Valor had to kill him. It was the only way he could win the challenge and the fact that Valor seemed to not be nervous at all had me freaking the hell out.

While Colton was in the yard stretching and hyping himself up, Valor was sitting across from me at the table.

Eating a slice of fucking cake.

"What are you doing?!" I asked as he finished the last bite.

"Enjoying myself." He said with a grin.

"You don't even eat food." I said.

"Not for sustenance, but I can for taste." He said.

"How are you so relaxed?" I asked.

"You haven't seen Valor in combat. He is confident for good reason." Pierre said.

Valor stood up as Alexander walked in.

Valor walked out with Alexander, Pierre and I glancing at each other before we hustled outside.

I had faith in Valor, but I still didn't want him hurt and the anxiety of the entire situation was eating away at me.

"He's going to be fine." Giselle insisted, my mother gripping my hand as she tried to comfort me.

I saw Valor standing across the clearing, looking as poised and calm as could be.

Colton paced back and forth, eyes blazing as his father hooted expletives and words of encouragement.

I blinked as the horn commencing the start rang in my ears. This was really happening.

I watched Valor take a step forward and then he was a blur, his movements so fast my eyes struggled to keep up.

All I heard was the sickly cracking of bones, a loud growl and then it went silent, Valor dropping the lifeless body at his feet, stepping over it casually.

I was stunned. Valor's power and fluidity was like nothing I had ever seen before and by the looks of everyone's faces they hadn't seen something that impressive either.

Valor walked towards me, ignoring the shouts of Colton's father, Valor's facial expression looked torn.

If anyone had ever doubted Valor, there was no doubting him now.

I knew he'd be powerful, but this was unlike anything I'd ever seen before.

Valor kissed my head, continuing to walk past me and toward the tree line where he disappeared.

"What's wrong with him?" I whispered.

"Valor doesn't like to kill." Giselle said quietly.

Despite everyone wanting me to join them inside I decided to go for a walk myself. By the time I circled the territory and came back to my cabin, I could smell Valor, his scent lingering in my house.

I saw him planted on my couch, laying across it horizontally.

"Valor?" I whispered quietly, his eyes opening as I called him.

"Willow." he whispered, his smile small, but there.

I took my boots off, sitting myself on Valor's lap as I curled into his chest.

"Do you remember how it happened?" I asked quietly.

His hands snaked around me, one holding me against him, the other playing with my hair. He didn't have to ask what I meant. He knew.

"It was actually Giselle. She created me. She and Pierre were hunting and they came across me in the woods. I was hiking and had been attacked by another vampire. Giselle didn't want to let me die. I'll never forget it. She put her wrist against my lips, all it took was a drop, and it was like something took over me. The taste was so foreign and then every part of me hurt, I felt like I was on fire and then when I woke up I was this." He said quietly.

I went to speak, freezing at the sound of my window being hit.

Valor and I were up in a second, the sound of glass shattering had my wolf on edge, ready defend ourselves and our mate if needed.

I could smell the scent of blood. Human blood.

And then I saw them. Three males. All vampires, all staring directly at me.

Valor backed me against the door, positioning himself in front of me.

"Run." He whispered to me.

"I'm not leaving you." I said.

"You saw what I could do. They drink human blood. They will be even more lethal. You won't last a second in here. I need you to go get Pierre and Giselle. If you want us both to walk away from this. Go. As fast as you can." He hissed.

The look he gave me shut me up, fear and adrenaline coursing through me as I flung the door open behind me, running as fast as my human legs allowed. I was on the brink of my shift when I was hit from the side, a hard body sending me flying back into the icy snow.

I growled, the man above me laughing as he easily overpowered me, his vice grip on my wrist pinning them at my sides.

I struggled as bent down, running his tongue over my pulse, hissing as he smiled.

I screamed as he bit down on my shoulder, pain blossoming as he held me down. I managed to bring my knee up, catching him between the legs and shoving him off me as I found my way out from under him, but his speed was far greater than mine, his strength outdoing my own as he gripped my waist, tugging me to the ground as he ripped my pants off.

I realized what he was trying to do and I growled against him, his laugh sounding at my pathetic attempts at trying to get away.

He gripped me by the neck, ripping my shirt from me and his his fangs sinking into the flesh at the nape of my breast.

I couldn't breathe, pain flooding my body and my consciousness hanging by a thread as he sucked the life from me in more than one way.

I stared up at him, unable to move, paralyzed with fatigue and blood loss. The last thing I saw was his head being torn from his body, blood spattering across my face, making me blink slowly as the bitter taste of iron on my tongue shocked my senses.

The last thought I had was of what the man above me had just done to me, for his blood was now on my tongue and now I knew.

All it took was the bite and one drop and it was like someone had lit a match against my skin because I was on fire and that was the last thing I felt before my body gave into the darkness.