Blood

*NOT EDITED*

The two men faced each other, glaring at each other. I couldn't really see Axel's eyes, but I assumed they are currently the gold color that at one point scared me, and I hoped to God that Wesley was feeling at least a little bit scared.

"Do you think he will come out of this alive?" I asked Mason, who was standing beside me.

"He has never lost a fight. He won't start today," he answered proudly, but still looking a little uneasy.

"I feel like this isn't going to end well. I just have a terrible feeling that I can't shake. I know that I am supposed to trust him, but William won't just choose someone randomly to go fight Axel. There has to be a reason he chose him."

"William chose this man for many reasons, Cali. One is that he is obviously physically strong and healthy for a rogue. Thus, able to lead the pack if Axel loses. But, more importantly, this man has been a rogue for so long that the natural hierarchy of the pack system doesn't affect him anymore. So, Axel can't force him to submit with an Alpha command. It's almost like they are on an equal playing field," he explained.

"So, that's bad," I concluded, feeling a little dumb and losing control every second.

"Here, hold on to this," he said as he handed me the gun that William was about to use on me earlier. "If anything goes out of hand, and the rules are broken, use it."

I was a little absorbed with what Mason was saying, that I didn't notice the two men were now shirtless, and listening to William as he read out the rules.

"...I will state this once more, no weapons can be used, however shifting into your wolves is allowed, and you may do so whenever you like. Do you understand these rules?" William uttered, with a menacing smile on his face.

"Yes," both men simultaneously said, not breaking eye contact.

"Very well," William continued, "I will be the witness representing Wesley, and Mason will be the official witness representing Axel. As Beta, Mason has a duty to be objective, while Calista doesn't since this is her mate."

I glanced at Axel, and in that moment, he looked back at me, locking eyes with me. And there it was the golden color in his eyes shining, his wolf ready to come out any second, his hands in a fist, and his fangs digging into his bottom lip.

I heard William countdown from ten, for the fight to start, and right after he said one, both men immediately shifted into their wolves and charged at each other. I had never seen two wolves fight the way my mate and this awful man were fighting, but I knew that I will have nightmares of being mauled by a rogue in the future if we survive this.

They were both growling and at one point, I didn't know what was happening. I tried to keep track of Axel's black fur as the two wolves quickly moved. However, every time I heard Axel whimper in pain, I felt like I almost had a heart attack. I clenched the gun in my hand, debating whether I should just fire it at Wes and end this. Maybe that could be the only way to protect Axel. However, Axel didn't give me the chance to make that decision, because before I knew it he had pounced on Wesley's battered up wolf, knocking him down and placing his fangs around Wesley's neck, ready to clench and deliver the final blow.

Wes kept whimpering, but submitted completely to Axel because his body stopped moving. At first, I thought that Axel had killed him and ended the challenge. However, I watched intently as Axel removed his hind legs, which were holding Wesley down, and released his teeth from Wesley's neck, and with that they both shifted back into their human forms. I turned away, giving them the privacy they needed to get dressed, but I was so confused on what had just transpired.

"What just happened?" I asked Mason, as I let go of the gun I was holding, placing it on one of the lounge chairs that were outside, and that is when I realize how much holding that gun was weighing me down, both literally and physically. I turned around to Mason, and that is when I realized that Jace was also here, watching everything happen.

"Axel just won," he factually stated, nodding towards Jace.

"But Wesley's alive," I stated confused.

"These fights are to the death, but Alpha's aren't required to kill their challengers because they get to maintain their position. Just be glad it didn't go the other way."

"You can never be on my territory again. You are banished from Blood Venom territory and any land, property, or assets that we may acquire in the future. If I or any of my men see you on our pack lands again, we will kill you on sight. You will be escorted by warrior wolves out of the territory right now," Axel said through winces of pain, and that was when I realized how much Axel was bleeding. He had a huge gash on his torso, bite marks and claw marks were everywhere on his body, and it looked like he was struggling to stand.

I tried rushing toward him, to make sure he was okay. It looked like Mason was making contact with Dr. Parker through the mind link because his eyes looked unfocused, but my main focus was Axel. He took a few steps towards me and smiled.

"See, I told you I can take him," he whispered, it didn't seem like he had enough strength to talk at the moment.

"Yeah, I was worried," I confessed.

"I know you were, but back there was the first time you told me you loved me. I wasn't about to make that my last time hearing those words," he told me, and I couldn't help but blush about how corny that was. He then pecked my lips. I was lightly pushed away by Mason who shook Axel's hand.

