FicWad

Chapter 2 Alpha

Sasha sat at the dining room table,clutching a mug of tea and staring out of the open window at the surrounding forest. She felt more content than she could ever remember feeling in a long time. Her pup had finally returned to her. For years she had worried that something ill had befallen her son, or worse that he had been killed or had perished and that she would never see him again. She didn't want to remember how it had felt when she had woken up only to find him gone, with only a note left behind, she would never forgive him for robbing of those four years of motherhood. Atrayu was grown now and no longer needed her, this thought darkened her mood.She shuddered and then smiled again, for just as quickly as that thought had occurred to her it vanished he was home now and she planned to make up for lost time soon enough. She laughed to herself as she planned exactly how she would go about collecting. She still couldn't get over how much he had grown as she recalled his new height,when he had left home they were on eye level with one another and now she had to tilt her head back if he was standing up. Not only that she could tell how much stronger he had become, not to say he had been a weakling before, its just that now he was on a completely different level,she could see it in the way that he moved, he oozed a certain confidence that hadn't been there before.
Atrayu out of all her children was the one she had been most worried about, well him and Tsukiumi because as she had practically raised her, she considered her like a daughter. The two had been joined at the hip as children and neither had made even the slightest effort to socialize with any of the children, preferring to keep to themselves. Sasha had feared that when the time came Atrayu would lack the confidence to capture the affections of someone as headstrong as Tsukiumi,having never much showed any ambition, or pride in ,and failing to win her affections Atrayu would lead a lonely life, for no she wolf would respect a male that showed no confidence. The way he was now though,she had little doubt that he would find a suitable mate, whether it be Tsukiumi or some other woman.
She could still detect his scent intermingled with the rest of her family's as she mused. She glanced at the setting sun and realized that Mark still hadn't returned, according to Atrayu, he and Mark had returned earlier this morning, so where was he. As if her thoughts had materialized him, she spotted him walking up through the break in the trees,but he was not alone. Flanked on either side of him were two generals that she knew by sight but not name. Her brow crinkled as she frowned and watched the trio approach, not having any particular objection with who her son kept company with,although neither of the three seemed friendly towards each other. It was obvious that this visit was some sort of official business. She wiped her face of all emotion as mark walked through the door and made his way into the dining room, he led the three into the room and then stepped back looking uncomfortable and shifty.
"What do you want," She demanded,her voice uncharacteristically cold. She was becoming increasingly pissed that these idiots were in her house in the first place,already approaching the point where she no longer cared why they were here. When she didn't receive an answer she repeated the question,this time with a slight edge to her voice, struggling to hide her rising temper. There was a reason that she chose to live on the outskirts of the village, if she wanted to be bothered with official business ,she would have moved closer a long time ago. Sasha had been in opposition to the current chief ever since his appointment, she had never liked him or his ideals,and to make matters worse he had recently started some pointless war with the vampires. Oh ,but of course the pack would follow him anyway as long as he was strong and was capable of maintaining your leadership you could quite literally do whatever you wanted with impunity as long as it didn't violate any pack law. Unfortunately,declaring unprovoked war upon innocent vampire covens did not viaolate any of these laws.
"So sorry for teh intrusion,but Aragor requests your presence at the pack meeting tonight. We've been sent to escort you." The man on the right said in a deep voice, gesturing to his partner. Oh, well that explained why Mark was hanging back and still looking uncomfortable.
"Why the hell do I have to be escorted,"Sasha asked baring her teeth in annoyance.
The man who had spoken earlier answered earlier gave an ominous laugh as he replied," Because you're one of the guests of honor tonight. As a matter of fact you all are, your family I mean." He frowned in mock concern before laughing again,"Well all of you except one that is" Oh, well that explained why Mark was hanging back and still looking uncomfortable
