The hoard of werewolves howled, yelled, and cheered as Atlas commanded the beginning of the ceremony.
Serena glanced around at the area. Torches clung to the walls and flickered in the wind. They cast wild shadows along the worn wooden fence and the tough soil below them. Clouds shifted in the sky, shielding some of the red moon's effects from the group below.
The air was thick with the smoke from the fires and the humidity of coming rain. It was heavy with the voices of the onlookers as they yearned for the start of the fighting. The crowd was on a high. A high from the power and presence of the Blood Moon rising in the sky, and the excitement of a fight to watch.
Atlas, the Circle, and the Elders stood high above on a wooden balcony. Atlas strode forward and firmly clasped the fencing. He looked at his pack and held a hand up. A hush fell quickly as all were eager to hear his words.
"Serena Clell must show her worth to the pack before being allowed as a member. To do that, there must be an opponent for her to face. If you wish to fight, enter the ring, and we may begin preparations." He waved a hand other the fighting grounds, but no one made a motion.
The silence rose to a low mumble as members of the pack turned to converse with each other, eyeing Serena and Atlas all the while. Some shifted positions or places with their friends and family, others sat on the benches, and others remained fixed on Serena or Atlas.
"I will go." Venus strode to her brother and held up a hand.
Atlas nodded toward Serena and turned toward Eli.
"You know what to do." He said to the Delta as he sat in the tall, hand-crafted chair in the center of the balcony.
Eli slid on leather gloves and closed cuffs around Atlas' wrists, pinning him to the chair. Atlas grimaced as the metal made contact with his skin. A faint hissing noise started upon the contact and continued as Atlas remained fixed in the chair. Atlas gritted his teeth, sucked in a deep breath, and spoke, his voice low and gravelly.
"If you were unaware, now is the time to be made aware. Serena Clell is a human. She is from the group that would call themselves the true werewolf, as the Moon Goddess gave them pelts to don instead of a wolf in their blood. However, she knew none of this, but when she was made aware, cast off that side of herself and decided to join our family. Do not hate that part of her because she has decided to turn from it and accept us as the true werewolf form."
Serena glared up at Atlas as he spoke. Venus rushed over to her side and leaned into her ear.
"Don't hold this against him. If they didn't believe you hated that part of yourself, you would have to fight every werewolf in the stands." Venus pulled away and looked up at her brother, eyes glittering in the firelight.
Serena nodded and turned to Atlas. Even strapped down, he still had a demanding presence.
"For those confused by the precautions," His eyes met Serena's, and he continued, "the Moon Goddess has made it clear to the both of us that we are mates. Fated to be together and lead as your Alpha and Luna. This ceremony is a part of the process to achieve that union. Tonight is the most powerful night for us and our connection with our wolves. So, for your safety and the safety of your future Luna, it is best that I am confined to my seat."
A ripple of concern, shock, and a few snickers flowed through the pack. They turned to each other and then back at Serena.
Serena felt small. The people who knew very little about her, now had everything they needed to jump down and fight her. She slunk back behind Venus slightly and clasped her hands together. Her knuckles turned white and the blood drained from her face.
Venus wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered into her hair.
"Stand up. You are the future Luna. Act like it. Atlas and I will be here to support you, but you must win these imbeciles over." She gave Serena a quick pat before stepping a few feet away, leaving Serena alone in the center of the ring.
Serena took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Focusing on the crackling of the fire, she slowly released the tension building up in her body. She squeezed her hands tightly and then quickly released that tension. She repeated the process, getting faster with each flex until the noise in her mind faded. She slowly opened her eyes and focused on Venus. Venus nodded and they both stepped into the chalk ring, poised for a fight.
At the two women's movements, the pack's attention was drawn away from the startling idea that their Luna was a human and to the fact that a human was fighting a werewolf on one of their most powerful nights. They cheered as the women circled the ring.
The noise the crowd made shook Serena's body and quickened her heartbeats. Her breath was shallow as her eyes remained focused on Venus. Serena released a breath and darted forward, closing the gap between them.
Venus saw Serena coming and threw a punch toward Serena's wide-open face. Serena dropped to the ground, narrowly missing the punch, and swung a low kick into Venus' ankle.
Venus cried out and grimaced as Serena made contact with her leg. Venus tumbled to the ground as Serena shot up. Serena was on top of Venus in a flash, punching the Beta's face.
The crowd erupted in cheers and hurrahs. Atlas and Eli remained focused on the fight and stone-faced.
The cheering fueled Serena. It brought a sense of warmth to the cold atmosphere of fighting. She continued throwing punches that Venus defended against.
Venus thrust her hips up and Serena fell to the side, startled by the force.
Venus stood up and kicked Serena hard across the face.
Blood squirted from Serena's nose and onto the ground before her. It dripped down her lips and into her open mouth, filling it with a metallic and bitter taste.
The crowd roared in excitement at the sight of blood.
Atlas flinched at the contact. He reached out for her but grimaced and clenched his jaw tightly at the touch of the silver cuff against his skin. He closed his eyes and sat further back in the chair.
Serena rose and wiped her nose with her arm. The blood smeared across her face and arm, a red reminder.
Venus held out a hand low and mouthed, "I'm sorry." But Serena charged forward, low.
