It's well over a week before I see the Lycan again, and my body almost attacks his when I catch the first glimpse of his delicious form. I manage to look away, to turn my back on his existence, and give myself a stern talking to as I feel his gaze across my needy body. I'd never received an explanation, and I didn't bother asking Valda to be a middleman for us. Besides, I had slowly been pulled into a back and forth game of "who can glare the hardest with the woman whose throat I wanted to puncture.

Valda had spent more time trying to keep me away from Mirinda than I'd spent staying away from my mate. My need for violence had not stopped growing since the feeling of rejection was caused by a certain silent male. Everyone had been strange lately. Russ spent less and less time with us throughout the week, and I'd caught him on more than one occasion whispering with Mirinda.

I did not like the thought of being plotted against, but my friend assured me the male was trustworthy. That he would never do such a thing, to me or this pack so I don't question it again.

Leslie had begun calling every day, her need to hear the drama one of my favorite things as I'd go on and on about the different pack members who'd either become overly warm to me or simply cold. She threatened them all, jokingly of course but she persisted with her attempts to bring me home.

One plan after another, she'd feed me as our escape routes were already set in her mind and I was even offered the option to bring Valda with us. The more I spoke of the Lycans I came in contact with, however, the more she seemed to be at peace with my being away. Other than the female and a few others, everyone had become adjusted to me and my once lonely existence within the pack had turned into me having invitations to every table.

I was never without a sparring partner, and none of them crossed a line or tried to kill me. Which was a relief.

Today was different, something inside of me ached with the need for a certain Lycans blood and the feeling of their life dissipating at my fingertips. One challenge after another that I could not make.

"She will have to come out and challenge you, in front of the pack, otherwise you will be responsible for any harm to her. If she asks for it, then it's her fault and Alpha cannot punish you." Valda had explained in full the only way I'd be able to end then woman, her fingers had moved expertly through my hair, and for the past week, she'd been doing different braids in my hair.

The word through the grapevine was that Alarik was spending more time in his office than usual, and after I'd moved most of my stuff into Valda's room a day after our lack of an argument he'd begun sleeping in his fur. I knew the female knew more than she was leading on, but I knew pushing her would get me nowhere when it came to that man. Her loyalty was strong.

Ever since I'd been told of how to get rid of my little problem I'd made it a point to give Mirinda a certain smile every time our paths crossed and after a few days it was apparent my plan had begun working.

She watched me spar, whether it be with a male or female she stood throughout the entire show and studied my movements. The issue, in her case, would be her lack of understanding of my ability to adapt. I didn't fight with a style, I fought according to the other person.

I found a weakness and exploited it. I gave them my strengths and made sure they knew they'd never beat them. Even Asger became a little flustered the last time I'd beaten him, the burly male glaring up at me like a chastised child.

"Just because you are a badass, doesn't mean you need to be a showoff about it," Asger mutters, wiping his shorts off as he stands from the grass. Valda giggles strangely behind me, her obvious crush sending my brows upwards and bringing a naughty smile to the male's face. "Do you like watching me lose, Val?"

The use of his favorite nickname for her has the cute charade dropping instantly, replaced with a murderous glare that finally brings the humor to me. It was my turn to laugh.

"Do you need back to back ass whooping's?" Valda snaps, sending me deeper into a fit of laughter that has my sides aching, and the red that tints Asger's cheeks pushes me further. Russ approaches us with a smile, one that I've decided to accept as genuine. If my friend trusted him, then so should I.

"Will we be watching you fight another female, Asger?" A low grunt is thrown in his direction and I note the sudden seriousness in the Lycans eyes as he looks over our new addition to the conversation. My eyes stray as I feel the beady eyes of a female asking for trouble on my back.

The once playful tone of the moment disintegrating as I turn to meet Mirindas gaze with a toothy grin. Silver eyes go black, and my grin widens with the realization of my win. I've finally gotten through to the beast; her low growl has every eye in the vicinity moving towards the two of us.

I raise one hand and motion with my middle finger for her to approach, and a sick sense of excitement travels through me when she listens. Such a good dog, this one is.

"Eira, what do you think you're doing?" The usually kind voice turns stone cold with the question, and I throw a glare at the Lycan I'd just deemed trustworthy. Asger puts a hand on Russ's shoulder and physically removes him from the circle that I am about to dominate. Perhaps cocky wasn't a great way to be, but if this female wanted a fight then she was about to get my best one.

Valda grabs me by both shoulders, making me face her for just a moment before resting her forehead against mine.

"Alarik is here." The words hold more weight than I had wanted them to, and as she moves away from me, I look around for his familiar frame. He moves towards us with a mixture of confusion and regret in his gaze, and everyone moves out of his path before they are run over.

My mate stops only a few feet away from me, but it feels like miles as my fingertips ache to move over his skin. To press my body into his, enjoy the feelings that come along with being so close to him but today I've never felt so far.

