This chapter contains mild swearing and graphic imagery.

Luke's P.O.V.

I smiled as I pressed my lips to Ana's neck softly, smiling when I felt her shiver and her lips pressed tenderly to my temple. She was currently tucked in between my legs, her back pressed against my chest as she worked on her drawing while I worked out a schedule for patrols for the younger generation of wolves. We were currently nestled into a corner on the floor right against the window wall in my room.

It was our space and we both were content at the contact between us. Even though we hadn't marked each other, we couldn't stand to be away from each other. I peeked over Ana's shoulder as she continued working with the white pencil on black paper. She captured the wolf howling spectacularly and I asked earlier who was the wolf but didn't get an answer. I chuckled as her eyes drifted to the lake for the hundredth time. I loved how she could drift off into a daydream yet snap back to reality in an instant.

I frowned as I heard yelling outside. It was slightly muffled but it caught Ana's attention as well making her sat up straighter. She looked at me, equally puzzled before her eyes glassed over. I sat up as I heard my mother's hurried footsteps.

My door opened and I saw the blonde of the top of Mom's head. "Luke? Ana?" she called out concerned.

"Here," I said sitting straight up. She smiled when she saw us but it was soon replaced with a look of worry and pity. "What wrong?"

Mom sighed, her eyes drifting to Ana, "Your presence is required downstairs. Both of you."

The shift in our attitudes was obvious as Ana and I stood. I looked over at her and she smiled grimly, linking out hands. I rubbed the back of hers, calming my agitated wolf and hers as we walked down the stairs. Our fathers had been in a meeting which I excused myself from once Dad assigned me work and Alpha Ashworth let Ana off to work on one of her pieces for her portfolio.

There was small crowd gathered around the front of our house consisting of mostly Blackwell pack members with an irate Mrs Pentland and Isabel standing in front. Ana's wolf surged to the surface and she growled lowly. I pulled her closer to me, she was not wearing any silver making me the only thing stopping her from possibly phasing.

"What is going on here?" Dad questioned authoritatively. Alpha Ashworth stood next to him, his face grim as if he knew what this gathering was about.

"As you may know Jonathan your son was in a relationship with my daughter," Mrs Pentland said venomously, "and their relationship was of a sexual nature."

I growled and stepped towards her. She had no right to air my dirty laundry and her daughter's business in public. "What happened between Isabel and I are none of your concern," I told her sternly, eyeing her down for an attack if need be. Ana's hand coiled around my bicep and I was amazed at how calm she was about this.

"Everything my daughter does is of my concern Luke," Mrs Pentland sneered. I looked at Isabel who was standing there emotionless. I knew Mrs Pentland kept Isabel and her little sister under her control and I encouraged her countless times to stand up for herself but she never did. "Especially now that she has met her mate who is planning to reject her."

The last line sent a chill down my spine. This was one of the major concerns I had when I first approached the topic of going further with Isabel. She hadn't met her mate yet and what if he rejected her when he found out that she was not one? Virginity wasn't a big issue in our pack but was a deal breaker in others. Isabel had laughed, saying that if her mate really loved her, he would accept her never-the-less.

"Isabel?" Ana spoke up, surprising me with her steady voice. I felt nothing from her side of the mate bond, making me wonder and feel disappointed that she was hiding her emotions from me. Isabel looked up woefully at Ana who smiled kindly. "Who is your mate?"

"One of your own," Mrs Pentland sneered as Ana's brothers arrived at the scene.

"Isabel," Ana said again, "can you tell me his name?"

"Me Ana-dear." Ana's head snapped up as Kane manoeuvred his way to the front. "The Moon Goddess fucked up and gave me some guy's sloppy seconds."

Ana growled at him. "Show some fucking respect for the lady and remember who you're talking to Leitz." Kane's eyes grew darker at the use of his last name and I could tell that if he didn't have feelings for Ana, he would not have obeyed so easily.

Ana shifted her attention to the two blondes in the centre of the circle. "Isabel, please don't do what I know you're going to do. Things can be resolved in other ways."

Mrs Pentland scoffed and crossed her arms. "Nothing is going to solve this except a challenge for mates." There were gasps from the Blackwell pack members and growls from the Ashworths.

"That's not happening," I growled out. I looked at Ana, "I'm not putting you in danger."

"Trust me Luke," Ana murmured lowly her anger dripping off her words, "I'm not the one in danger." She sighed and breathe in deeply. "Isabel, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course she want this," Mrs Pentland stated, "it's the only way to put things right."

Ana growled loudly, "Do I need to rip out your vocal cords and sew your mouth shut with them for you to understand that you're not in a position to be talking right now? Tell me if that's what I need to do, my wolf has been itching to sink her claws into you."

