by Lili Lam
Tristan's POV
As I hugged up on my mate and inhaled mouthfuls of her addicting scent, the sound of a low grumbling gnarl coming from behind Lise put me on high alert. Standing up straighter than an arrow my eyes locked with those of Marco. Who the hell does this pup think he's growling at? Pulling Lise and tucking her away so that she was standing behind me, I gave Marco my best 'back off' warning glare as Luke came rushing to my side. It may have been a low warning, but wolves hear everything. By the sound of that deep rumbling coming out of Marco's chest, it wasn't from hunger and it sure as anything wasn't gas.
"You have no right to treat the Princess in that manner." Marco spat out like I was the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. Didn't we just get done risking all of our lives to help this guy get his mate back and this is how he repays me? "You're not royalty, you have no claims to the Princess." Marco said cockily with a raised eyebrow almost like he was proposing a challenge.
"I may not be royalty, but this is my mate and I'll be damned if you tell me I have no claims to her...because this right here says otherwise." I bellowed angrily pointing to my mark on her flesh.
"Mia may have been my true mate, but she's gone now." Marco began staring at Lise hungrily. "Being that I'm Prince an arrangement was made between my father and Alpha Perez that I'd marry his daughter...the Princess. Whether it be Mia or Analia, an agreement was made and I always get what I want."
I swear on everything I know, I'll gouge this prick's eyeballs out if he keeps looking at her that way. His eyes were wandering where they shouldn't be, especially not with me here disrespectful douche. Not able to control my convulsing body for much longer, I mind linked Luke. 'Get Lise away from here, I'm going to kill this bastard Prince.'
"You'll get what you want alright dipshit." I snapped feeling my canines breaking through the gums as my chest heaved up and down. "Over my dead body!" I snarled allowing my wolf to surface as I sprung forward tackling him to the ground.
I planned on clamping my jaws down and ripping his throat out for threatening to take the most important thing in my life away. In my head I pictured it to be a whole lot easier to kill this fool then it really was. For being smaller and scrawnier than I am, he sure has a lot of power.
Upon my attack, Marco instantly shifted causing us to roll around and go barreling into the closest tree. I could hear Lise's screams in the background pleading for us to stop. Our muzzles snapped viciously at one another in attempts to take a chunk out of each other's flesh, but to no avail. Circling around each other, it was obvious we were both sizing one another up. Trying to pinpoint the other's weakness so that we'd know when the best time to attack.
We're both Alpha's, raised to defend ourselves in the best possible way. Bred to be excellent fighters and precision killers. It was so difficult for me to focus when all I heard in the background were Lise's pleas to my father and Alpha Perez to make us stop. Too late to stop it baby, Marco opened up the wrong can of worms when he challenged me by threatening to take you. That's the last thing any sane wolf would do. Just because he's a Prince he thinks its acceptable to become a tyrant all of a sudden? What's he got multiple wolf personalities or something? One-minute he's friendly, the next he's mourning the loss of his mate, then he completely loses it and comes after what's mine?
My father and Alpha Perez gave her the only possible answer, which was, “We can't stop a challenge once it's started. Marco may have initiated the challenge, but Tristan sealed it by shifting and attacking."
I'll fight for Lise for as long as I shall live until my heart stops beating or my last dying breath, whichever tends to come first. From the looks of things this is going to be one long fight to the death and I sure as hell don't plan on being the one who dies. Nah screw that, I plan on living a long and healthy life with my mate filled with plenty of children so in order to do so, I need to get up off my ass and fight!
With my mind on Lise, I'll admit I allowed myself to get distracted. Something I was taught to never do, but yet I did. Marco go the upper hand forcing me to the ground as his razor sharp teeth tore away at my side. 'Dammit the same side the rogues took a chunk out of', I thought as I yelped out in pain. It was healed but once something like that happens it'll never be a hundred percent again. It's like once you break a bone, ok it'll repair itself and set back but you'll never be the same again.
Just as I was about to lift myself up on all fours to turn around and snap at Marco's neck an ear piercing scream erupted from the crowd. The scream was enough to send chills up my spine, yes even underneath my thick coat of fur! It caused my ears to perk up at attention. ‘Lise’ I thought as my eyes searched around frantically for my mate, my mate who was withering around in pain. I watched in amazement as Lise experienced her first shift, the most painful one of your entire life.
Before my very eyes, Lise shifted into the most unique wolf I've ever seen. She was small in size, completely black in color with the same hazel eyes. Her paws, snout, and tip of her ears were all white in color. As soon as Lise shifted she ran in between Marco and I growling angrily at the two of us. It was pretty comical, almost as though her wolf, which resembled an angry little chihuahua was cursing us out. Who knew innocent little Lise would have so much bite.
Chapter 43: Blessing