Growing up, there was always one unspoken rule all kids in the pack followed once they hit thirteen: if you fought someone and lost then you couldn't go crying to the adults afterward. It sounds childish and to an extent, it was but most of us had just shifted for the first time and were dying to test our wolf's strength.

That's what I was reminded of when I stared at Reed as he prepared to shift.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, skeptically.

It was something about the pitiful way he stared at me that made me scowl. It was like he'd already decided the outcome in his head—like he believed there was no way I, of all people, could beat him.

"I wouldn't have suggested it if I wasn't sure," I grumbled in response.

With a frustrated exhale, he shifted, his body elongating and contorting as his wolf took over. The clearing fell silent except for the sound of Reed's transformation. He stood there, all fur and muscle, his eyes glowing fiercely in the low light of the moon.

I stood my ground, not backing down as I let my wolf rise beneath my skin. The familiar power of the shift surged through me, pushing away every lingering doubt. I wasn't some pup anymore, too weak or too afraid. This fight? It was mine to win.

Reed lunged first, his muscles rippling with the force of his attack. I sidestepped just in time, feeling the wind rush past me as his massive body crashed into the ground where I'd been moments before. He didn't waste any time, spinning quickly to face me again.

"You're quicker than you used to be," he commented through our link and I knew he wasn't referring to the fight we had when he challenged me, but to our teen years when the two of us had quite a few matches. I couldn't help but mentally roll my eyes. He still wasn't taking this seriously because if he was then there was no way he'd use such a move.

I let out a low growl in response, staying light on my feet as I circled him. "I'm not the same pup I used to be, Reed. You should have figured that out by now."

He narrowed his glowing eyes at me, but there was a flicker of doubt in them now. I could feel it—he was starting to take me seriously. Good.

This time, Reed moved faster, his massive body charging at me with an intensity I hadn't seen before. I braced myself, letting my instincts take over as I dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding his claws. However, he was counting on me dodging because not a second later, he launched himself in the opposite direction, using my momentum against me. Before I could react, Reed's massive form crashed into mine, sending me sprawling to the ground with a force that knocked the wind from my lungs.

I hit the dirt with a harsh thud, my back slamming against the cold earth. Reed's weight pinned me, his claws digging into the ground beside my head as he loomed over me, a victorious growl rumbling in his throat.

"You're fast, but not fast enough," he linked.

As his growl rumbled through the air, I gathered every ounce of strength I had left. I could feel my wolf pushing against my skin, urging me to break free, to fight back. And that's exactly what I did.

I slammed my knees up, using the power in my legs to shove Reed off balance. His momentary surprise gave me the opening I needed. With a burst of force, I twisted my body, forcing him to the side. I used his own momentum against him, flipping the positions so that now I was on top. Sparks shot through my body, but I didn't let that distract me.

"You talk too much," I shot back.

The benefit when it came to fighting Reed was that I knew him. I knew how he moved. I knew he'd initially hold back because that's the type of person he was. He wouldn't take me seriously until I showed him that the "fight" we had was a fluke.

Reed let out a low growl of frustration, but this time it wasn't aimed at me—it was a recognition of what had just happened. I had flipped the fight on him, and now the upper hand was mine. His glowing eyes were narrowed, a flicker of respect—and maybe a little annoyance—behind them. It wasn't like I'd done anything amazing, but it was enough to knock him off his high horse.

"Do you still believe you would've beaten me so easily?" I questioned.

Reed met my gaze. "I think you would've put up more of a fight...but the outcome wouldn't have changed."

As if on cue, he shifted his weight, his muscles coiling beneath his fur as he made a sudden move to throw me off. I caught myself before I completely hit the ground but Reed managed to get up and shook his fur.

The loss of the sparks made my wolf whine lowly and for a second neither of us moved. We held each other's gaze and a memory of Reed and I running around the same clearing we were currently fighting in, without a care in the world, flashed before my eyes. I could practically hear the laughter that escaped us as we chased each other around aimlessly.

"Dash, come on," Reed's high-pitched and playful, echoed in my memory.

I blinked, shaking my head to clear the lingering image. Reed's wolf stood still in front of me now, no longer the aggressive opponent from moments ago, but something softer. More nostalgic.

"Dash—" he started, moving forward, but came to an abrupt stop when the faint smell of smoke filled the air.

Reed froze, his nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air. His eyes shifted from me to the trees, scanning the clearing as if searching for the source of the smell.

I paused too, every muscle in my body going tense as I tried to pinpoint the scent. It grew stronger and my heart dropped when I saw it: fire, burning brightly into the sky.

Not bothering to shift back, the two of us hurried toward the source of the flames. Pack members who were initially asleep were now awake. Some were standing around in shock while others hurried to put out the fire, which I could tell was coming from a house.

Time seemed to stop when I finally reached the familiar home, or what was left of it. Josephine and Barrett immediately spotted me and ran to my side, but I didn't pull my eyes away from the mess in front of us.

"Who...?" Barrett's voice trailed off.

"I don't know," I muttered, a vicious wave of nausea pushing forward.

Disbelief and anger soon followed, but I knew the feelings couldn't be purely my own since the house wasn't mine.

It was Reed's.