Her shoulder collided with Venus' stomach and Venus was back on the ground. Venus' arms flailed wildly as she tried to block Serena's direct and frustrated punches. Venus cried out and yelped as the punches landed. Bruises formed and blood spilled out from the cuts on her arms.
Serena continued punching harder and faster than before. Venus held up a steadfast ward to block the onslaught. But Venus ward couldn't be broken. Venus grabbed Serena's arm and punched Serena across the jaw. Her mouth opened wide and her eyes started to water. The cheering of the crowd became a high ring in her ears.
Serena stood up and staggered away from Venus. Her breathing was hard and shallow. The world tilted back and forth with each step. Her blood and sweat mingled on her shirt creating a pink pool below her collar. She shook her head and found Venus. Venus stood a few feet away, eyeing Serena with concerned eyes.
Atlas struggled against the cuffs. He pressed his lips together firmly and squeezed his eyes closed. When he opened them, his pupils were like his wolf, crimson with fury. Fury from the moon and fury from the fighting below.
"Let's try something different, shall we?" Venus requested, she too, was short of breath.
Serena shrugged and dropped into a low crouch. Her hands were forward and ready for the next move but unsteady.
Venus shot forward and swung a fist. Serena narrowly dodged the punch. Venus recovered and threw another punch toward her face. Serena slid her arm along the oncoming punch and directed it away from her. Venus stumbled along the direction of the punch. She caught herself and turned around to Serena. She kicked toward Serena's face, but this time, Serena caught Venus' ankle and pulled it forward. Venus hopped forward, her eyes wide in shock, and toppled to the ground.
Serena pounced on her and started another barrage of punches. Venus held no shield against the onslaught. Each punch collided with Venus' face or exposed neck. Cheering from the crowd grew louder as each punch connected. Venus' body relaxed and shook at the force of the punches.
Eli stepped forward and yelled to the pack.
"Serena wins the fight. For those who want to challenge, jump into the ring." He waved a hand and moved back behind Atlas. He fiddled with the cuffs as the crowd cried and howled into the night sky.
Serena stopped her punches. Hunched over Venus, she panted. Blood and sweat dripped onto Venus as they both continued to breathe heavily.
"Are you okay?" Serena whispered between shallow, laborious breaths.
"Yeah." Venus croaked out. Her lip was broken and bleeding. The swelling around her chin and cheek grew redder with each cry from the crowd. "You did good." She gave a weak thumbs up.
Serena scrambled off her and to her feet. She held a hand out and pulled Venus to her feet. Venus slumped onto Serena's body and gripped Serena's hand tightly.
"Let's get you to a bench," Serena muttered, half to herself.
She stumbled to the nearest bench and dropped Venus carefully onto it. Eli came running with a towel and quickly shoved Serena to the side to see to Venus. He dabbed her lip and face with the towel while consoling her about how well she did. Serena slipped away from the couple and back to the center to see if there were any other competitors.
None showed.
Atlas gripped the railing tightly and called to the pack.
"As you can see, Serena Clell is a capable fighter and would serve well as Luna in the protection of the pack. She has beaten the Beta and would thus be a good match for me and you. If there are no further challengers, then I will conclude the ceremony." Atlas paused and searched the crowd. None moved, and none spoke. "Now, I will conclude the ceremony."
"Excuse me." A low voice drawled from the stands.
Atlas snapped his head toward the voice. A thickly muscled man made his way toward the ring. His hair was shaved close to his scalp, and three large scars snaked their way across his face. His thick, black beard curled beneath his chin and touched his chest. He grabbed the fence with a large burly hand and leaped over it.
The ground shook as he landed. He strode toward her, shaking the earth and Serena with each step. Atlas clutched the fence tightly and clenched his jaw. He followed the man with his eyes every step of his journey. The man stopped beside Serena and towered above her. He clasped her shoulder tightly in his hand. She grimaced and yelped at the pressure.
"Is this what you call a ceremony?" The man called to Atlas from beside Serena. "Where is the blood? Where is the gore? Where is the death? Where were all the competitors I was promised? Do none of you want this Alpha as a mate?" He waved a hand at the women in the stands. They looked at each other and then back at him. "This is your chance to claim him." He paused and waited for a moment before continuing. "I guess this Alpha is not all he is said to be. Not even the females in his own pack want him. He had to find a human to satisfy his father's and the Elder's wishes." He glared at Atlas, his eyes glowing crimson in the firelight.
"And who are you?" Atlas called to the man beside his mate. He dug his fingernails into the wood as they shifted longer. He struggled against the pull of his wolf and the moon. Protect. That was all that mattered. The crowd bubbled in excitement and nervousness. Some ran to the edge of the railing, and others remained in their seats.
"Me? You're saying you don't remember who I am?" The man scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I'm the man your father stole everything from."
Atlas tore his nails out of the wood and launched himself at the man. He shifted in the air, the sound of his bones snapping into shape shook the crowd and Serena.
He shoved Serena to the side and sprinted to meet Atlas. He smirked as he grabbed Atlas' fur and threw Atlas into the wooden wall near him.
"I'm the Alpha of the Blood Stone pack!" He barked and shifted into an even larger black wolf.