ALPHA (Mackenzie Grey #3)

by Karina Espinosa

  “Don’t coddle me, Jo,” I quietly said.

  He nodded. “Fine.”

  I sighed. “Okay, I need one of you to get me Helena. I need some stuff.”

  Bash strode out of the alcove in a hurry to get the old lady. I only had a few minutes before the fight and I wasn’t going out there in jeans. I needed the flexibility to move around.

  Within a few minutes, Bash returned with Helena, practically dragging her behind him. I wasn’t going to ask how he got her here so fast—we didn’t have time.

  “Helena, I hate to bug you but I need a favor,” I went up to the older women and she took my hands in hers.

  “Anything, Chickie. What do ye need?” she asked.

  “Spandex,” I grinned. I was going to give them a show.

  ****

  I kicked everyone but Helena out of the alcove and had Ranulf get a blanket to cover the entrance while I got dressed. My body trembled with a mixture of excitement and fear at the thought of going out there. I slipped on my spandex shorts that were a lot shorter than I expected. I thought she would bring the ones that go just above the knee, like the cyclist use, but no. It barely covered my ass. I swapped my t-shirt with a matching black sports bra that was very similar in material to the shorts. I decided to go out there barefoot. I didn’t want to risk tripping on a loose shoe lace. Last, Helena and I rubbed myself down with baby powder. Whoever I was going to be fighting, they weren’t going to get the slip on me.

  “Chickie, are ye sure ye want to go through with this? The King will nae mind if ye changed yer mind,” Helena said as she spread the powder on my back.

  “I can’t do that,” I murmured and turned around. “If I don’t do this, I’m just giving them more of a reason to treat Lunas the way they already do. We’re so much stronger than what they think—not just physically, but mentally. I want—no I need to prove that to them.”

  Helena’s pale eyes glistened as she pursed her trembling lips.

  “I’ll be okay,” I said and she placed her hand on my cheek.

  “I know ye will be, Chickie. Yer a fighter,” she said fiercely. “Now go out there and show them what yer made of.”

  My grin widened. “Damn right, Helena.”

  ****

  The bellows from the crowd were a dull roar in my mind as I pumped myself up for what was about to go down. I thought of the woman in the dungeons and what she said—background music—that’s what I needed. I tried to remember what was on my Spotify playlist and finally chose a song to distract me from all the commotion. When the Summit was ready for me, Ranulf and Bash came in to the alcove to escort me to the arena. They gave my attire a once over, Ranulf going redder than a chili pepper. Bash on the other hand only flexed his fist in irritation.

  I didn’t know what the big deal was, I looked like a damn coke head who took a dive in her stash. Not very attractive in my book.

  “You can never just be normal, eh?” Bash muttered as they walked me down the hallway.

  “Do you want me to win?” I retorted. “Because I need to be flexible and fast. So stop judging and start giving me pointers.”

  He grunted. “How I miss the days you were shy and modest.”

  “Grow up, Sebastian,” I laughed. “Wow, when did we switch roles?”

  He quirked the corner of his mouth. “Just don’t get killed, got it?”

  “Roger that,” I saluted and we stepped out into the arena. “Any last words for me, Ranulf?”

  The guard turned to me warily, his face stone cold serious with furrowed brows.

  “I think yer a stupid girl who’s going to get herself killed. Good luck,” he said and stomped away.

  I chuckled and peered up at Bash. “Now that’s love,” I grinned as he shook his head.

  “Seriously, Mackenzie,” Bash turned somber. “Think quick on your feet, watch out for your blind spots, and avoid getting hit in the head,” he tapped a finger on my noggin.

  “Aww, you’re worried about my beautiful face?” I said sweetly.

  “No,” he grunted. “I’m thinking about concussions. Be safe and good luck.” Sebastian leaned forward and gave me a gentle kiss on my forehead. My eyes fluttered shut as I soaked in that small piece of contact. It could be my last. Before I could say a word, Bash was gone and I was left standing before the Summit and the King’s Council. Jonah’s golden eyes flashed with fury and I could see the steam blowing out of his ears. Damn it.

