Never have I been more grateful for having advanced agility. The moment I realized who Nigel was challenging, I took off, ignoring Iota and Vicky’s calls for me. I couldn’t stop. Not when Ridge was in trouble.

My feet pounded heavily on the asphalt once I leapt over the bushes surrounding the park. I panted out through grit teeth, “Please… please… please…” while pumping my arms to make me run faster.

Everything around me was a blur and I scowled, determined to put an end to this damn fight once and for all! There was no way that I would allow any more harm come to Carmel. To the only place that had been my home.

The fire already consuming parts of the town was spreading. Its orange-yellow flames making a trail in different directions. As I ran past, all I could feel was the heat of it against my skin. My nostrils filled with the smoke.

My feet screeched to a halt when a tree crashed down in front of me. The bark was starting to catch flames that had already eaten up the tree’s leaves. I grunted from the spark of embers spouting at me and lifted an arm to block them from my face.

The stupid tree blocked me in.

On one side of me was a shop of some sort and the reflection of the fire was crackling in the windows while on the other side was a turned over vehicle with its windows smashed in.

Biting my lip, I scanned my surroundings for some sort of way to get through. The sudden unison pounding of paws drumming against the floor made me look straight ahead. Through the hazy flames and the through the tree’s burning leaves, I could see the two packs were standing opposite the other.

And at the very front of their packs was Nigel and Ridge. Both of them staring the other down. The other wolves behind them snarled at each other.

“Shit!” I huffed.

This wasn’t helping that I was just standing here! And this Goddamn tree is in my way!

I growled in frustration, giving my attention to the vehicle again. Huffing out a breath, I stomped over to give a quick once over then backed up a good distance before bouncing a little in preparation for my jump. Keeping my gaze on the vehicle and calculating my precise moment when I needed to push off my feet, I rolled my shoulders back.

My name was called from some ways behind me, but I didn’t let it distract me. Instead, I pushed forward and counted under my breath down from eight until I hit one; then jumped at an angle where my hands caught the edge of the vehicle. I used it as leverage when my bottom half of my body started to flip over. When my legs were straight over my head, I let go to fall backwards before landing with my knees bent.

Blinking a few times, I lowered a brow as I straightened and looked at the vehicle again. Being impressed with myself was short lived though and I went back to sprinting through the street.

A fight with the two males just broke out. The two men ran forward, tackling the other, but it was Nigel who had the upper-hand of getting Ridge slammed onto his back. He managed to strike hit after hit into Ridge’s face.

Nigel growled, standing up and shouted, “Get up!”

Ridge rolled onto his side, panting heavily. He growled as he stood. He turned around but Nigel swung his leg around and knocked the alpha to the floor again.

The alpha slowly pushed himself up before lifting his head. He turned around, narrowing his eyes while Nigel grinned down at him that for an alpha, Ridge wasn’t so mighty.

“Makes me wonder how it was fucking possible the Spirit World gave you a Quail Wolf as a mate!” Nigel sneered, “Whatever they saw in you is shit!”

Ridge grunted as he jumped to his feet, swinging his arm around and clocked Nigel in the face, spinning to kick the small of the blond’s back. Nigel growled, shaking his head and glared at the alpha. Ridge went in for another swing but the blond anticipated this and caught the alpha’s fist in his hand. He twisted Ridge’s arm, the alpha crying out before Nigel shoved Ridge onto his stomach.

Nigel stood back, teasing the alpha again.

“To think you thought she was unworthy of you! But you are the one unworthy of her, Alpha Beaumont! The Spirit World must be regretting ever giving her to you!”

Ridge got up, golden eyes on Nigel as he growled, “I might not remember what we had… and we might not end up together, but there’s no fucking way I’ll let you destroy who she is!”

The alpha ran forward and knocked his fist into Nigel’s face. The blond’s head snapped back and Ridge wrapped his arm around the other’s neck; a groaned grunt let out as he slammed Nigel onto his back. Ridge clawed Nigel across the face, making the latter cry out.

