Shani Khoza

"Alpha Ivanov, I challenge you to a duel. Whoever wins can claim an alliance in the way they wish. If I win, you pledge The oath of Fidelity to me. My daughter stays here, and the cat comes with me."

"Hell no," Athena growls. Her eyes glitter dangerously, even without the red glow accompanying them. They say it all. I can end this asshole right here right now. Shani doesn't doubt for a second she can, but what mess would they be in when she does? What is Darius supposed to do now?

Refusing an Alpha's duel is frowned upon; everybody will know. But does that mean he must fight? We just got out of a bloody fight. When does it stop? She should have seen it coming Alpha Philips would come up with something as ridiculous as this. But why did he include her in the deal? She's dead to him. Does he want to show her he's still her superior?

Maybe he's angering their group; waiting for someone to snap; to give him a reason to snap back and finish what he came here to do. If that's his plan, it's definitely working. If Leon was already having trouble controlling his emotions, he's most definitely now. Both Demir and Hinote have to step forward to contain her mate, while Darius is busy enough to stop Athena from throwing herself at the alpha's throat. What a mess.

Clearly, Alpha Philips is noticing it too, and he takes his time to take in his surroundings. His eyes stop at Kara and Denise and a couple of seconds later he glares surprised at Hinote.

"You've got quite a group here crafted together, haven't you? Such an interesting... mixture," the alpha says. Nobody misses the hint of disgust in his voice. It isn't gone when he greets Hinote. "Vampire."

"Dick." Hinote greets back; no emotion written in his eyes. Alpha Philips wisely ignores Hinote and switches his gaze back to Kara and Denise. "More humans? That is a surprise," he murmurs, not bothering to greet the two women in front of him. "Yes, humans. Humans with guns," Denise says sharply, demanding him to look at her again. That woman really has no fear.

"I see," is the only thing Alpha Philips says. When he turns his head, he looks back at Darius.

"I am still waiting for your answer, Alpha Ivanov. What would it be?"

Darius looks at Leon, and for a few seconds, they keep quiet. What are they doing? They seem to understand each other's facial expressions because they end their silent conversation with a nod. "Alpha Philips," Darius starts. "Leon, my gamma, proposes a counter duel. You against him."

What the hell, Leon. That is a terrible idea. What are you thinking? But nobody says anything until Darius continues. "If he wins, you pledge your fidelity to him and you step down as Alpha."

Leon growls.

"Oh, and of course. Shani stays here," he adds immediately.

...

Alpha Philips switches his dark eyes from Darius to Leon as an unfriendly smile creeps up his face.

"I accept. Gamma. But my terms stay the same," he states formally. Leon only nods.

Why is it always necessary to start a bloody fight? And for what, exactly? Wealth, land. Her honour, apparently. What am I? A Disney princess? She doesn't know whether to feel honoured or furious. Apart from that, she's also scared again. Leon is going to fight an alpha. An Alpha! She knows he is ridiculously strong, but is he strong enough to beat her former leader?

Where is this reckless behaviour coming from? There are better times and ways to prove himself... if that is what he wants. Who are you kidding, Shani? You know why he's doing it. She sighs, of course she knows. You don't have to be a genius to figure that one out. But one thing still bugs her; who's deciding here? Who's challenging the alpha? Is it Leon talking, or is it his wolf? Is their bond slipping out; claiming the territory in his brain responsible for the connection between them?

Is this his way of telling her he cares? He couldn't just talk to her? He wants to fight a bloody alpha to win her over? Idiot. But, no matter how angry at him she tries to be, she can't ignore how she really feels. Her heart aches... she's scared. Scared to lose a man she hasn't shared one decent conversation with. Shani tries calming herself down, but it's not working.

Alpha Philips looks confident, as if he has already won the duel. She can't look at him; it brings back the memories she has tried so desperately to forget. Has it been only a few weeks since she met Athena in the forest? Before today, it felt a lot longer, because she felt so much better. Stronger, happier. These days have been the best of her life, but with the presence of her former Alpha, it feels like only yesterday she escaped England. She's still the same scared little girl; a victim of a brutal alpha who hates everyone who's different. She's still unable to fight for her freedom, even though she desperately wants to stay here and not return to England.