  King Alexander extended his arms and quieted the rowdy crowd waiting for the fight. Once everyone was silenced, his gaze fell on me and it began.

  “Mackenzie Grey. Against yer better judgment, ye have chosen to be yer own Champion,” he started. “Do ye understand the consequences should ye fail?”

  “I do,” I nodded.

  Alexander pressed his lips into a thin line. “Very well then,” he snapped his fingers to someone behind me. “Ye have chosen to fight for yer freedom. Should ye fail and by some miracle survive, ye will spend the next twenty five years in the tombs. Should ye succeed, ye will be released and assigned to a Pack.”

  “W-What?” I stuttered. “I—”

  “Ye will be quiet is what ye’ll do, Mackenzie,” Alexander reprimanded. “This is nae a democracy, it is a dictatorship and ye will do as I say!”

  I could feel his wrath come through me like a tidal wave and I planted my feet firmly on the ground to avoid getting knocked over. I didn’t agree or disagree, I stayed quiet. If I had to run again, I would. This time, I’d get a one-way ticket to Colombia and never look back.

  “Ye will go against one of the deadliest opponents known to our world. Should ye change yer mind and want to choose another Champion, now is the time to speak.”

  I shook my head and Alexander’s eyes flashed silver. He wasn’t going to scare me.

  “Release…” he paused and cringed as the gates behind me began to open. “The Wendigo.”

  I could see the pity in Alexander’s eyes as he fell onto his throne, his lips sealed shut and his fist clenched in unknown fear. I slowly turned around as the murmurs around the arena grew louder.

  Behind me was a creature I’d never seen before—it was at least two feet taller than me, its skin an ash gray like death. Those black beady eyes flickered over to its right, left, and then to me. His back curved in a hunchback making me think it could be taller, its gaunt frame showing off every bone in its disfigured body. The Wendigo opened its mouth and let out a blood curdling shriek that had me covering my ears. Its gums were lined with shark-like teeth and I could feel my jaw drop to the sandy ground.

  “What the fuck is that…” I muttered to myself.

  A metal collar had it chained as guards went to release him. They ran back to the gate and slammed it shut—locking me and the Wendigo in the arena—alone.

  “To the death,” Alexander proclaimed as someone rang a bell. The creature arched its back, releasing bat-like wings. It flapped once, twice, and then it charged for me.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  I ran. It was all I could do at the moment as I let my brain catch up to what I was currently facing. My eyes were wide with unadulterated fear at the thing that wanted to kill me. The crowd cheered as the Wendigo flew over and almost caught me before I ducked and rolled away from it. The people watching this spectacle wanted the creature to win—I had to prove them wrong.

  I ran until I was about ten feet away and turned to face the beast, my face tightening with a fierceness only I could feel. My inner wolf awoke and I craned my neck as I morphed into a half shift—a hybrid—both wolf and human. I was my strongest like this.

  I crouched forward like a football player and let out a roar like no other. It traveled in waves through the crowd and I didn’t bother to look up at the dais where Alexander was perched. He was going to see me now—my true self—I wasn’t holding back any more.

  The Wendigo flew toward me and I kicked off running on all fours. As it flew over me, I slid across the arena floor on my knees and lifted my
clawed hand in the air. I dug my nails across the Wendigo’s chest. Its blood poured over me as it flew straight to the ground. I spun around and jumped to my feet. I didn’t waste a single second, I clasped onto one of its wings and tore through it. Its high-pitched shriek made me crouch away to cover my ears. I was too close to it and the sound made my ears pop. It backhanded me and I flew across the arena. I had done damage to its right wing but not enough to stop it from flying. It got to me before I landed on the ground, its calloused hands gripping my neck as it threw me to the floor like a basketball. It bared its sharp teeth and aimed for me like it was about to eat me. I kicked him in the face to stop him and got to my feet as it stumbled backward. What the fuck…is that thing a cannibal?

