Chapter 18: 18: Warrior

ALEX

“Dom, it’s official—you’ve lost your damn mind,” I say, shaking my head.

It has only been a week since Dom found his destined mate, but now we’re just days away from his mating ceremony.

As his best man and officiant, I’m being sucked into the hurricane of chaos.

“Alex, I’m telling you, it’s here somewhere,” he says, rummaging through a pile of clothes.

I narrowly dodge a pair of boxers that Dom hurls into the ceiling fan.

“Helena isn’t going to care what ~bow tie~ you wear to the ceremony, Dom. She probably wouldn’t care if you were wearing anything at all!”

Dom stops searching for a moment and considers that suggestion. “Hmm, naked mating ceremony. I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it…”

“No. Absolutely not. As your alpha, I forbid it,” I say, laughing. “I can only deal with so much of your craziness.”

Dom stands up and leans against his dresser, giving me a contemplative look. “And what about you? You’ve been acting a bit crazy recently yourself.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, although I know what he’s going to say.

“I’m talking about Lola. And the fact that she’s ~still~ here,” he says, crossing his arms. “What’s going on with that?”

“I…I just enjoy her company, that’s all. She traveled so far to get here, there’s no reason for her to go back so soon,” I say, somewhat defensively. “I think you’d really like her if you got to know her.”

“Well, there hasn’t been much chance of that, has there?” Dom says, annoyed. “She’s got her claws in you so deep that I’ve barely even seen you since the mating weekend.”

“She doesn’t have anyone else! I’m just trying to make her feel welcome!”

I don’t know why this is suddenly getting heated, but I feel myself starting to get angry.

“Alex, it’s obvious to everyone that you’re only into Lola because you haven’t dealt with the loss of Olivia,” Dom says, raising his voice. “You’re my best friend! I just don’t want to see you make a mistake!”

“If you’re my best friend, then drop it,” I growl. “This conversation is over.”

~Sure, maybe Lola reminds me of Olivia a little. So what?~

~That’s not the only reason I find her intriguing.~

~It’s not.~

“Fine, let’s talk about something else then,” Dom says in a challenging tone. “Let’s talk about Ariel.”

Her name shoots through me like a piercing arrow. I haven’t seen much of her since Lola arrived to the pack, but I still think about her every day.

My brain is constantly at odds with my heart and I’m conflicted about my feelings for both Ariel and Lola.

They both stir up different emotions in me, but everything is so mixed up in my mind that I can’t tell what’s what.

Lola has hit me like an intoxicating aroma and it’s numbing my senses and making it so that I can’t think straight.

My parents love her. Mom is already pushing for a proposal, which is insane. ~Isn’t it?~

When I’m with Lola, I feel like I’m with Olivia again, but it’s not the same.

How could it ever be the same?

There’s no history...just a reflection.

I’m so fucking confused right now. I do miss Ariel, but seeing her would only make me more confused. I need to sort this out on my own.

Dom sits next to me and nudges my shoulder with his, signaling his surrender.

“Look, man, I don’t wanna fight with you. Whatever decision you make, I’ll always be your best friend and your beta.

“I just want you to think about what it is ~you~ want. Not your parents. Not anyone else. You.”

~What do I want?~

It’s a loaded question and one that I don’t have the answer to right now…

ARIEL

The mating weekend has put me in a funk and it’s been hard to fight it. The only thing keeping me from eating ten gallons of ice cream in bed is my warrior exam and thank the Goddess for that.

I’ve been training all week and it has served as a much-needed distraction from Alex and his new ‘friend.’

Wallowing over Alex isn’t going to help me become a warrior, so today, I’m going to give it my all and push boys to the back of my mind.

This has been my dream for years, to become an official pack warrior.

It’s nerve-wracking to think that today, I’ll finally have the chance to prove myself worthy.

Steve says I’m ready, and I trust his judgment, but I’m still not so sure.

Given all the weird shit that happens when I get riled up, I just hope I don’t see red and lose control.

Even though my wolf has been rumbling and roaring inside me all morning, I’m determined to keep my cool and pass this test without any slipups.

As I sit in my tent, waiting for my cue to go into the arena, my phone begins buzzing and a sense of relief washes over me. It’s my dad.

Dad

Hey my little warrior!

Dad

Today is the big day!

Dad

I’ve had it marked in my calendar for weeks!

Dad

You’re gonna SMASH it!

Ariel

Haha thanks Dad

Ariel

I really hope so

Dad

I wish I could be there to see it.

Dad

You know I’d be in the front row, cheering you on.

Ariel

I know Dad.