Sasha knew immediately what the man was getting at. Apparently the chief had called a pack meeting tonight to punish Atrayu for leaving without permission. This was yet another chance for Aragor to establish his dominance as teh alpha and he obviously wanted to make a spectacle of the matter, most likely to discourage that the notion that members of the pack could come and go as they pleased without consequence. As she came to this realization Sasha's anger spiked, not only because of the situation but because Atrayu had brought it all on himself. No matter how much her maternal instincts were screaming at her to protect him, she knew that she couldn't, to do so would violate his pride, he was a man now and she had to treat him like one. Unfortunately for the generals Aragor had sent to "escort her",she might have to accept that she couldn't help her son get out of his mess,but that didn't mean she had to be happy about it,and the fact that the two generals seemed to be enjoying that fact was really bugging the hell out of her.
The man was looking over at his partner to comment about something,so he missed the moment when Sasha stood up. He noticed the movement of her walking towards his group though,and assuming that she was complying turned to lead the four of them out of the house and into the village. Sasha ,however, had other plans, as she reached the man her hand shot out and gripped the back of his neck. She squeezed tightly as she lifted him into the air, he flailed around waving his arms and cussing up a storm. She punched him savagely once in the back of the head silencing him and with a callous flick she tossed him through the window. She cracked her knuckles as she advanced on the other one who had made no move or sound ever since he had entered the dining room. He received no mercy,she gave him no chance to attack, and he soon followed the first man. She beamed at Mark feeling a lot better now, she said nothing as she walked past him and out of the door. Mark chuckled weakly not surprised in the least ,he'd told the two men what would happen if they went to bother his mother but of course they disregarded his statements telling him that they didn't have to listen to anyone of lower rank and rubbing it in that he was no longer a general. He sighed as he went to go pick up the two generals who were unfortunate enough to be tasked with escorting Sasha. He gripped their ankles and dragged them behind him as he hurried to follow his mother. She was moving fast toward the village and didn't spare a glance behind her.
***
Atrayu walked hand in hand with Tsukiumi, hardly daring to believe that he was actually awake. To him it all seemed like a dream, a wonderfully fantastic dream that he was in danger of waking up from. He pinched his arm for the fourth time,wincing slightly at the very real pain for the fourth time,all the while smiling from ear to ear. He glanced down at their joined hands and asked the question that had been bugging him for nigh on three years now.
" So tell me, who's my competition," He inquired prepared to have to be told he would have to fight off any number of suitors questing after her hand. Not that doing so would guarantee her or any other woman's love and loyalty its just that it was one thing to declare your love for someone but it was another thing to actually fight for that love and when it came to love matters among women of the pack it was a good way find a mate even if it was a little crude.
Tsukiumi who was still very red faced and embarrassed at her lewd behavior,and at what had almost transpired just several minutes ago, felt her cheeks heat up anew as she was shocked out of her reverie. " I'm sorry what," she asked sounding flustered and struggling to catch a firmer hold on her inappropriate,runaway thoughts. Atrayu repeated his question sounding deflated thinking that she had been ignoring him. She looked at him for the first time since they had started walking, noticing his crestfallen expression and slumped shoulders. She couldn't help herself she found his expression too funny, she giggled breathlessly. When she saw his eyes snap to her face, she looked away not wanting to be caught staring, strangling her laugh into a hasty cough. Then she realized he was still waiting for an answer to his question. "Um ....," she stalled concentrating on the swallowtail butterfly that was fluttering by. " I don't exactly know what you mean." Of course she understood the question,it was only natural that he should ask,but honestly she thought she had made her feelings clear with that kiss. Didn't he understand that regardless of whoever else there may have been, she chose him above all.
She shook her head fast from side to side, when she spoke it was barely above a whisper,"There isn't anyone else I want to be with,but you." Her blush intensified,she was certain that her face was steaming,could practically feel the heat rising off of her face. Tsukiumi had never bared her soul to anyone like this before it was terrifying she felt way too vulnerable.
"Really since when," He spluttered incredulously, he couldn't recall winning her affection like this, he had always felt that he would have to work hard to get into her heart. He couldn't believe it was going to be this easy,if this was a dream he didn't want to wake up from it.
"I don't know," Tsukiumi told him truthfully,uncomfortable at being put on the spot again.