  The slight pause I gave was enough for him to punch me in the face—right, left—then a punch to the gut had me sucking in a breath and curving over like I’d throw up any moment. He held on to my pony tail and slammed my face onto its knee, throwing my limp body away. I fell on my back a few feet away and saw through squinted eyes as the Wendigo wiped its gaunt fingers across its knee, and put its bloody finger in its mouth. He closed those beady eyes as he savored my taste. I wanted to hurl.

  “Run, Kenzie! Run!” I could hear Amy through the roaring of the crowd. I was frozen on the ground watching the creature that was much stronger and dangerous than I. “Run!”

  I snapped out of my shock and searched the arena. I needed to get an advantage but I had no clue what this things weakness was.

  The Wendigo fell on all fours, its wings flapping awkwardly as he smiled at me—his teeth tinted red. He got a taste of me and wanted more.

  I shot up to my feet, grabbing a handful of sand in both fists and waited for it to charge me again.

  “Come on you piece of shit! Want more?” I yelled.

  Its pink tongue whipped out like a snakes, cut into two tips. It licked its lips and came toward me at full speed. I swerved to the left as his fist came to my right and threw the sand in my hands at his eyes. I ducked under his arm and slashed at the other wing. It screamed in fury and tried to backhand me again but I rolled out of the way, coming up behind him. He was too tall for me to climb onto him on my own. I kicked the back of his knee and he fell. I jumped onto his back and wrapped my arm around his neck and my legs around its mid-waist. He shot up and attempted to shake me off but I held on. When nothing worked, he flapped his wings and blasted off the ground with me still holding on and he flew around the arena. I screamed bloody murder as I held on. I saw the crowd but it was all a blur as the Wendigo blew past them, spinning upside down and right-side up again. Over and over it went in hopes of shaking me off. I shut my eyes and dug my claws into its shoulders to solidify my grip.

  Its high-pitched wail was so close to my ears. It was like a bomb going off and all I could hear was a beeping. The crowd was silenced and my eyes squinted as I tried to pop my ears and get my hearing back. I shook my head multiple times to no avail.

  The creature slammed its head back and then we were falling. Diving backwards to the arena floor and I was going to break our fall. My stomach bottomed and I panicked, holding on to the Wendigo even tighter. My body felt empty as it free fell and my back slammed onto the arena ground. Dust and sand blew up around us and I sucked in a large breath. All the oxygen had just been expelled from my body and I released the beast. It rolled over me and I tried to stand but fell. My arms were like gelatin and my legs like rubber. I turned my head to the side and saw my friends, they were huddled together screaming something. I couldn’t hear a single thing besides the beeping.

  Amy’s tear streaked face was ghost white as she jabbed her pointer finger at me. She mouthed something that I couldn’t make out. Jackson held her back, trying to stop her from running toward me. I’d never seen him look so scared—his eyes glossed over with what I was sure I was imagining as potential tears.

  Something sharp clamped onto my shoulder and began to drag me away from the sight of my friends. My head tossed over to the other side and I was face to face with the Wendigo. Its teeth had punctured my skin as it pulled me across the floor and sucked on my blood. I couldn’t move—I was too tired. I felt the life being drained out of me and I gave up the fight. The creature shook me like it was trying to get more blood. My eyes grew smaller and smaller as sleep came over me. My head flopped over to my friends again. Sebastian’s stone cold face was blazing sapphire eyes as a single tear glided down his cheek and I gave him a weary smile. Jonah was beside him screaming his lungs off. Charles beside him, keeping him in place. Golden eyes fierce, without a dimple in sight. I never even told them how I felt—I never chose.

  A warmness covered my body and I didn’t understand. I should’ve been feeling cold, I was dying. My vision glossed over until a cream white filter covered my eyes and I lost my sight. My body began to seize, my back arching and slamming to the ground. I groaned as I shook and the Wendigo released me. I couldn’t feel his teeth on me or the suction of my blood.