"Mirinda," I flinch at his use of her name, "did you challenge her?" Even while he speaks to the piece of trash he's allowed to live in his pack, those eyes do not leave me and for that I am thankful. I'd tear her head from her body if I even saw him take more than a glance in her direction.

I would enjoy every moment of her death, make him watch as I ended the life of one of his own. Then he would understand why my coming here had been a horrible idea in the first place. We were different monsters, with different needs. Our moral codes didn't line up, because he'd stopped himself from outright killing Ivan and even the male I'd been with when he first met me.

Me? I wanted to bathe in the blood of those he may find any sense of pleasure with. Anyone who thought of my male and saw anything more than their Alpha, because only to me would he ever be a mate.

My sudden blood lust frightens me a bit and I shake away the images of killing the female as I wait for her answer.

"Yes, Alpha Alarik. I will be challenging the vampire for her place as Luna." Oh, the woman has jokes, and I sure do laugh as she feeds the first one to us. Mirinda is not impressed with my sudden fit of laughter, but I was a tad impressed with her sudden gall.

"That is a position I haven't accepted yet, you do know, that right? If Alarik wants you, then he still has time to choose you over me." I turn back towards the Lycan with fire in his eyes, and the look has my core burning with desire. "Isn't that right, Alpha?" My mocking questions make him angry, and instead of replying to me, he moves out of the ring that had been created for this purpose.

How many had fallen before her in this spot? How many overzealous Lycans decided to piss off the wrong person? I'd love to know.

"No one is allowed to die." Those are Alarik's final words before he crosses over that white line and I'm left with the challenge I'd been dying to take.

I turn my eyes to the woman with too much confidence for someone who was about to have her ass handed to her, and by the glint, in her eyes, I could tell she did not know it. While she takes the time to take an exaggerated stance, I watch the way she bends her knees and wait for the first sign she is going to lunge. Her weakness is her anger, and I'm going to use her own emotions against her.

"I've found your Alpha likes my face the way it is, so keep your claws from the neck down yeah?"

That pulls her in, teeth extended as she jumps towards me and we roll to the ground. Her growls are that of an animal ready to kill, her body hovering above mine while the beast tries to break through human skin. I watch every move, the way she relies on her claws and teeth instead of her strength.

She reigns punches down onto me, hitting me everywhere there is an open mark and I manage to clench my teeth to hold back any sounds of pain. I needed to get the upper hand before the Lycan had a chance to stick those teeth in me. I go for the headbutt, knocking her off me effectively as I stagger to my feet and do my best to see straight.

Not the best strategy.

This time when Mirinda goes to lunge I kick her in the sternum, widen eyes show fear as she drops to her knees in pain. Valda would've taken that hit like a champ, and I laugh at the thought—out loud for all to hear.

"You're nothing," Mirinda spits blood from her mouth, eyes glaring daggers at me, "but a vampire whore. Anything Ivan did to you, or your disgusting family, was deserved."

I break.

Any semblance of control I've ever had in my centuries of being on this earth shatters and I'm on top of her trying to squeeze out the life. I can hear them yelling at me, everyone telling me to get off the female who's spoken the only words that would give me a reason to kill. I'm unstoppable as my goal turns from depriving her of oxygen to snapping her spine.

Alarik's hands grip my hair, pulling me from the female I want to end with more force than I'd expected, and I'm pulled against his hard chest. Canines sit against my throat, a threat, or a promise I am unsure.

"You shouldn't have done that, Eira." I kick and fight his hold, my bloodthirst turning into a miserable frustration as her words sink into me and I allow the thoughts of my past to overcome me. Alarik. "We need to talk." With that I'm no longer in his arm, instead, I'm being dragged across the hard Earth in the direction of a familiar object.

How could something so Holy, be used for such a horrific purpose. My determination to win this battle falters, all thoughts of the woman I was trying to kill leaving me as I dig my fingers into the dirt and try to stop him.

"What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" The pain in my voice stops him, the fight between his skin and fur showing in those darkened eyes. One hand is wrapped around my throat, the other remaining entangled in my hair as he pulls me closer and sneers before me. I whimper and he notices.

"I've heard a lot of talks today, a lot of accusations that come from very trustworthy sources and I must say I hadn't expected them to be true. But you trying to kill one of my pack members, like a wild animal?" Closer, further off the ground, he brings me, and I hiss with the pain it causes. Alarik is shaking, rage radiating from his body as he tells me about the sins I'd unknowingly committed. "You don't get to plan an attack on my people and get away with it."

I'm being dragged once more, my hands finding the one gripping me by the mane and trying to make him release me. Valda and Asger are trying to stop him, begging him to explain and telling him he's making a huge mistake—I notice immediately that Russ is not among the Lycans trying to defend me.

Stage an attack? What was the male even talking about?

We don't make it to the wooden throne I feared I would be put against. Instead, I'm brought to the side of the structure leading up to it where a long whip sits—ready to be used. Alarik was going to...beat me? I should be screaming, trying to defend myself when he throws me down and puts plenty of space between us. I don't. His lack of trust in my actions causes a different kind of a pain in my chest, one that mirrored the kind I'd felt when he'd done everything but reject me the other night.