Nigel rolled away and onto his feet. He lowered a brow, looking down at his fingers after wiping blood from his lip. Flicking his eyes up to Ridge, Nigel nodded to the side, “If that’s how you want to play…”

It took him seconds to get Ridge growling as the alpha was caught in a choke hold, easily with one arm.

The blond scowled down at the alpha, shaking his head as his voice carried loud over the others, “You move too predictably, Alpha Beaumont. Makes me wonder if it’s even worth letting you try and win this challenge! It’s better to save your dignity and let me just kill you now!”

Nigel bent down, grinning, “And don’t worry about your Quail Wolf mate, I’ll be sure to take good care of her. Our bond will be stronger than yours with her ever could be.”

“Argh!”

Ridge angrily reached up and took hold of Nigel behind his neck to yank as hard as he could. It made the other male grunt and brought Nigel to bend a little giving Ridge the advantage. Ridge clawed at Nigel’s face again, the other male screaming and released the alpha. Nigel clamped a hand to his face, hissing as Ridge got to his feet and brought his elbow down hard to the middle of Nigel’s back, knocking the blond forward.

Alpha Beaumont grabbed onto Nigel, slamming the blond onto the ground and pressed his face against the asphalt.

The alpha’s golden eyes filled with a fire as he grit his teeth and snarled, “Don’t think you will ever be able to control her!”

He pressed Nigel’s face further into the ground.

“She’s stronger than you! And I’ll be fucking damned if she gets hurt again!”

Nigel growled, catching Ridge off guard when swinging his arm up to smack the alpha in the face and then shoved him off. Nigel rolled onto his back, getting up and rushed the alpha, wrapping his arms around Ridge’s waist to lift him into the air.

With a hefty swing, Nigel slammed Ridge onto the ground. There was a loud smack of the alpha hitting his head. Ridge groaned, scrunching his face as he held his head, rolling onto his side. He blinked a few times, slowly looking up at Nigel rushing at him.

Ridge’s eyes widened.

Just as Nigel closed in on Ridge still on the ground, I came sprinting through and used my shoulder to knock against Nigel. His body flew sideways, hitting the ground hard before rolling a few times.

Nigel groaned, squeezing his eyes shut and lifted his head a little before shaking it out. His blond fringe fell over his eyes that snapped open, the electric blue hue of his wolf locked in my direction.

My eyes replicated his while staring him down.

“You fight dirty, Nigel,” I growled. “You know what the outcome of this challenge is against a Quail like yourself.”

Nigel kept his gaze on me and stood. Once he straightened, the blond grinned, eyeing me. “Miss Gianna… I see you managed to evade the Darkness once again.”

Lowering my chin, my lip curled and growled, “More like I took control of it. Just as I will with you.”

My Quail counterpart raised his brows, his wolf eyes returning to the natural blue of his human’s. He eyed me up and down; smiling that as angry he’d like to be with me for the shot I took at him, he couldn’t deny how my presence effected him. Just to prove his words, he shuddered while keeping his eyes on me.

I narrowed my eyes, affirming, “There’s no denying the physical attraction I have to you, Nigel. But that’s the extent of what we have. Or ever will. The Darkness in you is taking over completely.”

Nigel smirked, “Ah. So what I’m hearing is there’s hope for you and me.”

He looked at Ridge on the ground near me and sneered, “Why do you still defend your alpha mate, Miss Gianna? After everything he’s done? Everything he’s forgotten of you?”

I rolled my shoulders back, shaking my head that egging me on wasn’t going to work anymore.

“This isn’t how it’s going to be played out, Nigel. Not when you and I are about to finish this the right way.”

The blond’s brows shot up again. His neck craned forward as he placed a hand on his chest and chuckled, “You want… want to fight me?”

My low growl was a sign of irritation.