Shani's not afraid to be realistic. Of course, she realizes, she doesn't have the power to fight her own battles. Yet. She's not a hybrid like Athena, nor an alpha like Darius. She doesn't possess Denise's bravery and skill or Hinote's speed. Being a distraction for a dozen angry warriors? Sure. But not this. Not today. Not this alpha.

A warm feeling emerges when she realizes that must be why Leon proposed the fight. They might not talk a lot, but Leon knows her; perhaps better than she gives him credit for. He's not fighting for her honour, no. He's fighting for her freedom. He is taking the chance she doesn't have. She knows there isn't enough anger and skill in her to fight her former alpha, but she's also uncertain Leon possesses such skill. She's extremely grateful for his offer, but she's not eager to watch her mate fight a duel against an alpha she considers very powerful and very, very dangerous.

The duelists step outside and the entire party follows, ending up on the sidelines of the square only a day ago the previous fight was occurring. When did my life get so violent?

Leon wretches his shirt off. Hmm. She can't help but look at him. He moves his broad shoulders to warm up by moving his muscular, very muscular arms. "You're drooling, kitty." She looks aside to see Hinote standing next to her. He sounds amused, but she notices a hint of worry in his eyes. It's gone the moment he catches her eye.

She focuses her attention on the scene in front of her again. Hinote's worry worries her as well and she doesn't want to think about it. Alpha Philips has ripped off his shirt as well. Bleh. They walk slowly towards each other. Then they burst.

The adrenaline and testosterone rise in the air when the two men transform into their wolves. Shani's fear slowly fades into the background and is replaced by something else ... excitement? Seeing him stand there, big, strong, and powerful, she has faith he knows what he's doing. Kick his arse, Leon! She has no idea if he heard her this time, but she's positive her face sends out the same message and he's definitely seeing that one. With one last growl, he focuses on his enemy. Ready to fight. No, ready to win.

֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎

Dear Goddess, it's been half an hour.

What did she expect? A couple of punches; some biting and 'Ding Dong, ladies, and gentlemen. We have a winner?'

No, when they said a duel, they really meant it. First, they circled around each other - looking like perfect idiots–trying to intimidate their opponent with their glowing eyes. A round obviously won by my mate. His ogling was so intense it made me feel warm on the inside.

These men and their ego. If she wasn't so mesmerized watching Leon, she would have rolled her eyes at the two wolves fighting. Like Denise has been doing for the last ten minutes. The former hunter is watching the game as well, and Shani's certain she wouldn't act like this if she didn't think Leon had the upper hand. Shani doesn't know much about fighting herself, apart from what the group has taught her. Luckily, her quick reflexes help her eyes adjust to the fight in front of her.

For someone who's in the middle of the fight, Leon acts surprisingly calm. He dodges every kick, bite, and punch the alpha throws at him. He's so fast. And strong. Goddess, I want to kiss him. She shakes her head. Focus, Shani!

She can see he's focused; he's saving his strength by only avoiding the Alpha's paws and not rationally attacking him. Shani hadn't expected this tactic. Not from Leon, the most impatient, short-tempered werewolf she knows. If she didn't suspect it, she's certain Alpha Philips also hadn't anticipated it. After all, Leon showed his true colours immediately when he challenged the Alpha. Using a completely different strategy on the battlefield will definitely provide the element of surprise. Damnit, he's smart as well, isn't he? Why does he have to be so perfect?

Whatever Leon's reason is, it's definitely pissing off her former Alpha. Even in his wolf form, she can see the anger and frustration rise. The way he moves becomes sloppy, as if his anger is taking over. But Leon's not out of danger yet. She knows Alpha Philips. He's dangerous nonetheless. His anger might make him sloppy, but he's still strong and extremely devious. And unpredictable.

The moment the thought entered her mind, Alpha Philips also leaps forward. He lands on top of Leon and manages to thrust his claw into his chest. Her mate lets out a painful howl and stays trapped on the ground. Shit. The ominous feeling in her body spread out immediately, holding her throat hostage, making it hard to breathe. She doesn't care. Her eyes stay fixated on Leon. Come on. Please!

Alpha Philips roars loudly while lifting his paw to attack again. But Leon doesn't give him a second chance and throws the alpha off him. Holy shit. Everyone on the sideline looks wide-eyed at the scene before them. Leon lifted an Alpha werewolf off him as if he weighed no more than a pup. Her former Alpha lands with a loud thud on the ground. She shivers when hearing the sound of cracking bones.

