"Ares said she's going to kill your ugly bitchass," Gwen slightly altered my threat, making me chuckle.

Thane's voice cut through the tension in the room like a knife. "Okay, everyone. Perhaps we sho-"

Jen's annoyingly high pitched voice interrupted him. "That's fine. I'm challenging her for the Luna position."

Axel laughed. "I really, really wouldn't do that if I were you, pup."

Jen glared at him. "I'm not afraid of her. Just because you aren't man enough to handle her doesn't mean I can't."

I laughed so hard that my eyes teared up as the Blood Lake men growled at her and looked at her with bloodlust. Gwen, tell her that I accept the challenge.

Gwen told her, and Jen smirked. "Alpha Cain will finally have the mate that he deserves once I kill you."

Gwen spoke the words as I mindlinked her, serving as my translator. You think Cain wants a mindless, subservient idiot running his pack? The only thing you're good for is a quick fuck. Don't worry though, I'll rid you of your parasitic existence soon enough.

Jen was about to respond when Cain interjected. His voice was cold and calculating. He meant business. "Jen, since you are challenging Ares, as is allowed within the Blood Laws, Ares is allowed to choose how the battle goes down."

I smiled evilly. Typically, I would enjoy using a knife to cut off each of your limbs individually, but in the name of a fair fight, I'll prohibit the use of Gifts and kill you with my bare hands. Once again, Gwen repeated my words.

"Oh no Ares, I think we should be allowed to use our Gifts. I'm not scared of your little knives," She tried to speak harshly, but I could hear her voice wavering unsteadily after my gruesome threat. She had no idea who she was dealing with.

"Again, I really would not recommend that," Axel threw out, but his eyes shone in excitement for the impending violence. I like that about him. He craves violence as much as I do.

Axel, if she wants to have all of her limbs severed from her body, then let her. Gwen repeated my words aloud so Blue Moon pack members could hear her. I was confident and my smile was unyielding.

Thane's eyes held worry as opposed to the typical amusement, which concerned me. I was hoping that his concern was towards his pack member and not towards me, because I was confident in my ability to destroy this nuisance.

Cain cleared his throat, making everyone look at him. "We will hold the challenge tonight at midnight in the clearing beside the training center. Thane knows where it is; he will guide Blue Moon wolves there. I believe this concludes dinner." With that, Cain turned and stalked out of the room, but not before picking me up and taking me with him. Jen jealously glared at me as I was in Cain's arms, and I blew her a kiss as Cain took us out of the room, making her snarl at me.

"I'm sorry, Ares," Cain softly said once we were laying down in his bed.

For what? I asked.

"I didn't even know that Jennifer was coming, much less that she planned on challenging you. I'm sure she hid her intentions from Thane too, as he would have warned me if he had known," Cain's eyes held sadness.

I laughed, startling him. I don't think you understand how excited I am to rip her head clean off her body, mate.

"Please don't underestimate her, Ares. She is one of Thane's top warriors. Her Gift is teleportation. That gives her an advantage in a fight. Please don't let your hubris be your downfall," Cain pleaded, causing me to roll my eyes.

I can handle the pup. I've beaten your Gamma in battle. She will go down before I even break a sweat, I promised him, but I could still feel his worry through the bond.

"I can't lose you, Ares. You are meant to be the Blood Luna. There is no other way," Cain wrapped his arms around me and I nodded, even though I didn't quite understand what he meant.

"Take a nap, you've already been in two fights today, my little spitfire. I'll wake you up before the battle," Cain gently commanded.

I nodded, letting Cain wrap his arms around me and was instantly enveloped in warmth.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Cain woke me up a few hours later, and I felt entirely renewed for my battle. My spirits were so high, not even Cain could ruin my mood. I was finally going to be able to kill someone again.

I got dressed in my typical battle attire, which consisted of black leggings, light running shoes, and a black sports bra. I wore all black to remind the challenger that this was their funeral. I'm just respectful like that.

Cain wore his typical jeans, no shirt, and no shoes despite the snow that covered the ground outside. Somehow, I had a feeling he would be able to keep himself warm, I thought to myself wryly.

"I can feel your happiness through the bond, mate," Cain said with amusement, even though I could sense deep down that he was stressed.

I shrugged. Why wouldn't I be happy? I'm about to kill someone in the most violently way possible. This is the best day of my life.

Cain rolled his eyes and scooped me up into his arms without warning. "You have issues," Cain told me as he laid the pelt over me.

You love my issues, I jokingly responded.

"I do," Cain softly replied, and kissed my neck, making my breathing stop.

I didn't know what to say, so I just ignored him

and pretended I didn't hear what he said.

Cain walked us to the clearing, and everyone else was already there. Word must have spread about the challenge, because other Blood Lake pack members showed up to watch. I recognized a lot of them as the warriors who I trained with early in the day. Gwen stood nearby, waving at me with a grin on her face. It was nice to see that at least somebody wasn't worried about Jen winning.

Thane was standing stiffly by Jennifer. He nodded slightly at me when we made eye contact, but he made no effort to approach me. I wondered if he would hate me for killing one of his best warriors.

