My body broke apart.
Every nerve was on fire, every bone splintering and twisting under my skin. The scream ripped out of me, but it wasn't only human anymore. It warped, low and guttural, turning into a sound I didn't recognize.
The crowd howled with it, voices rising, urging the moon to take me.
My nails tore free into claws. My teeth split into fangs. My skin rippled, tearing, reshaping. The world tilted, but when it settled, my vision was sharper, brighter. I saw every face, every sneer, every fleck of spit in the torchlight.
And I smelled everything. Blood. Smoke. The rogue.
It crouched in front of me, golden eyes wide now. It had wanted prey. Instead, it faced a predator.
A growl rumbled from my chest, so deep it vibrated through the ground.
The pack erupted. "She shifted!"
"She carries wolf blood!"
"She belongs to the Alpha!"
Kane's power swept through the noise, silencing them. His gaze burned into me, silver eyes gleaming. Pride. Possession. Hunger.
"Fight," he commanded.
The rogue lunged.
I met it head-on. Our bodies collided with bone-cracking force, claws slashing, teeth snapping. Pain burst across my shoulder as it tore into me, but instinct drowned it out. I struck back, ripping fur and flesh, the taste of blood flooding my mouth.
We rolled across the courtyard, stone shattering under our weight. The crowd pressed closer, their cheers turning frenzied.
The rogue pinned me, snapping for my throat. Its breath was rancid, its saliva burning my skin. I twisted, forcing my claws deep into its chest. Hot blood gushed over my hands.
It yelped, jerking back. That was all I needed.
I surged up, slamming it onto its side. My jaws locked around its neck. My teeth sank deeper and deeper until the bone gave way.
The rogue went limp.
Silence fell, broken only by my ragged breaths. My chest heaved, blood dripping from my muzzle, my body trembling from the shift and the fight.
I lifted my head.
The pack stared at me with wide eyes. Some in awe. Some in disgust. None dared move.
Then Kane stepped forward.
He crossed the courtyard slowly, deliberately, every step echoing. His presence pressed down on me, forcing me to my knees. My body wanted to submit, to bow, to bare my throat. But my mind raged against it.
He stopped inches away, his hand brushing the blood from my muzzle. The touch was intimate, claiming. His voice was low, meant for me alone, yet loud enough for all to hear.
"You are mine. And now, they know it."
The crowd roared. Howls rose to the moon, shaking the stone walls. They accepted his words, whether they accepted me or not.
But Kane wasn't finished. His hand tightened on my jaw, forcing me to look at him.
"Shift back," he ordered.
Pain slammed into me again, dragging me from fur to flesh. My knees hit the stone, my naked body trembling and slick with blood. Gasps rippled through the pack, but no one dared look too long. Kane's presence warned them off.
He shrugged his cloak from his shoulders, wrapping it around me before pulling me upright against him. His voice cut through the noise.
"She is Bloodfang. Challenge her, and you challenge me."
The courtyard fell silent again. No one spoke. No one moved.
But I saw their eyes. Hatred. Envy. Fear. The pack would not forgive me for this victory. They would never see me as theirs, no matter what Kane declared.
I tried to pull away from him, but his grip was iron. He bent close, his breath hot at my ear.
"You felt it, didn't you?" he whispered. "The power in your blood. You were made for me."
I stiffened, bile rising in my throat. "I'll never be yours."
His laugh was low and dangerous. "You already are."
Before I could answer, a voice cut through the crowd.
"She is not your mate."
Every head turned.
A man stepped forward, tall, broad, with scars across his face and eyes burning red with challenge. Another Alpha. A rival.
He pointed at me, his voice ringing with venom. "She belongs to my bloodline. You stole what was meant for me."
The pack erupted, torn between shock and rage.
Kane's smile sharpened into something feral. His grip on me tightened until it hurt.
"Then come and take her," he said.