Bound By The Alpha’s Curse

Chapter8

CHAPTER 8

MIRA

I hated the sound of that. A duel where he wouldn't hold back was basically a death sentence for someone in my position, but I knew I had no other choice if I wanted to stay. If this was the only way to prove myself to him and stop being the pack's punching bag, then I was going to do it. I looked him right in the eyes and agreed to the duel, and I could see the flicker of something like surprise in his gaze before it turned back to ice.

I reached out my hand to seal the deal, and when Lucian took it, he didn't just shake it. He yanked me forward with a sudden, violent strength that sent me stumbling into his chest, and he leaned down until our faces were almost touching. I could feel the heat radiating off his skin and the smell of him was making my head swim, but his expression was nothing but a threat.

"You can back down right now, Mira," he said, his voice a low growl that vibrated against my lips. "I’m telling you this for the last time. If we step into that pit, I am not going to go easy on you again. I will break you if I have to.".

I didn't flinch, and I didn't pull away. I stared right back at him, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst through my ribs, but I kept my voice steady.

"I backed down once because of you, Lucian," I whispered, the memory of leaving ten years ago stinging like a fresh wound. "I’m not doing it again. Don't you dare go easy on me."

Lucian jerked back like I had just stung him with a needle. He let go of my hand so fast it was like he couldn't stand the contact anymore, and then he turned and walked out of the room without saying another word. I didn't waste any time. I followed him down the long stone hallways, my boots clicking rhythmically on the floor as we headed toward the training wing.

The moment we showed up at the training room, the air changed. The place was packed with warriors and pack members who were already there for the morning drills, but the second they saw Lucian and me walking in together, everyone went silent. The clanging of practice blades stopped, and all eyes moved to me. I felt like a lamb walking into a den of lions, but I kept my chin up. I walked straight over to the lineup of weapons on the far wall, scanning the rows of steel until I saw it. It was a short sword with a leather-wrapped hilt, the same kind I had practiced with every single day before I was cast out. It felt familiar in my hand, the weight of it grounding me as I stepped out into the center of the sand-covered pit.

Lucian didn't pick up a weapon immediately. He started to circle me, his movements fluid and dangerous, and he spoke loud enough for every single person in the room to hear.

"The rules are simple," he said, his eyes never leaving mine. "This isn't a practice session. This is a duel. Anyone who falls to the ground in defeat loses the match. And if our fight leads to death, then so be it. That is the price of wanting to be a warrior in this pack."

A collective gasp went through the room. I heard someone whisper my name in a tone that sounded like a prayer, but I wasn't fazed by his words. I knew what he was trying to do. He wanted me to get scared and run, but he didn't realize that I had already died a thousand times in my head since I came back. I adjusted my grip on the hilt and got myself into a fighting stance, my knees slightly bent and my eyes locked on his chest.

I glanced around the room for a split second. Most of the people were staring at me with pity, like they were watching a car crash about to happen. Sienna was there too, standing near the front with a smug look on her face that made me want to vomit. But then I saw Ronan. He was leaning against a wooden pillar, his arms crossed over his chest, and his expression was completely blank. He wasn't pitying me, and he wasn't laughing. He looked like he was expecting something from me, like he was waiting to see if the girl he used to know was still alive inside this shell.

"Ready?" Lucian asked.

I didn't even get a chance to answer. The fight began the second the word left his mouth. Lucian charged first, moving with a speed that shouldn't have been possible for a man of his size. He swung his fist in a massive arc that would have taken my head off if it had connected, but I saw it coming. I ducked just in time, the air of his movement whistling over my hair, and I spun around to return the move with a strike of my own. My sword whistled through the air, but he was already gone, pivoting on his heel and coming at me from the side.

We traded blows for the next few minutes, the sound of our breathing and the scuff of our boots on the sand the only noises in the silent room. I was holding my own, better than anyone expected, and I could see the frustration growing in Lucian’s eyes. He wasn't used to me fighting back like this. I managed to nick his shoulder with the tip of my blade, drawing a thin line of red across his skin, and for a second, I felt a surge of triumph.

But that triumph was my mistake. I got distracted by the sight of his blood, and for a heartbeat, I lost my focus. That was all the opening Lucian needed. He lunged forward, his blade moving like a flash of lightning. I tried to block it, but I was a second too slow. I felt a sharp, searing heat across my upper arm as his sword sliced through my tunic and into my skin.

I gasped, stumbling back as the blood started to soak into my sleeve.