His Blue Moon Princess
Chapter 25

Being in the middle of a crowd is nothing reassuring. It's even worse when you know half the people present are wishing for you to get killed. All eyes are directed at me, or at Nathaniel. I feel grateful to Bobo for standing close to me. His enormous figure attracts attention, and a lot of people seem surprised by his appearance, too. He is almost twice the size of a regular wolf, and those who are there in their animal form are showing signs of nervousness. I would be worried, too, if he wasn't my bodyguard. Nathaniel's threats to Vincent are quite effective. Some of the Clan's warriors have started growling, but I also see a lot of them slowly step back. Liam is walking, circling us while growling at anyone who dares to approach this invisible circle. Tonia is standing at the back, arms crossed, and I notice she now has a wireless earbud in and she's talking to someone. I wonder who she is talking to.

Now, it's only me, Nathaniel, and Bobo, facing Vincent and his new Beta. Everyone else is watching us, waiting.

"She is just a kid. She won't win," says the Beta.

"Shut up," says Vince immediately, annoyed. "Go with the others."

The guy gives me a mean look, but he can't help but obey. I turn to Nathaniel, too. It's time. He just smiles at me and turns back to join Tonia. I put my hand on Bobo's back, and his green eyes turn to me. I give him a smile. I know he's reluctant to go. "Don't worry, Bobo. Go."

He lets out a short sound and goes, too, but not without growling at Vincent. He's so loud, the Jade Moon pack's Alpha jumps from surprise. If Bobo had Alpha potential, he would be unstoppable... But I guess it's obvious that despite his size and strength, his temper is more Beta-like.

I'm left alone with Vincent. He considers me from head to toe with a sneer. I try to be as unreadable as Nathaniel, hiding my emotions.

"You will regret it, Nora. Did you think you suddenly got big because you have a strong back-up?"

I ignore his remarks. My wolf is growling like crazy, and she's the only one I intend to rely on tonight. I might lack experience, but I know I'm tenacious and strong-willed.

I wonder if I should take off my sweater now, but it's still chilly. We both step back to a ten-foot distance between each other and start walking slowly. Everyone tenses up around us, feeling the battle's about to start. I wish Damian was here. I would be even more confident with him behind me. But he's not. It's just going to be me and you, girl.

I mentally recite all of Tonia and Liam's advice. Mind the distances. Watch his eyes, the way he moves. I'm weaker, but I'm faster and smaller. Liam told me every weak point I should aim at, for his wolf form and his human one. Duels between werewolves don't really have rules, aside from being one-to-one and no weapons are allowed. We can shape-shift whenever we want.

I have tried shape-shifting a few times, and Tonia immediately pointed out my strong point: I can shape-shift extremely fast. I have to make use of that. Liam said the best outcome for me would be a short fight. I need to take advantage quickly.

We take a few steps, walking in a circle while observing each other. I tried to guess when he is going to attack. Liam predicted that he would definitely take the initiative to launch the first attack. Vincent won't want this to take long either, as he is worried for his pack.

And he does. I see him suddenly shift his balance and run towards me. Try not to take any hits, said Liam, you are too weak to endure several injuries. I dodge his fist at the very last moment and slide under his arm to stand behind him. I immediately kick behind his knee as Liam showed me.

It works! He can't help but bend and get on his knee. Don't miss an occasion. I go to launch my fist, aiming for his jaw, but before I can reach him, I see a leg expanding and I'm suddenly kicked in my stomach. He pivoted at the last second, and I couldn't do anything to stop him. I'm ejected a few meters back and fall miserably on the ground. Wow, that really hurts... I feel like throwing up. It's been a while since I've taken such a hit, but Tonia's advice comes back to mind immediately. Never stay down. I get up, ignoring the pain. "Are you trying to get killed, Nora? What is the point? Do you think you can be an Alpha all of sudden and win my Jade Moon pack over like this? Or is it that you want us all killed and at His feet?"

"Do you think you can call yourself an Alpha, Vincent?" I ask.

He looks at me, frowning, confused by my question. I take off my sweatshirt and tighten my ponytail.

"What now, are you going to complain about how we treated you again? Are you playing the pitiful girl now that you have found your knight in shining armor?"

"I'm not talking about myself. You are weak, unable to make decisions and ready to bow to other Clans at any occasion just so you can take it easy. You don't control your young ones and let them roam freely as long as they don't cause trouble. You don't train them. You don't care about others. You mind your own business as if you were a Rogue."

He starts growling.

"Careful with your words! Don't you insult me!"