"What do you mean you don't know," He asked halting in his tracks and bringing the both of them to a complete stop. He brought her around to face him and slid a finger under her chin forcing her face up so he could look directly into her face. He had no idea why she was blushing and refusing to meet his eyes,he was dying to know what she was thinking. "Won't you tell me,"
She couldn't look away from his piercing eyes she felt naked in front of his gaze as if all her secrets were out in the open for him. "I-I uh honestly d-don't know," she stammered backing up unconciously. He advanced with her and she soon found herself pressed up against the back of a tree trunk.
Atrayu placed his palms on the trunk his hands on either side of her face ,trapping her there. "When," he breathed he was so close that his breath rustled her hair. "Was it before or after." He was referring to his leaving , he wanted to know if it was before he had left or after he'd returned. He focused on her lips as she responded ,"Before I guess," He was speechless for several seconds before he threw his head back and howled with laughter. He couldn't believe it, his whole training trip had been for nothing he could have stayed home,his sole purpose for leaving in the first place had been to get stronger so he could claim his place by her side,and here she was telling him it was all for naught.
Tsukiumi laughed awkwardly too,not entirely sure what was so funny,was he making fun of her feelings because if he was he was going to be sorry. His laughter cut off as he leaned in to press his lips to hers lightly in a sweet kiss. A shiver ran down her spine, she could feel the smile on his face and found her lips trying to mimic the shape of it. She didn't need to ask him the same questions, she could feel how genuine his emotions were and teh very fact that he had returned told her all that she needed to know. She was his and he was hers. Little did he know that he had no choice in the matter. She wasn't going to let him get away again,then she thought of something that she should have asked earlier. "What about me,"Her back was still against the tree so she had to speak against his lips,"Do I have any competiton"
She was surprised when he pulled back from her face, her eyes snapped open to glare athis suddenly guilty expression. Her temper rose instantly. "Well," she demanded her arms crossing under her bust. Muddy water rose from a nearby puddle as Atrayu hurriedly backed away from the angry woman. He didn't know exactly how to explain to her about his unique situation. He opened his mouth to say as much when he felt a sudden pain like a pinprick on his right arm.
At first he thought it was a bug bite but then he felt tiny claws scrabbling up his arms and settling on his shoulder. He didn't bother looking down to see what it was for he knew exactlywho it was. "It's about time you woke up,Mimi," he said to the kitten on his shoulder. Mimi was a familiar whose origin came from a different world. Her summoner had been killed several years ago and when he had stumbled across her she was in dire condition. Familiars couldn't last long without a companion,they needed the energy that came with a bond belonging to someone who originated from where they were summoned. When he'd found her she had been near death and half crazed with desperation. The slow draining of energy had a maddening effect on familiars who had lost their partners. She had nearly burnt him to a crisp in their first encounter as she was a hellcat. Normally hell cats were were giant felines resembling a sabretoothed tiger with a shaggy mane complete with four tails. They were called hellcats because they could coat their bodies in intense flames that burned anything it touched and defied the normal ways to put it out sometimes burning for days on end. He had soon won her trust after he had fed her some food he had hunted the day before. When she had finally let him pet her he'd felt an intense burn on his upper right arm and suddenly she vanished leaving a black mark in the shape of a paw surrounded in flame that soon vanished into his skin. He had known immediately what had transpired for he could feel her presence where she resided in the mark and with that bond came her emotions and thoughts as well. When she had finally deigned to make an appearance again it had been in the form of a tiny black kitten with four fluffy tails. He knew all her thoughts and she knew his and so neither of them bothered with speaking when they were alone. It wasn't as if she couldn't speak its just that she couldn't be bothered to make the effort,but what can you say it ws typical cat behavior.
Mimi placed her tiny paws on his cheek and mewed complainingly. She felt disoriented after sleeping so long and was disappointed that Atrayu had let her. He was supposed to have woken her up this morning. She quickly looked through his thoughts to see what she had missed out on. When she had finished she turned her luminous yellow eyes on Tsukiumi who was still standing against the tree with her arms crossed. Tsukiumi was staring open mouthed at the tiny she cat positively speechless for the second time that day. The sheer cuteness of the little kitten was overloading her previous anger. She wanted to pet it but remembered that she was angry with him so she refrained from asking. Mimi mewed again waving her tails as she did so. "Oh right," not bothered in the slightest at the scolding Mimi was mentally giving him,"Mimi this is Tsukiumi,"he said gesturing toward the blonde woman,"And this is Mimi,my familiar,remember I told you about her," he punctuated his words with an affectionate scratch behind the ears to the kitten on his shoulder.
Of coursehe did, she thought to herself but as usual men couldn't be counted on to tell the whole story like the fact that Mimi was the cutest thing on the freaking planet, yeah that would have been nice to know sooner. She let the mud water she had gathered drop back into the forest floor. "would you like to pet her," he asked scooping up Mimi and holding her out. Tsukiumi approached cautiously,very nevous for some reason. "Are you sure its okay,"she asked uncertain, familiars had a reputation for being picky about who they interacted with, hellcats in particular were responsible for giving burn injuries to hapless people who tried to touch them.
Atrayu chuckled again as he responded,"Oh yeah she's been dying to meet you for years now."
Tsukiumi stretched a tentative hand out towards the staring kitten. She paused right before she touched her and acting on pure instinct asked,"May I." The cat closed its eyes and purring in approval and stretched out her nose to press it against Tsukiumi's outstretched hand. With her right hand Tsukiumi petted the cat between her ears stretching her pinky and pointer to scratch behind both at once. The purring increased in volume and Atrayu deposited the kitten in Tsukiumi's arms. The kitten however promptly leapt out of her arms and burrowed into her ample cleavage mewing in happiness at the enveloping warmth. Tsukiumi squealed at the intrusion but soon settled down. Atrayu glared enviously at Mimi for a few seconds and then relayed the message she was giving him.
"She say's thank you,because if it hadn't been for you we wouldn't have found each other," He recited trying to convey the warmth of the emotions Mimi was expressing in his head even though he was angry at the little furball.
Tsukiumi who had been debating on digging the kitten out of her cleavage,but afraid of being burned,bitten or scratched ,as well as not wanting to go digging in between her breasts in front of Atrayu,at least not here and now anyway, decided it was best to leave the kitten where she was. "Tell her I said that she's welcome," she said finding that the silky kitten fur felt super soft against her skin and that she was quite enjoying it. His hand found hers again as they continued toward teh village he noticed that Tsukiumi's face had returned to normal and that she was no longer avoiding his eyes. His grin widened and he felt a spring in his step as he headed toward his destiny.

