The song above is Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons
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Harper's POV
Later that night, I'm sat on my bed, listening to music when somebody knocks on the door. Without waiting for my permission, they enter the room.
I jolt upright in my bed when my eyes land on Alpha Kaiden. He steps into my room like he owns the place—which he does but that's beside the point—and keeps his eyes on me. He demands obedience without even trying. I begin to wonder what he thinks of his title. He's been claimed the most feared Alpha by many people. Even some of his pack members are totally afraid of him. They tremble at the mere sight of him.
"Alpha?" I question, furrowing my eyebrows together. Why would Alpha Kaiden be in my room at nine o'clock in the evening. He's usually in his room by now, doing pack work.
His eyes roam around my room before setting back on me. "You held back."
My eyes snap to his, briefly widening with shock. What was he talking about?"
"I don't understand," I murmur, casting him a puzzled look.
He sighs, keeping his annoyance at bay and steps closer to me. I'm not intimidated by him—most people would be but not me. I'm simply curious about why he's here and what he wants.
"Today, you held back." He repeats, clearer. "I've seen you train, I know you can do a lot better than that."
I should have seen his doubt. He kept giving me long hard stares after each competition. I should have guessed he would work it out. Alpha Kaiden is smart. To be where he is, he has to be able to read people and figure out their motives.
Now he's going to be wondering why I held back. Aidan must have told him how reluctant I was to do this so he's obviously piecing it all together, trying to work out what's making me act like this.
"You're clearly hiding something." He states, sounding extremely confident. He has every reason to be—he is hitting the nail on the head.
"I—" I pathetically say, a tremor in my voice. I'm shocked by how quickly the fear of being discovered overcomes me. This is what I'm reduced to. If I told Alpha Kaiden who I am, he will have an obligation to hand me in. He has no personal reasons to keep me here. Why would he endanger his pack for me? I wouldn't if the roles were reversed.
I can't tell him. I will have to stay strong.
"I just don't want to be the head warrior," I answer, not completely lying. I don't want to be the head warrior but not because it's a big responsibility. It's the attention it will be bringing that scares me. The attention of a certain somebody.
He tilts his head to the side and stares at me as if he's trying to solve the puzzle that is me. I plaster a poker face on, knowing he won't be able to read me at all.
"You would make a great leader," He muses.
Everyone seems to think this. Leon thought I would make a great Queen, Aidan and Sky both think I can be a brilliant head warrior and now Alpha Kaiden thinks so too.
Perhaps I could be.
It's a shame I can't risk being found.
"Thanks," I mumble, shifting uncomfortably on the bed.
"I will find out what you're hiding." He promises, out of the blue. My eyes widen for a moment but then I manage to conceal the shock. Placing a look of indifference on my face, I shrug my shoulders carelessly and bite my lip. Internally, I was beginning to freak out.
"Okay, Alpha," I reply, nonchalantly.
He purses his lips, mentally deciding whether he should leave me now or not.
Thankfully, he leaves.
I exhale in relief. So, Alpha Kaiden knew I was hiding something. Yet, he still let me stay. He didn't drag me out of my room and lock in the pack cellar. Instead, he's letting me keep it to myself. For a while, at least. Most Alpha's would definitely not do that.
I fell asleep an hour later, wanting to feel refreshed for tomorrow.
As soon as my alarm goes off the next morning, I'm jumping out of bed and getting into the shower. Last night's events are in the past; I'm now ready for today and the challenges I'll have to face.
I might be holding back in the fights today but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun.
After throwing on black leggings and a sports top, I head downstairs to the kitchen. Only a few people are up this early. One of the female cooks gives me a kind smile when she sees me and points to a plate of food she prepared.
"Thanks, Agatha," I say, slipping into the chair and inhaling the sweet smell of the pancakes. Agatha is one of the only people in this pack who talk to me. A few people are afraid of me and a few don't think I should be here.
"Anytime dear," Agatha replies, sweetly.
When I finish breakfast, I down my drink and head out the back door. I go for a run through the woods. It's beautiful and peaceful early in the morning. The sun is still rising in the sky and the birds are just waking up. I dodge fallen tree branches, whilst keeping my breathing under control.
