The sun bathed the afternoon in golden light.
And the warriors were ready.
A duel to the death in the Moonwalker camp transformed the clearing into a sacred arena—elders forming a solemn circle around the packed dirt battleground, ancient silver daggers catching the light as they were presented on ceremonial pelts, the air thick with tension as warriors' families whispered prayers to the moon goddess even in daylight.
No one accepted the daggers. This was going to be a brawl to the death.
Marcus and Elliot circled each other in the dirt arena, sweat already beading on their foreheads despite the cool mountain air. Marcus, broad-shouldered and scarred across his left cheek, flexed his fingers repeatedly, his amber eyes never leaving his opponent.
Elliot moved with the fluid grace of a predator, leaner but no less deadly, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth even as the crowd's thunderous chanting shook the very ground beneath their bare feet.
Elliot lunged forward with a guttural roar, muscles coiled like springs beneath his sweat-slicked skin. Marcus pivoted at the last second, massive hands seizing Elliot's torso in a vise-like grip.
The world blurred as Marcus arched backward, hoisting Elliot skyward before slamming him down with bone-crushing force. Elliot's body cracked against the hard-packed earth, a sickening sound echoing through the suddenly silent clearing as his spine bowed at an impossible angle, his scream dying in his throat.
He was out cold and the crowd went mad with anticipation. They thought their leader would kill one of the two male ancient vampires once and for all. But Marcus simply raised a hand to silence them.
He left the arena allowing two nurses to haul up Elliot in a stretcher.
Next up was Stephen and Shawn.
**
A few hours ago.
"You guys don't have to fight." Helena pleaded.
She was right. Enough blood had been shed in the first war. No one needed a recap of that.
Stephen was pacing around the tent he shared with Helena. It was like he was deciding whether to accept the challenge he himself declared or not.
Helena was on the foot of their bed, standing with her arms crossed. She likely anticipated her affair with Shawn going public but not like this.
Damien suddenly entered the room.
Helena was elated at his appearance. "Damien, you're here. Please talk some sense into your brother."
Damien nodded then put a hand on Stephen's shoulder which made the latter stop pacing around the room.
"Kick his ass." Damien said.
Helena sighed.
**
An hour ago.
Nicole was with Marcus who was pacing around the inside of his tent.
"Is this really necessary?" Nicole asked from the foot of the bed.
"Yes." Marcus replied not stopping to catch his breath. "I take all challenges seriously."
Shawn entered the room. Cleaner from when he last appeared, he had most certainly taken a bath.
"Sorry to disturb you, Alpha Marcus." Shawn semi-bowed his head in respect. "But do I have to do this?"
Marcus stopped pacing and placed a hand on Shawn's shoulder. "You fuck then get fucked."
**
Stephen and Shawn circled each other like wolves, muscles coiled beneath sun-bronzed skin slick with ceremonial oil. Stephen's jaw clenched, a vein pulsing at his temple as his emerald eyes narrowed to predatory slits.
Across from him, Shawn's broad shoulders rolled back, the intricate pack tattoos rippling across his chest as he flexed, lips curled in a silent snarl.
From the female side of the crowd came appreciative whistles and hungry murmurs, the scent of desire mingling with the metallic tang of bloodlust that hung in the air.
They fought and even though Stephen was clearly older, Shawn was much more experienced in fighting.
The battle raged on, a brutal dance of sweat and fury, as Stephen's calculated strikes met Shawn's raw power blow for blow. Blood spattered across the dirt with each thunderous impact, their bodies colliding like storm clouds, separating only to crash together again with renewed violence.
The crowd's roars faded to white noise as both men, chests heaving and muscles trembling with exhaustion, refused to yield—Stephen's eyes burning with jealous rage, Shawn's with grim determination, neither willing to be the first to falter beneath the merciless afternoon sun.
Stephen was about to get the better of Shawn when Helena intercepted them.
"Stop!" She raised a hand towards both of them.
"He fucked you." Stephen was in full-on rage mode now.
"I gave her something you could never have." Shawn mocked.
Stephen lunged forward with a feral snarl, muscles coiling like springs beneath his blood-streaked skin, only to freeze mid-attack as Helena's open palm cracked across his face with supernatural force, the sound echoing through the suddenly silent arena like a thunderclap as his head snapped sideways, eyes wide with disbelief.
"It's treason then." Damien muttered to Nina.
The crowd roared. They were about to see a spectacle they could only dream of. Two versus one.
Stephen noticed that both Shawn and Helena had their hands up in defence mode. But Stephen was not going to wait for their first step.
Stephen launched himself forward with a primal roar that tore from his throat, his body transforming mid-leap as claws erupted from his fingertips and fangs descended from his gums in a flash of white-hot pain.
His muscles rippled beneath skin that darkened with the shadow of fur as he hurled himself at the two betrayers, his eyes blazing with a golden fire that promised nothing but blood and vengeance.
Helena and Shawn countered, but Stephen didn't anticipate such overwhelming force.
Stephen's claws slashed through empty air as Helena ducked with inhuman speed, her copper hair whipping around her face like flames, while Shawn's massive fist connected with Stephen's ribs—a sickening crack punctuating the blow.
Blood sprayed from Stephen's mouth as he staggered backward, his golden eyes dimming momentarily, the bitter taste of defeat already flooding his tongue as the synchronized movements of his opponents circled him like wolves closing in on wounded prey.
This time Nicole stepped in between them.
"Stop you three!" She shouted silencing the crowd. "Marcus, tell them they can stop right now."
"What do you mean?" Marcus asked perplexed.
"Oh, don't act so nonchalant." Nicole said. "I demand a trial by human."
The crowd reacted with murmurs and whispers.
Marcus snickered. "So you do remember our ways. Very well, a trial by human it is."
"But there's no human here!" Damien yelled.
"We don't need just any human." Nicole explained. "We need one all sides trust."
Stephen, Helena, and Shawn looked at one another and said in unison, "Ray!"