TBMA [Complete ✔️]

15. Truth

Knox's P.O.V

I was on my feet before the digits of the clock could switch to four. It had become a routine of mine to go for a run at the exact same time each morning, my body used to the wake-up hour, however, today everything seemed tense. Today, there was more to it than there ever had been. Today was life or death not only for me but for Rosalie too and I'd be damned if I let my mother watch her children also die at the hands of her mate.

It's not only life or death but also about avenging and taking revenge. There was too much at stake today, all on my shoulders, and there would be too much on my shoulders daily if I were to come out of the challenge alive. And I would, my wolf and I both knew it.

We ran through the forest, through the now painfully familiar paths, dashing between trees, thoughts more jumbled than they ever had been. After reaching the cave, Kane gave me back control, letting me shift back into human form. I continued to go about my routine, jumping in the freezing lake and hoping the pain of it, even if only at the beginning, would give me enough strength to collect my thoughts and set my goals straight before I had to head back.

Minute by minute dragged by and went, never to be lived again. They died and were wasted in worries about a life I very well could lose today.

"You won't." My wolf grumbled. "We've both trained for this. Now, go fight for our pack and win the damn challenge!" Something about his words made the fire in my veins kick, made the memories of his a***e and betrayal to his family more and more clear in my mind until rage and thirst for revenge were all I could feel, until my blood was fuelled by it with no other extinguisher but the end of his life.

I sneaked a glance at the watch I had left with my non-workout clothes before I joined the rest in training, knowing Rose would be down any second to kick everything into motion. Esteban was currently in an urgent meeting for payments he was late in making due to his inability to sort funds. He hadn't joined training yet, which meant the meeting wasn't going too well, luckily for us. Not paying already underpaid wolves could mean only one thing - they'd be more prone to taking him down and listening to what we had to say.

And that's when I heard her descending down the stairs, her heart racing as she did so. Not long after, my sister, dressed in jeans and an elegant top in blue, the colour of truth and confidence, stood in front of the training grounds, all wolves whipping their heads around to see what she was doing down here during the male's training time.

She looked towards me, her gaze holding more questions than I could answer. They asked if I was ready, if we were really doing this, whether we'd be able to do this, whether I was sure, but all I could provide her was a slight nod, one, that I hoped would go unnoticed by most.

"May everyone please gather around?" She said, attempting to make her voice sound firm and confident when, in reality, even I could tell it was already shaking. Every wolf around me, training or not, gathered in a circle around her, including the females I'd had her call over before she came. A hint of a deadly smile flashed through my face before I pushed through and stood in the middle of the formulated crowd, every wolf that wasn't a pup, elder, or Esteban, murmuring amongst themselves as they waited for Rosalie to continue.

She took a deep breath and glanced at me one last time before addressing everyone.

"I want to start off by thanking everyone for their support and respect throughout the years, and wanted to let you know how much I appreciate it." The wolves looked at each other, the whispers and murmurs intensifying. I had no doubt he'd be alerted soon, so I hoped she'd be able to keep it short. "I haven't been completely honest with you. I've kept a huge secret for many years that has become too heavy for my brother and me to keep on our own."

As the crowd became even louder, Rose's voice became smaller, quieter. Her lower lip trembled and her hands, even when tucked into her pockets, shook underneath the pressure.

"My mom, the late Luna's passing was not what you all think it was and it wasn't at all what your Alpha has made you believe it was."

"Stop defending him, he's a monster!"

"We don't wanna hear excuses!" Were only some of the things I heard yelled as the wolves began to walk away, Rosalie stepping in before I could.

"Stop it!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, surprising even me. "I am standing in front of you, willing to let you in on something that might get me killed, I'm taking accountability for actions that were never mine, to begin with, and I'm standing here trying to talk about my mother's death without breaking apart, so you will at least listen before you make your accusations!" She composed herself for a moment until everyone circled us again.

I could see her facade crumble bit by bit, threatening to ruin my plan. If she were to fall apart now, we'd all suffer for it. I kept my mouth shut and my fists at my side, knowing neither harsh words, nor fists would help either situation.

"I'd hear my parents argue a lot when I was younger." She began, needing another deep breath before she could continue. "I'd sometimes hear things smashing and mom cover bruises but I was too young to put the pieces together. Knox would mainly keep me away from everything whenever mom couldn't, but..." A tear streamed down her face and my nails dug into my skin, both of us recalling memories neither of us wanted to.