Nobody disturbs me at this moment. I'm allowed to be free from pack members and Leon.
A soft breeze flows through the forest, causing the branches to sway. I take in everything, feeling at one with nature.
When I return, I am greeted by Sky and Aidan who are arguing.
"You are such a dumba*s," Sky mutters, rolling her eyes.
"I'm not, I'm just smart. Clearly, I'm smarter than you. I obviously inherited the brains in the family." Aidan retorts, snorting.
Sky narrows her eyes, whilst munching on her food, "You and I both know I'm the smart one here. You wouldn't have passed tenth grade if it wasn't for me."
He looks away, frowning. It made him look cute.
"You only helped a little bit," He defends.
Sky doesn't reply because she notices me by the door and beams. She ignores her brother and heads over to me, a bounce in her step.
"Harper, how was your run?" She asks, smiling brightly. Too brightly.
"Good."
She starts rambling about how annoying her brother is and how they got into a fight over who would cook for their parents next weekend. I try to listen, but she speaks so quickly it's hard to keep up.
"And he thinks I will only be good as a housewife. Now, for starters, that's sexist an—"
"Sky," I interrupt her. "I'm sorry to cut you off but I need to get ready for the competition."
She blushes, realizing she was holding me hostage. "Right, sorry Harper. I got carried away. Again."
I wave a dismissive hand, not wanting her to feel bad. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you later?"
That cheers her up. She grins ear to ear and nods her head frantically. "Definitely, I'll be in the crowd cheering you on. You won't be able to hear anything else but my screams!"
I don't doubt that for a second.
When I pass Aidan, he gives me a thumbs up and a smirk.
Quickly hopping into the shower, I get my head in the right frame of mind. I change into an appropriate piece of clothing for one on one combat and tie my hair into a ponytail. Confidently, I march down the stairs with my head held high.
People are beginning to make their way outside to the field, where mats have been set up. A podium is situated in front of the mats, with three chairs.
A few pack members stare at me openly as I pass them. As usual, I pay no attention to them.
Like yesterday, Alpha Kaiden rambles about how good this is for the pack and how he wishes all of the competitors the best of luck. I zone out; focus on my breathing.
After his speech, he announces who will be fighting who first. I am paired against a pack member, Greg, who I have never spoken to before but have seen around. He's strong but he lacks the technique needed to beat me. It will be an easy fight. However, to try and convince Alpha Kaiden that I'm not holding back, I need to put on an act. I need to pretend I struggle to beat Greg.
Two fights will take place before my own.
I watch the fights with interest, taking note of my opponents' weaknesses. They are definitely good, and I can see why the Shadow Moon Pack is so strong. They are definitely people who should be feared.
When my name is called, heads turn to me.
Greg saunters towards the mat confidently. I keep my head up and my shoulders square as I approach the mat, refusing to let his confidence affect me.
We face each other, our eyes locked and our fists clenched. He eyes me up and down and smirks, thinking it will be an easy fight. His downfall will be underestimating me.
"You know the rules of this fight," Alpha Kaiden's commanding voice booms. "The fight will end if someone submits or is knocked out."
The fight starts.
We start by circling each other, trying to intimidate the other. A plan forms in my mind as we do this.
I plaster a look of fear on my face, pretending to look afraid of him. He buys it.
"I'll try and go easy on you, girl, "He sneers. Internally, I roll my eyes at his antics. Why do men always underestimate women? Why do they think we are weak and stupid? We have minds just like them, we can acquire the same skills as them. I'll enjoy wiping the smirk off his pretty face.
When he steps forward, I flinch and stumble backwards.
He cackles.
Then he's lunging at me. Before he can land a punch on my face, I dodge it and grab his fist. Twisting his hand, I cause him to inhale sharply and mutter a curse. This time, my smirk is visible on my face.
I send a quick kick to his left shin, causing him to bend in pain. He tries to stifle a groan but fails. Furious with how this is going, he growls loudly and attacks me again. He manages to place his callosal hands around my slender neck, applying pressure.
I hate to admit that it hurts. My brain is demanding oxygen and my heart is racing. Nobody has ever tried to strangle me before.
