|Delilah's POV|
I stood outside the pack's training center. It was a massive, vast area where wolves trained. My heart raced with anticipation and nerves. Three weeks of intense training with Lila, a very skilled pack warrior, had prepared me for this moment.
A duel with Brittany, Thorne's regular bedmate.
I was very early. My racing heart needed rest as my wolf kept on nagging to get familiar with the environment.
Staring back at me with her glazy eyes, Leilani greeted. "Your Highness."
"I didn't know you do sarcasm." I retorted with a tight-lipped smile.
My hands grew clammy and my wolf restless as she stretched her hands to me.
I snapped my fingers together as I tried to take my mind off the gnawing feeling. "Ah ahh! I know it might sound strange, but I have a request."
"Don't worry. It wouldn't sound so strange. You are not very strange." Her unnerving white orbs pierced through me like she was trying to look into my soul.
Chuckling nervously. "You see, I have always had a knack for bad luck. Is it possible to check if I am cursed?"
"I had no intentions of becoming the queen. And unfortunately, it kinda happened. I have tried to survive for so long than to be killed by a skilled crazy Lycan who wants to be the queen." I continued.
"Let's see what I can find in your memories." She whispered.
Her hands locked with mine, as the coldness in her palm seeped into my veins and I was suddenly thrown into a dark abyss.
**********When Delilah was six years old************
"Dad, what kind of woman should I marry?" Ryan asked. My ears flattened against the door as I strained to hear whatever conversation was going on inside the Alpha's office.
"Women that love challenges." The Alpha replied.
My younger version danced all over the house that day with only one thought on my mind.
Staring at the pink cake in front of me, "Say your wish before you blow out the candles." The Luna whispered.
'I wish I would come across lots of challenges and love them,' I whispered.
******************************End of Flashback *****************
"Your Highness," Leilani whispered.
Reality dawned on me as my lips parted. "The moon goddess granted my wish?!"
"How could she? I was just six years old. That was a baby thought. How can I love challenges?" I was exasperated, throwing my hands up in frustration.
Leilani's voice echoed in my mind as she moved further away from me. "The duel would begin in five minutes. Trust your gifts. It's unique. You are unique."
The stomp of multiple feet made me almost cower back in fear as the crowds threw me pitiful glances as they passed by, filling the hall and ready to be entertained.
'Do I really want to do this?' I wondered.
'Yeah. If you want your revenge against Ryan and Violeta. Do you know what it's like to become the queen? Do you know the amount of power that comes with it? I know you don't want to risk all of these just to chicken out.' My wolf chipped in.
I took a deep breath, focusing on the familiar tingling sensation within me. My gift was the ability to control any element I wanted to.
As I entered the hall, the crowd parted, revealing Brittany. Her blonde hair cascaded down her back like a river of gold, but her eyes gleamed with malice and a certain type of range that could only belong to a deranged person.
Adelaide's angelic voice echoed through the hall, commanding all the attention of wolves. "As we all know, we gathered here tonight for the Queen and Luna challenge. Brittany Baltimore had challenged Delilah Cleopatra, the king's mate." She emphasized the last word, earning a scowl from Brittany.
"For the Luna position. Once the duel begins, no wolves are allowed to interfere, regardless of what happens. The challenge will not be stopped until one wolf submits or dies." Her voice boomed again.
Her eyes locked on mine as the corner of her lips curved into a beautiful smile. "Let the challenge begin!"
Brittany charged, her movements swift and deadly. I countered with ease, my training kicking in. Our gifts clashed – her telekinesis against my elementals.
Without hesitating, I lept at Brittany and punched her squarely in the jaw. I winced at the sound of my fist connecting to her face.
'I think that would bruise.' I reasoned.
Brittany growled and threw a punch back with the same ferocity. She was so sure that it would send me flying through the air.
Having practiced the moves with the general in my previous pack, I easily sidestepped her and delivered another brutal blow to her spine.
The air rippled with heat as I summoned a wave of scorching air, forcing Brittany to stumble back. She retaliated, hurling a nearby chair at me with her mind.
I raised my hands, and the chair halted mid-air, suspended in a vortex of swirling heat.
The battle raged on, our gifts locked in a fierce dance. Brittany's powers grew stronger, but I adapted, channeling my energy into precise, targeted attacks.
Using her gifts, she created illusions of herself and Leilani. Taking my hesitation to her advantage, she slammed her knee into my face.
The surrounding vision swirled as I raised my head. Swaying on my feet, a sudden dizziness hit me. That fucking bitch.
"You are weak."
"You are not fit to be a queen."
"You deserve lesser.
There was a little tug in my head as my mate gritted out. "She is playing tricks on you."
My gaze slid in his direction lazily. I winced at the amount of silver used to restrain him. If I do not end this duel now, he will die from the amount of Wolfsbane that was being injected into his blood.
Thorne's gaze locked onto mine, his eyes burning with intensity. I sensed his concern, his urge to intervene.
Shaking my head. 'No, Thorne. This is my fight.'
A sudden surge of adrenaline fueled my next move. I conjured a blast of frost, encasing Brittany's arms in ice.
Brittany's eyes widened as she struggled to break free. I approached her, my temperature control wavering.
"Submit," I demanded.
Brittany's gaze flicked to Thorne, then back to me. "Never."
With a snarl, she unleashed a telekinetic blast, striking me with incredible force before sinking her claws into my stomach.
Slipping into Thorne's mind. "Don't blame yourself for anything. I just happen to have a death wish."
'I love challenges, do I not?'
With the last energy in me, I made the earth grow thorns that pierced into her sneakers. I also made an icy arrow from the rushing water sound I heard, stabbing her with it as she fell to her knees.
I stumbled, my vision blurring. Thorne's thundering roar echoed through the hall as I fell.
Everything went dark.