Mark of the Goddess

Chapter 11 - A Battle for Love

Tesla’s POV

No one other than a Silverblood calls me ‘Betrayer’. I recognize her face, but after years of forcing those memories to leave my mind have left my memory blank. I knew she had to be one of the Silverblood kids who had been placed in other packs after its destruction. 

“Your Silva asked you a question,” Eldwin’s voice boomed through the silence. She knew that I either knew her name or that she would lie. Jokes on her, I can’t recall much of the names and faces from when I was younger. My dreams even give me blank faces. She looked like she was going to pop a gasket as she tried to find a way out of a situation that she had created. She stood up straight and fixed her hair. Staling much.

“I, Amelia Silverblood, challenge my sister, Tesla Silverblood, for not just her title as Silva, but for her mate.” My heart sank. No. Now it all began to rush back. Her face and name bringing forth the old memories of how she used to torture me when I was a child. I couldn’t help but hold onto Eldwin’s shirt. 

“How dare you?!” Eldwin snarled. 

“You’re a f*****g Silverblood?!” L.J.'s voice started. Then voices behind me began to yell and scream at her. 

“As by law, Tesla has to accept or forfeit,” Amelia said with a smirk on her face. I remember those laws. I could never forget them. Those were drilled into my brain as a child. It works in a similar way with the lions. Once challenged, the one who has been challenged has to accept or forfeit. If they accept, then the battle will commence immediately with as many witnesses as possible. The more eyes there were the less likely one was to cheat. If the one challenged forfeits they are banished from the territory and if they return they can be killed immediately or placed into the dungeons. 

Once the battle starts, it’s a battle to the death or until someone ‘taps out’. I think that second bit was put into effect a few centuries ago. I can’t be sure. If the person ‘taps out’ then the alpha can decide on whether or not to banish them or give them a second chance. As much as I would love to see my sister die by my own hands, I didn’t like killing people. This wasn’t just about me though, this was about my new pack. My mate. 

“You can’t do that!” L.J. almost roared. “The Goddess placed them together! You would really put your selfishness over someone else’s safety?” 

“She hasn’t marked him. Now has she, pussycat? He hasn’t marked her. Just because he stuck his d**k into her doesn’t mean a damn thing. Isn’t that right, Tesla?” Amelia scoffed without looking at L.J. What is she up to? Does she know about my first mate? Is she trying to place doubt into Eldwin’s mind?

 I looked over at him and gave him a reassuring smile. I focused and recentered myself. 

“I, Tesla Silverblood, accept your challenge. I fight not just for my mate, but my future pack.” The coronation of me becoming the pack’s Silva doesn’t begin until tomorrow, but regardless, I felt like I belonged here and I wasn’t about to let my past haunt me here. I had to show who I truly am. I had to show them that I already love them all. That I am nothing like her or the rest of the Silverbloods. Amelia smiled as she walked past me. Bumping my shoulder. It felt sharper than it should’ve been, considering that she wasn’t that skinny. I shrugged it off and turned towards Eldwin. His eyes were staring daggers at Amelia. 

“Tesla, I’m so sorry. I was not aware of her being a Silverblood. My father placed juveniles from the Silverblood pack into random packs in hopes that they could grow out of the Silverblood traditions,” Eldwin’s eyes looked down at me with pain in his eyes. I couldn’t help but cup his cheeks as I shook my head. 

“It’s alright. Really. It’s about time I face a part of my past,” I said forcing a warm smile. 

“Are you sure about this, Tes?” L.J.s voice cut in as he moved to my side. I nodded to him. 

“I’ll be alright. I think I can handle her now,” I say as my body betrays me and begins to shake. 

“We can try to work around this, Tesla,” Eldwin said in almost a whisper as he placed his forehead against mine. I smiled at him. 

“How chivalrous of you,” I giggled. “But this is law. You know that.” I lifted my lips to his. Kissing him with all the love I could ever offer. I pulled away reluctantly and made my way to the circle the pack made with their bodies. Amelia stood in the middle looking at her fingernails, acting like she was bored. As I stood to face her, Eldwin spoke. 

