Alyson's stomach churned as they walked to the guest house near the main house. She didn't like the idea of fighting in front of the whole pack like this. She didn't feel her place was at the front of the pack as she thought that they approached the guest house.
"Now, Alyson to actually challenge him you'll need to declare your full name and rank in the pack, which is a warrior. You must say that you challenge Micheal Hart for his position of future Alpha. Then he'll accept since he cannot refuse a challenge. Then I'll grant my permission and set the rules," Alpha James instructs.
"Is that all?" Alyson asks repeating the instructions in her mind.
"Yes, now call him out here," Alpha James says. Alyson nods determination filling her face.
"Future Alpha Micheal Hart! I issue a challenge against you for your position," Alyson says through the pack connection.
Instantly she felt Micheal's words bounce through her mind, "you must've found the present I left for you in the woods." His sick laughter echoed through her mind making a shiver of pure molten lava course through her.
"Alyson, you must no lay hands on him until he accepts the challenge and the rules are set," Alpha James warns.
"Easy, I can spit words back as well," Alyson said to Alpha James.
"So, it was you. I figured since Rebecca came back to the packhouse saying how she denounced you and that it was the best decision she's ever made. She said she couldn't imagine a world where a monster like you was allowed anywhere near Jasper. She even questioned if the two of you were even truly mates since she felt no remorse denouncing you." Alyson said her words though partly a lie most of it was the truth.
"You little bitch! How dare you question me! I accept your challenge prepare to die, you half-blood," Micheal growled throwing open the guest house door. His hands curling into fists.
"Not only have you lost your family, but you're also about to lose the position in the pack that you so desperately clung to and to think you'll be defeated by a half-blood who can't even transform. Shame," Alyson mocked him watching his eyes practically glow in anger. He stocked towards her he was just barely able to keep himself from punching the daylights out of her.
"Alyson if you would officially announce the challenge," Alpha James says. Alyson nods with a smirk on her face.
"I, Alyson Grace Acherson, a loyal warrior to the pack challenge Micheal Hart for his position of future Alpha."
"I, Micheal Hart, accept the challenge for my title of future Alpha as presented by the warrior Alyson Acherson," Micheal grins thinking he'll rip Alyson apart in mere seconds.
"I, Alpha James Makioh, grant permission for this challenge of future Alpha. The rules shall be Micheal must fight in wolf form and Alyson, since she has no wolf form, is allowed weapons and any other abilities she may be blessed with naturally," Alpha James says his eyes going between Alyson and Micheal.
"Let the match begin!" Alpha James says. Instantly Micheal has transformed into a wolf and charging at Alyson.
Alyson scoffs, "Honestly," she says rolling her eyes at him as she does a flip over him. As she does so she grabs her hunting knife and flips it around to point at him. Alyson knows that if he gets on top of her there will be a very slim chance she'll be able to get out of the pin, he's more experienced and stronger than her but Alyson is smarter and faster, plus she's got a few more tricks up her sleeve than he does.
He goes to pounce again this time Alyson ducks and sticks her knife up and lets it cut him in the stomach as he leaps above her.
"Looks like you've gotten much weaker since our last fight, Micheal. Then again our last fight I wasn't at full strength, either. Either way, it makes you look like a child trying to be an Alpha." Alyson mocked making him growl dangerously at her. But it only made Alyson laugh.
"I've heard meaner growls from a house cat," Alyson said laughing lightly only further angering the Were.
"What's wrong? Mad?" Alyson mocks more. Micheal leaps at her again This time Alyson meets him dead on. Slicing at him with her knife and making him yelp in surprise, but swung out his front leg to slice her with his claws. Alyson narrowly escapes the claws, one scratch from those and this battle was over and Alyson would be torn to shreds.
As Alyson dodged his claws he snapped at her with his fangs he grabbed her hood and making Alyson lose her balance. She was pulled to the ground, the one place she didn't want to be. She tried to pull away from his grip but it was way too strong.
He shook his head and sounded as if he were laughing. Alyson tried to grip the zipper of the hoodie, but Micheal's whipping back and forth didn't let her grip it. She'd have to wait for him to stop shaking her like a dog with a rope toy.
He seemed to really enjoy tossing her around like this, Alyson was quite surprised by how durable this hoodie was, she'd have to thank Emma and Ella for their habit of only having to best clothing and passing them down to Alyson when they'd worn them for more than one season.
Finally, Michael sent her flying threw the air then chase her like she was a ball someone had thrown. Alyson scrambled to grab the zipper handle and yank it down in midair.