Leon rises from the ground. He looks angry. No, not angry. Furious. His snout is dirty and there is a bloody wound visible on his fur. He carefully approaches the Alpha, who's now moved from the ground. Is the fight continuing? Shani can't tell. They're not supposed to fight to the death, but they both look exhausted and wounded. Their tongues hang out of their mouths, swinging along with their stiff movements.

The two wolves are standing now directly opposite each other. Shani now sees they're almost the same height. Leon is slightly bigger, but Alpha Philips has stretched himself to the full to give his opponent the illusion he's immense and therefore more powerful. An Alpha.

And yet, he's not stronger, or faster than Leon. And he knows it. He must realize he cannot win this. Surely, he'll... but he doesn't. He attacks. Leon can move his body in time, but he cannot prevent Alpha Philips's claw from scratching his arm. However, he doesn't need to. Inhumanly fast, her mate turns around, diving on top of the Alpha, pushing his claw against the Alpha's neck. The Alpha kicks his legs frantically, but Leon manages to keep him down.

Then, the alpha tries to growl, but the claw on his neck makes it sound incredibly sad. A thin line of blood runs through his fur towards his chest. He's breathing heavily. Leon roars against the Alpha's face, forcing him to submit. Oh my Goddess, is this it?

Besides her, she sees Hinote take a step forward. She's confused about his action until Demir's growl is heard loudly. Alpha Philips's beta had approached the two wolves, causing an imbalance on the battlefield. Shani hadn't even noticed Demir pushing the Beta back in his place. Luckily, they paid much better attention to the surroundings than she did. She has only eyes for him.

Her mate has now noticed the commotion as well, and roars again; drops of his saliva leaking from his teeth on the Alpha's face. The latter has now narrowed his eyes. Then, he lingers his head towards his chest, bowing in submission and, by doing so, ending the duel.

֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎֎

Gavin Philips. Only a few minutes ago, the alpha of the biggest werewolf pack in Europe. And now... defeated. Humiliated. He's helped back on his feet by his Beta and another pack warrior. Laura Philips, his daughter of flesh and blood, is standing in the same spot as before. Frozen.

But Shani's quickly done watching her and her former Alpha. There is someone who deserves her attention much, much more. Leon's still in his wolf form, but he's already watching her when her eyes meet his. He doesn't look away and keeps staring, even while his paws turn back into hands and feet. His fur disappears and in one fluent moment, he's standing straight. She can't get herself to look away, but she's determined not to let her eyes wander elsewhere.

Oh, my. Lucky me.

She's pulled out of her staring when Leon suddenly sinks through his wounded leg. She rushes forward to assist him. She sees Darius approaching them as well. He's holding what she thinks are clothes. She releases him when he's steady again and turns around when he puts on some clothes.

"Leon, you were amazing!" She hears Kara yell enthusiastically. I didn't know the human enjoyed violent things? She clearly isn't the only one. Multiple men and women approach Leon to congratulate him. Let's catch up again when it's your mate, she thinks grimly while watching the spectators leave.

Besides her, Leon is moving to rise and without thinking about it, she offers him her arm. He grasps it. She blushes lightly, but she doesn't care. The warm feeling floating through her body is much more important. Besides, she's too relieved to feel shy. He's alive.

Another instinctive urge calls her, demanding her to wrap her arms around him. She hugs him tightly, and he... he doesn't stiffen at her touch. "Never do that again, okay. You could have died, you nitwit," she whispers to him. She doesn't expect him to answer and, at this moment, it doesn't matter. She just holds him and he holds her back. Wait, what? Shani looks up, straight into his eyes. He isn't looking at her, but his arms are firmly folded around her.

She reluctantly retreats after a few seconds, quite certain her blush is a lot more visible than before. She still doesn't care. OUt of the corners of her eyes, she sees Athena approaching the scene and Shani follows her movements when she sits down next to him on the ground, placing her hands on his chest to heal the various wounds his opponent inflicted on him. Shani looks away, preventing them to see the flickering of her eyes.

She rises quickly to give Athena the space she needs to heal her mate. I hope she's quick. "That's an interesting expression you wearing, Shani," Denise chuckles. She responds with a low growl, a sound everyone can hear, she realizes. Now, they're all laughing. Great.

