Who is Magpie?
Chapter 74- Win or War

True to his word, they stayed in the bed until his tongue got her to where she needed to be, at which point they had both drifted off for a short time. When they woke up about an hour later they moved to the shower, scrubbing the cum from Ezekiel’s chest from what Jessamine hadn’t licked off, and what he had added while touching himself and eating her.

Every window was opened, and Jessamine had lit a candle, feeling like the smell boasted what they had done. Though every part of her was glad they had, she worried about the face Bronx would make if it was so blatantly obvious as the smell made it.

During lunch they had discussed wolf fighting, and techniques Athena would have been taught. No one could possibly know how she would fight in this situation, but it was all they could do to try to give Jessamine a leg up.

The same discussion had lasted until dinner, where everyone sat in silence they all considered painful, but Jessamine found oddly comforting. She didn’t let Ezekiel fill her plate, not saying, what she believed to be a joke, about not wanting to kick the bucket with a full stomach, and in the silence everyone heard the cars approaching. It was time.

Exiting the building was interesting. Quite a crowd had gathered, rumours likely spread throughout the day of the challenge. Jessamine walked out at her leisure, and where there were those who were aggressively cheering for her in howls and hoots, there were still a few who’s cheers were conflicted with worry. Fiona was among those more worried than excited but she stood at the front, watching her approach with Ezekiel and Bronx on either side.

Jessamine noticed that Athena had returned with people from her own pack to cheer her on and wondered what would happen to them later.

“Took your sweet time,” Athena announced, intending to carry on belittling her but Jessamine was quicker.

“My time is precious, beg my pardon that I want to spend as little of it as possible around you.” She smiled warmly in a way that gave those watching shivers.

A physically strong Luna was an honour, a bold and outspoken Luna was a privilege, but a Luna like Jessamine was rare. She gave the distinct impression that everything always happened according to what she wanted, and this challenge was no exception.

Athena rolled her eyes. “Are you still planning to fight me?”

The lightest laugh left Jessamine and her smile reached her eyes. “Oh Athena, wasn’t it you that said I’m not wolven enough? If anyone is more accustomed to rolling over it would be you.”

With that Jessamine didn’t say anything else. She flicked the straps of her dress over her shoulders and shifted as it pooled around her feet. Her wolf was beautiful, flecks of red within her coat that shone in the setting sun and her large paws dug into the earth with anticipation. Athena shifted immediately, shredding her expensive clothes with the entitled disregard of someone who had never worried about money. Her wolf had paler fur, a light brown that didn’t quite match the blond she normally had.

Chevalier cleared her throat but Athena wasn’t waiting for a speech. She lunged at Jessamine, missing her with her teeth but hip checking her sideways. Jessamine turned and swiped at her, something easily dodged but then the pair began swiping and dodging each other in quick succession around the cleared space.

“You are only half as terrible as I believed you would be,” Athena taunted, clawing at her face more than towards the mass of her body.

“Wrestling with my Alpha has definitely increased my stamina,” Jessamine returned, able to knock the other woman over.

While on the ground Athena launched herself at Jessamines back ankle, chomping down with as much force as she could. The yelp from Jessamine rang out in the open space, her pain as the healing ankle was broken was enough to make Ezekiel see stars through their connection. Jessamine used her other hind leg to boot Athena in the face as hard as possible, but she felt the teeth drag out of her ankle painfully.

Ezekiel wanted to stop the fight with that, already fine with starting a war, but Jessamine looked over at him and shook her head as she felt his anger overpower the worry.

“You still believe you can win?“ Athena chided with a huffed laugh that was no prettier in the mind link than in her wolven form.

Jessamine huffed a breath as she stood and balanced off the injury. “How did you know what ankle had been broken?” She asked instead. ‘I tested the other one in front of you earlier. It’s like someone has been feeding you information again. So who is your new spy?”

Athena growled lowly, lunging at her again and swiping sharp claws into Jessamine’s fur on her shoulder. This time she didn’t whimper, getting a swipe in right back and then backing up carefully out of reach for a breather.

“I’m not even tired, but look at you panting and breathing away over there. All I can smell is your blood, why not just give up?” Athena exposed her teeth with another long growl. “Banishment can’t be so bad, and I’ll bet the rogues will pick you up and adopt you, he wants you anyway after all.”

Jessamine’s blood ran cold. “Who?”

Athena laughed again. “You don’t know? He’s been watching you for a while, the rogue’s alpha of course.”

Jessamine faltered in her movements, getting knocked over suddenly. “Watching me?”

“You really don’t know? Nearly a decade he’s been waiting for you. Your stupid mother wouldn’t hand you over, said you couldn’t shift anyway, but then she tried to take off… if she hadn’t done that they never would have searched your house and found the wolvesbane capsules to discover the truth.” Athena felt cocky, like she was unveiling Jessamine’s biggest secret, but she had no idea.

Jessamine lunged at the other woman, knocking her over. “What!?”

Athena thought she was bluffing, but as she laid on her back and Jessamine didn’t attack her further she realized the truth. “You really had no idea? That is classic Hemlock family, so secretive. You’re the reason the rogues and the Fae made an agreement. You ran to them and he would do anything to get you, but you had to come here and steal my Ezekiel. You little slut.”

Jessamine’s mind froze. She had started everything, from surviving the car crash and running from the rogues, she had created the alliance that could destroy her pack. In her laps of focus Athena decided to capitalize, the two rolling on the ground in fierce snarls with teeth nashing and claws flying.

“I will kill you, or you can give up now, reject my Ezekiel, and go be the useless Luna to the banished alpha like you should have always been.“ She scoffed, “you were never worth the risk.”

Jessamine was beneath her now, Athena’s teeth nearing her neck warning her to submit. “You knew,” she breathed. “You knew everything.”

“That’s what it takes to be a female Alpha. All I need from Ezekiel is a few strong pups, but if he won’t bed me I’m sure I could get Bronx. He always seems to want what he can’t have.”

Athena was aiming for her neck, Jessamine kicking and bashing her back with everything she had, but with each statement her eyes went darker. Anger engulfed every other emotion she had ever felt until it was all that was left. Ezekiel had never felt rage as strong as what he felt in her and as it overwhelmed him, he worried.

“Say it again,” Jessamine warned. ‘Say one more fucking word…”

Athena lowered her eyes and Jessamine could swear she was trying to smirk. “I’m going to take your men, your place, and everything that was meant to be mine, Magpie, and there’s nothing….”

Jessamine wrapped her back legs up around Athena’s hips, ignoring the pain of the broken ankle, and lurched forward to sink her teeth into her neck and shoulder. Twisting her hips and head in opposite directions she maneuvered the other’s weight against them to work onto her side. It only took a couple seconds to get out from under her and after that she continued to twist until she could jerk her head and hips violently to feel the *pop* of Athena’s spine.

Sᴇarch the FindNovel.net website on G𝘰𝘰gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.