“By law, the challenge will commence until one is left standing. Whether by death or by forfeit. Challengers can not pack link to outside sources for help. If someone is caught cheating, then the battle will immediately stop and the cheater will be punished. You may choose to fight as your wolf or as you are. Let the battle begin!” 

~~

L.J.’s POV

I looked at Amelia as she shifted into her wolf. Her fur matching the jet black hair she once had and a white diamond donned her chest. She snarled at Tesla. Tesla didn’t falter. She has been in many battles with the lionesses. Hopefully those experiences will be her advantage. I could tell that it took everything Eldwin had to not just stop this whole nonsense. However, I feel like Tesla needed this. Not just to prove herself once again to the wolves but to herself. I watched her close her eyes. Something we were taught as teens. Focus on what is to come and not what is there. Meaning, that our other senses would be easier to use to dictate an enemy's attacks. 

“Why isn’t she shifting?” Eldwin whispered in a low growl, as Amelia began to circle Tesla. She made a few fake jumps at Tesla to test her reaction. True to her training, Tesla didn’t flinch. 

“Just wait, Eldwin. She was trained by the best wolves as a child. She was trained by our finest lionesses in Sunstone. If there’s one thing she’s good at, it’s this,” I whispered to Eldwin. I watched Amelia’s movements, she wanted Tesla to make the first move. Looking at Tesla, I could tell something was off. She was sweating. She never broke a sweat in training, so why is she now? Perhaps her childhood memories were starting to creep into her mind? This was a very different battle. This was against a woman who used to torture her as a child. Tesla’s hand began to tremble. 

That’s when Amelia made her move. Tesla just barely dodged her attack and flipped backwards, shifting into her wolf form. Her wolf has always amazed me. However she was looking a bit off. Her stance was different and her legs trembled. 

Come on, Tessy. Get a grip on yourself. I thought to myself. Amelia went to attack Tesla but was met by her canines. Tesla bit into Amelia’s chest and shook her head. Amelia howled in pain, before scratching and clawing at Tesla’s side. Tesla swung her head and threw Amelia down on the ground hard. There was a loud CRUNCH sound that erupted in the silence. Tesla’s head was hanging low and blood dripped from her mouth. Her eyes, though, were drooping. No. Something isn’t right. Tesla is always alert and fully focused on the battle at hand. She can’t be tired after only a few minutes into a battle. I leaned over to Eldwin. 

“Something isn’t right,” I said as I glanced at him. 

“I know. I can feel it. Tesla’s in pain.”

~~

Tesla’s POV

What is wrong with me? I can barely hold up my head. Everything is starting to become blurry. My arms and legs won’t stop shaking. I felt canines pierce my neck and fling me towards the edge of the circle. It took a bit for me to get up as I heard Amelia snapping her jaws at me. I knew what she was doing. She was making all this drag out. To torture me once again. To torture my mate. I forced myself to my paws, just in time to dodge Amelia’s attack. I lost my footing and slid onto my face. What? My left arm. It’s numb?

 I forced myself up and heard her approach. At least my ears weren’t affected yet. Once I heard her paw get closer I turned and latched onto her throat. She tried shaking me off. Slamming my body into the ground over and over, but somehow I managed to hang on. My vision faded almost completely. I squeezed my jaws tighter on her throat. Hearing her wheeze for air. She stood over me with my legs beneath her. I began to breathe quickly through my nostrils as I forced all my strength into my back legs and scratched at her. 

Something the lionesses had shown me unintentionally during their training. She snarled and growled above me and lifted me up. She stood on her hind legs and then brought me down on my back. With the sudden force that pierced through my back, I let her go so I could get more air to fill my lungs. Blood spurting from my mouth. She stood over me with a paw on my throat. I managed to see her hazy dark frame. Her eyes. They were glowing an ugly green. The same color eyes that alpha Varg had, but she didn’t look anything like a Varg. I saw her shift. Feeling her slender figure lean down close and I waited for my opportunity.

