This was it. I didn't think this would happen so soon. I don't know if I'm ready or not. I don't know if I'll win or not. Oh god, what if I do win? What would Jax's mother think? Would she hate me? Would she try to kill me for killing her mate? I'm sure she knows that one of us has to die, and either she loses her son or she loses her abusive mate. I know her human side would rather lose her abusive mate, but what would happen to her wolf? Would she die? Would she be given a second chance mate? I know it's a rare thing that happens, but I don't think many people get second chance mates. All I know is that if Jackson wins, Jax will kill him. Jax can't survive without his mate, he'll die faster. He's the next Alpha, and if he loses his mate he will kill everyone in his path of rage. I let out a breath and quickly linked Mary.

'Please don't hate me if I win.'

I then decided to quickly link my family and Jax.

'I love all of you. Please tell Daddy I love him too.'

I quickly blocked everyone out and focused on Jackson. I focused on his stance and tried to predict what his first move would be. We circled each other for a few minutes before he did decide to strike. He pounced and went right for my neck. I swiped at his belly and tucked and rolled to the other side of him. He growled in anger and turned back to look at me. I could see the rage in his eyes. I could see his eyes turn red from anger. I could see the blood starting to pool on the ground from under him. I could tell his wolf was in charge, and honestly, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. I could let Buttercup out as she is much stronger than I am. I quickly let her take control, but I make sure I am still able to see what is going on.

Jackson's wolf charged toward us and she dodged quickly and took a chance and bit his shoulder. She was trying to aim for his neck to end this quickly, but he had other plans. His wolf kicked us in the face with his rear legs and she let out a shocked whimper. Butter stepped back and shook her head and hissed at his wolf. The thick, red liquid dripped from his shoulder and down his leg. Lucas snarled at us and got into another fighting stance.

"Lucas, please! Stop!" I heard Jax's mother scream and realized she was talking to Jackson's wolf. Lucas roared at his mate and that made her sob more. Butter and I roared at him in return and ran toward a tree. We jumped into the air, pushed off the tree, and landed right on Lucas' back. Butter dug her claws into his back and started to bite his shoulders, back, and mostly, his neck. Butter created deep scratches in his back and jumped off before he could really hurt us. Lucas roared at us and started to circle us. Butter watched his movements and how his blood ran down his fur and onto the ground. She liked seeing the damage she had caused. And in all honesty, I liked seeing it too. He killed our mother, he tried to force Jax to mate with another female, he has disrespected me ever since he met me, and he deserves everything that is coming toward him. The only thing I feel bad about is that if I kill him, Mary will die. That is the one thing I will always regret. Lucas charged us unexpectedly and swiped our face and our side. Butter roared in pain and I hissed to myself. Even though she was still in charge, I could feel our shared pain, even if it is dulled down.

Butter turned to him and bared our fangs to him. He bared his fangs and we charged at one another and ended up on our hind legs scratching and biting one another. He got a good bite in on my leg and I got a good swipe at his underbelly, as well as a bite on his neck. It wasn't enough to kill him, but Butter got him good. There was blood running down the both of us, more so him rather than Butter and I. It pooled on the ground in puddles of dark red, and there were occasional bloody paw prints on the blacktop, the grass, and the trees from our fighting. Out of nowhere, Lucas swiped and got a part of our neck. It wasn't a direct kill, but I had a feeling in a few minutes if we didn't get some medical attention we would die. His wolf gave an evil grin and Butter hissed at him. A growl from Jax had distracted him as he turned to roar at his son. Jax growled back and Butter took her chance. She prowled around him silently and charged at him one more time.

Lucas looked at us and we saw the shock in his eyes. Butter knocked him over onto his back and went in for the kill. Butter locked her claws into his skin and Lucas swiped at our stomach. Butter roared before biting into Lucas' neck. She ripped out chunks from the front and both sides. Lucas tried to make noises, but she had ripped out his vocal cords.

**

Butter quickly got off of him so he would stop swiping at us. Lucas tried to stand but failed as he fell to the ground. He kept trying to get up, but he kept stumbling. He made a gurgling sound before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell for the last time. He laid on the ground before we all heard his final breath leave his body. His body then shifted back into his human form and Jax with tears in his eyes quickly put a blanket over his lower half. Butter had given me back control and I started to sway a bit. I put myself in a stance to where I wouldn't fall over. My head bolted upward when I heard Mary's cry. She was on her knees sobbing while staring at Jackson's lifeless body. She crawled over to his body and screamed into his chest. I could feel her pain through the pack link and it took my breath away. I could feel the slight pain that Jax was also going through, and it broke my heart. I was the reason why they were all crying. What am I to do? His father had challenged me. This was a fair fight. Oh my god, would Jax reject me? Would he actually leave me for this? I started to hyperventilate and I could feel myself start to sway again. I could also feel the lightheadedness hit me like a truck going one hundred miles an hour. I let out a small sound and fell to the ground. As I laid on the ground in my own blood, I saw Mary's mark disappear. My heart ached for her.

"Dakota!" I faintly heard my brother scream as he ran up to me. I slowly felt my soul leaving my body. Is this was it feels like in the beginning stages of death?

Sean picked me up and as soon as he did, I started to shift back into my human form. Layla quickly ran up to me with a blanket and was sobbing.

"Please don't leave us, Dakota!" Her voice also sounded very faint. I started to see stars and my body went limp as I couldn't support my own weight. Sean fixed my head so it was leaning against his shoulder and my father made his way over to me. I could feel my eyes starting to droop and I knew something was going to happen in the next few minutes.

"Please don't leave us. Don't leave us as your mom did." I heard the pain in my father's voice and my breathing became raspy and I was choking on my blood from my partially slit throat. Sean kneeled on the ground and held me properly. Destiny also joined us and started to sob too. I felt a few tears slip down my face as I looked at my family. I felt Butter become weak like me, and I don't blame her. She did most of the fighting. I looked over to Jackson's body and saw Mary, Jax, Kyle, and Jax's sister Angela, who I didn't get to meet yet. I started coughing and spitting up blood, and that was what got Jax's attention. His eyes went wide as he quickly ran over to me.

"No, no, no!" Sean let Jax take me from his arms so he could hold me. I felt the tingles and then I heard healers start running up to me.

"Please don't leave me, I love you. I want to have a family with you. Please, Dakota, please." Jax started to sob as I felt myself slipping away.

"I love you," I coughed up more blood before I continued.

"All of you," The healers took me away from my family and everything around me quickly went to black.