I bare my teeth and spit at his feet.

"Do your fucking worst." My lack of reaction gives him pause, and with every breath I know he's struggling to choose between what he believes and what he's been told.

Asger grabs the murderous object before his Alpha can, holding it away from him as the Beta stares angrily at the man he's followed for so long. The sense of loyalty from this male brings me peace, as the confusion continues swirling around us all. Alarik has had a little, lying birdie in his ear—and he believes every word. Without questioning his mate.

"You can't do this to our Luna without an explanation." Valda steps beside the male. I try not to notice the shaking in both of their hands, the way they are fighting not to bend down for the Alpha before them—I've never been prouder.

"Let him do it, let him put one more nail in the coffin he calls our love." My mate turns back to me, fire blazing behind eyes that cannot stay one color and I can tell he wants nothing more than to dig those teeth in my neck. To force me to submit to his will as I mock him with the one thing he's wanted for so long.

The one thing I was planning on finally giving him.

Alarik bends down, still towering over me with his large frame as those fingers reach out slowly. I flinch away, not wanting to be touched by someone who still plans on causing me harm. One sucked in breath after another, struggling to contain himself as those canines extend and he watches my face for a reaction.

"You are accused of being a traitor to your future pack. Late-night calls to plan the invasion, and slaughter of my people. Russ came to me over a week ago to tell me about the betrayal, but I didn't believe him at first. Now, however, I have seen you try to take the life of someone under my protection unprovoked and my opinion has been swayed. That is your explanation, now do you have one of your own?"

Instead of responding I turn towards the wolf I was supposed to trust, the one who played me like a fiddle and now had his arms wrapped around the woman I'd just tried to kill. I smile at him, throwing the confident look from his face as I laugh loudly. Amused by such a messed-up situation. Everyone is staring at the vampire sitting in the dirt, beating her hands into the Earth as she laughs for what feels like forever.

"Other than his word, do you have proof? Do you have anything to justify what you plan on doing to her?" Asger still has the whip clenched in his hand as Valda steps towards the male I'd been so entranced by in the beginning. I'd always thought the big Lycan was stubborn, arrogant and over the top agitating—but I never thought he was stupid until today. He growls at her questioning, making the Beta pull her towards him protectively. I watch the scene unfold with a crazed look in my eye, waiting to see how these events would play out.

He wouldn't believe me if I told him I was innocent. Not that I blame him, but it still hurt.

"What reason does Russ have to lie?" His question has my body shaking with amusement, the darker side of me coming out to play as I enjoy his lack of sensibility.

"A pretty, spread pair of legs and few choice words. Your Lycans are so easily persuaded, can't you see?" My question makes Alarik snap his head towards the pack, only now noticing the woman who'd been weeping not too long ago smiling in the arms of my accuser. I can see the question in my mate's eyes, understanding that my defense did have ground to stand on but he doesn't give up easily.

He's assaulted his mate in front of the pack for accusations he now sees may be false, he will need proof. Something I won't be working to hand over. If Alarik wanted to bring the whip down on my body then so be it, I'd been through worse at the hands of his old friend. What could he do to me, that had not been done already?

"That is a bold statement." His only response, as if throwing me around had not been bold. I raise one brow in his direction and finally get to my knees, hiding the nervous energy moving through me as I spread my arms wide and stare at him.

"You've already deemed me guilty, Alpha. Let's get this show on the road."

I don't agree with my own words, but I know there is nothing I can do to persuade him to my side. I do, however, feel the need to reassure the other Lycans. Something inside of me didn't want them to hate me, to think I would ever put them in danger after the kindness most of them had begun showing me, so I turn towards them.

"Thank those of you who've worked hard to make me more comfortable here and know that I would never put any of you in harm's way. Whether I leave this pack or not, I will never wish or bring any sense of trouble to you because you took me in and treated me like one of your own when you didn't have to. For what it matters, I've come to care for you all."

I look at every single Lycan standing around us, some of them let out their worried breaths and relax as they see the truth in my eyes while others nod. Most of them did not doubt my innocence, and yet my mate did.

"Your innocence is seen." One after another they repeat that phrase, each Lycan dropping to their knee and bending their necks to me. Showing me their trust and acceptance and making a knot of emotions rise in my throat. I hold back a round of tears, even in the face of pain I hadn't flinched but the thought of being believed by these creatures brought about a round of feelings I had not expected.

When I look back at Alarik, I can see the realization sinking into him as the two Lycans who'd put him against me take a defensive stance. His first move in their direction is stopped by Asger's hand on his shoulder.

A determined look in his eyes.

"Do you admit you are wrong?" It's a soft question, one spoken gently as it would bruise anyone's ego...especially the Alpha of all Alphas. A single nod is given, a hard swallow and the bending of a leader's spine in the understanding of his mistake. "We demand punishment to the one who put hands on our Luna."