***
The rest of the walk to the village was noneventful,it mostly consisted of small talk as they continued to catch up with each other. When they stepped into the village it was immediately apparent that no one was around,all the usual sounds of village life were absent it was dead silent. The sun had finally sunk behind the trees and the moon was just starting to rise luckily the full moon had already passed for the month and Atrayu didn't have to complete his walk as a canine. It was easy enough to guess where all of the villagers had gone even if he wasn't able to scent them. He,Atrayu had disobeyed the alpha,not only once but numerous times and,as evidenced by the earlier presence of his would be escorts, there was a pack meeting tonight.
Without breaking stride the young couple made their way to the field where games and large events were held,it was one of the few places that could hold all of the villagers. The sound of many voices grew louder the closer came to the field entrance,an impressively tall building that rose high into the air. Once inside he pulled Tsukiumi into a tight,crushing hug(Mimi protested at this) and gave her a soft kiss. It was more for her benefit than his,but he didn't tell her that. He hadn't told her yet,what he planned to do and he didn't plan to. He didn't believe it was good to stress her unnecessarily and felt that it was better for people to adapt to surprise situations. As far as Tsukiumi knew Atrayu was to be punished for leaving the village, refusing to deliver his report and most recently fro attacking the beta along with the other generals. The punishment would definitely be harsh and given the nature of his actions the punishment would have to be public in order to discourage other people from repeating his mistakes,hence the reason for the pack meeting.
Atrayu knew that what he planned to would certainly shake things up,and whatever happened tonight it would certainly be entertaining. He knew full well that the minute he had entered the building every villager was was likely instantly aware of his presence it only further served his purpose to make them wait. He pulled back from Tsukiumi so that they were only connected by their fingertips,they stared into each other's eyes not speaking,but still communicating clearly. It wasn't the same way that he and Mimi communicated,but nothing was lost. Her deep blue eyes told him clearly everything her voice didn't, it was an intensely passionate moment and not wanting to be the one to breaking,they continued in this fashion for some time until they were interrupted by a man who had been waiting for them to arrive.
Mimi poked her head out of Tsukiumi's cleavage to inspect the stranger she knew what was coming next and wanted to watch the show. Tsukiumi bid Atrayu a swift goodbye before she exited through one of the doors leading to the stands. Once she passed through the doors she was instantly directed to a top v.i.p. box in which she found the rest of Atrayu's family waiting for her there. They looked askance at the tiny kitten's head which was still poking out of her cleavage and she resisted the urge to cross her chest. Without saying a word she moved off to sit between the empty space between Sasha and Ganro who had moved aside to accommodate her the moment she'd arrived. Sasha reached over to pet the kitten noticing the tenseness in Tsukiumi's shoulders and the tightness in her eyes. Sasha reached up with the other hand and patted Tsukiumi affectionately on the head,just like she had done so many times when she had been a child. The simple gesture spoke volumes to Tsukiumi and all at once she felt horrible for the way she'd acted. Sasha was the closest thing Tsukiumi had ever had to a mother and she had rudely ousted her and her entire family out of her life. She felt ungrateful and ashamed all at the same time,and immediately resolved to reinclude all of them into her life again,besides she didn't really have much choice if she was going to be with Atrayu anyway,it should at least be a conscious decision.
"He'll be fine,"Sasha told her reassuringly,"That's my son after all," Sasha and Ganro both laughed at this,so did the rest of the family. Tsukiumi was still nervous but she managed a small curt nod.
"Man you need to loosen up ,sis," Sani,Atrayu's older sister, said with a shoulder nudge to Tsukiumi's back. The action surprised Tsukiumi and she jerked forward,in the process she jostled the cat snuggled in her cleavage. Mimi having had enough crawled out and over to Sasha's shoulder with a disgruntled meow of protest. Ganro couldn't help chuckling at Tsukiumi's expression.
"Whats with the cat,"Sano,Atrayu's older brother, asked he hadn't noticed it earlier. Before Tsukiumi could answer though Sani smacked Sano on the arm. "Weren't you listening this morning, that's obviously Mimi,his familiar." She scolded her brother."Oh yeah," now I remember," Sano said rubbing at the spot where he'd been hit.
"More importantly," Mark cut in looking excited,"Tsukiumi, what took you guys so long,Aragor sent Butch after you guys ages ago,what took you so long," He asked looking at her pointedly and wiggling his eyebrows at her. Noticing the blush that heated her cheeks,he crowed in laughter. He whirled on his other siblings and held his hand out,"Pay up, I told you."
