Athena's Human Mate

Chapter 53

Athena tried to sleep, but it was restless and sporadic.  Roman did his best to reassure her and make her rest.  He insisted she not be disturbed from the moment she made her announcement.  He brought her light food, knowing what would be easier on her stomach.

He wanted to ask her many things, tell her many things and beg her to back out.  Instead he did none of that and just held her close, lending her strength.  He was terrified of losing her, but did his best to keep those bad feelings closed off.  He didn't doubt she would win, but the fears existed anyway.

Alpha Joshua designated the boxing area for the fight.  Since it was on his territory, he held the responsibility to start the match.  A role he hated but was able to accomplish with Nora by his side.

"We are here because Alpha Athena Phoenix has challenged Alpha Ryan Knight for control of Crescent Moon Pack.  He countered her challenge to be to the death and for control of both packs.  She has agreed.  There are no rules, this challenge will not stop until one, or both, parties are dead.  You may begin when I step out."  The crowd made little noise during his short speech, by this time every wolf knew what was going on.

The faces around them all supported Athena.  Roman, Michelle, Nick, Gramps, Joshua,  Grandma Linda, Emma, Kyle, Jared, her uncles Chris and Mike.  Athena cleared her mind and blocked everything out except Artemis and Ryan.  She focused on watching his movements, looking for his weakness.

"You going to fight or stare at me all day, girl?"  He taunted but she ignored it while they circled one another.

When do you want to shift?

Not until he does.  You've got this, keep your head, breathe steady and keep your emotions in check.  This is what we've been training for.

"Afraid already pup?  Don't worry, I'll make your death quick.  I can't say the same for your pathetic mate.  I think I'll treat him the same as I did to your first mate."

Don't let him rile you up!  Calm down!  Stay silent, he isn't worthy of words.

Athena took several deep breaths, clearing her mind once again, tossing out the images of Roman being tortured.  She looked Ryan in the eyes, showing no emotions, her Alpha aura coming through and startling him.  Taking that as a cue, she lunged at him, punching him in the abdomen while ducking a possible counter attack.

Straightening, she raised her fists in a defensive stance, waiting for his next move.  She had all day for this.  Part of her training was having the guys take turns, so she would have to fight a fresh wolf without breaks herself.  It took her a while but eventually she was able to beat four of them in a row.

Ryan and Athena went on like this for over an hour, he would attempt to hit her but she blocked or ducked them all.  He left himself open on almost every attack, giving her many opportunities to land blows.  She hoped he was getting tired but outwardly he showed no signs of it.  He did stop flinging insults at her when he got no response.

She wasn't tired physically, she just wanted this to be done with.  He tried to grab her legs, she jumped up and over him, slamming a kick into his back and forcing him to the ground.  She was about to pounce on him when he shifted into his wolf and Artemis gladly took over, shifting quicker than him.

Ren, Ryan's wolf snarled at her and Artemis barked, sounding like a laugh.  Ren was slightly larger than Artemis, purely because he was a male, but she outsized most other males.  It wasn't the first time Ren and Artemis met and she always felt his envy.  She had black fur, rather than his dark grey color, a sign that she was a pure Alpha and he was not.

If anyone had doubts on whether or not Ryan and Ren were in agreement about this fight, his first move dispelled them all.  He aggressively went after her front leg, only getting a mouthful of hair.  Twisting away, she clamped down on his back leg, earning a whimper.

Tackling him to the ground, they rolled around each other, becoming a blur of grey black.  Roman couldn't tell who was on top, they switched quickly.  Michelle held one hand and Nick the other while the younger one stood directly in front of him.  Roman briefly wondered if that was on purpose to keep him from stepping in.  He knew better by now not to interfere when wolves were fighting.  He has watched Artemis many times and it made him anxious then.  This time the stakes are the highest, one of them won't walk away.

Artemis ripped Ren's stomach with her claws, spilling blood onto both of them.  She could now tell he was getting tired and she brought the picture of Roman tied up and suffering at his hands into her mind.  She thought about what Ryan would do to the unmated she-wolves of Starlight.  She imagined what he would do to her brother if allowed to live.  These ideas stroked the fire inside her to do what was necessary.

They circled one another again, Ren limping a little and trying to hide the wound under him.  If she gave him time, he would start to heal.  She wouldn't give him that time.  Deciding on a tricky move, she backed up as far as she could without leaving the designated area.  He watched her warily, wondering what she was doing.

Running at him full out across the short distance, she leaped over him, turning mid air to latch onto the back of his neck.  She landed, pulling him with her until she heard bones snap, signaling the end of the fight.

Shifting, she started collapsing to the ground when Roman caught her.  He pulled a towel from his back pocket, wiping the blood from her face before crushing her to him.  Sobbing, she clung to him until her shaking stopped.  She went to lean around him but he pushed her cheek to his chest.

"You don't want to look sweetheart, let the others take him away."  The relief he felt was overshadowed by her grief.  As bad as Ryan was, he was her father and she killed him even if it was justified.  He rocked her back and forth, the two of them awkwardly sitting on the dirty grass.

Roman glanced at his mother-in-law to see her crying uncontrollably, Gramps and Nick both hugging her as she held a hand to her chest.  Without looking he knew Joshua and some other wolves removed Ryan's body.  If the crowd was cheering or booing or silent he had no clue, all he heard was Athena's broken weeping as she mourned the death of her father.

A hand on his shoulder got his attention, "Roman, son, bring her to the house to get cleaned up.  Michelle and Nick are on the way there now."  Gramps gently steadied Roman as he got to his feet, Athena secure in his arms.  Roman followed Gramps through the crowd, who parted to let them pass and try to sneak a peek at the new Alpha of Crescent Moon.

Gramps shut and locked the door of his house, leading Roman to the spare room where he turned the shower on for them.  "I'll have someone bring the two of you new clothes.  Throw them out here and they'll be disposed of."

Unable to speak, Roman nodded and walked into the warm water fully dressed.  Once they were alone, Roman peeled the torn, bloody and now wet shirt off, along with her sport bra.  Unsure of her injuries, he carefully slid her shorts down, tossing the mess on the floor.  Keeping a hand on her at all times, he removed his clothes which were also now covered in blood.

Without a word spoken, he washed her hair and body, using soft pressure to lessen the pain.  Bruises were forming on her abdomen, legs and arms, along with many scratches.  Fortunately, those all seemed superficial and only required cleaning.  She had a long gash below her navel, it wasn't bleeding anymore but if she'd been pregnant it could've put the baby at risk.  For the first time in months he was happy about her not being pregnant.

After their shower, he carried her out and put pajamas on both of them, thanking the Moon Goddess for Gramps thoughtfulness.  Placing her gently on the bed, with her injured side up, he got in behind her.  Mindful of that wound, he wrapped an arm around her, kissed her temple and watched as she fell asleep.

Usually after fights he's full of adrenaline, but this was no ordinary fight.  She was physically and mentally exhausted and he was mentally drained.  He underestimated the pure violence of a fight like that.  The rogue attack was nothing like this either.  Holding her close, he once again sent a prayer to the Moon Goddess, thanking her for protecting his mate then he, too, fell into a deep sleep.