Asher
In a swift motion, Xavier hurls a javelin toward me and Kayla.
I react instantly, shoving Kayla to one side as I deflect the weapon mid-air, redirecting its path so that it embeds harmlessly into the wall.
The impact echoes through the arena, and the gathered pack members gasp in shock.
“See who finally came back from the dead,” Xavier sneers, his lips twisting into a cruel smirk.
I met his gaze, unbothered. Pathetic.
“I have no words to waste on you, Xavier. I’m here to tell you that your time as Alpha is over. You might think you have the right to lead, but let me remind you-” I take a step forward, my voice steady, powerful, “-you have done nothing but be a curse upon this pack.”
Xavier scoffs. “I have done no such thing, Asher. I know you’re just bitter that I took my rightful place as Alpha. Face it-no one wants you here. Not even your parents. They abandoned you because you’re a curse, bringing nothing but doom to this pack.”
A murmur spreads among the crowd. I feel an old wound reopening-but I push it down. Xavier wants me to react. He wants to use my past against me.
“Ouch, Xavier,” I say mockingly, tilting my head. “Nice try. But I won’t give you the satisfaction of your words affecting me. I’ve steeled my heart against fools like you.”
His smirk falters slightly. Good.
“Standing here before me is a so-called Alpha who is nothing more than a scheming, devious, manipulative son of a bitch.”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. I see the veins in Xavier’s neck bulge, his face burning red with anger.
“Stop spitting nonsense and fight me like a man!” he growls, stepping forward.
I click my tongue, feigning disappointment. “Tsk, tsk. Not so fast, Xavier. You’re eager to fight, but shouldn’t the pack first see how ‘benevolent’ you truly are?”
Suddenly, the large screen behind us flashes to life.
A video starts playing.
The arena falls into silence as Xavier’s voice echoes through the speakers.
“You useless idiot, Maya! You were supposed to kill him or, at the very least, get pregnant so we could pin it on him!”
The footage shows Xavier cornering Maya, his face twisted with rage. Maya, visibly shaken, suggests an alternative.
“Then… then you should be the one to impregnate me. We can still make it work-”
Xavier slaps her across the face. “Fool! You should have handled this already!”
The audience watches in horror. Then, the screen switches to another video.
This time, Shirley is the one on the screen.
She’s standing in a dimly lit hospital room, speaking in hushed tones.
“Finish what you started, Shirley. The first poison didn’t work. This time, make sure Asher doesn’t wake up.”
Gasps erupt from the pack members as all eyes land on Shirley. She stiffens, her face pale with shock.
One by one, more clips play evidence of Xavier’s betrayals, his backdoor dealings, and his countless atrocities.
He is exposed.
His arrogance is gone, his breathing ragged.
I take a slow step toward him. My voice is low, laced with cold fury.
“Still think you deserve to be Alpha, Xavier?”
The few pack members who have remained loyal to me take their stand behind me, ready to fight off any resistance Xavier might put up.
I scan the crowd, noting the disdainful looks on the faces of the majority of the pack members. One by one, they step away from Xavier and pile behind me in support.
I didn’t expect it to be this easy to win back their trust. But as I observe the faces of those who still stand by Xavier, a realization strikes These are the traitors.
These are the ones who helped him invade my pack, the ones who have been feeding him information and betraying their kind.
Once this battle is won, I will purge this pack of every last traitor.
A sickening crack echoes through the air.
Xavier’s bones snap and shift as he attempts to shift into his wolf form.
But I don’t give him the chance.
I lunge at him, grabbing him mid-shift, my grip locking around his half-formed throat.
His body jerks and convulses, caught in a painful limbo between man and beast. His eyes flash with panic as his transformation is stalled, leaving him vulnerable.
“Weak and pathetic,” I sneer, tightening my hold around his throat, watching his struggle turn into desperation.
“Attack!” Xavier commands, his voice ringing through the arena.
His loyalists launch themselves at my warriors, their growls and snarls filling the air as the battle erupts around us. Claws clash, bodies slam into each other, and the scent of blood thickens in the atmosphere.
But I don’t take my eyes off Xavier.
I tighten my grip around his throat, feeling his pulse hammering beneath my fingers. He struggles, but it’s useless. I haven’t even used my full strength yet, and he’s already as weak as a pup.
And this man claims to have alpha blood?
Pathetic.
Suddenly, he drives his knee into my groin, trying to force me to release him.
I barely flinch. Instead, I smile-a slow, menacing grin that sends a flicker of uncertainty across his face.
“I promised myself I’d kill you with my bare hands,” I growled.
Before he can react, I slam my fist into his jaw. The force sends him stumbling backward, and I finally release him.
Xavier wastes no time. He uses the moment of freedom to shift, his bones snapping as he transforms into his wolf massive, dark-coated beast with eyes full of hatred.
Fine.
Without hesitation, I shift, my wolf exploding forth, even larger and more powerful.
The ground trembles beneath us as we clash, our bodies slamming together in a brutal fight for dominance. The war has begun.
Xavier lunges at me, his massive wolf forming a blur of dark fur and gnashing teeth. He aims straight for my throat, but I’m faster.
I sidestep, twisting my body as my claws rake down his side, tearing through fur and flesh. He yelps but keeps coming, his rage making him sloppy.
I dodge his next attack, then slam into him with full force, sending him crashing to the ground. He scrambles to his feet, blood dripping from his wounds, his breath ragged.
His eyes burn with fury. But beneath that? Fear.
He knows he’s losing.
Xavier snarls and shifts back into his human form, staggering as he tries to catch his breath. “You think this is over?” he spits, blood dribbling from his lips.
I shift back too, standing tall, towering over him. “No,” I say, my voice low, dangerous. “It ends now.”
He lunges again, a desperate final attack, but I’m done playing.
With lightning speed, I catch him by the throat, lifting him off the ground like he weighs nothing. He claws at my grip, gasping, his legs kicking wildly.
“You were never worthy,” I growl, tightening my grip. His eyes widen in panic as his body convulses, his struggles growing weaker.
I feel the last beat of his pulse against my palm.
Then-SNAP.
His neck breaks with a sickening crack, his body going limp in my grasp.
I drop him like the worthless traitor he is, watching as his lifeless form crumples to the dirt.
Silence blankets the arena.
The pack stares in shock, then one by one, lower their heads in submission. They know who their true Alpha is.
Lifting my head, I release a thunderous howl, letting the sound shake the ground beneath us.
Xavier is dead.
And the Redwood Pack is mine once more.