"Oh, do you really wanna have the conversation about insults? Mockery?"

He growls even louder but doesn't talk back. Instead, I see him look towards where Nathaniel is. But he hasn't moved. He appears very relaxed, sitting on a bench next to Tonia. Only Liam is standing, and Bobo is now the one walking in large circles around us. Liam was right. Having the Black brothers watching us will not let him concentrate on the fight. I know I can take my chance. This time, I jump at him while he is still staring at Nathaniel, and throw a punch to his solar plexus.

He saw me coming at the last second, and to my surprise, he doesn't dodge. He takes the hit, contracting his muscles. Does he want to show he is stronger than me? I won't have it. I still throw my fist as hard as I can. And he regrets not protecting himself immediately. I've learned how to throw a punch now. His breath is cut short, and for a second, he is choking, falling on his knees and desperately looking for air. I hear growls and angry voices raising around us, but I don't listen. I knew this kind of things would happen, and I trust the others to control the crowd one way or another.

While Vincent seemed to be choking, I take a couple of steps back and get ready to hit again. But my wolf warns me just in time. He is shape-shifting.

Indeed, it takes about two or three full seconds to Vincent to turn into a dark-brown wolf. That is way longer than me, but still. Facing a wolf is way different from facing a human man. I adjust my position and throw a kick at the right moment to send him away. He falls a bit further, but I know I was just lucky his shape-shifting took long enough for me to be able to prepare my kick. Now, I will be facing a wolf, and that's a whole different thing. I need to shape-shift and let my wolf take over, too. But at the right moment. I take a couple of steps back, and I feel my wolf getting impatient. Just a few seconds, girl. Wait for it, wait... And there he goes. As expected, he jumps as soon as he can get on his feet again, running towards me. I stand ready, carefully waiting for the right time. He runs closer, and when he's almost at me, all fangs out, I shape-shift.

I erase my human self, letting my wolf completely take over. It's even shorter than a split second for me. The sudden change brings my wolf-self right at the perfect spot to attack his exposed neck. She bites furiously, and he lets out a plaintive whimper. Her fangs on his throat are powerful, and I can already smell the fresh blood. He fights for a while, trying to kick her off him, but she won't let go. She's clenching her fangs hard, not giving the slightest care for his pain. Around us, people start yelling loudly, calling me names or telling their Alpha to free himself. Not a chance. I'm not letting go. We won't. He knows what he has to do, and he just doesn't want to. He tries fighting for a while, but I can now taste blood in my mouth. He is running out of time. My wolf wants him to submit or she will kill him. His pack encourages him not to give up. Are they blind? I'm biting his throat! I could kill him with just a snap, though I don't want to kill anyone. Is he counting on it? I won't. I can control my wolf perfectly; she and I are one. I'm not like some of us who can't resist their beast instincts and attack randomly.

All of sudden, I feel a vivid pain to my flank, and let go by instinct. I don't know what happened, but he probably managed to scratch me deep enough. I feel the blood flowing from my injury, but not enough to worry me. We are not done yet.

I trust my wolf. I know she can keep up a fight. I let her take control so I can concentrate on the crowd. A lot of people have started cheering, but others are all stunned by my appearance. I hear comments on my blue eyes and white fur. Liam seems overexcited, leaning forward and growling loudly.

Stay with your wolf.

Vincent suddenly attacks, and the voice in my head surprises me enough to almost not see him coming at me. I react at the last moment, throwing my fangs at him.

Don't let him dominate you.

Who is guiding me? I listen to her, anyway, and start fighting him off. I growl loudly and don't let him take the upper hand. He is bigger, but I'm starting to understand his tactics. I can dodge some of his moves easily, and manage to bite him back for every time he manages to injure me. I can see he obviously hasn't fought for a while. He tries to get a hold of me, but I won't let him anywhere near my back. I'm being careful not to let him too close or get on top of me. But I'm starting to get tired. It feels like this goes on for a while before I finally see an opening on his flank. I aim for his shoulder with no restraint and bite as hard as I can.

Take him down.

I use my strength and his sudden reaction to the pain to push him down to the ground, laying on his side. He is still fighting me off, but his shoulder and throat are obviously painful for him.

Go for his neck.

The voice in my head is guiding me all the way, but I don't have any time to wonder who is mind-linking with me. I fiercely bite Vincent's neck and hold him down. This time my fangs won't let go, and he can barely move while trying to get away. I'm smaller, but my front legs are on his back, and the pain keeps him from fighting with all his strength.

You got him.

