The Tribrid

The Challenge

 
  Mike's POV
  The run was amazing. I never felt this kind of power before. We shift back before the sun comes up.
  "Good job on your first run man." Rain says.
  "That was incredible." I say.
  "Yeah, I remember my first run. I was on that adrenaline high all day." Rain says.
  "I definitely not going to sleep anytime soon." I say.
  "Breakfast should be ready, we all really need to fuel up from the run. I bet after that you will be ready to sleep." Rain says.
  We head to the dinning hall and everyone is telling me what a good job I did on my first run. I've missed this feeling, like I belong. We all eat breakfast together and it's so comfortable. I know I didn't finish my conversation with Rue, and I know she's going to want to. But Rain was right. Once I was finished with breakfast my exhaustion set in.
  "When is Jack supposed to be back?" I whisper to Rain.
  "They should be back this afternoon. Why? Tired?" He asks.
  "Yeah, you were right." I tell him.
  "What was he right about?" Alpha Danny asks.
  "That my adrenaline would wear off and I would feel that run." I say. Alpha Danny laughs.
  "I remember my first run. I thought I could climb a mountain. I was very mistaken."
  "He slept for twenty four hours afterwards." The Luna chimes in.
  "Wow really?"
  "I love having a new person in the pack. I get to re-tell all of my favorite stories." Alpha Danny says laughingly.
  "Let's be honest here you would tell them either way." Rue says.
  "Yes, but now I have a captive audience." Alpha teases.
  "Don't worry, we will all have a rest as a pack after breakfast. But we will need to be up for the return of the supply run." He adds.
  "On that note, I'm going to hit the hay." Rain gets up from the table, kisses his mom on the cheek and heads out. I stick around for a bit longer before I also get up and head back to my hut. I get back and take a nap. I wake up when I hear a knock coming from my front door. Ugh, is this how I'm going to be woken up everyday? Although this is like the second day in a row I'm taking a nap. Did I over sleep again? The knock continues.
  "Come in!" I shout, I really don't want to get out of bed.
  "Mike?" I hear Rue's voice. Oh goddess I don't want her to come in here. I get out of bed and walk to my living room.
  "Hey Rue, what are you doing here?" I ask.
  "I just wanted to make sure you didn't over sleep again." She says with a smile, but I can tell something's bothering her.
  "What's wrong?" I ask.
  "Jack is back."
  "What? Already?" I say.
  "Yeah. They got back a little early. He heard about the run and he's not exactly happy about it."
  "Well of course not. He wanted to fight me when the odds where in his favor."
  "They still are, I mean yes you're like us now, but you're still new to it. The shift hurts the first few times."
  "So what are you saying?" I ask her.
  "Just, please be careful is all I'm saying."
  "I won't go looking for trouble if that's what you mean." A bang at my door causes Rue to jump.
  "Mike. I know you're in there." I here Jack shout at my door.
  "But it doesn't mean trouble won't come looking for me." I whisper.
  "Don't answer it." Rue whispers.
  Bang! Bang! Bang!
  "I'm going to answer it." I whisper. I walk over to the door and open it. I see Jack standing there, yup he's definitely not happy.
  "Mike I challenge you." He doesn't waste any time.
  "No!" Rue shouts from behind me. Jack just glares at her.
  "Challenge me for what?" I ask.
  "As Beta."
  "I'm not Beta."
  "For Rue."
  "I'm not with Rue." I say.
  "I challenge you over the pack."
  "Don't do it." Rue says.
  "I accept." I say.
  "Now." He demands. I'm about to follow him out when Rue turns me around and kisses me. I can feel Rex in my mind dancing around. The kiss is a surprise at first, but then I melt into it. We pull back.
  "I'm going to go get my mom." She says.
  "What?" I ask but she's already out the door and running to her house. Jacks face is the color of a tomato. I step out of my hut and wait with Jack, as we wait for the Luna for some reason. I watch as the Luna and the Alpha hurry over to us.
  "Jack you don't need to do this." The Alpha starts.
  "He's already accepted. We're doing this." Jack says. I see the distress in Rue's face, but I can't leave this pack, I have no where else to go.
  "If you're certain." Luna Maria asks me. I nod.
  "Ok then. Let's go." She says. Go? Where are we going? I think I agreed to something I don't fully understand. But I follow Jack and Luna into the desert.
  "Our challenge might be different than yours." The Luna says when we are out earshot of everyone.
  "The two parties in the challenge go away from the pack and have their challenge infront of the Luna. The challenge is not for the eyes of everyone. It is not a show to be put on for the masses. The winner and Luna are the only ones who return. If the winner comes back without the Luna, the pack will kill them immediately." The Luna says.
  "How far out do we go?" I ask.
  "You'll know." Is all she says. We walk out of site from the pack and Jack stops.
  "Here." He says.
  "Wait." The Luna whips her head around in the direction of the pack.
  "Don't stall." Jack says. The Luna growls at him and he pulls back.
  "The pack has a visitor." She says.
  "A visitor? What? Who?" Jack asks.
  "Alpha Danny's brother." She says in a whisper.
  "I didn't know he had a brother." I say.
  "Danny!? No!" She says to herself.
  "What's happening? What's going on?" Me and Jack ask.
  "He.. has instructed us not to save them." It's like she can't believe what she is hearing.
  "Save them?" Jack asks.
  "What's going on?" I ask worried.
  "We need to listen to our Alpha and wait." I see tears in her eyes. I
  "Screw that." Jack says. But I rush in front of him and hold his chest back. He pushes me and I shove him back.
  "You need to wait." I say sternly.
  "You are just going to let them die?! What about Rue." He says.
  "They are being taken, not killed." The Luna say.
  "Taken? By the Alphas brother? Who is it? What's his name?" I ask her. The Luna sits down on the ground.
  "Arthur." She says. Jack's eyes widen and he tries to go back to the pack again. I get in front of him and place my hand on his chest.
  "If you go back there now, they could capture you too. Then I will have to save everyone by myself." He slaps my hand away and paces back and forth.
  "Luna, what do you know about Arthur? Do you know where he will be taking them?" I ask.
  "Arthur is part of a group called Pure Bloods or something."
  "The Blood of the Pure." I say.