The war hall of Shadow Moon was tense. One we all sensed building in the horizon—a storm.
I had known the instant Kai had told me that my training was preparation for something more than merely proving myself.
Alphas were fighting this, which was causing conflict among them.
Sebastian wasn't finished.
He had withdrew, but I knew he would not accept his loss.
Not when his pride hung precariously.
Not during his still considering me as his.
With arms folded, I stood close to the big table, rushing through ideas. I had arrived here with my spot. I had battled to get it. Still, this was more than just about me now.
Shadow Moon and Silver fang teetered on war.
And I was the justification for it.
Across the room Kai's silver gaze locked with mine. He was observing me, learning the way he always did. Combing through calculations
" Speak your mind," he advised.
I let out a hard cough. "You know Sebastian is not going to let this go."
Kai smirk. "I rely on it."
Raine arms crossed and leant on the wall. "We should get ready for still another attack. His fighters are not very patient for very long.
Tobias let out a deep growl. "Or we bring the battle to them. Finish this before things get going.
Kai looked at his head. Not one. Sebastian is ready for a struggle. He is waiting for us to make initial strikes.
I frowned. "Then what's the plan?"
Kai started to smile more deeply. We let him to approach us. And when he does—"[ His eyes glittered in silver. I confront him. Alpha to Alpha.
A shiver slid down my back.
Knowing exactly what that meant helped.
a fight to the very last.
The moment I stepped into the war room, every head turned to me.
The tension was palpable—my warriors were restless, my council divided.
I could feel their doubt. Their unease.
They had seen me lose.
And an Alpha's loss was a crack in the foundation of his power.
Kieran stood beside the war table, his expression carefully neutral. He didn't agree with my obsession over Zaia. He never had.
But this wasn't just about Zaia anymore.
This was about Kai.
Shadow Moon had humiliated me. Kai had stood beside my mate, had taken her into his pack, had dared to challenge me.
I couldn't let that go.
I wouldn't.
"We move at dawn," I said.
Murmurs spread through the room.
Kieran sighed. "Sebastian—"
I cut him off. "I don't want to hear it."
He exhaled sharply. "You're going to challenge him, aren't you?"
I clenched my fists. "It's the only way."
Kieran shook his head. "You're walking into his trap."
I bared my teeth. "Then I'll break it."
Because this wasn't just about proving my dominance.
This was about taking back what was mine.
Zaia.
Shadow Moon.
Everything.
The moment the news spread, the entire pack felt it.
Sebastian was coming.
And he was coming for Kai.
I stood at the training grounds, watching as warriors prepared, as weapons were sharpened. But I couldn't shake the weight in my chest.
This wasn't just any challenge.
It was a battle for leadership, for dominance. For everything.
And I knew what Sebastian was capable of.
He was ruthless. Unforgiving.
He would do whatever it took to win.
I turned, finding Kai standing at the edge of the grounds. He was watching me, his usual smirk absent.
"You don't look convinced," he said.
I crossed my arms. "Because I'm not."
He raised an eyebrow. "You think I'll lose?"
I exhaled sharply. "I think you don't know what he's willing to do."
Kai's silver eyes darkened. "And you think I don't?"
I hesitated. "He won't fight fair."
Kai smirked. "Neither will I."
A shiver ran down my spine.
Because I believed him.
And that terrified me.
The clearing was silent.
The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground.
On one side stood Kai, his silver eyes gleaming, his stance relaxed but lethal.
On the other, Sebastian, his golden gaze burning, his body coiled with barely restrained rage.
The air between them was thick with unspoken promises of violence.
The rules were simple. This was an Alpha challenge. One would win. One would not walk away.
The pack formed a circle around them, watching in hushed silence.
Raine stood beside me, her expression unreadable. "This is going to be brutal."
I swallowed hard. "I know."
Then, the fight began.
Sebastian lunged first, his strength explosive.
Kai sidestepped effortlessly, his movements smooth, controlled. He was faster, but Sebastian was relentless.
They clashed, claw against claw, fist against fist.
The ground shook with the force of their battle.
I had never seen two Alphas fight like this before.
It was feral. Unforgiving.
Sebastian's strikes were powerful, brutal—but Kai was calculated, precise.
He wasn't just fighting to win. He was fighting to humiliate.
And it was working.
Sebastian's breathing grew heavier, his attacks sloppier.
Kai smirked. "Getting tired?"
Sebastian snarled and lunged—but it was a mistake.
Kai moved too fast, dodging the attack and twisting behind him.
In the blink of an eye, he had Sebastian on the ground.
His claws pressed against his throat.
The crowd gasped.
Sebastian struggled, his golden eyes wide with disbelief.
Kai had won.
The challenge was over.
I exhaled, my entire body tensed, waiting.
Would Kai finish it?
Would he end Sebastian here and now?
His silver eyes flickered to me.
And then—
He stepped back.
Silence fell.
Sebastian lay on the ground, defeated, but alive.
Kai turned to the pack, his voice calm, controlled.
"He's no longer a threat," he said. "Let him go."
Murmurs spread through the crowd, but no one objected.
Kai had won.
And he had chosen mercy.
Sebastian slowly pushed himself up, his breathing ragged. For the first time, he looked… lost.
I met his gaze.
For the first time, I saw the man behind the Alpha.
And I realized—he wasn't my Alpha anymore.
He never had been.
Sebastian staggered back, his warriors catching him as they turned and disappeared into the trees.
And just like that—
It was over.
Or so I thought.
Because as Kai turned back to me, as his silver eyes met mine, I felt it.
The shift.
The weight of something new settling between us.
And I knew—
This wasn't just about Shadow Moon anymore.
This was about us.