Luna Athalia

12. Without a Fight

Athalia Marie Sylas

Athalia stood at the head of the Fighter Clearing, watching the crowd slowly pour in and volume increase as the challenge time grew closer. She wore a plain black bodysuit and black leggings, covered with a large tan overcoat that she kept belted around her waist. Her hair was pulled into a no-nonsense bun and a deep red lipstick that popped against her cream colored skin. Challenges such as these never called for formal attire, after all, the clearing itself was a packed dirt circle surrounded by risers. But she knew the importance of this event called for at least some professionalism. She would either walk away with a broken heart and a false mate or have to face the absolute political fallout of accepting Remy as the Alpha of her pack. Somehow, neither option seemed appealing.

She wished Eloise was there. Her best friend was visiting a neighboring pack, offering her witch expertise in another matter involving a rogue-turned-Omega. And no matter how many encouraging, advice-filled texts she received from her best friend, Athalia couldn't shake the feeling that she truly had no idea what she would do. But one piece of advice that did stick was the fact that she only wore one bracelet now.

"You may be relying on them too much right now, Lia." Eloise had cautioned during their phone call that morning, "I gave those to you to help manage your thoughts and emotions, not block them."

Athalia fought the urge to bite down on her lip as she fiddled with the single bracelet. Her anxiety was clambering in her chest, just enough to make her uncomfortable. But she knew she needed that to get her to think more like herself, instead of like a stoic Luna. It even seemed to sate Cecilia a bit, the wolf lurking in the outskirts of her mind in quiet observation.

As the pack completed their attendance, Athalia raised a hand for quiet, "Roaming Ember, we have gathered to witness the challenge presented by Remy Samuel Bell, Head Fighter of our pack, against your Alpha, Vincent John Reyes, for the title of Alpha."

At their mentions, the two emerged from the perimeter of the clearing, both adorned in plain white shirts and cargo shorts. They glowered at each other, their eyes black with anticipation. Athalia could not help but let herself take in the sight of her mate, whose determination shown so fiercely that she had to steel herself from swooning. Cheers erupted on both sides, the squeals of excited young she-wolves and shouts of each fighter's allies mixing in a ruckus.

"Where is she, Bell?" Vincent spat, hands curled into tight fists.

Before he could respond, Athalia spoke again, "The rules are standard. No shifting. No fatal attempts. No outside interference. If one wolf is unable to continue, he automatically resigns."

She inhaled sharply, watching the two with wavering hues, "Are you ready?"

"Last chance." Vince raised his fists, grounding his bare feet on the floor.

Remy shot a look towards his mate, who couldn't seem to evenly meet his gaze. He only nodded, "Ready."

"Begin!"

Vince lunged forward, fist ready to collide with Remy's squared jaw. But the Head Fighter eased sideways, dodging and ducking to place his own uppercut on the opposing male. Vince tensed, taking the blow but allowing his free hand to land squarely in Remy's gut. Remy sputtered, stumbling backwards before dashing forward into the towering muscle with another outstretched fist. The two exchanged blows back and forth, the sounds of cheers drowning the grunts of frustration and pain as each hit landed.

Athalia was doing her best not to cringe each time either of them were hit. Though Remy was her mate, she cared a great deal for Vince and hated seeing him get hurt. Remy was surprisingly holding up well against the Alpha. These rouses were usually settled quickly, but Remy didn't appear to waver even after a solid fist to his nose bloodied the front of his face and shirt. Both sides of the pack were rumbling with notice that Remy was taking blows better than he ever had. Some spat that Vince was holding back, that they knew he could do better. And Athalia had to agree. His moves were sloppier than normal, though just a heavy as ever. But more often than any of their previous fights, he would stumble off-balance or take easy shots from Remy that he normally could dodge.

Vince felt a surge of energy, finally seeming to accept that whatever Dominique and Remy had said to him was a lie. There was no fated mate to hold him back. They were just messing with him. Fueled by anger, both for his position and the unfair mate situation he faced, Vince slammed his foot into Remy's chest, knocking the air out the fighter as he spat from his bloodied mouth. Vince took the opportunity to sweep Remy into a headlock, the pair rolling along the dirt floor as Remy's face turned red with strain. This was a move that usually baited Remy into resigning rather quickly. But he caught Athalia's gaze, his blue eyes fierce with love as she carelessly mentally begged for him to keep going. Her fingers strained against her single bracelet, but its magic seemed almost nonexistent as she helplessly watched him struggle.

