The silence stretched unbearably as Ethan held his position, jaws locked around Vane's throat, both wolves trembling with exhaustion and the terrible tension of a fight balanced on its absolute final edge. Vane's massive body remained pinned beneath him, one paw scrabbling weakly against the ground, and for one suspended moment, Lily couldn't tell whether the older Alpha was preparing a final desperate reversal or genuinely, finally beaten.
Then Vane's body went still, and a low, guttural sound of surrender rumbled from his throat not words, not in wolf form, but unmistakable in its meaning to every witness gathered around the circle.
Ethan released him slowly, stepping back with visible effort, his own legs shaking beneath him as the adrenaline that had carried him through the final exc