"No way," they protested in unison,"That doesn't prove anything," They rounded on Tsukiumi,"Right Kiu," Sano asked,"You guys didn't do it did you,"
"W-w-w-what d-do y-you m-mean," Tsukiumi stammered, her face was steaming again, she was starting to realize what they were getting at. Sano's next sentence proved her suspicions,"You know 'It'," he said with an eyebrow wiggle of his own.
"N-n-n," she stammered,but mercifully Sasha took pity on her.
"Now now you guys, you know very well that its none of our business," she admonished,Tsukiumi shot her a grateful look.
"Ok, ok, then what happened to the beta," Mark asked unabashed,"I was there when the order was given and like I said earlier that was ages ago."
"Oh,well he kicked their asses," Tsukiumi answered,more than happy to change the subject. Mark punched an exultant fist into the air and whooping,as did most of the rest of the family. They gave a collective howl that echoed through the entire field and pressed Tsukiumi for details, she smiled to herself as she tried her best to answer all the questions. It was like the entire family was determined to be rebels,the thought made her smile.
Atrayu heard his family and smirked,he hadn't budged an inch since Tsukiumi's exit and he could that the crowd was getting angry. Especially the guy in front of him who looked on the verge of snapping. The guy was clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration and a vein was pulsing in his neck. Without a word Atrayu walked toward teh exit that led onto the field,the man tried to jump in front of him in order to attempt to lead him, but this was a huge mistake, in his haste he left himself wide open and Atrayu struck out and punched him solidly on the chin. The man collapsed and Atrayu caught him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him onto the field.
The field itself was massive easily the size and width of several football stadiums. In the center of the field stood Aragor and contingent of twenty-five warriors,they were arrayed in a wide "V". Aragorn was a tall, wiry, battle scarred man with short brown hair and hard cruel eyes. Atrayu walked slowly up to Aragorn taking his time. When he was twenty feet from the alpha he tossed the man unceremoniously to the ground directly at Aragorn's feet.
"I wonder," Atrayu began with a head tilt,"how many more of these idiots you were going to send to 'escort me'. Of course you had no way of knowing," he went on conversationally," but those idiots you sent earlier are probably still taking a nap down by the lakeside,and that bitch you call a beta ,he didn't last more than a few seconds." It wasn't that he had any particular beef with Aragorn, its just that as the current alpha he was in the way,and currently any who were allied with Aragorn was an enemy.
If Aragorn was surprised at the statement that his second-in command had been defeated,he certainly didn't show it. His eyes remained cruel and unblinking, he was trying to bore into Atrayu in order to apply the Alpha's will but for some reason it wasn't working. Atrayu met his eyes unflinchingly which in itself was a challenge it was almost mocking.
"I must say,your family is starting to get on my nerves,"Aragorn said in a cold voice that echoed around the field. A chorus of howls met his statement,the sound made Atrayu to grin. A vein started to pulse in Aragorn's forehead,but when he spoke there was no trace of his feelings. "First we're going to deal with you and then we'll deal with them. As it stands now your crimes are that you left the pack without my permission, you refused to report when you did return,and you attacked members of your own pack in doing so you've directly disobeyed your Alpha." Aragorn rattled off deciding cut to the heart of the matter not in the mood to trade banter with this whelp. Atrayu said nothing and gestured for him to continue,looking bored with the proceedings. "Your punishment will be the "Trial of Sharg" beginning now and lasting for two weeks. There will be no food or water until the trial is over." There was a collective gasp among the crowd and someone was shouting but it was impossible to tell who. The "Trial of Sharg" consisted of being thrown in an obsidian glass pit several hundred feet deep. The glass made the pit impossible to climb out of and the only way out was to be lifted out. This punishment was all the worse for wolves because of the isolation and lack of nutrition. This was one of the worst possible punishments to receive,the concept of prison was a lost cause and not much of a punishment in the eyes of the wolf pack it was completely useless,and executions were only given for the worst of crimes.
At hearing this news,far from being scared or worried,Atrayu doubled over in laughter. His mirth surprised the entire village,but he couldn't help himself after the hardships he'd faced two weeks of starvation and dehydration would be a cakewalk,besides he had no intention on following Aragorn's or anyone else's orders. It was like an inside joke that he was sharing with himself. Aragorn growled low in his throat the sound crescendoing into a rumbling roar. "What the fuck is goddamned funny,"He finally exploded. To his rising temper it only made Atrayu laugh harder.

