Harry’s P. O. V

I strode out into the arena, the late morning sun glaring down. The seats were packed with hundreds of members, from pups to our oldest and greyest, gathered to watch, no matter that many of them most definitely had places to be.

My eyes immediately found Alpha Claw sitting at the front, surrounded by at least ten other men. The spectating Alphas watched me as I walked to the centre, but Alpha Claw paid me no mind, watching the bitch walk in instead.

I turned my attention to her with a glare. She was wearing baggy cargo pants and a crop top. Hardly a fitting outfit for someone walking into a fight, but I wasn’t much different. I was in the easy going loose shirt and cargo shorts combo I usually wore on the days I knew my dad would be working from home. They weren’t exactly combat attire, but they allowed me freedom of movement all the same.

We stopped walking about ten paces from each other. Knees bent and eyes keen, we circled each other.

She held no weapons. The knuckle dusters weighing in my pockets on either side of me told me that she might have hidden one in one of her many pants pockets, but I couldn’t make out any impressions to give that away.

I closed the distance between us. I had no intention of letting her land a single hit, and for that to happen, I needed to strike hard and fast. I wouldn’t even give her a chance to think.

She fluttered out of my reach before I could strike. I recovered quickly and my fist followed her, but she twisted away from me again.

Every subsequent attack I made was blocked as she danced just out of reach. My frustration swelled with each miss, and after several minutes of her damned fritting about, my fangs were bared and claws were out.

“Stop fucking moving!” I growled over my shoulder at her after yet another evasion.

She only ever dodged me, never struck back. She was probably avoiding getting too close. Once she did, I’d close in on her and she knew it.

She smirked, “Tired already?”

My brow twitched, “Don’t challenge someone if you’re gonna do nothing but run.”

“How do you call yourself an Alpha when you can’t even catch little ol’ me?” She mocked, “Makes me wonder how any of your members follow you.”

I grabbed at her with a grunt, wanting nothing more than to wipe the fucking smirk off her face.

She only flipped away, laughing, “Did I make you mad? Maybe you’re not really the one calling the shots here.”

I wasn’t.

I knew it, the higher-ups knew it, most of the members knew it. I was nothing but the new mouthpiece for my dad’s machinations. Even Brittany had gained more significance. She’d been the ditzy twin for most of our lives, only for her to develop a brain out of nowhere. This left me painfully aware of the reality that if she were a guy, dad probably would’ve made her the new Alpha instead.

But I was the Alpha. Dad might be the one calling the shots, but I’d be damned if I let anyone disrespect me. This pack was mine.

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” She continued, “Daddy probably just handed you the title cause he felt like he had to. It’s not like you’ve done anything worthy of the respect you go around demanding from everyone. If you weren’t an Alpha’s son, you’d be nothing and you know it.”

I saw red. Who did she think she was to speak to me like that in front of other Alphas? In front of my members? Alpha or not, she was still nothing but a she-wolf.

I’d remind her of that.

“Just wait till I get my hands on you.” I sneered, low enough for only her to hear, “I just hope Callum doesn’t mind damaged goods.”

She was suddenly very still, her face struck with a faraway look as she stared into space. I smirked at her fear and took the chance to close in on her while her mind was still elsewhere.

I was inches from her, my claws a hair’s breadth from her face when her eyes regained focus, zeroing in on me.

One second, I’d been about to split her cheek open, the next, my body was flying backwardsyards through the air. When I hit the ground, the exposed skin on my side stung as the momentum sent me skidding several feet.

My hands went up to my chest as I gasped for air, the pain of what I was sure were broken ribs poking at my lungs quite literally leaving me with the wind knocked out of me. Wheezing, I got to my hands and knees as I heard her walk over to me.

“Like father, like son.” She spat, the disgust in her voice bitterly thick.

I raised my head to look at her. All traces of her earlier mockery had vanished, replaced by burning eyes of hatred. She raised a leg and brought a booted foot down on my back with a heavy thump that sent me back to the ground with a cry of pain.

“Kirstin begged me not to hurt you more than necessary.” She sneered, twisting her foot and pushing me further into the ground till my mouth began to fill with dirt, “I told her I’d try not to, but I think the threat of making me damaged goods deserves an appropriate response, don’t you?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Pain, panic and perplexity ran amok in my mind. How was she connected to Kirstin? Her foot felt like a mountain on my back, and I could barely breathe, talk less of mustering enough air to demand an answer. The noises of the crowd filled my head, blending together in a mix of heckles and cheers that simply added to my daze.

My hands and knees had found purchase, but the lack of air and her practically burying my face in the dirt made all my attempts to lift myself moot.

Just as the edges of my vision began to darken and my limbs lost strength, she took her foot off my back and used it to turn me over with a kick, so I was facing the sky.

Air trickled into my punctured lungs as I gasped in shallow breaths.

“How does it feel?” She crouched low, her elbows on her knees, “You used to love breaking my ribs so you must like this, right?”

What in Luna’s name was she talking about?

