Wolves of the Black Rose

[POV: ELAINE]

He stood there, tall and proud, a smirk spread across his sun-kissed, freckled face. I wondered how long it would take for me to get bored of this.

“It’s about damn time you stepped down!” he crowed, flashing a perfect smile. “I wouldn’t want to damage that pretty face of yours.”

I couldn’t help but snort, a devilish grin spreading across my face. It was always the same with him: empty threats, hollow warnings, and an inflated ego that didn’t intimidate me in the slightest.

“You’re a freak who doesn’t fear death,” he spat, his voice dripping with contempt.

“And you do?” I shot back, raising an eyebrow in a cocky challenge.

The sound of his jaw shifting echoed through the silent platform, where an eager crowd waited to see how this would play out.

If I had my way, I would have ended this long ago. But he just had to keep throwing out empty threats that bored me to tears.

Another shift, another growl. I turned my attention back to him.

“Alright, let’s finish this then,” I smirked, lunging at him and taking him down in one swift move.

He whimpered as I grabbed his sweaty fur and hurled him against the wall that surrounded the platform.

A massive crack instantly appeared in the white and gray concrete where he landed.

“WINNER: ELAINE WOODS!”

I dusted off my hands and clothes as I descended the small steps leading to the waiting area where my brothers stood.

As I approached, I saw their smiles and excited expressions.

“Two more to go.”

“Shouldn’t you be somewhere else?” I asked, grabbing my stuff and heading out of the arena. A few chuckles followed me, causing me to roll my eyes.

“Of course, baby sister. How could we not support you today?” one of them replied, his voice filled with joy.

I glanced over my shoulder.

Quillon, Jyn, Blaze, Arye, and Regulus, my brothers and sons of Alpha Atlas, my father.

Being the only girl in the family, it was a bit annoying to have this bunch always hovering around me like protective vultures. It was a bit much.

“It seems you’re the talk of the pack,” Blaze remarked, earning me a few stares from the rest of the pack members as we walked past them.

The Black Rose, the largest and most feared pack in the north of the Alpine Mountains, hidden away by rivers and snow from the prying eyes of humans.

Every ten years, a competition was held where warriors from every pack could compete to become the next alpha king.

Betas, omegas, or alphas were all welcome to participate, and today was that day. As the daughter of an alpha, it was my duty to take part, even though my father was against it.

“Your favorite person is going to the last round, you know,” my brother Regulus teased from behind.

No one responded. All I saw from the corner of my eye were their flinches and body shifts as they kept their distance, knowing I was speaking the truth.

As we reached our next destination, I took in the sight of various pack members from neighboring packs standing in small groups, chatting.

It was quite a sight, as the Black Rose Pack only opened its doors to the rest of the packs once every ten years.

That was the rule, and the only way to get in without waiting that long was if you had business with the pack or were invited.

And once they did open their doors, the place would be bustling with people for the tournaments, especially since this also served as a way to find something every pack lacked—mates.

“Hey, are you the only she-wolf participating?” Arye asked as we all looked around the new arena where my next fight would be.

“No, there’s another one,” I replied, taking a seat and resting my elbows on the iron bars surrounding the platform, spreading my legs in a decidedly unladylike manner.

“Could you sit like a lady?” Jyn whispered, rolling his eyes. “You’re the least attractive woman here.”

I raised my eyebrows as everyone else turned away, their chuckles reaching my ears.

Choosing to ignore Jyn’s comment, I focused on the front, where the other warrior was warming up. I studied her as she stretched, mumbled to herself, and looked around nervously.

She seemed worried, but I couldn’t understand why.

While I kept my eyes on her, my brothers started talking amongst themselves. Suddenly, a loud howl echoed from a distance.

Everyone in the arena fell silent, looking up as another howl came from the same direction.

“Well, lucky bastard!” Blaze laughed, howling back in congratulations.

It was the howl of a man, announcing to every pack member that he had found his chosen one, his mate, his forever one.

“Yes, lucky him,” Jyn mumbled, causing me to glance his way.

Sadness clouded my brother’s face as he slowly lowered his gaze.

I knew this troubled him. Jyn had been searching for years with no sign of a mate.

