Page 90 of Gift from the Stone

“I’ll join too. Me and my little wanderer can play catch in our dragon forms,” Draken says, smiling from ear to ear.

“Enough. No one is murdering anyone today. Fucking hell,” Corentin barks, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Spoilsport.

Our back and forth is enough to cool the raging inferno that’s brewing inside of me. I still find it completely unjust despite Corentin’s reasonable arguments, but there’s no point continuing that line of discussion right now. There are only a few minutes of a break before the Alpha Challenge starts and I need to be prepared for whatever is about to happen.

The emotional faces of the shifters speak clearly and it’s easy to see they would’ve been highly upset if Kael had carried through with killing Rylan. So it seems there’s now a shift in support of Lyker. Not like they all have much of a choice now, though. It’s just the two of them.

As the sun rises higher in the sky, its warm rays seem to cast a halo around the center of the arena, secluding the center for the bloody battle to come. The energy of the crowd is thick with anticipation, charged with eagerness and worry for the approaching fight that will determine the fate of the pack.

“Terravile Pack and honored guests, I present to you, our two finalists. Kael Black and Lyker Quinn. As the final echoes of howls ring, let the realm bear witness to this sacred challenge. May the bravest prevail, may the strongest endure, and may the chosen Alpha rise with the blessing of Elementra,” an Elder announces before turning to bow at Lyker and Kael then moves out of the center.

I can’t help but feel a knot of nervous energy tighten in my stomach, my heartbeat echoing in my ears as my eyes fixate on the final two, the would-be alphas. Each of their stances seem magnified, carrying the weight of fierce determination and fate.

The two of them lock eyes in a moment that seems to stretch into eternity, their gazes assessing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. My breathing matches the labored breaths they’re taking as I watch their muscles grow taut, timing their attacks perfectly.

The tension and emotions rolling off my men are coming in waves. I feel the primal connection filtering in me through Draken, his dragon paying keen attention to the two other beasts about to battle. Tillman’s a statue, unmoving, his face the mask of an expectant leader, but I can feel his pride and unwavering resolve for Lyker in this moment.

Corentin’s coiled tighter than a snake ready to strike, his eyes locked on the two in the center, but I have no doubt he’s taken in every feature of our surroundings and has every face of the enemies sitting across from us memorized. And Caspian is jittering with a bloodthirsty excitement. He couldn’t care less that Kael wasn’t one of the men who played a part in his kidnapping. He wants his blood spilled for the simple fact of association.

My palms are sweaty, and indented nail marks mar the middle of my tightly clenched fist. A shiver races down my spine as they release their elements at the same time, water and earth clashing in the middle, sending frozen shards of wooden spears exploding between them.

They continue to throw out their elements with lethal accuracy, but they’re too evenly matched for any strikes to land. As they grow closer together, their elements swiftly change to spiked stone and icicled fist. One blow with the deadly weapons of their hands will bring about a devastating end.

With a lightning-fast swing, Kael’s barely able to lean out of reach as Lyker nicks him across his cheek, tearing the skin open, and blood pours from the wound. The crowd roars as the first drop of blood spills and I feel the collective pulse of the pack, their emotions entangling with the fate of their potential leader. Some wolves clench their jaws in silent solidarity, while other shifters exchange intense glances that speak volumes.

Whipping his head around, Kael lets out a fully charged growl, one that Lyker responds to instantly as light takes over their forms, their wolves now joining the fight. My dragon raises her head with unfiltered fascination.

Hope, fear, and raw determination intermingle within me. Just like Draken, I find myself swept up in the emotional tides of the crowd, a silent member in the primal collective, watching with keenness, waiting to see who the most dominant victor will be.

The wolves lunge at each other, a swirl of fur and claws crashing with a force that seems to quake the ground beneath them. Their movements are a mixture of graceful agility and growing desperation, fucking ruthless, brutal strikes that are leaving behind piles of fur and puddles of blood.

They’re a tornado of slashing claws, snapping jaws and powerful leaps I can barely keep up with. They both have pink-tinged teeth and blood-soaked coats. I honestly have no clue who’s getting the better of the other at this moment.

Kael tackles Lyker with the drive of a wrecking ball, flattening him on his back as he tries tirelessly to get his jaws locked around Lyker’s throat. I’m on the edge of my seat, silently commanding Lyker to get him the fuck off, do something, don’t give up. I can barely pull air into my lungs, I’m so tense.

A loud yelp of pain echoes throughout the arena as Lyker drives his claws into Kael’s underbelly, flipping him over the top of him, slinging him through the sand. I gape at the bloody sight of Kael’s stomach. He’s badly wounded, but he’s refusing to surrender, standing unbalanced on wobbly legs.

A hush falls over the arena; the only noise filling the air is the two wolves growling their final commands. We all know, we can feel it in the palpable tension, that this is it. One of them is about to end it.

I gasp, my breath catching as Kael lunges with a sudden burst of energy. Time seems to slow as Lyker sidesteps him then dives, latching his jaws around his throat, dragging him down to the sand, releasing a fierce growl.

Growling once more, the warning’s clear, surrender or die, and we all sit in silence, waiting for the verdict. It feels like a century has passed before a whine resounds through the arena. Kael’s submission echoes through the mountains and beyond, followed by an immense surge of power sending a shock wave through the arena.

There’s a charged moment of silence before everyone erupts in deafening cheers and shouts. I mean everyone, even my group, are on our feet, applauding Lyker as he backs away from Kael and shifts into his human form, his Nexus scaling the rail and surrounding him in seconds.

“Fuck yeah, Lyker,” Tillman cheers and whistles. All my guys are on their feet, cheering and clapping as Lyker and his Nexus stand in the center, waving to his new pack.

Kael’s Nexus carries him out as the Elders enter the center and bow their heads to Lyker. We watch as they each lay their heads to his hand and show him their respects.

“Terravile Pack, I give you your new Alpha, Lyker Quinn,” yells an Elder, causing another wave of cheers to go up. “Preparations are underway for our feast where you all will have a chance to show your respects. Please begin making your way to the community center where our Alpha will join us shortly to eat and celebrate.”

I can’t help the smile stretching across my face. When I first had my vision of him coming here, there was no way to tell if he was going to win or not. There were far too many possible paths to follow from then until now.

Him winning is both huge for himself, his Nexus, and what’s to come for them, but also for our fight in this war against the Mastery. I’m also fucking ecstatic that my second vision of him didn’t come to fruition at all. With that out of the way, all I need to do is tell him the most important reason he was sent here, and that’ll happen as soon as the guys can introduce me to him.

Closing my eyes, leaning my head back, I take a moment to appreciate and enjoy the moment of peace with the sun’s warm rays covering my face. Listening to my Nexus and friends laughing, feeding off the excited energy in the air. Our group decides to stay seated for a few minutes longer as we let the huge crowd make their way out ahead of us.

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