Ariel

But it means the world to me to talk to you right before I go out there

Dad

Good luck! Even though you don’t need it!

Ariel

Oh shit!

Ariel

They just sounded the horn! That’s my cue!

Ariel

Bye, Dad! Love you

I set my phone down and take a deep breath as I hear the horn sound again.

This is it.

My moment to prove myself.

I grab my sword and make the final adjustments to my armor.

Pushing through the tent flaps, I enter the dirt arena that’s surrounded by hundreds of pack members, eager to see new recruits either rise or fall.

I look for Alex, but my heart sinks when he’s nowhere in sight.

~No, I told myself that I wouldn’t think about him.~

~This is about me and my dream.~

I spot Dom and Helena in the closest row to the arena, and they scream and cheer as I walk in. Dom waves me over excitedly.

“Ari, holy shit! You’re about to become a full-fledged warrior,” Dom shouts.

“He’s been going on about this all morning,” Helena says, laughing. “He’s your biggest cheerleader.”

“I’m a little disappointed you’re not in a skirt and waving pom-poms,” I say, teasing him.

“Hey, if that’s what you want, then done,” Dom says seriously.

“No, please, let’s not scar your new mate,” I say quickly.

“You’ll be at the mating ceremony, yeah?” he asks, putting his arm around Helena as she leans into him.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I say, smiling.

“ROUND ONE IS COMMENCING IN TWO MINUTES!” An announcer’s voice booms throughout the arena.

“Knock ’em dead, kid!” Dom shouts as I jog to the center.

The first round of the test is sword fighting, and the second is hand-to-hand combat.

Thanks to Steve’s training, I feel pretty confident about my sword skills.

My opponent enters the arena, and he’s twice my size. The bell rings, and the fight officially begins.

~You know what they say…~

I lunge forward with my sword drawn, while the giant bastard stands his ground.

~The bigger they are…~

I fake to the right, then roll to the left and get behind him before he even knows what’s happening.

~The harder they fall.~

I slide through the dirt and kick him as hard as I can in the back of his knees, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Our swords clang as I bear down on him from above, repeatedly and without reprieve.

He tries to get up, but the strikes from my sword are keeping him exactly where I want him.

He lowers his weapon for just a split second to try and regain his footing, and it’s all I need.

Swinging with all my might, I knock his sword out of his hand and hold my own to his throat.

The crowd erupts in cheers. I see the judges conferring with each other, but I know by Dom’s screaming and fist pumping that I passed this round with flying colors.

But there’s no break. Before the crowd has even settled down, my second opponent is walking onto the field.

“ROUND TWO, BEGIN!”

I shed my heavier armor as a slender, but lean man approaches me, dressed in sparring gear.

I’m not as confident in hand-to-hand, but this guy doesn’t seem so—

~Oof!~

Before I could even clock his movements, this ninja-like man punches me straight in the stomach and I double over.

~Shit. Okay, never underestimate your opponent.~

He’s already lunging at me again, but I evade him with a tight somersault and hop back to my feet.

I block a series of punches, but he manages to connect one with my jaw.

I hear the audience gasp as I stumble backward. Warrior tests can be pretty brutal. Werewolves do heal quickly after all. But it doesn’t make this any less painful.

I charge, a little clumsily, and my opponent easily dodges me and knocks me to the ground again.

~It’s almost like he’s playing with me.~

As I cough up dirt and blood, I look up to see that someone is practically leaning over the edge of the arena, screaming my name.

~Alex…~

He looks so upset that I feel like he might jump into the arena and start fighting this guy himself.

“ARIEL! KICK HIS ASS!” he shouts.

Feeling a renewed vigor, I pick myself back up and face my opponent. He gives me a cocky smirk.

~Don’t be so smug. I haven’t even used all the tools in my arsenal yet.~

I focus all my energy, and in a matter of seconds I feel all my injuries healing. And my exhaustion too. I feel like I could run a fucking marathon.

I glance over at Alex and he smiles, knowing exactly what’s happening.

I charge at my opponent, and he’s so shocked by my burst of energy that I manage to hook his neck with my right arm and jump onto his back, wrapping my legs around his torso.

I slam us both onto the ground, but I don’t feel a thing. I just keep him in a tight choke hold.

He tries to struggle, but all of his energy is spent.

His hand tapping the ground signals his surrender.

The entire arena erupts in applause, but my gaze is focused on one person, as I stand in victory, panting and wiping the sweat from my brow.

Alex and I share a longing look as we drown out the noise around us.

I’m not sure what will happen between me and Alex, but right now, I’m sure of one thing.

The test is over.

I’ve won.

I’m a ~warrior~.