And to make matters worse, he was the oldest son, the one my father expected to start his own family and take over our business. But so far, he had had no luck.

Standing up, I asked if anyone wanted something to eat. A few of my brothers grumbled about how eating before a fight was a bad idea.

Ignoring my growling stomach, I slipped away from the group and headed to a nearby stall where the scent of meat and corn wafted through the air.

For wolves living in the mountains, having bison meat was a delicacy.

There were a million chances you could try it, since the cold weather and being far from human cities made it impossible to get your hands on some necessities.

Most of the time, we ate canned food or other things that would last a couple of months, but the good thing was that we had a human representative who was well aware of our existence.

The real kicker was that he only showed up every three months, unless there was an emergency. Then we’d have to wait up to two weeks.

I joined the long line, pulling my cloak over my face to hide it. Suddenly, a burst of cheering caught my attention. Another fight had ended, and a victor had emerged.

Ever since I was a kid, I’d dreamed of competing in this tournament. But I was too young. Now that I was twenty, I was eligible. My goal was clear: to become the first female alpha in the history of our pack.

“Hey, did you hear? A warrior died.”

I glanced over my shoulder. Two guys in red and black gear, clearly not from our pack, were talking. They seemed scared of whoever had killed the warrior.

“Looks like the alpha is pulling out all the stops. Glad I’m not in the tournament,” one of them joked.

“Coward,” I muttered.

Suddenly, a hand gripped my shoulder and spun me around. I glared at the two guys.

“What did you say?” one of them growled. “Hey, I’m talking to you!”

I shrugged his hand off and looked up.

“You’re a she-wolf?” they both exclaimed, surprised.

“What? Never seen a woman before?” I snapped, making them both flinch. I scoffed and turned away, moving with the line and focusing on my goal: food.

Our pack of werewolves had special abilities. Some had strength, others agility, or even unique fighting techniques.

But my family had something different: eyesight. We could show others what we saw through our eyes—the surroundings, people, even our dreams if we wanted to.

It was a weird ability that had earned me the nickname “Freak” in the pack.

And while a few were born with these abilities, ours came from our lycan ancestors. Their blood ran in us, but mostly in me.

I was the special one in the family, and I didn’t like it one bit.

I sighed and moved forward when someone bumped into me. I turned to see who it was.

“Move it!” a deep voice ordered from behind.

“David.” I gritted my teeth.

“Well, if it isn’t Elaine Woods. What’s up, freak?”

I clenched my fists at my sides and glared at him.

“Get lost,” I said, turning away from the jerk behind me. Arguing with him was a waste of time.

David snorted close to my neck.

“Bitch!” he spat.

He had to be kidding. I was ready to give him a piece of my mind when a familiar voice called out to us.

My body tensed as his footsteps approached—slow but deadly.

David and his group had vanished without a word.

“I heard you’re still in the tournament,” he whispered, his voice full of hate. I suppressed a smirk.

“Watch your tone with me,” Connor growled, his teeth clenched.

I held my head high and turned to face him with a smug smile.

“I could say the same to you,” I said, smiling sweetly. Everyone, including Connor’s friends, stepped back.

The tension was palpable. Everyone was scared of us, and they had every right to be.

Connor and I were like oil and water, night and day, thunder and lightning. We were never going to be mates.

I stepped closer, closing the gap between us. Looking into his honey-colored eyes, I saw his face shift, showing me the authority he thought he had over me.

But did he really?

Feeling defiant, I summoned my wolf. This would make him choose between shifting completely and fighting me, or backing down and waiting for me to kick his ass in our final fight.

“I suggest you don’t cross me, Elaine,” Connor hissed, a threat in his voice. I just smiled.

“Likewise, dog,” I smirked, running my finger up his toned chest. He was trying to control his anger.

Looking at his chest, I noticed that Connor was well-built, tall, and elegant. He was the epitome of a god and a king.

Any woman would dream of having him, but not me.

I despised him. He repulsed me.

“I’ve warned you, Elaine,” Connor whispered as he brushed past me, walking away with his group.

I took a deep breath and turned back to the line. Connor had completely ruined my appetite.