I held back a laugh as Mrs Pentland visibly shrank into the crowd leaving Ana, Isabel and me in the centre.

"Isabel," Ana said in a surprisingly gentle voice, "this is the last chance I'm going to give you to back down. Think carefully about what you're doing and the possible consequences." Isabel nodded while her eyes kept darting between Kane, Ana and I and I knew her well enough to see the fear in her eyes. Ana breathe in deeply before locking eyes with Isabel.

"I, Isabel Pentland, challenge Anastasia Ashworth to claim Luke Blackwell as my mate," Isabel stated clearly.

"I, Anastasia Ashworth, accept." Ana's voice was cold and emotionless making me look down at this unfamiliar side of her; one I never want to see again. All eyes turned to the two Alphas who stood silently on the porch.

"The fight will take place at 3 o clock today in the training clearing," Dad said loudly.

"Both packs are required to attend as witness," Alpha Ashworth followed.

Ana's hand broke from mine as Dad dismissed the crowd but before I could react she stalked off into the house.

"Luke," Alpha Ashworth called out to me before I could follow behind her. His eyes followed mine to my bedroom where thuds could be heard as Ana punched the walls. "Give her a couple minutes to cool off; trust me."

"I can't let her do this," I said immediately, my voice thick with frustration. "I have to talk her out of this. I know Ana is going to lose control, I can't let her fight."

Alpha Ashworth studied me as I kept looking up hearing Ana's grunts of anger. "I know, we all know, that Ana is going to lose it. Her wolf lives for blood and I can't imagine what the blood lust to kill the girl who kept you from her is like. From the moment that poor girl shifts; she's dead." I closed my eyes, wondering why he was telling me the ugly future I already knew. "Unless you stop her."

I frowned as I looked at him. "Explain."

"Luke, when was the last time Ana has worn any silver?"

I thought about it. "Since I accepted our bond." Everything suddenly clicked. "You think I can stop her?"

Alpha Ashworth chuckled. "Not think, I know you'll have to be to intervene. Ana's wolf surprisingly obeys you. I noticed it the first time I brought you to the clearing. At first I thought it was totally clichéd and such a simple yet stupid solution. But then I watched you and Ana interact and how happy and relaxed she and her wolf are around you. Ana hates her wolf but maybe you can teach her how to love herself."

"She probably hates me right now," I muttered. "I am the reason we're in this mess."

"You're right about that," Alpha Ashworth chuckled, "she needs you. But remember, you can't interfere, let the ladies handle their business."

I sighed before telling him goodbye and entering the house. I evaded Mom's disapproving looks and Dad's annoyed glare as I walked up to my room. It was quiet and I wondered if that was good or bad thing. I opened the door and staggered back at the amount of rage and frustration that emanated from the girl huddled in the corner. I swallowed past the lump in my throat before going and sitting opposite Ana as she looked out at the lake.

"Can you tell me one thing that's going on in your head?" I asked her softly after a couple of minutes of silence. It irked me how moments ago we intertwined with each other and now there was distance between us; like we were back at square one.

"I hate this," Ana said spat out. "I hate that I have to fight, hate that I'm more than likely going to lose control. I hate the fact that if you just kept your dick in your pants, I wouldn't have to do this."

Her words slapped me in the face and I swallowed my anger because she was right. "I'm so..."

"Don't you dare say you're sorry," Ana growled out, her eyes dark as an angry sea as they focused on me. "You weren't saying sorry when you were balls deep in her. Do you think I want to do this? This sickens me, my wolf is beside herself, ready for the blood I am going to taste tonight. What do you think that does to me? Do you think I like feeling like this?"

I exhale audibly and picked Ana up and brought her into my lap, my arms bringing her as close to me as I could. The wave of emotions I got from our bond was astounding, I could only imagine what was going on in her head, for now.

"You're going to be okay Anastasia," I murmured to her, feeling her body wrack with emotion against mine. "I am going to be there with you. I promise to not to let things get out of control."

"Don't promise something you can't guarantee," Ana sniffed before wriggling out of my arms and standing up. "I have to go prepare myself, and have a talk with Kane."

I growled lowly, "You will not." I knew what Kane was allowed to do, he could challenge me for my mate and I saw the look in his eye; that was exactly what he planned to do.

Ana growled louder, "You got us into this Luke so don't complain about how I get us out of it." I watched in stunned silence as Anastasia walked out.

~

The clearing where we usually trained was eerily quiet as the Ashworth and Blackwell packs filed in. Ladies were dressed in a simple white dress while most of the guys were dressed like me, shirtless and a pair of white cotton pants. My parents stood on a log talking through their mind link. My eyes kept scanning the crowd for any sign of my love.