“You’re stalling, Nigel. Makes me think perhaps you’re the one who is afraid of what I’m capable of. After all… the Darkness does not control me… as it does you.”

Nigel growled, lip curling, and I grinned, “Thought so.”

I turned to Ridge who mumbled my name. His green eyes were wide and I lowered a brow at him for a moment. His eyes watered and whispered, “I remember…”

I stared at him, swallowing hard before I called over to Wade and Nikko. They were standing near by, covered in blood and had sustained their own injuries. I nodded for them to take Ridge before looking back to the male Quail.

“Nigel and I have things to sort out.”

The blond shook his head slowly that I was making a mistake. That instead of siding with those who are inferior to us, he and I should be making our own army.

“You sound just like that she-bitch, Madilynn,” I spat. Raising a brow, I sneered, “Which reminds me that she and I have some unfinished business. So get ready Nigel… because once this is over…”

My wolf’s eyes brightened.

“You’re going to know why I’m Queen.”

Nigel hunched, teeth elongated and bared with a resonating roar then rushed me. I stood my ground, not letting him see me calculating his moves.

My arm shot out the moment he was in reach and I side-stepped and gripped my fingers around his throat. Spinning halfway, I used my other arm to slice down his back.

Crying out, Nigel dropped to his knees and started to lift his head.

As the daughter of a Warrior—the Head Warrior— I had been taught a cordial rule when it came to a fight: Never. Stop. Attacking.

My hand that gripped his neck clawed up the side of Nigel’s face then sliced down his back diagonally. I lifted my foot to use to shove him forward and onto his stomach. He was quick to roll over, but again, I was able to anticipate his moves. My fist came down in the middle of his throat making him choke on a gasp and Nigel grabbed his throat. He rolled onto his side, wheezing, and I stood back.

Raising a brow, I circled him—with a good distance between us in case he tried something.

“Odd… You’re too predictable, Nigel.” I clicked my tongue against his teeth. “What a shame.”

Nigel growled, his wolf eyes on me and I in turn changed to mine.

“Come on, Nigel… You want me so badly…?” I sneered with my head forward, “Earn me.”

Another angry roar came out of him as he pushed himself to his feet and charged. During the middle of his run he shifted into the silky golden wolf he was given; jaws open and paws out with his claws ready for me. I spun away but made sure to use my forearm to hit the back of the wolf’s head. It landed on its feet, shaking itself out before snapping its gaze onto me.

Baring his teeth, Nigel swiped at me; clawing my shoulder and the look of satisfaction on his face only made me raise a brow at him. Mockingly, I congratulated him on giving me a scratch.

I was agitating him and this was on purpose as I waited patiently for him to run at me again. When he did, leaping into the air, I ran forward, sliding onto my knees against the asphalt underneath him. As Nigel was in the air above me, I jabbed my fingers under his belly and my hand shot out to wrap around his ankle and slam him down.

Nigel gnashed his teeth, biting my hand hard enough that I cried out and then he tossed me backwards with his paws kicking at my chest. As he was jumping to get on top of me, I growled, shifting into my wolf.

My shift was a lot quicker than before. It felt so easy to do so without having to concentrate so much as I had always done. Instead, I just had to feel the shift before my body responded. Using my hind legs, I kicked Nigel off me then leaped up to run at him. It was impossible to tell whose snarls and growls were whose. Not when we both wouldn’t stop biting at one another, scratching at any part of the other we could.

Nigel swiped his paw at my snout, making me yelp, and he took advantage of biting down on my neck.

Shaking my head, I growled and made sure not to panic—that would only give Nigel the upper-hand, and that’s what he wanted. Instead, I used a paw to swipe one of his legs closest to me. He stumbled, loosening his jaws around me and I pulled back. I head butted under his snout; his head snapping back with a yelp and I head butted him once more in the chest until I got him on his back.

