Chapter 9

Ava POV

Ethan was the slow one this time and took a blow to his face that made blood spurt from his nose.

In the seconds it took Ethan to recover, Chris had kicked off his boots and extended his claws through his socks. He leapt at Ethan, grabbed him by the neck, and brought up his feet to rake his claws down Ethan's stomach. Ethan howled in pain and tried to roll them over. Chris only held on tighter.

Then Ethan turned his head and sank his long canines into Chris's arm right arm, deepening the wounds already there. As Chris jerked away, Ethan managed to flip them and then rose off his opponent's body to roar in rage.

Chris was quickly on his feet, and the two circled each other, both now bleeding bright red blood on the dusty ground. No one in the Square made a sound as they lunged at each other. Ethan bent down as Chris leapt up, meaning Chris landed on Ethan's back and took him into a vicious chokehold.

Ethan gagged, shuddered, and flailed, but he was soon on his knees. Slowly, his movements slowed, then stopped, and Chris released his limp body to the ground.

Chris stood, looking calmly down at Ethan's body, then reached out with his foot and nudged his side. Ethan moaned, showing Chris had not killed him. I let out a breath.

The crowd muttered a bit, sounding uncertain. Ethan's eyes opened, and his hands instinctively went to his stomach to staunch the blood.

"Do you yield?" Chris asked. "Or are you actually going to make me kill you?"

Ethan moaned, turning his head to look at the crowd, then turned again to look at Olivia, who regarded him impassively.

Then, looking at the sky now, Ethan said quietly, "I yield."

The crowd sighed in relief and then cheered Chris, who nodded at them and retracted his claws and fangs-again, I noted, with some difficulty. Then he went to get his shoes, and I took his shirt from the ground and handed it to him.

"Alpha," I said loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Acting Luna," he said with another nod, making the crowd cheer again.

Medical personnel rushed in then, two of them lifting Ethan up to take him to the clinic closest to the Square. Chris and two other medics followed, and I watched the muscles of Chris's back move as I followed a few paces behind. I met the eyes of many as I walked, including Beatrice's and Laurence's. I knew my eyes looked as relieved as theirs.

At the clinic, I helped bandage Chris's wounds. Soon, the medics were satisfied with our work and left the treatment room.

I went to the sink to get him a glass of water while he put his shirt back on, feeling his eyes on me the whole time.

"What did you mean before when you said you couldn't leave?" he asked.

I turned with a little shrug and handed him the glass. "I love the land where I grew up, and I can make a difference here I can't anywhere else."

He frowned a little.

"Besides, the Human World doesn't suit me. The pollution, the noise, the concrete and steel everywhere."

He drank some water and smiled a little sadly. "You would get used to it in time."

I looked at him, noting he was pale from his blood loss. "You would get used to Wolf Territory as well, if you stayed. The Pack needs you, and being Alpha isn't just a job but your legacy. That's why Alpha Adam and the Elders insisted you take the Moonstone with you when you left ten years ago even though tradition says it should stay here."

Chris finished his water, and I took the glass from him automatically. "If stay, you and I cannot be together. You can never be my Luna just because you have been mated before. Does that make sense to you?"

I set the glass down and crossed my arms as I leaned back against the counter. "I couldn't possibly become your Luna regardless. I know you're a grown man now, but I'll always see you as my little brother."

"You didn't last night," he said in a tone that made my conviction waver.

My chin went up. "That doesn't count."

"Why not?" He frowned again. "I have liked you and wanted to belong to you since I was eight, even though you were betrothed to Ethan by then.

"A childhood crush."

"And if there is one thing I have hated, it's how you treat me as a child. We're only ten years apart, not a hundred."

I bit back an apology and just looked at him.

"Tell me, if you didn't know who I am and we were still in the Human World, would you allow me to pursue you?"

I looked at the white-tiled floor. It wasn't a fair question.

Chris held up his arm to show off its bandages. "Why do you insist on staying in this primitive place with its outdated and bloody 'traditions'?"

"Yes, I admit there are aspects of Moonstone Pack's traditions that are outdated, but there are things in this land that the Human World cannot offer."

Chris looked skeptical. "Like what?"

"This is the land most suitable for werewolves to live and grow. Even the food and water here contain substances that help us thrive."

"That's just folklore, not fact."

I couldn't help but laugh a little, though it came out very gently. "You only think that because you've been away so long."

He looked at me with his own gentle disbelief.

"I can prove it to you, if you like."

"Yeah?" He looked amused now, which was a little irritating.

"Are you feeling well enough for a walk?" I asked.

"Of course I am."

"Then come with me." I led us outside to the Square, selected one of the communal baskets from the pile near the brazier, picked up a pair of scissors from the small storage shed nearby, and led us onto a path into the woods. He followed quietly.

It was late afternoon now, the ending of a day that had taken me through so much. I remembered how I had felt walking away from the ferry that morning, and now I felt the same connection to the woods around me. The trees seemed to hold down the earth and hold up the sky, creating a space for our path.

Soon enough, we came to one of the town's allotments, tended by those in the Pack who did not own personal or family farms. I had worked the land here many times myself and planned to do so again soon.

Deeply red tomatoes were my first target, and I put four of them in the basket. After that, it was a head of arugula, leeks, a cauliflower, and some basil and rosemary. Then I walked to a Granny Smith apple tree I had eaten from all my life and took two. Then, just to be a little fancy, I snapped up some nasturtium blossoms.

Chris watched me in silence, but when I showed him my now-full basket, he smiled and said, "Quite the haul. And those do look good, but everyone knows fresh vegetables are better than what you get at Walmart."

I knew Walmart was a big grocery store that also sold clothes and tires, so I just tsked at him.

He stepped closer to me, still looking into the basket. Then he looked up and stared into my eyes.

The sunlight had gone slightly red as it shone through his hair, and I was aware of the smell of him: traces of blood and antiseptic, but also the pleasant, masculine scene of sweat and warm skin. I admit, I leaned in a little closer.