The Lunas Second Chance Mate
Chapter 14

I shifted back to human form to draw my knife, but I was backed into the corner of the arena. Her large gray wolf paused with narrowed eyes at me as if only to size me up before she sprang at me.

She tore open my arm with her fangs. It ripped through one of the two scars that remained from the death blows of my last life and my blood began to spill all over the ground.

Her wolf form snarled with my blood in her teeth. She shifted back to a human, her mouth still reddened, her pretty face turning up in a sinister smile. This crazy bitch scared me, more than I'd been in a long time, and I couldn't quite understand it. She lunged, and I tried to jump out of her way, but she caught my foot. I fell hard to the ground. She pinned me with her larger body, and I smeared my bleeding arm against her as I tried with all my might to free myself.

"This wasn't even so hard," she said maliciously.

A trail of her blonde hair fell in front of her face, I realized how much she reminded me of Jennifer, especially her merciless cruelty. Especially with the blood blurring my vision, she even looked like her. It chilled me to my bones, and I remembered my last attempt to strike my sister.

She was going to kill me again.

Ariana burned hot inside me. With strength I didn't know I had left, I shifted so fast she didn't have time to react. Even though she pressed me down, my wolf's fangs slashed across her face, and ripped open her throat.

She gurgled, the blood from her artery spilling out over my white fur, and I wriggled free. She had no strength left. Her body fell off to the side as the life left her eyes.

I breathed hard, feeling like I'd just escaped death once again.

The crowd was quiet at first. It was a great upset. A moment before, they thought I had lost. I was breathing hard, and I looked up away from her. I threw my own hands into the air, a victor!

They cheered. I could hardly catch my breath, my body still shaking from barely avoiding death. But I had earned my place in Starstream Pack!

As I left, it seemed a hundred voices called Alyson in congratulations. Ryan was not there. I didn't see him; I was a little worried knowing I'd been bleeding and he had a match today at the same time as me. Even if he'd never lost in his life, I wondered if I could have caused a weakness for him.

The crowd was parting as a man approached me. He was tall and lanky with black hair, hazel eyes with flecks of orange and yellow. He was beaming at me excitedly, his front canines long and pointy even as a human.

He reached out to shake my hand, with a little bow. Everyone had made way for him like he was important. "I'm Dylan Harris. You are incredible! Alyson, right? I've been watching you since the beginning, I even bet on you! One of the few that bet on you from the start."

His enthusiasm radiated from his entire countenance. He pulled out a betting form to show me.

"Please, let me shake hands with the victor," he said with another bow at the same time.

Suddenly, I sensed a large body right behind me. Ryan had come through the crowd, he'd tucked my arm in his, and was pulling me away. I let him, relieved to see that he was okay.

The crowd was still cheering my name.

Dylan was following us. He intercepted us as we were about to leave the crowd. "Wait, don't go, just yet!" He turned to Ryan. "Is she your fighter. Trust me, I have great intentions. I'm so impressed with her. I'll pay for her time, to invite her to eat at my table at the feast tonight." He offered Ryan a sack of gold.

Ryan was shaking with anger, I thought he might explode.

"Isn't it enough?" Dylan said. "I could pay more? Much more. Just dinner, at my table. Nothing more."

Ryan rolled his eyes, to me, he said, "Let's go."

With my arm still tucked in his, he began to drag me away, which was incredibly annoying, I was not a she-wolf to be dragged around.

Dylan's warm enthusiasm had changed to annoyance. "I meant no disrespect!' he yelled after us. His tone changed, "Who do you think you are? I'm Dylan Harris, my father is the alpha of Featherwell Pack! Your Alpha should take orders from me."

I halted, slipping my arm away from Ryan. Featherwell Pack? They were rich and powerful enough to compete with Crowalt. Their territories neighbored each other. I'd heard of them before. Suddenly my past seemed a lot closer than it had been in months. Ryan was looming behind me. He yelled back at Dylan, "Get the f**k off! I'm the Alpha here, I don't care who your father is, or give a shit about your pack. I don't take orders from you or anyone."

"Oh, easy there." Dylan said, suddenly looking a little more cordial. "You must be Alpha Ryan. Finally! I sent a lot of invitations to meet before, but you never responded. Our packs have been doing business together for years. We should have properly introduced ourselves."

"Not interested," Ryan said. He was grabbing my wrist again to pull me, and I jerked my hand away from him, glaring at him.

His anger at Dylan landed on me in a moment of heavy frustration. We were staring each other down.

Dylan was right there again, having caught up to us. "Wait, she won, so how much more can she owe you? I could pay double, triple? Ten times? Could you please let her eat at my table?" Dylan said.

I wondered why he didn't invite Ryan too since his claim that he wanted a proper introduction.

Usually, the fighters in the life-and-death track owed a great debt. They would risk their lives to free themselves or their family of this debt, or who would volunteer? Did this Dylan assume that Ryan owned me?

"I'm a free she-wolf." I told Dylan. "I owe Alpha Ryan no debt, and he certainly doesn't own me."

"No, you can't!" Ryan's face was red.

Dylan was looking between us with curiosity. He asked, "Are you mates?"

"No," I responded.

"Yes," Ryan said at the same time.