Hovering over Nigel on all fours, I made a nasty snarl in his face and bit down hard on his snout. Nigel whined, trying to shove me off, but it only made me bite down harder. I even pressed a paw into his chest as I kept biting; tasting his blood in my mouth.

Calling on the Darkness for assistance wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. Especially when the old Gigi wouldn’t have been so merciless to keep biting down on someone’s face. My jaws clamped tighter until Nigel stilled. All he did was muffle his whine from his jaws being trapped shut between mine.

Glancing to the side, I saw his tail tuck in as a sign of surrender.

Slowly, I released Nigel and stepped backwards until I was a good couple feet from him. My gaze wouldn’t stop staring him down; waiting for any sort of surprise he’d pull.

When Nigel rolled onto his side, raising his paw ever so slowly, he looked at me before his paw rested over his bloodied snout. He looked just like Mr. Beaumont did the day he surrendered to Ridge.

Lowering my head defensively, I approached Nigel who was panting heavily as I circled around him. Sniffing harshly at him, it was my way of telling him that if he tried anything that I would kill him.

The fur on the wolf started to disappear and then Nigel’s human form was in its place. He laid on his back, his chest gleaming with sweat and blood; reflecting the flames nearby. Grinning as he stared up at the dark sky, Nigel huffed, “Well played… My Queen.”

Deadpanning as best I could in wolf form, I growled a little—half playful. I watched him sit up with a groaned grunt and looked down at himself.

Nigel shook his head, chuckling that even for a Quail Wolf I was quite skilled. Overly skilled. Nigel flicked his gaze to meet mine then sighed heavily. I watched him kneel in front of me. He lowered his head as he placed the top of his fists on the ground.

“My Queen… I am at your service.”

My body shifted back to its human form at an easy pace, allowing me to straighten in front of him with my chin up. I raised a brow down at Nigel’s head before letting out a long breath and whined, “That’s so formal, Nigel… Stop that.”

Again Nigel chuckled, lifting his eyes to me and stressed that I was to get used to it.

Grinning back at him, I motioned him to stand then turned to face Madilynn’s pack. Their eyes wide, frantic, and yet were looking around at one another. Completely lost. They didn’t know what to do.

I stepped forward, my voice loud enough for them to hear.

“Stand down! Your fight ends here! You so much as make a wrong move, and I will be the last thing you ever see!”

Narrowing my eyes, I scanned the remaining wolves and they looked to one another. Then they did something unexpected. They each started to lower their heads to the ground in a bow-like gesture.

My eyes widened at this notion then frowned before sensing something happening behind me and spun around. Ridge’s pack was doing the same thing. Both those in human form and wolf were bowing, and even their alpha.

Ridge’s green eyes lifted to me, the small corner of his lips curling up into that beautiful grin. I stared at him, brows furrowed. I wasn’t used to an alpha willingly bowing for anyone. It was so weird.

Switching my gaze to someone near Ridge, I found my bloodied, bruised Dad. His brown eyes lifted, almost like he sensed me looking at him, and he smiled so warmly at me. I let out a shaky breath, as I smiled back in relief.

“Gianna!”

My smile disappeared, and I snapped my attention in the direction of that voice. That child’s voice.

Immediately, my fingers curled into fists and I bared my teeth with a curled lip. Madilynn gripped tightly to the neck of Emory’s shirt. She was furious, her gray eyes wide under furrowed brows. They never left me as she tugged on the boy’s shirt to keep him in place.

I noticed the blood on Emory’s shirt and face and I was looking him over quickly before realizing that the blood wasn’t his. Nor was it Madilynn’s. I looked up at her as she grinned knowingly.

“You’ll have to hide him better than you did, Quail Wolf, for me not to sniff him out! And you can thank the couple who was with him. I’m sure that one of them is bleeding out as we speak!”

My eyes widened, immediately thinking of Cece who had already been injured. If she and Sawyer were with Emory they would have both tried to protect him from Madilynn. Which would make my sister the easier target because of her injury.