Just his consciousness began to fade, his fingers raising to tap the ground, a warcry erupted from just the other side of the packhouse. The entire crowd stiffened, their cheers petering out with fear and curiosity. It had only been two years since that noise echoed through their land, and the trauma of it seemed to chill every wolf to their cores.

Athalia took a step forward, hesitant as her eyes stared unblinking at the direction of the noise. Suddenly, a mass of half-turned wolves surged from both sides of the mansion, screams of Omegas within beginning to thud from the inside.

"Rogues!" Gamma Wilder screamed, pointing a finger as Roaming Ember's fighters and able-bodied members began shifting in reaction. Soon the grounds erupted in chaos, the meager 30-something rogue wolves who had been housed within the pack tore into their captors with an unforgiving aggression. They were out to kill.

"Remy!" Athalia screamed instinctively, losing sight of both her mate and her best friend in the fray. They were both bloodied and were not in any proper shape to fight, but she knew they would both try.

She whipped off her single bracelet, allowing Cecilia to take over. In truth, she had not shifted at all since her wolf awoke and had next to no training in fighting in this form. But Cecilia's instincts were just enough to barrel her way through the crowd. She chased down Remy's scent, leaping with outstretched claws at the three young male wolves that were snapping at her mate.

Remy Samuel Bell

He had shifted quickly, though the weariness in his bones and bloodied mouth from his fight were not helping against the three wolves that had ascended on him. He was barely conscious when the rogues surged and it took every ounce of his strength to summon Wren. Only the scent of his mate soaring above him as she tackled one of his attackers awoke his senses. Her wolf was captivating, fighting with a tough grace that seemed to shadow the fact that she had clearly never fought in this form. Remy would have reveled in the idea of training her if it wasn't for the bite to his side that sent him into a pained frenzy. He shook off the wolf, now more manageable with only two to face. There was a renewed vigor in him as he fought side-by-side with his mate and for a moment, he was positive they would get out of this with minimal damages.

That is, until a large wolf charged across the field, a spare limb falling from his jaws as he caught sight and smell of the Luna. Remy watched in horror as the rogue snapped an order to the young male to leave. He could practically hear the command in his voice; this was their leader. In a split second, the rogue descended upon his mate, growling fiercely as jaws clamped around her exposed neck, claws beginning to rake bloody trenches in her soft underbelly. Remy snapped the two young males' necks in blind fury, beginning to make his way towards Athalia's attacker. He could feel the thud of pawsteps matching his, glancing to the side and seeing the same rage-filled eyes of Vince's wolf. The two crashed into him, though his claws were so embedded in their Luna that she was propelled into their scuffle as the four bodies rolled through the dirt.

The rogue leader dropped Athalia's body like a doll, standing in front of her as the trio untangled themselves and squarely faced off. Remy opened his mindlink to Vince, though not a single thought registered before the Alpha charged once more. Remy growled a warning, but the two began fighting without so much as a breath. Vince was never one to think about his tactics, and usually his raw strength was enough to pull him through. But it appeared this enemy male was far superior in both and landed a heavy blow to the younger male's side that knocked him to the side. The sound of bones cracking filled Remy's ears.

He was antsy, he knew he couldn't take this rogue down. But the sight of his mate, who lay unmoving just behind the towering figure, forced him to act. He launched at his enemy, ready to tear into him the second claws touched fur. But he was met with air as the rogue ducked under, rising with a strength he had never felt before and flung him aside. His body slammed into one of the risers, the structure falling atop him and crushing him underneath. His consciousness was slipping faster and faster, his body unable to move under the metal beams and seats. Remy could not help but watch through the slats of the debris as the rogue male lifted his snout to the sky, a paw on the Luna's bloodied chest as he released a howl of victory. Soon, he was joined by his entire false pack, who had declared war on Roaming Ember and won once again.