The arena falls silent as Windhowl’s pack steps forward. The sound of their boots hitting the stone floor echoes in the stillness, each step deliberate and steady.
The sunlight streams down from on high, glinting off medals pinned to their chests. But it’s not the medals that catch my attention–it’s the scars. The stories etched into their skin.
These aren’t ordinary wolves. They’re fighters, survivors. Some of them wear their battles in the absence of a limb, others in the way they move–slower, more measured, but no less dangerous.
She was smart to do this. She has shown purpose, stafgety and experience. Something that teh fires of youth can never match, not until age too has ravaged their bones.
I lean back in my seat among the Alpha judges, crossing my arms as the murmurs start. Whispers ripple through the crowd. sharp and cutting, like knives being unsheathed.
It’s always the same, every time Windhowl shows up. The same ridicule, the same mockery. But this time, it feels different. This time, the whispers are louder, more pointed. Siena was crazy to do this….without my protection.
“That’s Siena’s pack,” someone mutters, their voice carrying through the room. “She brought a bunch of broken wolves to the competition. What a joke.”
“Windhowl used to be something,” another voice says. “Now look at them. They’re a disgrace.
I don’t react. I keep my face neutral, my expression unreadable.
I’ve heard worse said about Windhowl over the years–hell, I’ve said worse myself. But I can’t deny there’s something unsettling about the way they stand there, unflinching under the weight of the crowd’s judgment.
They don’t look ashamed. They don’t look scared. They look… proud.
Is this how they feel about their Luna Queen?
The whispers grow louder, turning into scattered laughter.
And then, Lila speaks. “That’s Siena’s pack,” she announces, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade. She lifts a perfectly manicured finger, pointing at them. “Look,at the excuse of a Luna’s idea of strength! Broken soldiers and women playing warrior. How embarrassing!”
The laughter crescendos, some of the Alphas chuckling openly, others trying to hide their amusement behind poorly concealed smirks.
But not everyone is laughing.
Some of the younger wolves shift uncomfortably in their seats, their gazes darting between Lila and Windhowl’s pack. Even among the Alphas, there’s a tension in the air, a discomfort that wasn’t there a moment ago.
It’s one thing to mock a rival pack, but this… this feels like something else entirely. Something cruel.
I glance at Siena. She’s standing off to the side, her arms at her sides, her head held high. She doesn’t react to Lila’s words, doesn’t flinch under the weight of the crowd’s scorn. But I see it–the slight tremble in her hands, the way her fingers curl into fists for the briefest moment before she forces them to relax.
My wolf stirs uneasily, a low growl rumbling in my chest. He doesn’t like this. He doesn’t like Lila’s words, doesn’t like the way Siena stands there, bearing the brunt of the mockery in silence.
302%
Chapter 24
For a moment, I feel the urge to rise, to tell Lila to stop. But then, I remember.
I remember Siena’s words from only a few hours ago, the way she looked at me, the disdain in her eyes.
“She’s not what she seems.”
I remember the fury in her voice when she confronted the, the way she tried to undermine Lila in front of the pack
And neither are you.
My sympathy hardens into something colder, sharper.
Siena brought this on herself. She’s always been aggressive, manipulative. She’s always looked for any opportunity to challenge me, to make me look weak. This is just karma catching up to her.
And yet… I can’t look away.
Windhowl’s pack moves into position, forming a loose line in the center of the arena. Their movements aren’t synchronized, not like the other packs. They don’t have the same polished precision, the same picture–perfect unity.
But there’s a quiet purpose in the way they move, a subtle rhythm that speaks of trust, of understanding.
Each of them compensates for the other’s weaknesses, filling in the gaps with a seamlessness that’s almost beautiful
The demonstration begins, and the crowd falls silent again. Windhowl’s pack moves as one, their fighting techniques unlike anything I’ve ever seen. They don’t rely on brute strength or speed.
