Chapter 6-I Can't Lose
752 Words
Elara's POV
The clearing was so f*****g quiet I could hear my own heartbeat slamming against my ribs. Everyone held their breath like the world itself had paused.
Alpha Thorne leaned in just a fraction, close enough that his scent crashed into me again—that dark, warm, powerful smell that made my wolf twist inside with uneasy recognition. He didn’t say a word, but his silver eyes spoke loud and clear: ‘You are out of your league.’
I shifted my weight, dropping low into my fighting stance, knees soft, hands up, center of gravity locked. Every muscle remembered my father’s training. I was ready to fight for every scrap of my pride. Ready to bleed if that’s what it took to not end up belonging to him.
I threw the first punch.
He moved like it was nothing. Just a slight turn of his shoulders and my fist cut empty air. Rage burned up my throat. I spun and swung my leg hard at his side. He slid right, then left, dodging every strike without even breaking a sweat.
We started circling each other. His hand stayed casually behind his back, like he was taking a damn stroll. That pissed me off more than anything. I was already breathing heavier, sweat prickling my skin, and he looked bored.
I swung again. He dodged. I swung harder. He dodged.
The volcano inside me started boiling over. I clenched my hands tightly in anger and threw everything into the next punch. This time my knuckles crashed against his cheek with a solid crack.
Gasps ripped through the field like a wave.
For a split second, everything froze. Then the real fight exploded.
Thorne’s hand shot out. I ducked under it, driving my elbow straight into his back. The impact jarred up my arm, but he barely staggered. He turned, those cold silver eyes pinning me like blades.
“f*****g bastard,” I hissed under my breath. I let out a sharp cry and launched a high kick toward his face.
His hand snapped up and caught my leg mid-air.
The world tilted. He flung me sideways with terrifying ease. I twisted, hitting the ground rolling, and sprang back to my feet before he could close in. My breath came out ragged. His stayed slow and even, like this was a warm-up.
His men stood on the right with smirks plastered across their faces, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the show. My own pack on the left looked like they were suffocating. Pale faces. Wide eyes. My father’s shoulders were slumped like someone had already stabbed him.
I rolled my shoulders, flexed my fingers, and reset my stance. No more playing nice. I came at him with everything I’d learned—quick jabs, low kicks, spinning elbows, the brutal combos my father drilled into me since I could walk. I poured every bit of speed and skill into each strike.
He countered everything.
A block here. A sidestep there. His movements were calm, almost lazy, but they shut me down perfectly every single time. No matter how fast I changed angles or faked one way before striking another, he was already there.
I couldn’t lose to him. I wouldn’t.
Someone from his side whispered loud enough for me to hear, “Alpha seems to be enjoying this.”
“Yeah,” another answered with a chuckle. “This should’ve ended ages ago. He’s just letting her have her fun.”
The words lit a fire under my skin. Humiliation mixed with pure fury. I attacked harder, faster, fists flying. My boots dug into the damp earth, kicking up small clumps of mud. Sweat stung my eyes. My lungs burned.
“Fight back, you asshole!” I snarled. “Why are you going easy? You think I’m scared of you? Watch me beat your ass!”
I faked a hard swing at his face. When he moved to catch it, I drove my knee up fast and vicious, aiming right between his legs.
Shock hit me like ice water.
He caught my knee too.
His grip was iron. For one heartbeat our eyes locked—mine wide with panic, his still cold and unreadable. Then he swept my other leg clean out from under me.
The ground rushed up.
No!
I twisted desperately mid-fall, arms flailing for balance, heart shattering in my chest.
This couldn’t be it. I couldn’t lose like this. Not in front of everyone. Not to him.
I just can't…I can't lose!
- Writer