I hope she's right and hold my position. The crowd's getting louder, but I don't care. I'm waiting for Vincent to recognize his defeat. I'm tired, I want to finish this soon. His pack keeps encouraging him but some are starting to yell at him for being weak. The other Clans seem to have lost interest in the fight, the outcome is clear now. They are patiently waiting to see it.

Finally, Vincent submits. He stops fighting, extends his legs starting to whimpering. This is it.

I slowly let go and retreat a few steps back. Tonia comes up to me to give me my sweatshirt so I can cover myself when shifting back to my human form. This is quite embarrassing in front of so many people, even if it is for a split second! Thankfully Bobo stands in front of me, too, and I suppose the best anyone got was a quick peek at my b**t.

I stand up and look at Vincent. He takes his time shifting back, too, and his wife brings him a pair of jeans to put on. I wish he would hurry up, I'm freezing with my bare legs.... Gosh, while looking down, I just noticed I'm bleeding from under my sweatshirt, probably my flank injury. And I got some on Bobo's brown fur, too, as he is standing right next to me. I try to gently push him away.

"Bobo, I'm bleeding on your fur, move..."

It's like trying to move a mountain, he doesn't care one bit. He is focused on Vincent, growling at him and his pack, making sure no one dares to come at me. Meanwhile, I see Nathaniel walking up to me. He smirks at Vincent.

"So?"

Vincent growls, but bends one knee and lower his head. His neck is covered in blood... I can't believe I really did this. He is visibly furious, but with so many witnesses, he has no choice.

"I acknowledge my defeat. Nora Bluemoon is now free to lead the Jade Moon Pack if she wants."

A lot of unhappy pack members growl, but they don't have a say in this matter.

Vincent raises his eyes to look at me, filled with hatred. I look around. Is that right? I see Nathaniel smiling, but Liam is still fiercely growling. A few pack members have come to gather behind their Alpha.

Vincent might be a bad Alpha, but his Clan still values him very much. The Greene Family is an old one, though they only took over the Jade Moon Clan a few generations ago. I sigh. What do I do now? I could take over and they would have no choice but to obey me, but...

"Do it, Nora. Isn't it what you wanted?" Says Vincent.

I realize everyone is waiting to see my decision. I turn to Nathaniel, but he just smiles mysteriously, leaving me to decide. I breathe in.

"I don't want to be your Alpha. That will only be an excuse for you guys to hate me more than you already do, and you will turn on me on the first occasion. I don't want to have to fight every day until one of you gets to kill me."

Everyone is looking at me, surprised. They probably didn't expect me to reach such a decision. I see the beginning of a smile on Vincent's face. Oh no, you won't get away that easily.

"However, I have conditions."

Now everyone is back at growling again, but other than the Jade Moon pack members, everyone is staring at me, all ears, waiting for it. I look straight at Vincent's eyes.

"The Jade Moon Clan will pledge full and complete allegiance to the Velvet Moon Clan from today on. Your turf will become part of their territory, and your Clan members will follow the same rules as theirs."

"What? What kind of condition is that?!" Yells Greg.

I look at him, starting to get annoyed by their attitude. I take a step forward, and Bobo follows me, growling loudly at them.

"I just dominated your Alpha, I'm free to do whatever I please. You guys never cared about training properly, so it's high time for things to change. Your turf is one of the first grounds outside of Silver City. If anyone launches an attack on the area, you will be the first wall of defense. Do you want to stand on the frontlines being unprepared like you are now?" They look at me, dumbfounded by my words. I turn back to Vincent.

"And you, you are going to start acting like a real Alpha. You will train the young ones properly, watch the border, and make sure everyone in your Clan is treated fairly. Am I clear?"

But my apparent calm may have led him to think he could answer back. He starts growling at me.

"Who are you to decide what kind of Alpha I should be? Aren't you washing your hands of my pack? You are giving us to Him, and now you get to decide what we...."

"PROTECTING THEIR PACK IS THE DUTY OF ANY ALPHA HERE!" I start yelling. "Stop being so lazy and do what you were named Alpha for! You may have their respect, but you are worse than a dog if you think you can sit comfortably and relax just because of that! Any Clan could overpower yours, and yet I'm giving you a chance to keep your turf and pack, and turn them into a proper one! IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, ALL OF YOU LEAVE!"

A long silence befalls on the assistance.

I'm fuming, pissed at their attitude and Vincent's ignorance. But all of sudden, I feel an arm around my waist, and a familiar smell surrounds me.

"...Seems like my coming here wasn't necessary."