The pounding of my heart was an anthem that drove me forward.

Dust flew from my feet and his, tainting the air. My lungs stung from it and the fact that my body was getting pushed to it's limits.

His swings were wild, a fury of fists that had me bending back to avoid the impact.

Tripping as I fell back, his enormous weight crushed atop of me as he pinned me down.

A scream tore from my throat, guttural and frustrated as my head connected with his, the impact blinding me as he slumped to the side, giving me the time I needed to roll out from under him.

Desperate to catch my breath, I hobbled to a stand, panting heavily as I watched him push from his knees, equally dazed and disorientated.

Grunts and rumbles tore from his chest, impatient and hungry. It was clear he didn't expect that I would last this long.

Surprise, motherfucker.

And while he was surprised that I would last long, I was equally surprised... Surprised that I was filled with feelings that I hadn't ever experienced before.

Hunger.

Fury.

Fire.

An unrelenting pursuit to end him once and for all.

Who was I? It felt irrational that I was so driven to end this person, this stranger all over a sneer, a disrespect.

But I couldn't control it. I couldn't stop it.

It was an instinct to teach him a lesson.

I had no choice.

I was going to submit. But I was not going to submit to him.

I was going to submit to the urges that were burning within me.

Submit to myself.

I couldn't even register who he was. The setting and audience faded to nothing, as we both committed to making the other bend.

My ribs shook with fury.

It felt as unnatural as it was natural.

My vision becoming clearer than it ever had before in my life. Every particle in the air danced in front of me. Every strand of hair, droplet of sweat on his face. Every pore in crystal vision.

He was my prey.

His expression dropped. All color drained from his face as he stood there shell-shocked.

My voice roared. "What the actual fuck are you waiting for? Huh?"

"I said... fight me you fucking pussy!!!"

He didn't answer. He just waited, his fingers twitching as he deliberated on what to do.

What was happening?

The crowd stood mute as if not to disturb the scene before them.

What the fuck was wrong with everybody?

My head whipped wildly as I spun around on the spot, connecting my gaze with each and every person around the arena.

I locked eyes with Harlow, her expression filled with concern as I watched her implore Phelan to stop the fight.

Fat fucking chance.

Slowly, Phelan stood up, watching me with proud curiosity, but a resignation that it wasn't going to end the way he wanted. The way I wanted.

I knew he was going to end the fight, but I didn't come this far to end it all now.

Neither Wyatt or I were going to submit, and I was like a ravenous, wild animal that was hell bent on the kill.

Phelan had wanted me to do this. This was his idea. Too fucking bad if it wasn't playing out the way he wanted.

This was my fight now.

Snarling ensued. But it wasn't coming from Wyatt.

It was coming from me.

My ribs shook with unrelenting pursuit as I catapulted myself through the air. I was running short on time. Phelan was tearing through the crowd, pushing people away to make it to the field. Bodies falling like dominoes as he ripped past them all.

I had to make my move.

All skill and tactic flew out the window as I slammed against Wyatt. My nails clawed through his face as he fell backwards into the dirt. Colliding with him, the ground shook from our impact as feet wrapped around his, pinning him down. I continued my assault. Shreds of his shirt flew through the air as my fingers sliced through his flesh like razorblades.

I could taste his blood as it splattered back against my face, his hands covering his face in protection as he huddled beneath me.

Everything was in focus. I could feel Phelan all but fly through the crowd as he launched over the wooden fence and into the field.

I could sense his panic, but I didn't care. I was blinded by a need for something I couldn't explain.

Suddenly, and without any warning it felt like I was whipping backwards through the air.

I fought back wildly as my body was pulled from Wyatt, an arm around my waist pulling me away.

Infuriated, I lashed at the arm, clawing ravenously, insulted and betrayed that my moment was being taken from me.

"Let me go!!!"

"I said let me go!!!!"

I felt the wind ripple as my words turned to inhuman snarls, my jaw snapping with a need to crunch down on anything that stood in my way.

Throwing my body wildly, I twisted and turned in an enraged panic, my body heaving as my legs kicked the air desperate for release.

