“Let it be so,” shouted Kane. “We’ll meet by the fire pit in one hour. One of us will walk away alpha of the pack, the other will not walk away at all. Understood?”
“Clear as the moon,” she replied, and she turned and stalked off to her cabin to prepare.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The door to her cabin slammed open shortly after she’d just entered it herself. Esther was there in the doorway, wild confusion in her eyes. “Are you insane? No female has ever successfully challenged for alpha in this pack. Hell, the last time anyone even tried was over a hundred years ago.”
“You don’t understand what’s at stake,” replied Sienna.
She went to her herbs and began mixing a blend that would help her to stay limber and clear headed in the coming fight. It wouldn’t be anything strong enough to giver her a drastic advantage, but it would help her achieve her full strength and cunning after all the sleep-deprived nights she’d had over the last few weeks.
“Why don’t you explain it to me?” Esther closed the door and moved to stand next to Sienna where she was working. “We’re supposed to be friends, aren’t we?”
Sienna paused and looked Esther in the eye. “We are friends, and I love you like a sister.” She sighed and figured it was too late to keep any more secrets. “The Silverlake pack is going to attack us soon. I tried to warn Kane about it, but he laughed in my face. That man is nothing but a cruel and arrogant bastard, and we won’t survive with him as our alpha.”
She then related the story of how she’d asked to become a warrior and what Kane had done in response. She left out the details of Pelmay’s embarrassment, but it was enough to convince Esther that she wasn’t entirely crazy for wanting to challenge for alpha.
“You do have the gene, I suppose, but Kane has spent his whole life hunting and fighting. What makes you think you can take him on and win?”
“The wolf I’ve been meeting with has been training me. His name is Arric and for the last few weeks, I’ve been learning how to fight. At first it was just hunting, but after what happened with Kane that day, I asked him to begin teaching me how to become a warrior.”
“Do you really think you can do this?”
“Esther, I don’t even know anymore. All I know is that I have to do this for all of the wolves in our pack who won’t be able to fight the Silverlakes. I have to do it for you, for myself, and even for Pelmay, no matter how she might have treated me in the past.” Her next words were almost a whisper. “No one deserves to be treated like the females of this pack are. It’s not in line with our wolf ideology, and as much as I might have thought it justified the Silverlakes taking over our territory, it needs to come to an end with as little bloodshed as possible. I will defeat Kane, and then I’ll ensure that this war between our packs ends as quickly as possible.”
Esther laid a hand on Sienna’s shoulder and squeezed it tightly. “I’ll support you in this, and so will several of the others when they find out what’s happening. There have been quiet rumblings for a while now, but there are many in this pack who would be happy to see Kane out of the picture.”
“It’s important that you know I’m not doing this because I want the power of being alpha,” said Sienna, turning away from her herbal preparation to look her friend in the eye. “I’m challenging Kane to end the cruel oppression in our pack, and to save us from the threat of war.”
“I know,” Esther said with a gentle nod of her chin. “And that’s precisely what will make you a better alpha than Kane if you can defeat him. Just promise me that you’ll yield if you can’t win? You know how he is. The only way you’re going to survive a loss in this challenge is to beg and plead for your life.”
“If I can’t defeat Kane, then there’s every chance we’re all going to die anyway. I won’t abandon my pack in a time of need. I’d rather die than walk away with my tail between my legs.”
“I understand.” Esther wrapped her arms around Sienna and hugged her tight. “Be strong then, and know that many of us stand behind you.”
“That means everything to me.”
They broke apart and Esther turned to leave. “I’ll go rally people to your cause. With luck, maybe we can use this even to protect ourselves against the coming threat no matter what the outcome of the challenge.”
Turning back to her work, Sienna mixed a few last herbs and ground them into a thick paste. Her jaw was set in grim determination, and she felt like she was working in a sort of detached state, as though she was merely watching her body go through the motions. This was a different wolf than the one she’d been less than a month earlier. This wolf was stronger, more confident, and willing to fight for what she believed in.
Sienna smiled to herself. Despite the coming fight that could very well be the death of her, she’d been happier in the last few weeks than she had been in the last ten years. There was nothing she’d do differently if she could go back in time, and now all she needed to do was make it through this one last battle before she would be able to discover her true potential.
The entire pack had turned up to witness the challenge. A ceremonial tension hung in the air, and the whispers and hushed conversations ceased completely when Sienna stepped into the circle next to the roaring fire pit. It was nearly three o’clock in the morning, and even the youngest pups were awake and watching with wide scared eyes at what carnage they knew was to come.
A challenge for alpha was a bloody and violent affair, and although it wasn’t required that the winner kill the loser, the battle typically raged fierce enough that it wasn’t very likely both wolves would survive. Sienna had only ever witnessed one alpha challenge in her lifetime, and that had been when Kane had challenged his father for the position of pack master. That, however, had been a bloodless affair that was more of a formality than anything else. Kane’s father had passed on the position without a fight, submitting to his son and handing off the role of alpha the way his father had done for him.
