Flesh And Fur: A Dance With Darkness

21 - A change of circumstance

It was time for the Claiming ritual to begin. Elise watched with trepidation as a large circle was etched into the bare earth at pack center with a thick stick while wolves gathered around the outside in anticipation of this thrilling event.

The challengers entered the circle in human form, as was tradition, and Elise felt a shiver run through her at the sight of Brolyn's threatening muscled physique. Veins bulged beneath his skin as he flexed his arms, warming up for the fight. He was a terrifying figure to behold, his rage palpable in the way his muscles bulged and his eyes gleamed.

Standing beside the council rock, Elise couldn't help being afraid. The way Brolyn moved when he walked struck fear into her without him even needing to be close. Years of abuse had conditioned her to recognize his movement, his footsteps, the way he carried himself when he was angry or aroused. If he won, the torment she would receive would be far greater than any she had experienced so far. But, what if the challenger won? What then? What horrors awaited her in a new pack? She shivered, unsure of what outcome to hope for, or if she should hope for anything.

The anticipation grew thick in the air as Gothred appeared atop the council rock, her silver hair flowing in the breeze. She was the picture of power, her strong legs firmly planted, shoulders high, and eyes sharp as she surveyed the pack below her. Her naked body was adorned with wide-spread intricate tribal tattoos that seemed to glow with power. Her presence conveyed a command for silence and the pack immediately obeyed.

"We all understand the rules of the Claiming Ritual," she began, speaking with both her voice and through her thoughts simultaneously. "But in case anyone here has forgotten them, I will make everything perfectly clear now. The bonded mate and the challenger will shift into their wolf forms and do battle on my command. They will fight until one can fight no more or concedes. The victor lays claim to, in this case, the omega, Elise."

Elise wished Gothred wouldn't use her name. She could feel the eyes of gathered wolves upon her and couldn't bear to look up at any of them, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her.

"Should the challenger, Aleric, win the battle, Elise will not be immediately bonded to him, however. In his pack, they follow different traditions and have rituals and customs that are unlike ours when it comes to their mates. She will be given into his care, and the bond with Brolyn will be severed. They will then leave for Aleric's pack to perform their own mating rituals. If Brolyn wins, then Elise will remain under his care and return to their unit den as before. That is all. Challengers, ready yourselves."

With that, Gothred began transforming into her wolf form.

The transformation was mesmerizing. Her body grew taut, muscles stretching and reshaping beneath her skin like a sculptor's masterpiece coming to life. Her eyes remained the same, the only constant in the sea of change as her nose and jaw elongated into a snout. Her body grew sleek with fur, the silver of her human form replaced by a deep, rich grey that almost glowed. Her transformation was swift and powerful, a clear demonstration of her right to dominance over the pack and the solemnity of the situation.

Brolyn followed, his human form dissipating into a cloud of fur and muscle. His shift was more violent, a furious snarl ripping from his throat as his body contorted and grew, his eyes catching Elise's as he did so. The dark hair and slender physique of his human form was replaced by a thick, dark pelt, his eyes burning with the fury of a man about to lose control.

Elise quickly averted her gaze as terror gripped around her heart, making it difficult to breathe. Curious about the other Alpha, though, she looked up enough to watch Aleric shift.

Aleric began his transformation with a grace that seemed to belie the intensity of the situation. His muscles tensed and stretched, bones cracked and popped, and fur grew in thick, velvety waves.
His shift was a mesmerizing dance of power and control, and when the shift was complete, a massive black wolf stood before the crowd, his fur so dark it seemed to absorb the light. He was breathtakingly beautiful, with a regal air that made Brolyn's common brown and tan wolf look inferior and banal.