“You don’t remember? Whenever something happened to piss you off, you’d look for your favourite punching bag to take it out on.” She paused then shook her head, “Must be something you picked up from our dear old dad. Like I said, like father, like son.”

Confusion joined the pain.

“Our dad?” I tried to ask, but it came out in wheezing, wet coughs of blood.

She answered my question anyway, “Yes, our dad. I told you you wouldn’t see me coming, didn’t I, Harry? Or did you not read my letter?”

‘Letter?’

“The letter I left before I escaped and had you believe I’d been eaten by a bear.” She clarified with a roll of her eyes, “I swear, you and Brittany must share the same brain cell. Took her forever to recognise me too.”

My body went cold.

The reality that this was the omega, the illegitimate half-sister that had been nothing but a pebble to be kicked, standing over me hit me. My stomach churned as I remembered my initial attraction to her at the Mate Ball coupled with the implications of my earlier threat. Then my skin prickled with indignant anger.

No way was the omega handing me my ass in front of all these Alphas and my entire pack. This was someone that cowered in the very presence of my shadow, that even the lowest of our ranks could step on without a thought.

She wasn’t even a full werewolf.

I rolled onto my side and got to my feet, still wincing and wheezing. My chest was tight and awash with pain, and my back burned with aches, but I’d live. What I wouldn’t live down was a loss to her.

I brought myself up to my full height and glared down at her.

“I don’t know…” I began slowly through laboured breaths, “how you did this. But I’ll-” My body was wracked with coughs, blood splattering into the hand that covered my mouth, “I’ll end you.”

She only gave me a death glare that sent a wave of ice through my bones. I shook it off and stood my ground, gathering my strength for an attack that would take her out at once.

In the blink of an eye, she was in front of me, lifted on her toes and her hand on my chest as she whispered into my ear, “You can tell me when you’ve had enough.”

Natalia’s P. O. V

I only allowed him a moment of confusion.

His shallow lungs were capable of more screaming than his earlier wheezing led me to believe. He jerked and gyrated about, swatting at the fire ravishing his chest and rolling on the ground in an effort to put it out.

The flames remained, as everlasting and furious as my hatred.

Over the sounds of horror and fear from the crowd, his shrieks were all I heard. I walked over to where he was rubbing his chest in the dirt.

“Please!” He cried.

I frowned. He hadn’t even lasted long that long and was already pleading? After all his threats and chest puffing? It wasn’t nearly as long as I’d have liked.

I placed a hand behind my ear, “Please what?”

“Please stop. I lose! I lose! Please just stop this!” He begged.

The fire flickered out, and he burst into tears. His sobbing coupled with whatever was going on with his ribs left him breathless and grasping at his throat and chest.

I gazed down at him, one side of my lip quirked up in a curl of disgust, “What a disappointment.”

At that, his expression froze and he curled into himself, shaking with pain and silent sobs.

I lifted my head to look at the Alphas I’d gathered. Beta Howling sat with them, the blood completely drained from his face. Two or three of the Alphas shifted uncomfortably, but the rest had grim expressions. A contrast to the horrified expressions the members wore.

Alpha Claw rose from his seat to address the crowd, “The victor of this challenge of honour is Alpha Ari of the Vengar Sanguine Pack.” He turned to me, “Tell us, what is the punishment, and what was the crime?”

They all watched, hanging on for an explanation. I let the silence grow, watching as they shifted in their seats and shared looks of unease.

Finally, I opened my mouth to speak, “My name is Natalia Avarielle Lightwood.” I paused for their murmurs and gasps, “I suppose I’m better known to you as the omega. Now, with that knowledge, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you all the crimes. If I did, we’d be here all day.”

“As for the punishment.” I prodded Harry with my boot, “For you and your pack, I’ll be taking your tail.”

Horrified gasps echoed through the arena, but no one moved to stop me. I ignored them and prodded him again.

“You can’t…” He croaked.

“Yes, I can. I won.”

“You can shift now, or I can keep you on my territory till the next full moon. That’ll give us plenty of bonding time.” I told him when he made no effort to move.

“Dad… He won’t let you…”

I crouched down to look him in the eyes, “Tell me, Harry. Have you seen our dear old dad today?”

His eyes widened slowly, filling with horror and renewed helplessness.

I grinned.

He screwed his eyes shut and began to shift, clenching his teeth against the pain. The sounds of his bones breaking and rearranging themselves filled the arena, and a few members looked away. He had to stop mid-shift to catch his breath, his brow drenched in sweat, before completing the transformation.

Soon enough, his dusty brow wolf was laying at my feet, ears pinned to his head and chest heaving with pants and whimpers.

“Your tail.” I ordered and waited till he’d padded around so his back was to me, his limp tail presented before me.

I lengthened the claws of one hand and grabbed his tail with the other. In one swift motion, I sliced the thing off, blood spattering all over and catching my clothes and face.

I laughed to the backdrop of his howls of pain, raising his tail above my head in victory.