Micheal caught her in the air by her hood again except this time she easily slipped out and landed skillfully onto the ground, the snow crunching satisfyingly under her feet.
Micheal huffed and threw her now shredded hoodie off to the side. Alyson spun her knife as she waited for Micheal to make his next move.
He dashed for her aiming for her legs to take her down. She jumped to the side and felt his claws dig into her pants she yelped and pulled away as hard as possible. She groaned as her pants were now torn to shreds on that side.
"Jesus! Will you stop tearing up all my clothes!" Alyson remarks. She let him attack again and dug her knife deep into his shoulder he howled in pain. Alyson felt sick at the ease of which the knife penetrates his skin.
"You Bitch!" He roars loudly. Alyson says nothing back but Diggs the knife more into his skin. She lets it go. If she pulls it out it'll heal but if she leaves it in it'll slow him down more.
Alyson pulls out an extra knife and waits for Micheal's next move. If she tries to attack him first he'll just knock her off and pin her down. Alyson doesn't mind playing the defensive route cause it requires less energy on her part and her muscles were already burning in protest.
Micheal snarls as he charges at her, she tries to jump away but he catches her off guard by sidestepping making Alyson run right into him.
Alyson falls onto her butt and scrambles to not get trapped under him. As she scrambles away he snaps at her feet. Fear fills Alyson at the memory of the last time he trapped her under him. Alyson shakes those thoughts from her mind and launches up pushes herself off the ground and onto her feet.
She slashes her knife down and slashes him across the face cutting one of his eyes. He screams in pain.
"Doesn't feel so good does it!" Alyson screams her voice going shrill she lets the anger pump through her letting the power hum through her. This time when Micheal charges at her she takes him head-on, she grabs the scruff around his neck and flings him with all her might. She's surprised by how far she threw him he goes at least 3 feet and skids in the snow another foot or so. Alyson approaches him pins his front legs together along with his back legs by keeping her knee in his gut and a hand on the knife in his shoulder.
She then puts the knife to his throat and looks up to James, he doesn't call off the battle.
"I've got him pinned with a knife to his throat I've won, no?" Alyson asks Alpha James.
"No, Alyson a challenge is a death battle," James says.
"Your not serious are you?" Alyson says shocked looking at the rest of the pack. Their eyes were serious.
Alyson swallowed her mouth dry as she was distracted, Micheal threw her off sending her flying much further than she sent him. She flew and smack a tree. The air in her lungs gone and the feeling of suffocation sprung up in her mind as her lungs forced her to try and breath.
She saw Micheal come closer his smirk was clear. Alyson tried to move but she was frozen as her boy tried to get air, her heart started to pound in fear as he approached her. Alyson closed her eyes and tried to focus on getting her air back, but it wasn't coming. What's happening? Did she burst a lung?
"Kota! Kit!" She called out desperately, this was one of her gifts the ability to communicate with animals. She felt their presence surround her. Kit nudged her softly.
"I can't breathe, I need you to distract him so I can put him to sleep," Alyson said her breathing coming back as a small wheeze just barely getting enough air.
Kit sneezed and Yipped at Kota, Alyson heard a howl and heard more wolves appear. Alyson closed her eyes once again and tried not to focus on her inability to breathe properly. She walked to the link with Micheal there was a very rickety-looking bridge.
As she crossed she held tightly to the drops fearing they'd give away any second. She crossed quickly seemingly not able to get a full breath. Her breathing was ragged. She did what she did best and ignored it for now and hurried into his mind cavern it was dark and the only thing in here she felt was anger and malice.
She rushed over to Micheal's memories and looked for a sleeping memory. But as she was looking she noticed a memory of when he'd first met Rebecca. She watched it was curiosity and she waited for him to realize she was his mate but nothing happened.
She heard Rebecca say she was the oldest of her siblings and that her father was the Alpha. Then his mind started to pull an idea of making her his mate.
That's all Alyson needed to know. He'd only mated her for the power she held. Disgust pooled in Alyson as she looked for a sleeping memory. Finally, she found one it was one where he was knocked out. But she'd take it. As the memory was turned into ash, she picked up a handful of said ash and blew it away. She thought of calm, peace and him plopping down into an infinite sleep.
She gasped in shock as the place started to fall apart and his memories all flared up at once she caught sight of the one where Jasper was being born. A chill ran through her as she realized he was dying. Fear filled the cave along with her own body. Then she saw the image of him hitting Rebecca this wasn't the recent time but an older time and him almost striking Jasper before he was interrupted by Rebecca. And she saw him blinding Kai. Then her empathy disappeared and she started to back out of his mind cavern.