Fear flashes in my eyes. He notices it and smiles cynically.
I need to get out of this. Now.
Lifting my leg up, I knee him in the balls. His hands immediately unwrap themselves around my neck as he places them over his crotch. His face turns bright red and his eyes bulge. Whilst he's distracted, I grab onto his t-shirt and punch him in the face. He falls to the ground with a thud, out cold.
Breathing heavily, I lift my gaze from the man and do a quick sweep of the crowd. A few pack members look impressed whilst others appear wary of me. Will I ever get them to trust me?
"Congratulations, Harper," Alpha Kaiden says, strolling over to me.
"Thank you," I reply, pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
"We have a winner!" Alpha Kaiden shouts to the pack, grabbing onto my wrist and holding it up in the air. People cheer and clap. "Harper will be moving on to the next round."
I do proceed to the next round. And the one after that and then another one. The rounds get harder—and I gain a few injuries. Unfortunately, I begin to feel tired towards the end of the day which is not what I need. I'm not the only one though, the three other finalists also look exhausted. Lewis is among the finalists. And, to my disappointment, so is George.
All four of us will fight someone. The winners of both fights will go against each other in the final round.
Thankfully, I am paired against the other man who I do not know. Unlike Greg—who I went against in the first round—he's stoic and quiet. He doesn't bother taunting me. He's seen what I can do and knows I'm not somebody to undermine.
He doesn't attack first.
So, I do.
I swing a punch for his face, but he catches my wrist and twists my arm, painfully. Hissing in pain, I use my other hand to jab his rib. He doesn't cower backwards, but he does let go.
Without wasting another second, I send another punch to his other side and then do a roundhouse kick. He takes a few steps back and holds onto his face. His dark eyes narrow, making him appear deadly.
His tactics change—he starts to attack me.
With stealth and precision, he throws punches and kicks. I soon grasp onto his technique and dodge his moves.
Punch. Duck. Step back. Punch.
This only angers him more, causing his attacks to be floppy.
I can't win this fight. As much as I want to prove how good I am—I can't. I will draw attention from wolves—from Leon. He would hear about a female warrior making it to the final and would want to meet her. He would come here. It would ruin everything I worked for here. Thus, I have to lose this fight.
My wolf hates it too, but she senses my fear. She might not want to stay away from Leon, but she understands where I'm coming from and respects me. We have an irreplaceable bond that we both value.
Mentally sighing, I pull my punches, giving him the opportunity to kick me to the ground. He puts me in a chokehold. I make no move to get out of it even though I could easily.
"Submit!" He hollers.
"I...submit," I say, reluctantly.
He lets go and jumps to his feet in triumphant. I remain on the floor, ashamed of myself for doing that. My father taught me to never give in. But I did, to keep myself safe.
Alpha Kaiden congratulates the man—who is called Simon—and the crowd hoots and claps.
Rolling onto my knees, I stagger upwards and walk off the mat, with my head down. Sky rushes over to me, a concerned expression prominent on her angelic face.
"Harper, are you okay?" She breathes, examining me from head to toe.
I nod my head, defeatedly. You need to play the part of a sore loser. You can't let them know that this is what you wanted.
"I...I wanted to win so badly. I thought I would win," I mutter to her. For effect, I make my chin wobble.
I hate lying to her but if she found out, she would tell Alpha Kaiden. It is her duty to keep the pack safe and she would without hesitation.
"Oh, Harper," She coos, staring at me with pity. Before I can resist, she's pulling me in for a bone-crushing hug. Let her hug you. She needs to believe you are upset about this.
As much as I don't want to admit it, I do enjoy this hug. I didn't have many female friends at my old pack, so I didn't get to experience things like this. Plus, I think I need some comfort after what I've been through. Sometimes, we all need something comforting and warm to remind us we are still here and that we're not alone.
So, I close my eyes and accept her hug with open arms.
I did what I needed to do to keep myself safe. And I will continue to do so.
This is my home pack now. Leon will not take this away from me.
Hello lovely people. How are you? How are you finding this book so far? I hope you are all doing well. You can find me on Instagram (lydiarose_61).
Stay safe x