Chapter 17

Chapter 17 –

🌘Kate

The arena was alive before I even stepped into it.

The sound of hundreds of voices merged into a low, thrumming hum that rattled through my bones. The scent of pine and damp earth mixed with the tang of adrenaline and anticipation in the air. From the shadows of the archway, I could see the curved stands packed with wolves in human form, their eyes trained on the sandy pit below.

Some looked at me with open challenge, others with thinly veiled doubt.

And then there were those whose gazes softened, the ones who saw me as more than just "the wolfless Omega who caught the Alpha King."

My heart pounded—not from fear, but from the knowledge that this was the moment everything changed.

I stepped forward into the light, my boots crunching against the sand. A ripple went through the crowd. Whispers chased my name in every direction, some admiring, others scathing. The sun dipped through the arena's high walls, laying a golden crown across my head.

Ryker was already there, standing tall in his place at the side, his sapphire eyes locked entirely on me. He didn't smile, but his gaze told me everything—pride, trust, possession.

Aria was in the center of the ring, stretching like a predator about to pounce. Her golden-brown hair gleamed under the sunlight, and the smirk on her lips was sharp enough to cut.

"Well," she drawled as I approached, "you've made it this far without running away. I'll give you that much."

Her eyes swept down my simple tunic and leggings. "But no amount of pretty eyes and Luna title dreams are going to save you once I'm through."

I ignored her, keeping my face calm. She thrived on reactions, and I wasn't giving her the satisfaction.

A movement to my left caught my attention.

It was Lila—the female warrior who had stood up for me days ago when Aria had tried to humiliate me in the training grounds. Today, she stood near the front row, her arms folded across her chest, eyes hard on Aria.

"Don't underestimate her," Lila said loudly enough for those nearby to hear. "The smart ones never do."

A small wave of murmurs followed.

Aria's jaw tightened, but she brushed it off with a flick of her hair.

The officiator's voice rang out, calling us to take our starting positions. My bare feet slid lightly against the sand as I stepped to the edge of the marked circle.

Ryker's voice brushed through the pack bond, low and steady in my mind. Don't hold back, Kate. Show them why you're mine.

I didn't answer. I just let the words settle in my chest like a burning coal.

The signal horn blared.

Aria lunged first, her movements sharp and practiced. She came at me with the speed of someone who had fought and won many times. I dodged left, letting her momentum carry her past me, then pivoted to counter with a strike aimed at her ribs. She blocked easily, the two of us circling in the sand.

The crowd cheered for every hit, every dodge.

For the first few minutes, I kept my stance defensive, gauging her style. She was aggressive, relying on brute force and speed. I was lighter, quicker, reading her movements. But it didn't take long before she adjusted to me.

A sharp kick caught my thigh, forcing me back a step. Then another strike—this one grazing my jaw. She grinned like a wolf scenting blood.

"You fight like you've been taught, not like you've lived it," she taunted between blows.

I tasted copper in my mouth but refused to spit. I wouldn't give her that satisfaction either.

Her next attack came hard and fast, knocking me onto my back in the sand. The crowd roared as she pinned my shoulders with her knees, her hands pressing down on my forearms.

For a heartbeat, all I could see was her triumphant grin above me.

And then—

Let me out.

The voice thundered in my head, deep and fierce. Not mine. Not Ryker's. My wolf's.

My breath caught.

It was the first time I'd heard her so clearly—commanding, not pleading.

Aria pushed harder, trying to force my arms into the sand. "Stay down, Omega. This will be over quicker for you."

LET. ME. OUT.

Heat began to bloom in my chest, radiating outward in slow, deliberate waves. The scent of smoke—faint, but there—curled at the edge of my senses.

I clenched my fists against the sand. My vision sharpened, colors deepening, Aria's heartbeat loud in my ears. Every instinct told me to let the shift take me, to unleash what I had been holding back for far too long.

The crowd's roar faded into a distant hum. All that existed was her weight on me, the heat in my veins, and the voice of my wolf, steady and sure.

It's time they saw who you really are.

I exhaled slowly, my lips curling into a faint smile despite the position I was in. Aria's expression faltered—just a flicker—before I let my body answer my wolf's call.

And then the heat surged, racing up my spine.