Atrayu sobered up slowly wiping a tear from his eye as he straightened up. "Look,Zombiegorn,"Atrayu said as he sobered up,catching his breath. "Im not sure you understand what's going on here."
"First of all my name is Aragorn,and second why don't you enlighten me."Aragorn was confused,he'd just delivered a verdict that most men feared and this kid was laughing it off, he wasn't sure what he'd accomplished in his four years absence but apparently not all of him had returned. Maybe he should extend the punishment and give the kid some time to regain his head.
"Nah,I'm good with Zombiegorn,cuz when I look you all I see is a corpse. If you haven't realized it by now,I'm challenging you as teh Alpha,i'm challenging your right to lead this pack. Its not that you're not a good leader,you're just in the way. Oh, and not just you but the guys around you as well,again nothing personal but once I take you out I don't want anyone challenge me so I figure the fastest way is to give an overwhelming display of power.Oh but don't worry you're the only one who has to die as I believe that if I leave you breathing you'll be sure to try to undermine me,and I can't have that now can I," Atrayu finished. Stunned silence met his words,unperturbed Atrayu began to stretch, throwing a few shadow punches. When no one moved or reacted his smile grew wide," Come now, all of you at once, either you come to me or I come to you. Look, i've even given you a handicap."He flexed his power and an intricate design of latticelike tattoos blazed bright upon his arms etching from his shoulder to his wrists,restarting at his thighs and traveling toes. Again the crowd gasped in surprised,everyone present knew immediately that they were sealing symbols. Now it was Aragorn's turn to laugh, he gave a great shout of laughter that was echoed by most of the village,they were in absolute hysterics.
This was the reaction Atrayu had been hoping for his smile grew wider and his eyes gleamed. The moon had fully risen now and cast its light fully upon the field. "Well don't say I didn't warn you" He tried one last time,while he unhooked the cat claw gloves attached to his belt,and pulling them tight. He brought his fists together while he counted down from ten in his head. His feet dug deep into the earth the ground cracking. This was the moment he had been working for and now it was showtime. Five seconds left now.the sounds of the crowd became muted and distant as he zeroed in on the heartbeats of his targets. His vision narrowed, zeroing in on vulnerable spots,neither of them had taken a ready stance as they were too busy laughing.
When he reached the count of one he exploded into action vanishing completely from sight and appearing in front of Aragorn and delivering a cluster of punches to his chest,he spun on his heel converting his momentum to launch into the next closest opponent. Because of his sealing tattoos his power was severely depleted,in order to compensate for this lack of power he through multiple punches simultaneously. If he were proud of any one thing it was his speed that he was most proud of . Wolves were famous for their superior speed just as vampires were famous for their monstrous strength, each race carried something that made them truly unique,and to be fastest among the fast was the only title he readily claimed was his own. Atrayu had knocked down seven of them before they were quick enough to respond to the threat. The crowd was no longer laughing, their mouths were hanging open in stunned surprise. It was hard to comprehend that a single fighter was decimating their elite warriors,and with his power sealed to boot. It was certainly an enlightening experience to say the least.
Back on the field,the warriors had finally regrouped and drew their various weapons,forming instinctively into formation surrounding Aragorn. They put their own speed on display, moving to circle Atrayu in a flashing bladed dance. Atrayu backed off making sure to keep the eighteen warriors in sight and eluding their attempts to duck around him and capture his back in classic wolf fashion. Sweat oiled his limbs and his eyes were alight with the excitement of battle,it was one of the things he loved, fighting strong opponents and pushing his limits. "Come on guys, I hope that isn't all you've got to show me,"he taunted as he continued to dance backward. He was hoping they'd show him their full repertoire of tricks partially because he wanted to see what they were capable of,after all they would soon be under his leadership and he needed to make sure they were up to scratch,but mostly because he was hoping to be able to cut loose himself.