"But I still knew something was wrong. Later, I learned your Alpha was planning to trade me off for my abilities, ensuring more warriors and territory for the packs, thus the arguing between him and mom." Gasps left a few of the she-wolves' mouths, but luckily we had everyone's attention. "The first time I physically saw what caused mom the bruises was the morning my own father tried to sneak me out of the pack house." Rose wiped her tear-stained cheeks and collected her breath before speaking again.

"Mom tried to fight him for me, but he hit her. Again and again. I was shielded from the view by Knox's back, even when father threw shards of glass towards it, blaming him for her death simply because he wasn't man enough to face the consequences of his actions." I shut my eyes tightly, trying to get rid of the images flooding my brain.

"I may not have seen things go down, but I saw the aftermath. I saw the blood and the destroyed room and I saw my brother's state. I heard every grunt of pain, I heard your beloved Luna's last breath." She slowed down, tearing her eyes from the crowd to look at the soil beneath her feet. To give herself a moment.

A broken sob left her lips as she remembered.

"I heard my mom's screams before she died at the hands of her own mate." The looks on their faces told me they believed us. They felt her death again along with us. And though I'd shut my feelings off a long time ago, the things I felt for my mom and her cruel ending never truly left along with the rest.

"So, tell me!" My sister raised her head and stared into every wolf's eyes. "Tell me, do you want a murderer for an Alpha? Do you want someone who doesn't cherish his mate, who trades his daughter, and who forced his pups to listen to their mom scream at the brink of death, to lead you?" Her voice was coated with anger I had yet to hear from her, but didn't hate. For once she was showing some sort of personality rather than trying to fix everyone else's.

"Tell me, do you still want to blame my brother, who suffered more than any of you will in a lifetime, do you still want to blame a twelve-year-old for losing his mom? Or would you stand with us as we fight to protect this pack from him, who's slowly destroying it?"

I watched as one by one, all the wolves kneeled, I watched as every emotion from betrayal, to guilt, to anger, crashed into them with such force I was afraid they'd collapsed. I felt the change happen, felt their hatred towards me diminished and their hatred towards their Alpha grow to a power Esteban could not defeat.

The next few minutes felt like walking through a thick fog and not knowing whether you'd make it out, and flowing above your own body all at once. The overwhelming shift in emotions, the chants for the previous Alpha to die, and those for me to take over piercing the air all felt like a blur I drifted out of as soon as Esteban appeared, furious.

His wolf was fighting for control, claws half out, eyes dark with hatred.

"All of you will pay for this betrayal!" He promised darkly, his ego deflecting when everyone stood in front of Rosalie and me, shielding us from him and letting him know they no longer stood by him, no longer needed, nor wanted, him to lead them. "Form a straight line and shut up!" He commanded, fury turning into range when not one wolf complied.

"Now!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, proving to anyone, who had an ounce of doubt, we were telling the truth about who he really was.

Insane. Wicked. A monster.

I stepped forward, the pack members creating a line for me to pass through.

"I, Knox Benjamin Gray, hereby challenge you, Esteban Leonardo Gray, for the title of Alpha to the Blood Moon pack!" As soon as the words left my mouth, Esteban burst out laughing, bringing himself to tears with hysteria.

"You?" He laughed. "Challenging me?" He shook his head, unamused. "Not valuing our life, are we, dear son? Or may I remind you I've taught you everything that you know and am ten times the warrior you'll ever be?" I simply smirked, keeping my voice deadly cold.

"We'll see about that."

Not ten minutes later we were in the duel area, Rosalie anxiously biting her nails as she stood at the front, Beta Zaria holding her hand and glaring at the wolf she still had to call Alpha.

Not for long.

"You've got this!" My sister mouthed, though I knew she wasn't entirely sure of it. If she was, she wouldn't be shaking, nor would she be fidgeting and picking the skin off her fingers as if her own life was on the line.

Despite that, I felt a tremendous amount of support from everyone, even if five years too late. They broke a boy who had just lost his mother, they took out on him something that should have never been blamed on a twelve-year-old in the first place and made his life hell because of it, and though that boy has long since died, the wolf still remembers. I doubt the wolf would ever forget.

"The rules are simple - fighting is allowed in both forms, and both parties fight until one of them is defeated or taps out. Fight to the death and let the stronger wolf lead!" Esteban's Gamma announced, giving me a curt nod to announce his support.

At least one thing was clear, should Esteban win this, he'd have no one to lead.

"May the fight begin!"

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! I know the cliffhanger is kind of mean, but I hope the next chapter will make up for it!