Read Online Rise of the Female Alpha by Jasmine White - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jasmine White
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being alpha,” said Sienna, turning away from her herbal preparation to look her friend in the eye. “I’m challenging Kane to end the cruel oppression in our pack, and to save us from the threat of war.”
“ I know,” Esther said with a gentle nod of her chin. “And that’s precisely what will make you a better alpha than Kane if you can defeat him. Just promise me that you’ll yield if you can’t win? You know how he is. The only way you’re going to survive a loss in this challenge is to beg and plead for your life.”
“ If I can’t defeat Kane, then there’s every chance we’re all going to die anyway. I won’t abandon my pack in a time of need. I’d rather die than walk away with my tail between my legs.”
“ I understand.” Esther wrapped her arms around Sienna and hugged her tight. “Be strong then, and know that many of us stand behind you.”
“ That means everything to me.”
They broke apart and Esther turned to leave. “I’ll go rally people to your cause. With luck, maybe we can use this even to protect ourselves against the coming threat no matter what the outcome of the challenge.”
Turning back to her work, Sienna mixed a few last herbs and ground them into a thick paste. Her jaw was set in grim determination, and she felt like she was working in a sort of detached state, as though she was merely watching her body go through the motions. This was a different wolf than the one she’d been less than a month earlier. This wolf was stronger, more confident, and willing to fight for what she believed in.
Sienna smiled to herself. Despite the coming fight that could very well be the death of her, she’d been happier in the last few weeks than she had been in the last ten years. There was nothing she’d do differently if she could go back in time, and now all she needed to do was make it through this one last battle before she would be able to discover her true potential.
The entire pack had turned up to witness the challenge. A ceremonial tension hung in the air, and the whispers and hushed conversations ceased completely when Sienna stepped into the circle next to the roaring fire pit. It was nearly three o’clock in the morning, and even the youngest pups were awake and watching with wide scared eyes at what carnage they knew was to come.
A challenge for alpha was a bloody and violent affair, and although it wasn’t required that the winner kill the loser, the battle typically raged fierce enough that it wasn’t very likely both wolves would survive. Sienna had only ever witnessed one alpha challenge in her lifetime, and that had been when Kane had challenged his father for the position of pack master. That, however, had been a bloodless affair that was more of a formality than anything else. Kane’s father had passed on the position without a fight, submitting to his son and handing off the role of alpha the way his father had done for him.
This was going to be a different story altogether. Kane entered the circle wearing nothing but a thin loin cloth that the males sometimes wore during training fights in their human form. His muscles tensed and rippled beneath his skin, and his body gleamed in the firelight as though he’d oiled himself down.
Sienna saw through the showmanship to the real threat and did her best to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. The herbal mixture had gone a long way towards quelling her nerves and allowing her to focus on the coming fight, but the tension was still incredibly high. She ran through everything Arric had taught her about taking down a larger opponent. Kane didn’t look as big or strong as Arric, and she was pretty sure she could take him down, but there was no denying the scars and battle wounds that marked Kane’s body and identified him as an experienced hunter and warrior.
“ A challenge to my position as your pack master has been put forward,” he bellowed. “This wolf would see me unseated so that she
“ I know,” Esther said with a gentle nod of her chin. “And that’s precisely what will make you a better alpha than Kane if you can defeat him. Just promise me that you’ll yield if you can’t win? You know how he is. The only way you’re going to survive a loss in this challenge is to beg and plead for your life.”
“ If I can’t defeat Kane, then there’s every chance we’re all going to die anyway. I won’t abandon my pack in a time of need. I’d rather die than walk away with my tail between my legs.”
“ I understand.” Esther wrapped her arms around Sienna and hugged her tight. “Be strong then, and know that many of us stand behind you.”
“ That means everything to me.”
They broke apart and Esther turned to leave. “I’ll go rally people to your cause. With luck, maybe we can use this even to protect ourselves against the coming threat no matter what the outcome of the challenge.”
Turning back to her work, Sienna mixed a few last herbs and ground them into a thick paste. Her jaw was set in grim determination, and she felt like she was working in a sort of detached state, as though she was merely watching her body go through the motions. This was a different wolf than the one she’d been less than a month earlier. This wolf was stronger, more confident, and willing to fight for what she believed in.
Sienna smiled to herself. Despite the coming fight that could very well be the death of her, she’d been happier in the last few weeks than she had been in the last ten years. There was nothing she’d do differently if she could go back in time, and now all she needed to do was make it through this one last battle before she would be able to discover her true potential.
The entire pack had turned up to witness the challenge. A ceremonial tension hung in the air, and the whispers and hushed conversations ceased completely when Sienna stepped into the circle next to the roaring fire pit. It was nearly three o’clock in the morning, and even the youngest pups were awake and watching with wide scared eyes at what carnage they knew was to come.
A challenge for alpha was a bloody and violent affair, and although it wasn’t required that the winner kill the loser, the battle typically raged fierce enough that it wasn’t very likely both wolves would survive. Sienna had only ever witnessed one alpha challenge in her lifetime, and that had been when Kane had challenged his father for the position of pack master. That, however, had been a bloodless affair that was more of a formality than anything else. Kane’s father had passed on the position without a fight, submitting to his son and handing off the role of alpha the way his father had done for him.
This was going to be a different story altogether. Kane entered the circle wearing nothing but a thin loin cloth that the males sometimes wore during training fights in their human form. His muscles tensed and rippled beneath his skin, and his body gleamed in the firelight as though he’d oiled himself down.
Sienna saw through the showmanship to the real threat and did her best to mentally prepare herself for what was to come. The herbal mixture had gone a long way towards quelling her nerves and allowing her to focus on the coming fight, but the tension was still incredibly high. She ran through everything Arric had taught her about taking down a larger opponent. Kane didn’t look as big or strong as Arric, and she was pretty sure she could take him down, but there was no denying the scars and battle wounds that marked Kane’s body and identified him as an experienced hunter and warrior.
“ A challenge to my position as your pack master has been put forward,” he bellowed. “This wolf would see me unseated so that she
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