The lead warriors lunged forward slashing downward at the spot where Atrayu had been previously. He retaliated with a side kick to each of their heads,planting his foot on the back of one guys head pushing himself forward to engage the next group. The villagers were on their feet now and making a great deal of noise. They were excited to see the outcome of this battle,some people were taking bets while deciding who to root for. Most people were betting on Aragorn if only for the amount of men under his side,others couldn't help but bet on the underdog.

Atrayu decided it was time to employ some of his high end skills, they were the fruit of his training and were his crowning achievement. Currently there were only three skills,but he had worked tirelessly to perfect them. They were called, accel,tempest and illusion. Accel was the most rudimentary; when properly performed it resulted in a burst of speed and strength,the tempest was a variation on the accel which implemented afterimages in order to confuse the enemy. The illusion was an extremely taxing move so fast it was likened to teleporting, but to perform it was taxing on the body.

Atrayu launched into a two consecutive tempests so that it appeared as if there were six of him, and flowed directlly into double accels. In the confusion Atrayu quickly dispatched the rest of the warriors leaving only a snarling Aragorn standing. Atrayu was breathing hard, his breath coming in quick pants, using any one of the high-end skills was hard enough,but to use the consecutively was tiring to say the least. Atrayu was cursing the fact that hea hadn't decided to eat anything since breakfast,he was starting to feel lightheaded with hunger.
Aragorn was still full of vitality having stayed back during the whole fight, watching and studying the challenger's moves. He was still pissed about the surprise attack,more so at himself for letting his guard down. How dare this barely weaned whelp challenge him,he would show him he didn't have what it took to lead a wolf pack. He'd been more than merciful in his punishment this ungrateful brat had thrown his mercy back in his face,but no matter challenges were to the death.

Atrayu and Aragorn circled each other searching for an opening, meeting in brief clashes before jumping back to circle again. Aragorn landed a punch on Atrayu's right arm, and leg, Atrayu landed five to Aragon's chest. Aragorn had the advantage in age and strength, Atrayu had his speed,and determination. Aragorn threw a heavy punch and Atrayu dodged and retaliated with a flurry of swift jabs. Aragorn was having trouble pinning the young wolf down long enough to land a decisive blow,and he was having a hard time coping with his unorthodox fighting style. Just then Aragorn lunged forward with an uppercut,but the challenger dodged to the right torquing his whole body in a horizontal spin,his body parallel to the ground. From this position Atrayu threw his own uppercut to the unprotected jaw of Aragorn knocking the old wolf's head back, he finished with a smashing downward kick to the back of Aragorn's head before landing on all fours. Aragorn's face smashed through the top layer of earth,but with a furious howl he shoved himself to his feet spitting out grass,dirt,and blood.