“How’s that wolfsbane, b***h?” she whispered. Wolfsbane. Something that is more deadly than pure silver. Wolfsbane causes internal bleeding and silver prevents us from healing. Wolfsbane causes a werewolf to not be able to shift, no matter what form they were in. The wolf dies slowly while it’s still awake. I’ve heard the horror stories from my first trainer. “I have missed watching you squirm beneath me, baby sister. Once I’m done with you, I’m going to take what I’ve been working for.” I snarled and grabbed her hair. Flinging her from me. I rose to my feet slowly but felt like I was going to puke. Sure enough I did, but it wasn’t food. It was blood. I coughed as I forced myself to walk towards Amelia’s human form as she coughed from the impact. I refused to give in to her. Not this time. Not like I did as a child. I will die before I let her take any of these amazing people from me. 

“Enough!” A voice boomed. I stopped in my tracks. “This battle is done!”

“It’s not done until she forfeits or dies!” My sister snarled, not even looking up at the figure that approached. 

“We have a cheater in this battle,” Naomi said as she walked towards me. I refused to faint or show any more weakness than I already have. “Amelia Silverblood!” Amelia rose her head and immediately froze in fear at the Alpha Queen. “You will be placed in the dungeons until further notice.” I kept my stance. I refused to move. 

“On what grounds?!” Amelia whimpered, playing innocent. 

“For suspicion of cheating,” Naomi said in a cold tone. “Take her away please!” 

“What?! Wait! NO! I did nothing wrong!” Amelia screamed as several warriors surrounded her. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I felt like I was going to be sick again. It was getting harder to breathe. 

MOON! Skald and Tally’s voices filled my head as I felt them gently lick at my cheeks. 

“Tesla, shift so I can carry you to the infirmary,” Eldwin said softly. I didn’t want to move. I was afraid that if I did then I wouldn’t be able to get back up. 

“Please, Tesla,” L.J. said as he used his ‘big brother’ voice. I saw Naomi kneel down in front of me. 

“It’s alright, Silva. We will not think you are weak. Let us take care of you.” Her voice was soft and sweet, but it still had a tint of her alpha voice. I closed my eyes as I tried to shift. I couldn’t. My body felt like stone. I gurgled out a whine. 

“Try again Tes,” Eldwin’s words were pained and worried. I hated that sound in his voice. I growled as I lowered my head, willing myself to shift. It still didn’t work. I snarled in frustration. Triggering my stomach to push more blood out of my mouth. 

“Silva! Silva!” the chants of encouragement filled my ears. I took labored breaths as I turned to Eldwin. Pleading him to allow me to walk on my own. He got the hint and shifted into his wolf form. L.J. shifted into his lion form and they both supported my weight as they led me away from the training grounds. I saw blurs of people walking beside us. I could tell that they were cheering for me and were giving me words of more encouragement, but I couldn’t comprehend the words. 

Moon! No die!! I heard Tally and Skald cry out through the pack link. 

Not. Yet. I managed to tell them. I’m not dying after I have finally found happiness. Not after finding my mate, who loves me for who I am, no matter where I came from. I’m not leaving my future pack to pick up broken pieces of my mate. Then suffering at his broken heart. 

My paws began to drag on the ground as I forced them to work. Move! I snarled to myself. I could only smell the sweet iron scent of my own blood. I stopped moving as I lost feeling in my paws. Thanks to L.J. and Eldwin, I was still standing. It’s my turn to give them all words of encouragement. There were soft whimpers from Skald and Tally, as well as Eldwin. L.J. purred lovingly beside me. I couldn’t help but smile at all the love everyone gave me. Even if I felt I was undeserving. 

I lifted my head and howled. Telling them that everything is ok. That I loved them all and I will always be here. I heard howls begin to ring in my ears as others joined me. I heard my human voice singing. I do not know what I am singing. I felt as if it wasn’t just my voice coming from my throat. Those sounds brought me so much joy that tears began to sting my eyes as my world faded to darkness. 

~~