This was going to be a different story altogether. Kane entered the circle wearing nothing but a thin loin cloth that the males sometimes wore during training fights in their human form. His muscles tensed and rippled beneath his skin, and his body gleamed in the firelight as though he’d oiled himself down.
Sienna saw through the showmanship to the real threat and did her best to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. The herbal mixture had gone a long way towards quelling her nerves and allowing her to focus on the coming fight, but the tension was still incredibly high. She ran through everything Arric had taught her about taking down a larger opponent. Kane didn’t look as big or strong as Arric, and she was pretty sure she could take him down, but there was no denying the scars and battle wounds that marked Kane’s body and identified him as an experienced hunter and warrior.
“A challenge to my position as your pack master has been put forward,” he bellowed. “This wolf would see me unseated so that she might take control of the pack. In accordance with the ancient laws that govern our kind, I have accepted her challenge and decided to invoke the death law.”
A gasp rippled through the crowd. While true challenges were so violent that they often resulted in the death of the losing wolf, the death law meant that the only way someone could be declared victor and new alpha was if they ensured that the other wolf was dead. There could be no submission; only death.
“Do you accept the terms of this challenge?” said one of the village elders who’d stepped up to officiate. “Do you agree that only one of you will exit the field of challenge victorious, the other to not exit at all?”
It was a mere formality, and Sienna really had no choice but to go forward. The challenge had been cemented when she’d first issued it.
“I accept the terms,” she said in a loud commanding voice. “I do this for the betterment of the Blackstone pack, and to protect the future of every wolf to fall under my leadership should I emerge as alpha.”
“You will both shift to wolf and not shift back
again until one of you has been slain,” said the elder. “Is that clear?”
They both nodded their consent and began to strip off their clothing. For Kane, it was a simple matter of tearing off the single tie that held his loincloth together. Sienna wished she’d worn something more appropriate, and she awkwardly unbuttoned her shirt and removed her pants and underwear while everyone watched. It was a strange feeling to stand naked before every wolf in her pack, but for once in her life, no one laughed or mocked her curvy body shape.
Sienna took a moment to scan the eyes of those around her before shifting into her wolf form. She projected as much confidence as she could, and she saw several wolves, including even Pelmay, nod back in silent approval of her challenging their leader.
Kane had already shifted, and when she finally changed form and squared off with him, she was almost caught off guard by how quickly he lunged at her. The frequent surprise attacks from Arric had given her plenty of practice at dealing with a move like this, and she was out from under his path in a heartbeat. She danced away from him and spun around, quick to keep her face towards him and to show him that she wasn’t afraid.
They circled each other in the firelight, teeth bared, ears tucked back. Every muscle was taught and ready to explode at he slightest sign of weakness. Sienna saw Kane’s haunch flex and she leapt in to close the gap before he could gain the advantage, but it was a calculated trap on his part and it nearly cost resulted in his ripping her throat out.
Kane pushed off low, hitting her beneath her forelegs and driving her sideways onto her back. She rolled away quickly, losing a chunk of fur on her neck from where Kane’s jaws had snapped shut just inches away from her jugular. A fraction of a second later, and she would have been dead from her miscalculation.
This was going to be more difficult than Sienna had expected, and she fought hard to maintain focus despite the fears that rose up inside her. Doubt would be her biggest enemy here, and she knew that she needed to remain one hundred percent focused on Kane. She could tell that he wasn’t playing around with her, and even though that meant she was going to have to deal with the full force of his strength and cunning, it also showed her that he was afraid of her.
That fear was what she needed to take him down. She allowed him to get in close, and they grappled with each other before breaking apart. There was a gash on her shoulder that bled profusely and stung like crazy, but she’d also gotten a good bit out of his hide, and she could tell that he was trying his best to hide the slight limp in his rear left leg.
Kane growled and feinted to the right before dodging back right and pushing off his still strong leg to come at her. She’d seen his eyes telegraphing his intentions and anticipated the move, and she was ready for him when he came at her with fangs bared. Pushing off as hard as she could, Sienna snapped her jaws shut as soon as she was in range, feeling the satisfying resistance of something crunching and ripping between her teeth.
With a howling yelp, Kane shoved her hard and broke away, skittering back to the edge of the circle to try to recover. Sienna saw that she’d scored a hit over his eye, and possibly crushed the ridge of bone over his right eye. The eye itself was swollen shut, and blood streamed down that side of his face. She’d effectively blinded him one side, giving her the opening she needed to finish the job.
Unfortunately, Kane knew that he was compromised, and he decided to press her with everything he had in the hopes that he could overpower her before the fight lasted long enough for her to use her speed and agility to strike a killing blow. He was on her like a landslide, his sharp claws raking her skin and his snarling jaws tearing at whatever bits of her hide they could close down on. She wouldn’t last long under this assault, and she knew she needed to get out from under him.
Thinking of Arric and the way he’d taught her to use a larger opponent’s weight against himself, she twisted her body in a fashion that was entirely unusual for a wolf, and she kicked hard against the ground, sending herself flying upwards in a move that allowed her to pivot over Kane’s body while taking him down on his back.