She'd never been in the mind of someone who was dying and she wasn't about to risk getting trapped in an empty mind. So she raced back to her own mind as she started crossing the bridge the wooden planks started to fall off behind her she ran as fast as possible and had to jump to make it back to her own mind cavern.
She opened her eyes and watched as Micheal fell the life leaving his eyes. Alyson had just killed a person. She tried to heave a gasp of horror but only a wheeze came out.
"I can't..." Alyson called out desperately fear of suffocation still pumping through her. Instantly Hayden was next to her he was fretting over her, Rebecca came over too.
"We need to break the branch she's caught on," Rebecca said and it's now that Alyson looked behind her and saw a stick had stabbed her in the back. Hayden grabbed her knife that fell from her hand when she'd gone flying and hacked the branch off.
"Now pick her up stick facing up, and let's go back to the house, hurry," Rebecca ordered then Hayden was off with her in his arms.
"Alyson, what did I tell you! I told you not to get hurt too bad," he said his voice unsteady Alyson knew tears were streaming down his face. She nodded at his words.
He got to the front door and the door flew open. Luna Sarah rushed them in.
"Take her to the infirmary!" she ordered. Hayden flew in there.
"Put her face down on the bed. I'm going to pull out the stick slowly," She said and Alyson felt the pain as Luna Sarah took the stick out. The Luna pulled slowly which hurt extremely.
"Now, take off her shirt." Hayden's hands took off her shirt without hesitation. Alyson felt something poke her and instantly the pressure in her lungs decreased. Soon the air started to fill her lungs once again. Alyson took a few deep breaths and everything seemed fine until of course, Luna Sarah started cleaning the wound which hurt and sewed up the hole.
"A week's worth of recovery and she'll be good as new. I suggest three days of bed rest at least for our future Alpha," Luna Sarah said as she patted Hayden on the back.
"Thank you, aunt Sarah," Hayden said his voice clearly relieved.
"It's okay, it could've been a lot worse. This is kind of a minor thing. Scary yes, but minor. A few bruises and some puncture healing," Luna Sarah said.
"How's Kai?" Hayden asked before Alyson could get the words out.
"He's sleeping right now, he also needs some healing time. Though his sight is completely gone he'll adapt with some patient teaching," Aunt Sarah said softly.
"That's good. Well, at least he'll never have to worry about Micheal ever again. Alyson took care of that for sure," Hayden said his voice gloating.
"It seems she fought pretty hard too, judging by the torn pants and missing hoodie," Sarah says laughing lightly. But Alyson felt cold, she didn't like the idea that she killed someone with her abilities. It felt very wrong to take a life like that, yet it was so easy. So frightfully easy. Just a simple command and he was dead.
Alyson felt drained at the thought, surely killing a man like that must take a lot of energy yet her adrenaline was pumping so hard it cancelled the weariness out.
"How'd she do it?" Sarah asks Hayden since Alyson couldn't really speak right now.
"She must've done something with her abilities, at first she didn't use them and it was a physical battle until she had him pinned. She thought it would end when it was clear she won. But she realized it was a deadly battle and was quite literally thrown off into the tree that stabbed her. Then she called the wolf and the fox over. Then while they danced with Micheal for a bit she closed her eyes and a few minutes later Micheal dropped dead. It was awesome!!" Dylan said as he heard Sarah ask as he ran in.
"Yeah, it was pretty sweet!" Hayden said his tone almost as excited as Dylan's was.
"Seems I missed quite the battle," Sarah said laughing lightly at the boys.
"Yeah, you really did," Dylan said. Alyson felt his eyes on her back and it's at that point she remembered she didn't have a shirt on still and her bra was exposed. A light blush spread across her face.
"Now, get out!" Hayden said shoo the boys out of the room his tone protective.
"We wanted to check on Alyson!" Elliot interjected.
"She's fine, now leave so she can get dressed," Hayden yelled back. Yet again Sarah laughed lightly at their antics. Alyson groaned internally but was thankful for Hayden's dismissal.
"Aright, Hayden, go run up your all's room and grab her a new shirt, please," Sarah said her tone leaving no room for argument. Hayden left with no protest.
"Let's sit you up dear, I'm sure you're uncomfortable laying on your stomach like that," the Luna said her voice calm. Alyson nodded in relief and pushed her self up using her arms. Sarah hovered nearby in case Alyson needed help. Alyson sat up just fine on her own Sarah sent her a small smile.