"I'm proud of you, Alpha," Mason said, as he placed Axel's arm around his shoulders, letting Axel rest his body weight on him. Jace followed suite, with Axel's other arm on Jace's shoulders.

"Are you in too much pain?" I asked, hoping that his werewolf healing is kicking in and the endorphins are muting some of the pain.

"I'm fine, don't worry, baby," he confirmed for me, but the blood that was soaking his pants and Mason's clothes was saying otherwise.

I trailed slowly behind, giving them the space they need to move slowly and effectively back towards the pack house, where Dr. Parker was waiting for them.

"This can't be over," we heard a voice mutter in the background. "Do you know how long I have been trying to get rid of you and your fucking mate?" he asked rhetorically. His words coupled with the breeze caused a chill to go down my spine.

"Since the day you were born, you have made my life a nightmare. Every chance I had to get rid of you was ruined. I am done losing to you Axel, and I am going to destroy you, the same way I destroyed your father," he threatened. And in that moment he charged at me, holding what looked like a syringe in his hand.

Before I even had the chance to register what just happened, Axel's body was shielding mine, and a few moments later, he landed on the ground with a thud. His bleeding body seized for a moment, before going perfectly still.

"Axel! Axel, wake up!" I yelled as I crouched down at his level and shook him a little. My hands were shaking. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, Axel, please, come back to me. Please." I said as my voice broke. "Wake up, come on. I love you. Please. I don't care if we fight all the time. I just want you here. Please," I sobbed. "I'll do whatever you want. You know what, I will never fight with you again. Just wake up. Please, we have our whole life to look forward to. Don't leave me, Axel. Come on." However, there was no response from Axel. No matter how much I pleaded and begged, he didn't open his eyes. There was no response. I placed my hands on his face and ran my fingers through his hair, hoping that he would move slightly, but again nothing happened. I laid my forehead on his, as I cried, letting my tears soak his face. My mate was gone.

"What the fuck did you do to him, William?" Mason shouted, holding on to Axel as well and trying to check for a pulse.

"Well, the plan was to poison her with Wolfsbane and silver, but I don't mind this turn of events if I am being honest," he confessed.

"You won't get away with this," Jace answered as he charged towards William. A few guards started approaching the area, curious what the commotion was all about.

"Ah, ah, ah," William warned, "If you hurt me, Mason will be forced to banish you from the pack. You have already killed a Council member. Any wrong move from you, and you're done. People aren't happy with someone so volatile and unpredictable being gamma"

I wanted to look up from Axel and see what was happening around me, but I couldn't stop looking at my mate. We never seemed to have a chance. Even when it looked like we won everything, we had lost the biggest fight.

"Plus, I have already gotten away with it," William said. "It's your word against mine. And my word is that Wes was the one who poisoned Axel with the wolfsbane, then fled because I threatened him with death for breaking the rules of the Challenge."

"We are the Beta, Gamma, and Luna of the pack, people will believe us."

"No, people will think that you had just gone through a terrible trauma and you don't know what happened. I will make sure that my version of the story trumps yours. The real man with the power is lying dead. YOu can't be the Beta do a dead Alpha. You all just lost your positions, and the only ones with current power are the Council members."

Upon hearing that, I rose from my crouched position, and approached the gun that I previously set down on the lounge chair, and held it in my hands.

"Woah, woah, woah, do you even know how to operate a gun, Calista? Careful, you might hurt yourself," he said condescendingly. At this point I was seeing red. This man was going to kill me but ended up killing my mate instead. I am done being weak. I am done being nice. I am done letting people walk all over me. So, I cocked the gun, and aimed it at William.

"Calista, put the gun down," he said.

"Or else what, you'll kill my mate?" I jabbed back, drying the tears that escaped as I said that.

"If a little Wolfsbane kills an Alpha, then he wasn't a strong Alpha to begin with," he insulted Axel.

"Axel was horribly injured, and this is all you fault." I was ready to take my shot.

"You won't shoot. Axel always knew you were weak. I feel so bad for him that he was paired with someone like you. It seems that I have done him a favor. Took him right out of his misery." I was taken aback when he said that and my insecurities rose to the surface. However, I am not the girl I once was. I am Luna of the Blood Venom Pack, and I will avenge my mate's death. I will not let anyone tell me who I am anymore.

With that, I pulled the trigger.