Kenzie Hope
By the end of the first fight, I had already become exhausted. By the second, I wanted to die. By the third, I practically was dead. So, the surprise was apparent when, by the 9th fight, I was finally getting to Maxwell, who was conveniently last.
I had gone up against, two regular wolves, three Betas, and three Alphas. They all questioned whether a girl could take the job, rather than my right to the throne. Since I was the one with Hope Blood, the wolves would answer to me more than they would Kaden. People questioned my ability to take care of that.
Their questions were silenced before they died.
I stumbled back as Maxwell took off his robe. I wouldn't make it through this one. My left leg was searing in pain as a chunk of flesh had been taken out of it around my second Alpha fight. A ringing feeling sounded through my head, as the last Alpha had slammed my head on the only rock on the ground. There were other injuries, bleeding from various places, broken bones, but nothing that hurt as much as those.
Maxwell shifted into a rugged wolf that looked more like panther than wolf. He had a long body that walked the same way that his human did. His short stubby legs made me question how he had even be able to obtain a Beta position.
'This will be easy,' Lexus growled in my head. I voiced her growl for her, showing my vibrant purple eyes in the process. I had always questioned why people were surprised by my purple eyes. Now, as information came flooding in, I realized that only those with royal blood had my wolf's eyes. the purple was an unmistakable sign of royalty.
It wasn't until Maxwell barred his teeth at me that I realized that it would, in fact, not be easy. Silver laced his canines and with closer inspection, so did his claws. The shiny liquid gleamed in the moon light as he temped the Goddess, it was a crime in the eyes of the Goddess to kill another with the lethal substance. Although, it was not in the eyes of the wolves. Traditions like this called for whatever means necessary. I was foolish enough to think that this was below this competition.
I, too, would use whatever means necessary. This was my blood, my destiny. This was what I was born to do. Nothing would get in the way of that.
Maxwell growled after me, a sign that he was ready for the match to begin. Richard signaled and we began circling each other. I eyed the man in front of me, taking in his strengths and weaknesses. Maxwell had a slinking panther type of walk with his short, militaristic steps. He was almost dancing as he moved about the arena. That was his biggest weakness, a lack of walking properly.
Maxwell's growls and barks sounded out through the forest, sounding off his determination. Everyone knew a wolf's power laid in his growl. If he was strong, if he was weak, his growl would exhibit that. Maxwell's growl was a perfect exhibition; he wall all fake arrogance, no real power.
I growled back. It was a growl of power. It was the growl of someone with a big bite, not just a bark.
I lunged. Maxwell suddenly had left his jugular open, tempting me. Mid air, I realized that was a ploy to get me to attack him. Quickly, I changed my course and jumped on his back, something he wasn't expecting. Maxwell's body slammed up and down, up and down, up and down. His movements jumbled my brain.
I wouldn't let him buck me off. I couldn't let him. I was so close.
I needed to get him to stop or I would fall. I bit onto the first thing I found. That thing happened to be his ear.
The blood left the artery it belonged in surges, beat out by a slowing heart. Red liquid oozed down my face, the substance dripping off my snout and onto his back. It shot out of the place Maxwell's ear once, gliding to the floor like rain water.
Distracted by the gushing blood in front of me, Maxwell was able to knock me off. I landed on my back with a nice loud thud and a cracking of more bones.
'That hurt,' I groaned to Lexus. I immediately moved back to my feet, wincing as I did so.
Lexus growled in my mind, 'Let me take control.' I didn't argue.
Amethyst eyes rose from the back of my mind as Lexus took control. They gleamed back at me from Maxwell's black ones. The world seemed to hold its breath at my heritage.
That's all it took. Lexus took control of the situation, like she had every situation. The world seemed to move so quickly as Lexus handled it. One moment, Maxwell had her pinned, scraping down my stomach, taunting my wolf. The next, Lexus ripped out his throat with no remorse.
She looked down at our bloody feet, calming herself down before giving me control. Blood coated my cream fur, matting it in ugly places. There was a long silver cut down the middle of my chest, trailing from just in front of where my front legs began to the center of my stomach. Another slash creating a perpendicular line from that one.
I moved to the front of my mind, taking control of our body. I couldn't feel a thing. The rush of beating all of those wolves brought me to a high, an adrenaline rush. My mind was dizzy with power, eager to be proud.
I stood tall, eyeing each person in the crowd. My royal eyes dominating each and every one of them into submission. They bowed, not a single person able to challenge my power for more than a few seconds. I eyed them all, including Jordan and Lauren, who, although, did not have true royal blood, did have strong genes that allowed them to keep my gaze for longer.
