Page 50 of Violet Moon
Parisa’s wolf emerged, her transition perfected after ages of practice.Her tail flicked.She growled, the sound low and rumbling, then turned, standing her ground at the edge of the cleared circle.
Sera expected some circling around, reading one another, but that wasn’t the case.Jason lunged for Parisa, teeth bared and snarling.Parisa couldn’t dodge his first onslaught, but took it without being knocked to the ground.She kept her footing and tried to use it to pin him to the ground, but Jason refused to go down.
She’d thought that Parisa would have taken him down in one go, proving how foolish he was.But they were more equally matched than she’d hoped.
Jason lunged at her again.This time Parisa didn’t try to dodge.She stood firm and took the brunt of his attack but still remained on all four paws and showed no signs of injury.
Once more Jason came at her, and Parisa dodged to the side at the last moment to make her first move.She sprung into action, leaping at him when he attempted to reorient himself after a failed attack.She managed to nip his ear but he flung her off like she was nothing.
Each time, Jason was the first to attack.
Parisa dodged and defended or attempted to attack.Her feet started to skid a little more along the ground.Her legs buckled beneath her more than once after Jason hurled another attack in her direction.She was counter-attacking when she could but from the start it was clear that she was on the defensive.
Worry gnawed away at Sera’s stomach.Parisa had to have a plan.She had to.
Jason’s attacks didn’t let up.He showed no signs of slowing or burning through stamina.Unlike Parisa, he was firm on his feet and more aggressive with each passing second.He fought like he was trying to kill.
When Parisa hit the ground with a thud, Sera felt it in her chest.Parisa sprung back up, but the milliseconds she was on the ground were the most terrified Sera had felt in ages.The way Jason bounded towards her body with hate in his eyes made her feel helpless to stop whatever was happening.
The longer they fought, the more blood dripped onto the ground below.Some of it was Jason’s.More of it was Parisa’s.Their surface wounds healed instantly, but the deeper ones remained open, spilling on the ground and marking the clearing with signs of their struggle.
Parisa dug her back paws into the ground and lunged at Jason’s throat, claws tearing into his sides as she tried to pin him to the ground.Jason yelped, the sound melting into a fierce growl as he turned back towards her.But Parisa was already preparing another attack.
Sera shuddered, a wave of intense fear and nausea rolling through her.She shook where she stood, but tried to look strong in front of Jason’s witness.Parisa wouldn't want her to show weakness, no matter how much her heart was racing and sweat was dripping down her back.
The world sharpened around her.She could smell the forest in all its richness, could smell the blood on the ground, could hear her own heart beat like a heavy drum in her ears.She knew this feeling.The wolf was coming to the surface.Sera shoved her back inside, but there was no denying she was clawing to get out.
Jason yelped as his back hit the ground and Parisa sunk her teeth into his side.He righted himself, flinging Parisa off.Whatever Parisa had over him in years and experience, he made up for with sheer hatred.
Parisa’s back hit the ground.Jason lunged for her throat.His teeth sunk in as Parisa yelped, straining to shake him off.
Sera’s wolf broke free.Remnants of her ripped clothes dangled from her body as she rushed in to throw him off of Parisa.Jason’s witness yelled, but Sera wasn’t listening.She barrelled into Jason with every ounce of her strength, and he flew off to the side.In a second he was back on his feet, spitting and growling with blood on his teeth, but Sera stood between him and Parisa.
Jason’s witness ran into the clearing.“Get her out of here!”He screamed.“The duel ends with no victor!We will do this again when this Alpha finds a better Beta than this trash who has no respect for traditions.”
The gravity of what Sera had just done hit her.
Slowly she turned around to look at Parisa, knowing she would find only anger, not gratitude.
Sera ducked her head low and refused to look up any more.Jason’s second was still speaking, but Sera couldn’t understand any of it.All she could feel was Parisa’s eyes on her, making the skin beneath her fur hot as shame and guilt washed over her.
Sera ran.She took off into the woods running away from both the clearing and the pack house.She ran until her lungs heaved with the need for breath and her legs collapsed beneath her.
Eventually she made it back into the house and snuck inside in her wolf form, ignoring the worried glances of her packmates and rushed up to her room to catch her breath and think about what she’d done.
There was nothing to say.She couldn’t defend her actions.Sera had acted out of fear.
The transition back to her human self hurt worse than usual, as though her entire body was resisting the change.Sera understood.She wanted to stay as the wolf, too.The wolf didn’t have to try to explain her feelings.The wolf had instincts and acted on them.
Sera had foolish emotions and acted on them.
She flopped down at the edge of her bed, wanting to cry but nothing came.Her stomach turned, guilt and confusion warring within her.
She had proved that she was not good enough to be Parisa’s Beta, let alone love her.Sera didn’t deserve her in any way.
Her fate was sealed.With her head down, skin hot with shame, she walked to Parisa’s study and waited.There was no use in hiding.The least she could do would be to face her Alpha with a shred of whatever pride she had left.
“You’re alright.”Sera jumped to her feet the moment Parisa limped through her study door.
