Chapter 6: Wolfless Beta
Meredith's POV
Fuck...
I curse inwardly, the moment he pulled his body from the ground, with his lips curved into a malicious grin, I knew he would be shifting.
His body leaped into the air before he dropped low and lunged. Within seconds, I heard his bones crack, fur burst from his flesh, and he shifted into a massive gray wolf, standing on all four. Gasps erupted from the crowd as his wolf growled, towering over me in my human form.
I didn’t flinch.
I have duel Riley's wolf so many times and his wolf always bowed to mine.
He launched at me and I ducked under the first swipe, barely missing the deadly claws aimed for my throat. Riley came again, faster this time, using his size and power to batter me. My fists connected solidly with the side of Riley Wolf, but his wolf only snarled and circled again.
Throwing his front paws at me.
"Shit..." I cursed as blood trickled from my cheeks where Riley's wolf claw had grazed me.
This wasn't a fair fight.
Riley wasn't fighting fairly, he was supposed to remain in his human form till he saw a sign that I was shifting, or maybe he was fair because I was supposed to shift as soon as I saw him shift.
No matter how brave you are, you can't win over a wolf in your human form. How can I win over a wolf, in his full form of muscle and speed?
I aimed for his wolf jaw and this time, it left a great impact on him, because he staggered behind, I raised my elbow and aimed between his eyes and he let out an earth-shattering growl, launching towards me, as his wolf fangs went into my forearms.
A gasp escaped my lips with Riley's wolf fangs buried in my arms.
"What the fuck is he doing?" Logan growled from his seat but he couldn't do anything.
I saw the smug grin on the face of Riley's wolf, now I know, Riley knows I can't shift. "Is this your plan, to use your wolf to show superiority?" I said in a low voice that just the two of us could hear.
"Of course, I wanted to show them how worthless their beta is..." He growled in my head, my wolf was taking from me except the mindlink, I don't know how I am still able to mindlink without a wolf. "Save yourself, wolfless beta... Tap the ground in surrender." He sneered as I pushed him off me, my flesh pulled along his fangs.
I clutched my wounded hand as I staggered behind, I was bleeding badly.
The crowd began to shift from excitement to discomfort.
“Shift, Beta Meredith!” someone shouted.
My tears drop, I know I couldn't. They expect me to do either one of these two things, to end this madness by shifting or I tap the ground in surrender, but neither of these was an option for me.
“Why isn’t he shifting?” another growl
“Meredith! Shift!” Alpha Logan growled
But I couldn’t.
I haven’t shifted since the day my wolf gave his life... no, his soul to save Vida who didn’t even know she was our mate. Since then, I had felt nothing. No voice in my head. No surge of strength. No companion, that I could tell anything. Just silence, empty hollow.
Riley lunged at me, and he pounced, claws slashing across my chest. I stumbled back, breath hitching, but didn’t fall.
“I don’t understand,” Luna Akira murmured from her place beside Alpha Logan, her eyes wide with concern, as she was not used to this. “Why won’t he shift?”
“I don't know,” Logan whispered near her, I could feel his fear for me.
"Meredith tapped the floor," Austin growled in my head.
"No..."
"Then nominate..." His words weren't complete before my vision blurred, blood dripping into my eyes. Every breath burned in my lungs. The world tilted, the edges of the torchlight growing dim. I heard Riley's wolf snarl before ramming me into the dirt, hard enough that the air fled from my lungs.
The crowd stood frozen, caught between awe and horror.
“Shift Meredith!” I heard Akira scream, almost in desperation now. “PLEASE!” Her voice was broken. "Please shift for Vida's sake." She cried out.
I pushed Riley's wolf off me but the impact had little or no effect on him.
"Touch the ground..." Austin growled this time.
"Meredith as your alpha, I command you to shift." Logan let out an alpha command, but I wasn't able to shift. "I said..."
"He can't shift..." Austin growled from the other side, and the crowd roared.
"A wolfless beta..." My tears drop more as I fall to the ground on my back before I can even stand.
"What?" Logan growled as his eyes turned red and his fist clenched.
"I told you to surrender but you are stubborn, Yet again you show how a grown man could destroy his life in a second." I crawl on my back to get away from him with every step he takes, I know my death was near but I wasn't surrendering to him. Of what use do I have a beta title when I couldn't protect myself? If I can't protect myself how can I protect my people?
"Never... I will rather..."
"Die?" He smirked before he raised his front paw, his claws gleaming under the torchlight. One final swipe would end this. He didn’t care if I died in front of everyone.
And no one will hold him accountable because it was I who refused to shift and surrender.
"Tap the floor..." Everyone groans.
I heard voices, voices I couldn't recognize, When I blinked up at Riley's wolf, I was barely able to keep my eyes open.
I couldn’t even feel myself anymore.
I moved my hand to tap the ground, but my hand went up before it could fall to the ground, I heard an Earth-shattering growl, which made my head snap to the sound, distracting everyone.
"Dammit..." Logan cursed and just as Riley lunged for the killing blow, to finish me, all I could do was cross my wounded arm across my face. If I am to die, I don't want to die with a damaged face. I should have rolled over, but the sudden actions got me off guard and it left me frozen.
A loud shriek ripped passed my lips, I felt the impact of Riley's wolf land as I heard another growl ring in the air, and through the little opening of my eyes, I saw a wolf surge forward from the other direction as my name rang from his lips.
"Meredith..."