Kaden was second to last. I didn't want to dominate him into submission, but I had to. Even though we were made as equals, I had the blood so I would inherently have more power than he. His green eyes glimmered as he kept my gaze, sending love through the bond before bowing, my wolf howling in joy.
I didn't gaze into Richard's eyes yet, that was to be saved for the ceremony. It was my last challenge before becoming Alpha Queen, dominating the King.
The next part of the ceremony didn't require me to shift into my human. It was a union between the Goddess and the wolves. If not in wolf form, what would be worthy of her gaze?
I sat down on the cold earth floor that was wet from both blood and dew of the early morning. I looked up at the Moon, silently praying to the Goddess. I prayed to my father, to my mother, asking them for guidance. I prayed to the Moon itself.
Richard began to place the elements beside me, a bowl corked shut with each element in it. To my left, an empty one, signifying air and wind; to my right, water; behind me, fire coals; in front of me, dirt taken from the holy ground of the castle.
Richard took a new, smaller bowl. He cut his skin on the impossibly sharp edge, letting the liquid drip into it. He filled the small bowl a quarter way up before sealing it with a cork. He placed the glass bottle on the hot coals behind me, letting it begin to boil.
I stood sill, looking at the moon. This part of the ritual required me to stay the way I was, unmoving.
Richard picked a new glass, identical to the one that held his blood. He lifted my paw and slit it on the side of the glass. The wound sealed quickly, requiring him to slit it a second time. Once the glass was filled half way, he corked it shut and placed it somewhere behind me.
The satisfying pop of the boiling liquid brought a gasp through the woods. All wolves wondered at the sight in front of them.
Richard began speaking.
"Moon Goddess," He prayed, "Goddess of the Moon, Goddess of the Wolves, Goddess Selene." He pick up the glass of his blood, not bothering to worry about the heat burning him.
He poured a drop into the hot coals, the simmering crackling through the woods. "I give up my fire, my crown, to my granddaughter, McKenna Hope." I felt my body begin to burn, a surge of power taking over my mind. Lexus grew stronger in my mind.
He moved to my right, the swish of his blood mixed with the water. "I give up my water, my clarity, my trust, to the wolf Lexus Hope." This time my body cooled, a new wisdom invaded my brain, providing me with insight.
He moved again, this time to my left, "I give my air, my connection to the wolves, to the true heir." My brain extended, I could soon hear the thoughts of all wolves, connecting me to them in mind link as an Alpha is connected to his pack.
Lastly, he came upon the earth. He made direct eye contact to the moon before dropping his blood into the bowl. "I give you, Goddess, into the hands of McKenna Hope. I give her your guidance and motherhood, as the earth is yours which you have gifted me. I have returned this gift to your heir. Thank you, Mother Selene."
My body surged with power, so much power that I felt the need to howl. So, that's what I did. The audience did after me, greeting my power with excitement.
Once we were done, Richard began dipped his hands into the bowl that had my blood inside of it. His red hands glowed in the moonlight. He brought them to his face, creating two dripping hand prints on his cheeks. He went around the circle in the same order, dropping my blood in each bowl. My power grew with every movement he made. Finally, he made his way back to me and poured the remaining liquid on my head. It covered my vision until a few minutes late when the last of it had fallen down my body.
Richard began speaking again after I could properly see again,
"Moonglow, mist, bone and muscle,
Black and water weathered rock,
Blood drawn muted and death screech,
Scraping for magical within reach,
Violet blood through crimson vine,
Lightning strike and frothy brine,
Fangs and talons, eyes of awe,
Power held by bloodied claw Control is false, instinct is law."
He paused, looking back up to the moon.
"The weakened body, modern form,
Will never endure the storm,
Drowned away, the heartbeat is dead,
But the harvest moon shines red,
The crazy soul that I call mine ,
Belongs to a body lupine Moon, the packsong cries for thee,
And now the call reached also ended me,
The wolves will come to set me free."
He paused again, looking at the audience.
"Sinews, fur, fangs, but no pain,
On the world the Moon shall reign,
A change comes when it calls her name,
And her mind shall stay the same,
Conscious thought, but instincts wild,
The pack-mother welcomes her new child,
The siblings in the hunt and prowl,
Pack-brothers and sisters will meet her and howl,
And she shall change under midnight's cowl."
This time he paused, looking at me directly in my eyes. His amethyst eyes matched mine in a swirl of power.
"By the sun, the moon and the power of three,
Stars and spirits and powers that be,
Wolves of the woods that listen to me,
This is my will, so mote it be."
I looked into his eyes, my power surging through. I couldn't help but push my power towards him. He looked down, bowing his head.
I was the Alpha Queen.
I looked up at the moon, my eyes almost a reflection in it. I wanted to cry, I wanted to cheer, I wanted to sleep. I settled for just talking to the moon.
'I hope you're proud.'