Chapter Twenty-Six
Skylar Cathal
The final rays of sunlight kissed the canopies and scattered along the peaks of the distant mountains to the northern reaches of our territory. The air held a bite of cold that would chill you to the bone.
I marched to the center of the training grounds with countless pairs of eyes set on watching my every movement.
The grass crinkled underneath my feet with the night’s frost as the fog from my breath curled around my lips.
My heart pounded inside my chest like the beating sounds of thunder in the sky.
“We’re with you,” Shaw said. “Don’t forget that.”
“I know,” I answered, keeping my mind focused.
I knew I wouldn’t enter this challenge alone. My animal stirred, preparing me for the fight ahead and fueling me with a serene sense of calm, telling me that this was the right choice.
“And what are we? Some sort of consolation prize or something?” Rhea asked, bumping Shaw’s shoulder.
“Don’t forget who won a gold coin from you and Talon by betting on the right shifter from the start.
I told you my girl would win.” Rhea winked, giving me a confident smile I couldn’t help but return.
“Where would I be without you, Rhea?” I teased.
“Yeah,” Talon added in a flirtatious tone, his eyes focused solely on his mate. “I remember that day on the cliffs, and I still stand by what I said.” We all looked at him, ready and waiting for his response. “I’d be richer.”
Simultaneously, we all broke out into a half-hearted laugh.
Shaw shook his head, running his fingers through his tangled mesh of hair. “Nicely done, brother.”
“I try.” Talon grinned, flashing a smile that caused his crooked nose to twist.
“Skylar?” Neera’s voice brought our laughter to a swift halt, her focus centered on me.
“I-I’m not a fighter, a healer, or a high-standing member of this pack in power or strength.
But I’m a Cathal.” Neera’s voice steadied as a warm hum of pride swelled within my chest. “Like you, I carry the honor of our family’s name and heritage.
And you—” She paused, her eyes glowing with a swell of magic.
“You’re my alpha, Skylar. I will forever follow you. ”
Despite the commotion of the gathering shifters, the world fell silent. I gazed at my cousin in awe. I cupped her sweet face between my palms and leaned my forehead against hers.
“You honor me, sister—blood of my blood. The strength of your heart is worth the might of a thousand swords,” I said.
“Then take it. It’s yours,” Neera said as she placed her palm on my chest.
A rush of power emanated from her animal, reaching out to interact with my own. My soul blazed with the true magic of shifters. Of the strength woven within our pack that linked us to the land, our people, and our animals.
“Take what is rightfully yours, Sky,” Neera told me. “We are with you.”
Shaw came to my side next, placing a hand on my shoulder, his animal responding just as Neera’s did.
I noticed a green shimmer of his magic floating over his skin as it drifted toward me.
A silent, foreign exchange passed between us, our animals recognizing one another as family.
Rhea and Talon quickly followed suit, their animals calling out and linking with mine in the same manner.
“I’ve always known you were meant to do this,” Rhea said with a smile. “Now prove it.”
“I will.”
The kinship I held with these four warmed my heart and mended the broken pieces of my soul. I would forever cherish their friendship and undying support.
“It’s time,” Shaw whispered to our group. “He’s here.”
I nodded as I adjusted the armor of Aegis, along with my bow, arrows, and blades strapped to my side.
After Gilen flew into the sky, calling out to our people to bear witness to the challenge, I raced home to gather my weapons. Without the ability to shift, I needed something to protect myself.
Shaw, being the diligent person he is, conversed with elders in the pack to confirm the rules and regulations of the challenge. Weapons would be allowed, and he warned me that Gilen could do the same if he chose. He could also fight me in his roc form.
The challenge was simple enough. A fight to the death or submission, without outside aid. The victor would hold the rightful claim to the role of the shifter defeated in combat.
Whoever won would become the alpha.
There hadn’t been a formal challenge like this in our lifetimes, and never one from an unshifted pack member. Gilen and I were writing our own rules and breaking the norm.
I gave my family a nod as they stepped away, leaving me alone in the center of the clearing. I turned and watched as groups of shifters along the edge parted ways, giving their current alpha a wide berth as he made his way into the meadow.
The chill in the air turned frigid. The menacing glare from my opponent matched the dropping temperatures and the freezing ground we stood upon.
Gilen wore no armor, held no weapon aside from the alpha’s dagger clutched in his hand.
I stilled when our stares locked. His gaze was sharp with anger, unflinching as he strode toward me. The lines etched in his face were rigid, remote, but beneath them, a deeper emotion surfaced… betrayal.
I steadied myself, shifting my feet in the grass. I knew this pain. I’d experienced this same heart-wrenching emotion the night before I left for the Inner Kingdom when he called me a half-breed.
I regretted the agony I was causing Gilen, but I didn’t regret this challenge.
Gilen straightened to his full stature. His magic surged as he pulled back his shoulders to speak. “I’ll ask you this one last time.” He twirled the dagger in his hand. “You truly wish to challenge me?”
I squared my shoulders, fearless in his commanding presence. “I challenge you, Alpha of the Solace pack.”
“So be it,” Gilen growled, raising the dagger above his head. “I accept.”
He threw the weapon toward the dirt, the blade embedding itself in the frozen ground beneath our feet.
Since Gilen didn’t have weapons, I unstrapped my bow and quiver, but kept a blade strapped to my thigh. I placed them next to me in the grass, keeping them ready in case Gilen shifted into his animal form. He had an advantage over me with his physical strength, but thankfully, I had speed.
I crouched into a balanced fighting stance, and Gilen did the same.
For a moment, I closed my eyes and allowed myself to reach for my bond with Daxton, daring to search for his presence despite the distance that separated us.
And instantly, I felt it.
It was comforting and empowering. My animal sang inside my mind in response to his presence, knowing that no matter what, we would always find each other.
Xander cleared his throat and stepped between us, raising his arm to the sky before yelling, “Begin!”