"You really do heal quite fast don't you," Sarah said laughing lightly.
"Yeah, I suppose for a human. Not really much for a Were," Alyson jokes her voice quiet.
"You sure do fight better than any human I've ever met," Sarah laughs.
"Yeah, well I sent a lot of time in the forest around a bunch of different animals so I know how to watch an animal and defend against it. I can't count how many times the wolves attacked me at night until a pup I saved became Alpha and I was basically a pack member. I helped birth pups and check on pregnant Wolves. But wolves are easy what you have to watch out for is female bears when you get near their cub, lord those girls are scary. I've got my fair share of bear claws in my life. Cubs just don't leave me alone," Alyson rambles slightly.
"And I'm told you're very skilled in dealing with Skinwalkers," Sarah says leaning against a counter. Alyson smiled and nodded.
"I've heard but I'm not all that great. It's more instinctual, I guess. Speaking of which. I thought the reason for us being up here was to help with your Skinwalker problem since we killed handled all the one back in Maine?" Alyson asked because since she'd been here she hadn't even seen a single Skinwalker.
"Yeah, you were called her because of that but it's not in the forest here, it's in the forest a bit more north an easy run for us from home. It's really bad up there," Sarah says.
"Do you know when we'll start attacking?" Alyson asks.
"Not for another week or so now that you're so injured. Once you all spik and span you'll probably head out," Sarah says.
"That sounds good," Alyson said her eyes trailing over to Kai, he's doing the thing dogs do when they sleep where they look like their running. Alyson smiles at his behaviour then she instantly saddened.
"You know I was planning on letting him run free with the rest of the wolves around here, but now I don't think I will. Now, I think he'll need us more than ever."
"Yeah, but he'll adapt well. He's still a pup so it shouldn't be hard to teach him how to sense things without his eyes, especially with you around. You're basically his mom at this point and his bond with you is very strong."
"He is my boy, after all, I love him so much and I think he knows it too. He is so smart and mature for his age. Back home when I first got him I had to hide him from my parents and not once did he bark unless he was outside and away from the house. And when we're out if there's something he's chasing. He'll wait for me to see him run off and he always stays in eyes view."
Hayden then came in with a shirt and helped Alyson put it on.
"Alright, now let's go out there. I started dinner it should be done soon. I'm sure Rebecca picked up on it as soon as she came in and is taking care of it," Sarah says patting Hayden's back as she walks out of the room.
"Thank God! I'm starving!" Alyson said accepting Hayden's outstretched hand she leaned heavily on him as they walked into the dining room. Just as Sarah had excepted Rebecca had finished making the food and had it sitting out o the table.
As Alyson and Hayden walked in the table stopped talking and looked at the pair.
Tension built up in the room until suddenly Alpha James started clapping and said, "Congratulations to our future Miss Alpha." He put extra emphasis on the Miss part making Alyson chuckles lightly. Looks like Collin's nickname was a reality now.
Then a bomb in the air exploded with the noise of cheering and clapping. Alyson broke into a huge grin she scanned the room and even the two famous Anti-Alyson's were clapping Sophia with a small grin and Dustin with a slightly annoyed face. Alyson couldn't wait to tease him restlessly.
Mason and Luca were doing a stupid little chant that Alyson couldn't quite make out. Collin was practically screaming Miss Alpha over and over again. Dylan tried to get Elliot to join in on the chanting but Elliot was having none of it. Everyone else was either clapping or laughing at the others.
Alyson's heart filled with warmth as she sat at the table. Slowly the noise died.
"I'm glad you all are excited about the change of ranks," Sarah said laughing lightly.
"Mom, you should've seen it! She was truly fearless! I would've been super scared if Micheal growled at me like he did at Alyson!" Dylan said his voice excited.
"That's because your still a pup," Jackson said ruffling his hair making Dylan pout and everyone else laugh lightly.
The air was filled with light and happiness making everyone's heart warm and hopeful for the future. Everyone spoke in their circles of ages.
Alyson watched all of them interact and laugh. She watched with a smile knowing that this was Were she belonged and these were the people she'd do anything for. Because though she'd only known some of them for a short time, they made her feel whole and happy like she'd never felt before. It was almost perfect. The only thing missing was Kai's excited barks, other than that this moment was perfect.
Her cheeks were sore from her smiling and her stomach hurt from laughter. At that moment she was content, she finally felt what it was like to have a family and this was it.