Finding Shadow BOOK ONE
Fight

They loved through the night, desperate for each other, neither one talking about what tomorrow could bring. Shadow worshipped Bella with everything he had, leaving tears on her body as she left tears on his and after they were done, they held on tightly, weeping together. Malik and Mazlyn had their time, gently coupling as they nuzzled, sharing breath in the midnight air. And as the sun crested the horizon, the soulmates slept, wrapped up in each other, hiding from the beginning of the day.

The dining hall was silent as Raeann sat down to breakfast. Mama hadn't returned home last night, so she couldn't ask for advice, and Papa had done the unthinkable. The 15-year-old ate alone, trying to come to grips with the knowledge that by the end of the day, she may not have a papa or a sister. Mikhail wouldn't make it in time, and she had yet to figure out how to get Valenar out of the dungeons. Her first idea of telling Izzy and Shadow went up in smoke the moment the challenges were issued. Raeann was on her own. To make matters worse, the rest of the pack thought she was privy to her father's evil plan and were avoiding Raeann like the plague. Suddenly her scrambled eggs didn't look so tasty anymore, and she pushed it away in defeat.

"Make sure you stitch it tight." Santos hissed between his teeth as Dr. Packard closed the leg wound. Camille hovered behind him, making sure the doctor didn't try anything funny, and when she was satisfied, she finally answered his question.

" I challenged Isabella because my place in the pack was threatened, Beta Santos. As long as there is a possibility that Isabella is stronger than me, they won't accept me as their new Luna, no matter what Shadow decides." Santos tried to find fault with his daughter's logic but couldn't. The last time they clashed, Isabella had crushed Camille; if she didn't make an example of her younger sister now, she would never win the pack's support.

"The stitches should knit the skin together before the challenge this evening Beta Romano, but the skin will still be tender there." Doctor Packard said respectfully as he closed the older man's wound. Sometimes he hated his job. David had delivered Shadow as a pup, watched him grow, cleaned up all of his scrapes and bruises, and given him sleep tonics when the young man's pain at losing Isabella was too much to bear, and after Tarakona's descent into madness, he was proud to watch as Shadow took control of the pack.

But he never liked Santos; the pack's old Beta was a sneaky bastard, and to hear about this latest betrayal, sadly hadn't surprised the seasoned doctor at all; as he watched the two challengers leave his hospital, he prayed to the Moon Goddess that good would triumph over evil today, and the young lovers would come out on top.

It was time.

The training grounds were clear of everything, leaving an empty canvas, waiting for the first blood to spill.

The pack stood around the edges, forming a solid square, and Eros was at its center. Camille and Isabella would fight first since they were of lower rank, and the men would clash last, as was the custom of the Challenge rites.

Both women were already heading towards Eros, and any murmurs were instantly hushed as the councilman raised his hand.

Isabella looked at her opponent as Eros explained the rules, and Camille stared back, baring her teeth at the younger woman.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you, Bella."

Isabella tuned her out, reaching deep inside and latching onto the ruthless side she needed to finish this. There was no place for mercy today.

And then the council man's hand dropped, and Bella squared off against the woman who wanted what was hers.

Camille ninja rolled, coming up under Isabella's chin with an uppercut. Red painted the dirt, and the first blood was hers. Isabella spat a tooth out, acknowledging the taste of copper on her tongue as she nodded her head, but she stayed in human form. Circling Camille like the predator she was, all traces of gentle Bella was gone.

Spinning quickly, she let loose with a brutal roundhouse kick, feeling satisfied as the sound of rattling teeth came from Camille's mouth, and the pack Beta spat out a tooth in response.

"Well fuck, look at us, Izzy," Camille taunted, keeping her eyes on her adversary, "Papa would be so proud at how alike we are."

Isabella lost focus for just a second, but it was enough.

Camille slid inside Bella's kick range, forcing her to use her hands, and when Izzy threw a series of defensive strikes trying to create some space, the older woman managed to grab Bella's arm, twisting it up and around her own neck, effectively causing Bella to choke herself.

Camille punched her viciously in the ribs while holding Izzy against her body, digging savagely in with her phased claws, trying to puncture something delicate, and Bella knew she had to move or she was done for. Dropping down, she felt her shoulder dislocate. The burning feeling of pinched tendons made her eyes water, but it worked, and Bella managed to break free, creating some distance between them.

'Let me free,' Mazlyn growled, and Isabella granted her wish.

In a flash of orange, Mazlyn was on her, catching Camille off guard. The Beta wolf was larger than most, standing out with her sunkissed fur and amethyst eyes, and as she savaged Camille's human form, the pack Beta gave her own wolf it's freedom, and then the sounds of gnashing teeth and vicious growls filled the training grounds. Fur flew and bodies twisted as the beta wolves clashed, each trying to inflict a fatal wound. Flesh ripped under sharp canines, and still, the two females refused to submit.