But their smiles suddenly disappear, and Shani turns around to see why. Gavin Philips's daughter is approaching. Behind her, the other wolves follow. They do not look happy. Shani cannot read the emotions of Laura Philips, but since she's approaching fast, she's sure they will find out soon enough.

The she-wolf holds her pace. Shani frowns, but then hears footsteps behind her. Leon is on his feet again and now walking towards the former alpha's daughter. They keep a decent distance from each other, and if Shani's honest, she detects nothing but respect inside the woman in front of her mate. Good. Laura Philips inhales deeply, straightening her spine, before bowing her head. She's followed by the Beta and warriors of her father.

"Alpha," she speaks softly in a respectful tone. Shani's almost certain she detects a hint of gratitude. Alpha...? Oh shit, that's right! She hadn't realized before what winning a duel against an Alpha truly means and Leon's face reveals he hadn't thought about it much either.

He must really like me then, Shani thinks. There weren't any alternative motives for him to fight.

"I'm not an Alpha," Leon states, louder than she's ever heard him talk. Laura looks up in surprise. "B-But... you won? If you're not the alpha... who is?" she stammers, confused. What is happening? Shani can't blame the she-wolf for being confused. She thought Leon would accept his new role. Which would have made her - if everything works out - the Luna of a pack she's hated for years.

Well, that's awkward.

"Make sure you do better," Leon says sincerely with his eyes only focused on Laura. She stares at him for a second before she realizes what his words mean. You sneaky werewolf.

"Me? You want m-me to..." she gulps. "Why?"

"You've lived the worst. Now you can change it," he answers. It sounds quite simple when he says it like that. When did he have the time to judge her character? She could have been evil like her father? But she's not, that's what matters. Laura can turn her pack into a better place to live. A place people can actually call home.

"Are you certain?" the she-wolf whispers. Leon only nods. "I am."

For a moment, Shani thinks Laura's relief and gratitude will lead to ears. But it doesn't. Instead, she looks up with a smile that brightens not only her face but her entire attitude. It's like watching a terrible rainstorm suddenly evolve into a sunny day. It changes everything.

She shows the people surrounding her a smile Shani has never seen her wear before. "Thank you," she simply tells Leon, but they all know it's much, much more than that. Leon bows his head in response before walking away. Laura watches him go, clearly confused by all of his actions in the last few minutes. Shani knew he would react this way and is able to hide her amused state a bit better. That's Leon. Brief conversations, a short fuse, but clearly effective.

The groups silently split up, and within seconds, the field is almost empty again. Shani's not sure why she didn't leave. Maybe because she saw Laura wasn't moving as well. But she remains silent, so she turns around to walk away as well. "Shani, wait!"

Shani looks back, seeing Laura has come closer. "I-I just want to say... I'm sorry for everything my pack did to you. I wish I have done more to help you," she says softly. Shani's speechless, for she did not expect an apology. "Thank you." It's strange, she's receiving a sign of remorse from practically the only person who was as paralyzed as she was. "There wasn't much you could have done, Laura. I know that."

"Perhaps, but I wasn't brave either," she answers.

"Then see this as your chance to prove yourself. You're smart, resourceful and you have an entire pack behind you. I think you're going to be a great alpha."

"Thank you, Shani. I owe you and your mate everything and I will not let you down."

"Well, it was mostly, Leon," Shan tells her, but the she-wolf doesn't listen. "You're really lucky to have found each other. I can see he truly adores you. There is no need for me to offer you a place in England anymore; it looks like you've found your home." Shani blushes. She's too happy to contradict Laura's kind words. So, she simply smiles. "I think I really did."

Shani looks up to find Laura's eyes. "What about you? Will you be all right, Laura?" Her father might not be an Alpha anymore, but he can still be a giant pain in the arse. Or perhaps even dangerous. Laura smiles, dismissing her concerned tone. "I'll be fine. He can't dishonour The Oath of Fidelity and since I'm no longer under his authority, I can really change things."

"Well, good luck then, Alpha," Shani says in a solemn tone. Laura chuckles before nodding her head in respect. "Thank you, Shani. I wish you all the best; you deserve it!"

"So do you," she answers immediately. "Perhaps we meet again one day?"

"I hope so. Just know, there will always be a home for you waiting in England. I know terrible things happened to you in the pack, but I promise you, from now on, it will be different and I hope you'll visit someday so you can see it for yourself."

Shani nods frantically. "I will. I promise. But first, there is something else I need to do."