Jennifer was still wearing her loose cargo pants, black boots, and a black wife beater tank top. She hid her emotions behind a calm and collected mask, whereas I knew my amusement and excitement was showing. What? I couldn't help it.

Cain melted the snow to make a ring where Jen and I would fight. We went to opposite sides of the ring, and our respective Alphas each talked to us. I wonder what Thane was telling her. I'm sure he knew my weaknesses; he had fought me before.

Cain pulled me in and kissed me, much to my surprise. Even more of a surprise? I kissed him back. I wasn't sure if it was because I wanted to piss Jen off even more or because I actually wanted to, but it felt pleasant nonetheless.

Finally, he pulled away and whispered, "Stay alive, pup."

I rolled my eyes and nodded. Yeah, dude, that's the plan.

Jen was looking at us angrily, and I smirked at her. She could never have what was mine.

"This is a fight to the death. Gifts are allowed to be used. The winner will be inducted as the Blood Luna, come the Blood Moon next week. You may begin." Cain spoke loudly and clear, and for a moment, not a single sound could be heard.

Without hesitating, I summoned a knife and threw it at Jen, aiming for her eyeball.

I thought that it was too quick for her to dodge, but she had disappeared before the knife reached her.

Suddenly, the back of my knee was kicked so hard it felt like the bone cracked.

Oof. That's that whole teleportation nonsense Cain was warning me about.

I whipped around, ignoring the pain in my knee, and sent a punch in her direction. My hit didn't land because she disappeared before I could make contact.

"You know the object of a battle is to hit the other person right," Jen's voice taunted from the other side of the ring. I snarled and summoned a sword, stalking towards her.

She teleported back to the other side of the ring once I got too close. "You know that my mother was originally from Blood Lake?"

Girl, fuck your mom.

I charged at her with the sword in front of me. She teleported once again to the other side. "She taught me the importance that Blood Lake puts on the women being submissive. She agrees that Alpha Cain deserves better and that you're destroying the pack." She teleported behind me and kicked me in the back. I stumbled, but didn't fall over. By the time I turned around, she was gone again.

On the other side of the ring, she reappeared. I mindlinked Gwen what I wanted her to tell Jennifer.

"She said: 'Tell your mom I'm coming to beat her ass too after I kill you'" Gwen laughed, as did some of the other pack members.

"Bold words for someone who can't land a hit right now," Jen smirked, and dodged a knife I sent her way.

I really had to find a way to incapacitate her long enough to kill her. She was incredibly annoying with her little disappearing act.

An evil grin overtook my face as I thought of an idea. I summoned a long whip. I cracked the whip once in her direction, causing her to teleport, and then swung the whip around in a wide arc that covered the area of the fighting circle. When she reappeared from her teleportation, the whip collided with her arm.

She cried out from the pain of the whip, and I cracked it again in her direction. She teleported again, but I was ready and swung the whip around in another circle, knowing that when she reappeared she wouldn't have time dodge it again.

As planned, the whip hit her this time on the side of the face.

Teleporting was obviously her only plan, because she didn't know what to do about my constant whippings. The whip hit her 4 more times until she fell to the ground.

"Why can't I teleport anymore?!" Jen wailed in a panic, trying to teleport and not being able to.

Gwen laughed out loud when I told her why. "The whip was soaked in wolfsbane. Wolfsbane blocks Gifts."

Jen's face fell, and I could hear her heart stammering. Every time I had hit her with the whip and broken skin, the wolfsbane that coated the whip had gone into her body. Eventually, it was enough to where she was too weak to access her powers.

Jen crawled to the edge of the ring, right by where Thane was standing. "Thane, help! She's going to kill me!"

Thane gently shook his head. "I warned you that you would not be able to take her on. This was your own doing, Jennifer."

I felt pleased knowing that Thane had believed in me the whole time. Even Cain wasn't too confident in my abilities. Maybe after this he would trust that I am not to be fucked with.

I bent down and grabbed Jen by the throat. I carried her by her neck back to the center of the ring, and then slammed her down into the ground. Blood pooled around her head.

Her eyes were fearful, and I relished in it. My canines descended, and I used them to rip a chunk of flesh out of her neck. She screamed, and the sound pierced through the night.

I summoned a knife, and cut out her tongue so she wouldn't be able to scream. Twinsies, I thought snidely.

She started coughing on her own blood, and I brought her on to her knees so she didn't die from that. I had a much better death planned for her.

"Since you want to fight like a coward, you will die a coward's death" Gwen spoke my words for me.

Jennifer was sobbing, and had to spit out the blood that filled her mouth every few seconds.

I summoned an axe, and her sobs got even louder. I could hear her trying to bed despite her lack of tongue.

I stood in front of her, holding the axe to the side of her neck as she continued to wail. I took a test swing, stopping the axe just before it cut her, and then did a real swing.

The axe cut through her neck like it was made out of butter.

Her head rolled to the floor as the rest of her body collapsed on to the ground lifelessly. Blood spurted out from her body all over my face and body.

The familiar rush I got from killing someone rushed over my body in a comforting wave.

Damn, I needed that.