Kylie POV
I raised my eyebrow and said, “Why will I fight outside the pack’s territory? If you want to fight, you have to do it in front of all the pack members.”
She shrugged. “I have my condition. If you agree, then I’ll face the challenge you’ve thrown. If you don’t agree, you may leave. Besides, the pack members can always watch it outside the pack’s territory. It’s not like I am hiding anything from them.”
I didn’t know the reason behind her strange request, but I had my suspicions. “Okay, I accept the challenge, but-” I looked at Graham. “You have to give it to me in writing that if I defeat her, you will give me my pack.”
Graham narrowed his eyes at me. After a moment, he said, “Okay, let me draw out the agreement. Meanwhile, you can go to the border. I would like to talk to Zoe in private.” Just as he was about to go, he looked back at me and remarked, “I always knew you were jealous of Zoe getting pregnant with my pup. I hope karma bites in your ass for making her fight for your personal gains. If my precious pup is harmed, I will go to extreme lengths to make sure you pay for your actions.”
“Wow! Graham, if you’re so worried, why don’t you fight me?” I shot back. “Do you really think you can lecture me about karma?” I clenched my teeth. He really had the nerve to tell me about karma when he was the one who was all wrong.
I seethed, “Did you ever think it’s weird that your mistress said she was abused, but never looked bruised when she came back? Or was it you always knew about it? Alpha Liam never ever abused her and-” I looked at Shir, who gave me the file had brought with me. I slapped it into Graham’s hand.
“Take a look at it. You will be surprised to know that Quid, who is no more in your dungeons now, is Alpha Liam’s cousin! But that is not all.” I pointed at Zoe. “She is using a witch’s spell on you to keep you under control! I have the name and address of the witch who she contacted in this file.”
Alpha Logan assisted me in conducting a thorough background check on Zoe and gave me her file just yesterday.
Graham lifted his hand as if to slap me, but he clenched his fist. “Kylie,” he rasped, his voice dripping with disdain, “you are unbelievably conceited.” “Don’t you say a word about my Zoe.”
My mouth dropped to the floor. I hoped he saw through her, but the opposite was happening.
He scoffed and walked away without listening to me further. Zoe smirked as she went with him.
I was fuming at him. Shir came to me and said, “Luna Kylie, save that anger for the fight. Why do I feel Zoe has some hidden agenda to fight outside the pack’s territory?”
Taking a ragged breath, I nodded. “Yes, I feel the same. Keep a vigilance on the borders.”
“I will check it, along with our warriors. Don’t worry. Just keep your calm and focus on the fight.” Then he lowered his voice and said, “Fenris said that our pack members were actually waiting for you to claim them back. They don’t like Zoe, and they look up to you as our Alpha.”
“Really?” I felt a surge of positive energy in me.
He nodded. “Yeah, they’re excited and I wouldn’t be shocked if they’re there to support you.”
A wave of confidence washed over me. “Let’s go!” I said enthusiastically.
The Nord pack warriors checked the perimeter of the Lunar pack to see if it was safe or not while I waited for Zoe. Some of my pack members started pouring in and secretly gave me a thumbs-up to motivate me.
Half an hour later, Zoe came. Where was Graham? She had her hand on her belly as if showing people around her she was sacrificing for them. Members of the Lunar pack, who were part of the original pack, sneered at me, accusing me of selfishness.
Guilt weighed down on me like a heavy boulder. I didn’t want to harm her pup. It was innocent. Then I remembered that when Zoe first fought with me in the packhouse, she was pregnant and she looked like she wanted to kill me.
“I know you want to spill blood,” she said to me, trying to draw as much sympathy as possible. “I am willing to put myself and my unborn pup at risk for the well-being of my pack. So let’s get over this.” Saying that, she shifted into her wolf and snarled at me.
And the fight began. Coral picked up the gauntlet and forced me to shift.
She towered over Zoe’s wolf, clearly displaying greater strength. I said to her, ‘Just make her submit, Coral. She is with a pup.’
‘Yes, that is my intention,’ Coral replied.
Zoe dipped her chin and peeled her lips back. We circled each other.
She dipped her forelegs, and then suddenly charged at Coral. Coral clashed with her head on. She pawed Zoe on her head, bringing her down in one blow. Zoe whimpered and immediately rolled away.
I remembered her speed and moves from our last fight. While she displayed something different, her true intentions were something else. So when she rolled away with a whimper to show that she was in pain, it was the other way round.
She charged at my flank with her wide jaw to sink teeth into my flesh, but I outmaneuvered her. I turned swiftly and lunged at her, kicking her mouth with my strong paw. The kick was so strong that it sent her skidding on the ground. It was time that I made her submit to me, so I charged at her and was about to grab her throat when she suddenly twisted and ran.
With a dangerous growl, Coral ran after her. Before I could stop Coral, she was chasing Zoe through the forest. Zoe was fast, despite her pregnancy. She looked over her shoulder towards Coral and veered to the right.
‘Coral, go back. This looks like a trap,’ I said.
‘No, I am going to get her, Kylie. She is cheating!’
Zoe ran deeper in the jungles as Coral chased after her. She started gaining on Zoe. Zoe jumped over a fallen log and then over a brook. Coral too jumped after her. Irritated by her antics, with a dangerous growl, she lunged at Zoe over the brook, landing right over her. Without wasting time, she caught her neck between her fangs, forcing her to submit. I sank my fangs a little in her flesh to draw blood and leave a mark to show that I had defeated her.
Zoe stopped struggling, accepting her defeat. I shifted back and said, “You’ve lost.”
Something sharp pierced my flesh from behind and I yelped.
“She must have lost the fight, but look what I’ve gained,” a heavy voice sounded from behind. Startled, I quickly turned my head back and found myself face to face with a wolf, his dark eyes filled with amusement. “How are you, Luna Kylie? Glad to meet you in person. I am Alpha Liam.”
I knew it!!