His expression was murderous, but he was still reeling from the kick. Atrayu seeking to advantage of the opening bounded forward with a tempestous flurry of blows. The villagers were still in shock;the challenger's fists were all but invisible they were so fast. Atrayu was raining blows without mercy upon Aragorns open chest,but suddenly Aragorn shot a fist forward and caught him hard on the right cheek. The blow was tremendous it stunned the young man and Aragorn quickly swung again right into the young man's gut. The punch blasted Atrayu back and he sailed through the air and crashed into the wall surrounding the field. The wind was knocked out of him and he slumped to the floor bracing himself on one knee,feeling the bruises forming on his back and stomach and for the first time he felt glad that he hadn't eaten anything otherwise he would have thrown it up.

He couldn't believe the old wolf had that much fight left in him after all those blows he should have been knocked down. Atrayu glared through his bangs at the current alpha, the old man was swaying unsteadily,his knees were shaking violently,his face a bloody mess,but still he refused to fall, didn't lower his eyes. Instead he continued to glare,he hadn't moved forward to capitalize and his predatory instincts told Atrayu that it was all Aragorn could do stand, that last attack was all the old wolf had left. Atrayu pushed himself to his feet as his breath started to return,he wiped blood out of his eyes with the back of his gloved right hand and held it out in front of him. He held his arm out away from his body like a sword,at the same time he channeled energy into it,feeling the flames surrounding it in warmth. Every person had an affinity with an element, his just so happened to be with fire,it was one of the things that Mimi had liked most about him.

Atrayu bunched, and tightened his muscles until they were screaming in protest, the flames intensified ,and his feet sank deep into the earth. The crowd went silent again,they hardly dared to breathe, this was it the kiling blow that would decide all of their fates. Aragorn continued to glare in defiance,he didn't have the strength left to evade or een to block. He was utterly defeated,it still seemed impossible to him,he'd been alpha for eighty years now and not once had a challenger been able to get him to stop. His eyes sought the moon, she was beautiful tonight not completely full but still cast her pale light on all who stood underneath her. All at once he heard a yowling roar from somewhere up above,instantly he felt pain through his chest and he could no longer see the moon. He was fading now,there was no longer any pain,from a long distance away he felt his head slumped onto his chest.

Atrayu stared grimly at the dying man impaled upon his arm,in his hand he clutched the man's heart, he crushed it as it disintegrated from the flames. He felt no remorse at his deed,nor did he regret having to do it. Such feelings would only weigh him down in his leadership. A wolf alpha would need to rule absolutely and couldn't afford to show weakness lest he be showing weakness and thus lose his standing and right to lead. But nore did he find any joy in the act other than the elation that accompanied any victory, he wasn't a monster, in fact he was a rather kindhearted person,but in this world it was kill or be killed.
"Please...........",Aragorn's breath was shallow in response to his rapidly failing lungs. His vision was failing,and he felt detatched from his body. He was fading fast but there was a duty he had to perform,his last as Alpha. "Ta....ke c-care..of m...y pack."

Atrayu listened to teh dying man's wishes when he replied his voice was cold and clear "I swear to protect this pack and its people with my dying breath." He spoke to the entire village so that they may know and understand. He listened for anymore of Aragorn's dying words,but there were no more, the lifeless body fell heavily off of his arm. There was a gaping charred, hole in the dead man's chest the wound still smoked and sizzled even though the flames were extenguished.

Authors Note: As always I'd like to say thank everyone I'd like to thank all my readers just for reading, moving on I would like to reitterate my previous statement and bring to mind that Yes indeed you will find characters you know and recognize,but don't expect them to act the same way that they do normally,I originally intended for this to be a compeletely original story but after a while i decided to incorporate some characters with an actual fanbase,but despite that I want this story to be truly unique and so I will divert from yur expected path, it will be bumpy at first but trust me it will get better.

I would also like to appologize for the late post, I have one of those tablet things with the keyboard attachment and I just learned how to copy and paste. At this time I would like to address something that I think will be crucial in the long run. These aren't humans so thier mannerisms and the way they may do things will be different so please try to remember that as you read. Most people are only interested in the stories with the nc-17 rating and some of you may be wondering why I continue to add the nc-17 rating to my story even though there hasn't been any sex so far,and the answer is that I plan to add plenty of Sex scenes and I would hate for a minor to be following this story only to be surprised by an adult situation all because they were mislead to believe that this was a different type of story.

As always be sure to read and review, thats all for now.