The view of Wyatt cowering in the dirt became smaller as I was dragged away, but I would not relent.

"Do you submit yet you motherfucker?" I yelled out to him.

Louder still.

"Fucking say it you piece of shit!"

I watched as members of the pack bowed their heads, each and every person avoiding eye contact with me.

I didn't understand.

I began to scream.

"I haven't done anything wrong!"

I was pleading, dazed and confused as Phelan continued his steel grip around my waist, pulling me kicking and screaming into the pack house.

"I haven't done anything wrong! Please!"

My eyes scanned the flurry of movement around us.

Sophia. Gunner. Harlow.

"Quickly, get her in here." I couldn't make out who was speaking as I began to shake violently.

The room was spinning.

Slamming doors ensued as Phelan released me. I scrambled to my feet, backing myself into a corner, knocking over a table as I did so.

I turned to face the four of them, each of them looking at me with trepidation.

Sophia spoke first. I watched as she tucked her short platinum locks behind her ear.

"Edie, everything is fine. Wyatt submitted okay. The fight is over."

My breathing was still rapid, my chest heaving with exhaustion as I came down from the fight.

Suddenly, I raised my head and glared at Phelan.

I pointed my finger at him accusingly as I slowly began to step forward.

"You wanted this Phelan. Not me. And then to stop it?"

I shook my head in confusion. I was angry. He walked forward, his fists curling around mine as he placed my hands down to my side.

"Edie."

His voice was gentle. Tender. But I didn't care.

I huffed in annoyance, ripping my hands from his grip before stepping backwards.

I watched as he ran his fingers through his hair, turning his back to me as he met the glare of his sister.

"You fucking wanted this didn't you? It was all a part of your plan?"

Her words were sharp. Vicious. My eyes darted between them both as Harlow moved to stand beside me, as if in preparation. Again, I didn't understand what was going on.

"I knew it could pull her out, but I didn't think it would happen this soon fucking hell."

"That's fucking bullshit Phelan and you know it."

She continued her verbal assault as Gunner, as usual, watched in bemusement.

"She almost fucking lost control out there, she would have killed him, killed him!!!"

Gunner intervened. "She didn't though, Sophia. Phelan got there in time. It's fine. Let's all just... calm down. Please?"

Gunner cautiously stood behind Sophia, his hands gently pulling her back and away from Phelan.

"Calm down?! Our future Luna was put at risk. You were foolish Phelan, I can't believe you would do that! And don't fucking manhandle me Gunner or I will fucking well shift too!"

The tension was palpable.

"What are you talking about for god's sake? Am I not a party to this conversation?!"

No one answered. The room was stunned into silence before Phelan made his way over to me.

"Sophia is right. I was foolish. I was being selfish... I wanted this..."

I was searching his eyes for answers.

What wasn't I being told?

Gunner's voice piped up in the background. "You were savage Edie. Fucker had it coming though, for real. My bet was he wouldn't last twenty minutes but you shaved it down to fifteen. Lost fifty bucks on it too..."

Peering over Phelan's shoulder, I shot back. "The hell? I saw your head in your hands in embarrassment at the start, you were terrified I was going to lose!"

"No, I was terrified you were going to kill him."

I looked at Phelan. "Why would he think that?" My voice a whisper to him as I pleaded for answers.

I watched his Adam's Apple bob in his throat as he deliberated on his answer.

Putting his arms around me, he pulled me into a tight hug. "You are a future Luna. We knew your wolf wouldn't submit. It is not in her nature."

"What are you saying?!"

"I am saying that if I hadn't stopped you in time, you would have shifted completely."

"Completely?"

"It wasn't your hot pink acrylic nails that torn through his flesh Edie."

I mulled on his explanation and it all started to make sense. My vision. My sense of smell. My lack of fear. My strength.

It felt amazing. If that was what shifting felt like, I wanted more. But I was also worried, I had lost control and in front of everyone no less.

"What will the pack think, will they hate me now?!"

"Of course not. But it doesn't matter what they think."

"But what do you think?"

His eyes flashed specks of ember, his pupils dilating in response. "I think that is a conversation that is best had just between us... in private."

And never had anyone left a room so quickly.