My growl was accompanied by my body trembling.

This she-bitch didn’t know when she lost. She clearly hated losing. But aside from having Emory, she attacked my sister and Sawyer. I was going to make sure when I kill her… nice… and slow.

Madilynn sneered in my direction while tugging on a whimpering Emory. His dark eyes teared up, sniffling, and cried for me. My heart pained immensely seeing him so vulnerable.

“This is where I bid you adieu, Quail Wolf! I’ll be on my way now—starting over with a new army that isn’t so worthless!” she snarled in the direction of the wolves now lowering their heads with a defensive growl.

When she looked back at me, Madilynn was backing up with Emory stumbling back with her.

“I’ll start over with this Quail Wolf! You can be sure that any shred of decency in this boy will be stripped! He’ll never remember what it’s like to be kind and sweet! I’ll make sure he grows to be everything the Darkness wants!”

Madilynn’s gray eyes shimmered gold as she glared at me.

“And I can’t wait for the day I make him kill you.”

The threat was made, therefore the wolves from the packs surrounding me felt it and reacted. Their growls vibrated around me, and their eyes seeped to that gold color while staring over at the she-wolf.

Madilynn picked up on this and was now glancing warily at them all.

I stepped forward, drawing her attention, and tilted my head as I waved casually at the wolves around us.

“You see, Madilynn… That’s going to be a bit more difficult than you think. The Darkness still lies within me. It runs through my veins, and it always will.”

The she-wolf blinked, frowning at my words.

I narrowed my eyes, lip curled.

“But what you don’t know… is that I have control over it. I have the ability to use the Darkness to give me what I need to defend what is mine. To protect those I see need it most. Those who cannot defend themselves.”

I could feel my irises’ color disappearing into the electric blue and growled, “And with my control, I have the ability to control… other Quails.”

Madilynn blinked, glancing down at Emory who suddenly stiffened as he looked in my direction. He sensed the Dark presence, and it gained his attention.

I looked into his eyes that turned into his wolf’s.

Tilting my head, I grinned back at Madilynn, “Even an innocent boy.”

Madilynn screamed when Emory’s nails reached back in a swift motion and sliced down her chest. She hunched forward, but that made it easier for Emory to swipe his curled fingers down the she-wolf’s face.

The she-wolf’s anguished screams rang out. She held her fingers to her face, blood spilling down her face.

With me moving forward, I silently used a hand to motion Emory to stand aside who lowered his head as he complied with my silent order. I turned to look at Madilynn on her knees, screaming still as she was trying to touch her face with shaking hands but couldn’t.

“Poooor, she-wolf,” I taunted, circling her as I stared at her blindly move her arms about. She couldn’t wipe away at the blood blurring her vision.

“Nothing turned out as you planned… did it? Quite a shame for someone who deemed herself—” I mocked with a head tilt by her ear. “—the ‘Blackguard Queen’.”

Growling, I snarled in her face, making her flinch.

“I am the true queen here, Madilynn! I am the one you now fear because you are going to die, and it will be by my hands.”

Madilynn trembled, staring down at the ground while I straightened, glancing over my shoulder at Iota and Vicky’s faces. They looked so torn about their sister, seeing her so helpless. I may be the Dark Queen, but that didn’t mean I was going to be cruel enough to kill Madilynn in front of her sisters.

Facing the trembling she-wolf, I leaned in to the wide-eyed Madilynn with a sneer.

“Run, Madilynn. Run as fast as you can…” Now almost nose to nose, I whispered, “Before I catch you.”

Straightening, I watched her stumble away, wiping at the blood on her face and then pushed herself up with a grunt and shot past the fiery buildings and streets towards the area of forest at the edge of town.

With my gaze still on Madilynn’s disappearing figure, I shouted, “Nigel! See over the packs!” before I grinned through a chuckled, “I have hunting to do.” then took chase after my prey.