Call of Shadows - Book 1

Chapter 17

Lauren

Phoenix looked at him calmly but I could feel her arm tense around me. 

"Are you sure about this? Once you set yourself on this path you can't go back on this course." His buddies behind him slapped him on the back and seemed to be encouraging him. 

"Yes, I Malachai son of Joshua, Heir to the Moonlight Pack challenge Phoenix for her position." His eyes lit up as he said these words. 

"Very well. I accept your challenge. Tonight beginning of Sundown. You may commence your Challenge." Everyone seemed shocked. The entire camp had gone quiet to listen to their exchange. Even when Phoenix began to guide me away the whispers followed. As soon as I entered the house Quincy was there. 

"They have no right to challenge you. He has no right." Phoenix sighed. 

"I had a feeling this might happen with so many Alphas and Packs." 

"I won't accept this. He's Mad!" Phoenix was still calm when she replied. "That may be but he has every right. He has challenged and I have accepted. There's nothing we can do about it now." My head was spinning. 

"Wait wait wait. Someone please tell me what's happening." Quincy gave a tired glance at me. 

"Back when the packs were first created the tradition of challenging was created. If another wolf thought their Alpha or anyone higher in rank then them were unfit for their role they could challenge for their position. This was rarely used as the ranks were usually set with best fit for those positions. Even when those in the ranks died or grew old everyone respected them.

The rules are simple. No special abilities. You are only allowed yourself as human or wolf - and you can shift. The first to die or submit wins. But there's a catch. The one being challenged isn't allowed to submit. They must die if the challenger wants to win. Winner keeps or takes the challenged title."  As Quincy finished talking, my heart began to sink. Phoenix could die tonight. 

"So Phoenix could die?" Her arm tightened around my waist. 

"She could but she wont." He gave a weird smile in his reply. "She could...but she won't." He walked out of the room on that note. I turned to face Phoenix.

"You have nothing to worry about. You'll see. The challenge will affect him more than me. You've seen me and the pack in wolf form. But you haven't seen the other packs. There's a reason we're so powerful. You'll see." She gave me a reassuring smile and I felt the honesty in her words. 

She led me up to our room and as soon as we walked in I could feel the heat and need between us. By the look in her eye she felt it too. 

"Are you sure about this?" I wanted to reply 'yes I'm sure I'm yours' but my mouth stayed open like a fish out of water. Eventually I mustered the ability to nod. My hands began running down her back and like a wall had been knocked down Phoenix's lips were on mine. I immediately felt her asking permission to enter my mouth and I gladly gave it to her. Her hands rand over her smooth muscular back feeling them ripple as she moved against me. 

Phoenix broke the kiss and moved down to my neck sucking on just the right spot. I let out a slight moan as she moved to just behind my ear. She began to push me back to the wall supporting my now failing legs. I fought with her shirt as the buttons seemed like too hard of a task for me at the moment. I locked eyes with her, and hers flashed gold. 

"Mine." She growled her canines exposing. Slowly she moved back to my neck sucking and kissing driving me crazy. My entire body trembled in anticipation. But before she did anything else I felt her weight disappear. I opened my eyes and saw her on the other end of the room her eyes flashing from gold to brown and back again. 

"I want to." She said breathing hard. "But I want this to be right. I want to wait until we've been bonded in the old tradition before I mark you." Part of me understood but the other part of me was too turned on to comprehend.

"You don't want me?" 

"Of course I want to be with you. Just right now lets wait until we've been bonded." She had recovered enough to walk and wrap her arms around me. 

"You should rest before tonight." She guided me to bed and laid down next to me. I buried my head in her neck and breathed the woodsy scent off her again. 

"You better not die on me tonight." She gave a slight laugh. 

"I won't"