Within seconds she had him pinned and had her jaws open over his throat. Kane stopped his struggles and whimpered in defeat, knowing there was nothing he could do to reverse the situation. If he even twitched the wrong way, she could rip out his throat before he moved more than an inch.
Sienna growled in the simple language of her wolf kind and saw the elder approach from the side.
“The rules of the challenge are clear,” he said. “You must take his life in order to take his role as alpha.”
She growled again, conveying the simple message for him to relay to the pack.
“Sienna proposes that a vote be put to you, the pack,” he shouted. “She wishes to grant Kane a life in exile if you would have it that way. If you vote for death, she will end his life without hesitation.”
An agitated murmur went up through the crowd. This was unheard of, but then again, so was a female wolf winning a challenge against a male alpha. Sienna risked shifting to human form, and she stood and addressed her pack mates.
“Wolves of the Blackstone pack!” she shouted. “You have seen my clear victory over our former alpha, but I ask you for the right to show him mercy. The right to pack master is mine, and in my first act as alpha, I wish to show the compassion that I intend to make a priority when leading my people. Is it your will that I let Kane live, or that I finish him by the law of death that he willingly invoked?”
A few loud cries of “finish him!” and “kill the bastard!” echoed over the rest, but the overwhelming and undeniable response was for mercy.
“Very well then,” she said, standing over Kane who still lay stunned in his submissive position. “Kane Blackstone, I strip you of your name and rank, and henceforth banish you from our pack under penalty of death. Leave now, and never return.”
Kane rolled onto his feet and looked around at his former back with his one good eye. He lowered his head to the ground and scurried off into the forest, knowing that he had no other option but to stay and die.
“You did it!” cried Esther, running up with a cloak to drape over Sienna’s shoulders. “I had faith that you would fight like a true warrior, but you amazed even the biggest of skeptics. We all stand behind you as our new alpha and pack master.”
“Gather the warriors and hunters,” she said quietly. “There is a coming threat that we must deal with before all of this is for nothing.”
EPILOGUE
One by one, the warriors and hunters of the Blackstone pack had sworn their oath to obey her as the new alpha. She promised them that she’d be be fair in respecting the positions in the pack that they’d earned under Kane’s leadership, but she also took the opportunity to warn them that some things were going to change when it came to how the females of the pack were treated. From now on, all wolves would be given equal opportunity to hunt and fight, even if that meant they displaced one of the current males who held those positions.
“And besides,” she said with a grin. “If any of you are ousted by a female, then you probably didn’t deserve to be here in the first place you lazy sons of bitches.”
This got the intended laugh out of them that she’d hoped for, and she felt considerably more at ease with her position once she saw them teasing each other as to which of them would have to take up cooking or sewing.
“Now, on to the threat of the Silverlake raid. Kane wanted to ignore the warnings, but I guarantee you that we’ll be facing an attack within the next day or two. They plan to come in at night and slaughter us while we sleep, and I won’t let that happen, am I understood?”
The men growled their agreement. A good fight against a common enemy would be exactly the thing to unite her pack, even if it was the only good thing to come out of this war between the Blackstones and the Silverlakes.
“Sienna,” said a female voice from outside the ranks of her battle council. “I’m sorry to intrude, but there’s a stranger in the middle of ou
r camp. He claims he’s here to speak to the new alpha.”
“Thank you Pelmay. Take me to him immediately.” She rose and paused before leaving her warriors. “When I return, I want a comprehensive defense plan ready to go.”
The men grunted and started discussing their strategy amongst themselves. Sienna strode away from them and followed Pelmay down the short path that would lead them back to the village.
“I’m glad you’re the new alpha,” said Pelmay in a shy voice. “I… I wanted to apologize for all those mean things I said when we were growing up together. Please don’t think I’m trying to curry favor, it’s just—”
“It’s okay, Pelmay. I understand how things were.” She squeezed the girl’s arm and smiled at her. “The important thing now is that we work towards a new future for our pack. A future where we females don’t have to live under the thumb of arrogant males like Kane.”
Pelmay nodded and seemed genuinely relieved that Sienna wasn’t going to use her new power to get back at her for all the years of harassment she’d had to endure. What Pelmay couldn’t have known is how Arric had changed Sienna’s viewpoint on things, and that only a few short weeks ago, Sienna might have let Pelmay and all the others die at the hands of the Silverlake wolves.
“Sienna!” said Arric when he saw her enter the village center. “I’m glad to see you alive. I heard about the challenge and I ran straight here.”
One of the teenaged males glared at Arric and stood with clenched fists. “Why are we letting him in here?” he asked. “We should kill him and be done with it.”
“No,” commanded Sienna. “Arric is here to help us, isn’t he?”
She turned towards the man who’d helped her become the first female alpha in her pack, and was happy to see him nod his quiet assent.
“Walk with me,” she said to him.
“I knew you’d survive the challenge,” he said when they were finally alone. He brushed a strand of hair off her face and cupped her cheek. “I’m so sorry to have kept my true intentions from you, but after our chance encounter when you were caught in that vampire trap, I sensed that you had the potential to become the new pack master. You just needed to believe in yourself.”
Rise of the Female Alpha Page 6