Blood stained the dirt, mixing with saliva as they fought, and in the distance, Bella heard Raeann screaming, "STOP THEM! They're killing each other!!" But no one could interfere.

Mazlyn could smell the fatigue on the older wolf's body. It was evident by the way her hind legs were slowing, and one of her wolf's eyes was rapidly swelling that Camille was beginning to struggle, and that was the key.

With speed born of recklessness and desperation, Mazlyn launched herself straight at the older wolf's blindside, latching onto her throat and finding the sweet spot. A metallic copper taste filled her mouth as she ripped out Camille's throat.

Camille looked strangely peaceful as she transformed back into her human skin, and she even managed a smile for Isabella as she slowly sunk to the ground. Bella phased back into her own skin, feeling sick as the bite on Camille's neck oozed a dark liquid..she knew she was dying, and she weakly beckoned Isabella over to her.

As Izzy sunk to her knees, cradling Camille's head, the pack Beta asked permission to share something with her. Isabella nodded, and Camille whispered softly, "You would have made a great sister Luna, you see Santos is my papa too..." The gurgle in her throat was the last sound Camille uttered before she died, and it was only then that Isabella realized she was also in need of medical attention.

Shadow stood just inside the gym, listening to the roaring of the crowd. His Bella had won, and she was safe. That was all that mattered to him. As an Alpha, the urge to protect his mate was overwhelming, and he couldn't risk intervening, so Shadow waited and hoped and used all his prayers to the Moon Goddess while he was locked in the gym. Santos was the letter writer, and by his own admission, the bastard had killed his mother. He still struggled to come to terms with it all.

Very soon, it would be his time, and he would have to fight the man he had looked on as a second father. Who knew what damage that would do to his little mate? As the clanging of keys could be heard in the lock, Shadow knew he was about to find out.

Santos flexed his shoulders and cracked his neck, watching as Shadow was released from his confinement. It was a shame about Camille, but there were casualties in all wars, and she knew the risks. He couldn't be held responsible for her poor fighting style; after all, Santos wasn't the one who trained her.

Both men were shirtless, Shadow was clearly the more muscular of the two, but Santos knew he had better battle endurance. In the back of his mind, he knew Shadow would think of his mother, and that would be his downfall.

There was no preamble, with both men phasing straight into their wolves. Malik was bigger, being an Alpha wolf, but not by much as Antonio was larger than the average Beta.

The moment Eros's arm dropped, the giant wolves charged towards each other. Malik and Antonio gave no quarter, clashing like titans. The smell of blood tainted the air as they fought, tearing at each other's limbs. Malik looked to be gaining the upper hand as more blood stained the older wolf's grey coat, but neither was slowing down, and there was no doubt to the pack members bearing witness that this was a battle to the death. Then Malik screamed as Antonio grabbed onto his sternum, sinking his sharp teeth in deeply, he was hurt, and Antonio knew it.

Your human's mother screamed just like that when I tore open her belly pup, tell me..will you beg for your life too?

Malik forced himself to stay standing, ignoring the burn in his chest as the older wolf began to shake, tearing through his flesh, attempting to weaken Malik further.

'You promised I could keep you, and Alpha's never break their promises.'

The sound of Mazlyn's voice in his head gave Malik the push he desperately needed, and with an ear-deafening roar, he threw himself into the air, dragging Antonio along with him. Twisting mid-flight, he turned the tables on the Beta wolf, shaking Antonio away from him. When they landed, Malik had his claws digging into the wolf's throat, using his body weight to subdue him, and the Alpha knew he had won.

Until the sky darkened and flashes zipped onto the training ground, causing the pack wolves to phase instantly. Havoc reigned down on the Howling warrior pack as out of the woods poured a flood of shadows swarming into the wolves with inhuman speed.

As Malik was knocked away from Santos, one word vibrated through the pack link...."VAMPYRES!"

Malik tried to bite the ugly man zapping around him, but all he could do was growl in frustration as the fiend smiled, taunting him. Then as quickly as they attacked, they disappeared..leaving dead and wounded pack members writhing on the dirt in agony. Malik turned back to Santos, ready to finish what he started, but all that remained where the wolf used to lay was a black piece of paper.

Phasing back to his human skin, Shadow picked it up, reading it with a sense of dread, there were only a few words, but they were enough.

This land belongs to me, and I intend to take back what's mine, consider this notice Alpha Stalker, the war between Vampyres and wolves is upon you...

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