, Selene caught Marcus's gaze.
There was no surrender in his eyes. Only hate.
And a promise.
This wasn't the end.
Author's Note:
🌕⚔️ The fight for dominance has ended—Damon has proven his strength, sparing Marcus's life but claiming victory as Alpha. But mercy can be as dangerous as violence. Do you think Damon was right to spare Marcus, or should he have ended it once and for all? Leave your thoughts and don't forget to vote with Power Stones if you loved this chapter! ❤️