"We are gathered here today to bear witness to a battle for the claim of Luke Blackwell as a mate," Dad said loudly. "May the contenders step forward."

Isabel stepped into the centre of the circle created by the packs. Her fingers were shaking but her face was set with determination. She inclined her head respectfully to my parents as people started looking around for Ana.

A section of the crowd parted and out strolled the seven Ashworth brothers flanking their sister and Alpha Ashworth towering behind. Ana was already in wolf form and my body was assaulted with blood lust. I searched her body for any sign of silver on her, amazed at the sheer power Ana was using to hold her wolf back. She left her brothers and joined Isabel at the centre and bowed to my parents.

"Care to join us Simon?" Dad asked half coldly.

"I'd rather stay with my children thank you," he answered.

"Anastasia Blackwell and Isabel Pentland," Mom continued, "you will fight until either competitor forfeits. Do you understand and accept these terms?" I grit my teeth as Ana's wolfy head bobbed.

"Then begin," Dad shouted loudly.

Ana sat back on her haunches as Isabel stripped her clothes off and shifted. Her wolf was brown and white and her muzzle bared back. Ana held her head high but made no attempt to attack Isabel. My respect for her increased, she was still allowing Isabel the chance to back down. I was so proud of her.

But Isabel wasn't having it, her wolf charged Ana, jaws ready to close around Ana's throat but Ana tackled her to the ground, pinning Isabel beneath her. My wolf howled and rose to the surface but Ana's wolf was completely in control and would not stop until Isabel was dead.

Their snarls filled clearing as they tumbled around the forest floor and every time their claws scraped into the dirt, my nerves reached closer to the edge. Without realising it, my body was inching closer and closer to the fight, my eyes never leaving Anastasia.

Ana's wolf kicked Isabel off her and sprung to her feet snarling, her alpha blood not too pleased at being pinned down. Chunks of fur were missing from both wolves but neither were backing down now. Ana's wolf charged at Isabel, aiming for the throat again but drops of red stained the dirt and the crowd held its breath in shock.

Ana's eyes were livid and burned bright as blood from three big scratches dripped down her face.

With a feral sound that could only be described as a scream, Ana's wolf throttled Isabel. Ana pinned Isabel to the floor and her jaws clamped hard on her throat. The white in Isabel's coat soon turned red as Ana's wolf bit through her skin like nothing. But she didn't stop there, her teeth bit through the skin around Isabel's ribs and stomach, her claws ready to disembowel her or rip her heart out her chest as Isabel whined and cried out, not able to defend herself.

"Luke NOW!" Alpha Ashworth shouted.

I moved like lightning and wrangled Ana's wolf back but I was too late as a loud snap echoed across the clearing followed by Isabel's final howl of pain before she passed out, her leg twisted in an unnatural direction. 

"Ana," I growled loudly tightening my hold on her. "It's over, it's okay, it's over."

Ana's wolf snapped her bloody jaws and kept snarling, fighting my grip as I brought my wolf to the surface in an effort to placate her.

Kane scooped the unconscious Isabel up into his arms and he, together with the packs' healers hurried out of the clearing. Ana's wolf tried to lunge after them, determined to finish the job. It took all my strength to keep her back.

"It's okay baby," I murmured to her over and over, trying run my hands through her fur and restrain her at the same time. Her body was trembling and her heart beat frantically. I kept murmuring to her, calming her down. Ana's eyes darted dizzily all over the place as she fought her wolf to regain control Eventually I felt her relax but she started to cry.

It wasn't loud, just loud enough for me to hear and my body visibly shuddered as wave after wave of Anastasia's emotions hit me. She was keeping back a tsunami but she couldn't hold on any longer.

"Everybody out," I said quietly.

"What?" Dad asked.

"EVERYBODY OUT," I roared, holding on tightly to Anastasia as she neared hysteria.

I heard the Ashworth brothers ushering and commanding people to exit the clearing. I looked up from Ana's neck as I felt eyes on me. Alpha Ashworth studied me carefully before bringing me a blanket, nodding and helping his sons.

When the last man left, Ana's wolf let out a heart wrenching howl. My heart broke as she cried openly. I heard and felt all the hate, her guilt, the self-loathing at what she'd done. I felt the undertones of some much darker emotions and I kissed her head hoping to run them from her mind. I held her tightly, rocking back and forth gently, but didn't offer, could not offer, any words of comfort. I felt her shift in my arms and I covered her up. I buried my face in her hair as she cried and cried, years of pent up feelings coming out.

"You're such a strong girl Anastasia," I murmured when her cries started to subside as the stars started peeking out in the night sky. "I'm humbled and honoured to have you as my mate." 

The drawing Anastasia is working on