  I could no longer feel the arena floor before me, it was as if I were floating on a cloud. My body stopped seizing as I was erected upright and my feet planted softly on the ground. I still couldn’t see but my hearing returned and it was clearer than before. My nose tilted up and I sniffed the air. The Wendigo was behind me—I could smell its decayed body. I stilled as I heard its wings coming toward me. A pounding that sounded louder than it should have.

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  I spun around and dropped to the ground, I felt it go above me. I reached up and clamped onto his ankle and jerked him over and slammed him to the ground. It wailed but the sound didn’t bother me anymore. I climbed over the Wendigo and dug my clawed hands right into those beady eyes, ripping them right out. He pushed me off of him, its hands going to its face, clawing at where his eyes had been. I didn’t know how I was able to do any of this or how I knew where to hit and when—most of all—how the hell I came back from the brink of death.

  As the creature screamed, I stood and reached down to its mouth. One hand gripped its upper jaw and the other on his lower jaw. I pulled his mouth wide open until I heard the ripping of his skin and finally the crack of his skull. The Wendigo fell limp to the ground as I dropped to my knees beside him. The second wind I had received had evaporated and my body was catching up to the exhaustion.

  I was blind. I couldn’t see—and the silence was deafening. Not a single cheer or gasp could be heard. Nothing but my harsh breathing as I tried to catch my breath. I didn’t know what anyone’s reaction was or if this was like Logan and his game where I wasn’t supposed to have won.

  Someone cleared their throat to my left and I crawled toward it and faced whoever had made the sound.

  “Ye have won yer freedom,” Alexander said. His voice shaky and I couldn’t tell if it was good or bad.

  “Damn right I did,” I said. “Whatever you decide to do with me today, just know that I won’t sit down and take it. This fight is only the beginning. Are you ready to go up against me?”

  “Mackenzie,” Alexander muttered.

  The pounding of feet behind me had me jerking in its direction—two pairs. Seconds later I heard something being dragged. Piecing it together, I assumed two guards were pulling the Wendigo away.

  I turned blind eyes back to Alexander. “Yes?”

  “Can ye see me?”

  My heart raced as I imagined what my eyes were like at the moment. I took two deep breaths and steadied my voice to not show how panicked I truly was.

  “No,” I shook my head. “I can’t see a thing.”

  Chapter Twenty Five

  “It’s going to be okay, Mackenzie,” Sebastian whispered to me as he and multiple people rushed me out of the arena. “We’ll fix it.”

  “Maybe I can get a service dog. Or rock some shades and a blind stick like Daredevil!” I joked because a cure for blindness was a fairytale and I needed to keep myself calm. I was at the brink of a meltdown—one that I needed to h
ave in private.

  “Don’t be ridiculous, this is not permanent,” Bash growled. His grip on my upper arm getting tighter.

  I was thrown into a car with Bash sitting beside me. I wondered if the streets were shut down because we didn’t stop once, making it back to the castle in record time. The minute I stepped out of the vehicle, strong arms picked me up and cradled me to their chest.

  “I got you,” Bash murmured and I could feel him running to the infirmary.

  “No! Take her to her room!” Ranulf yelled and Bash switched directions.

  Sebastian’s scent was stronger than ever but there was something I didn’t recognize—a spice that was unfamiliar to me—like a tangy, citrus smell…

  “Her room, the King is on his way,” Ranulf grunted as he pushed open a door.

  I was deposited gently on my bed and I clutched at the fluffy cotton sheets. The sound of multiple feet had me stretching my ear to get closer. A commotion in the common room had someone shutting my bedroom door.

  “Get out!” I heard Ranulf. “Kings Orders, no one is allowed in there. Nae even her friends.”

  “This is bullshit!” Amy exclaimed. “I’m her family!”

  “Yer nothing but a filthy—”

  Someone growled and I chuckled. That was definitely Jackson.

  “Ranulf,” Alexander’s voice overpowered the others. “Send a unit into Caledonian Forest and bring me Ophelia.”

  Ranulf gasped. “The Sisters of the Sight? Are ye sure yer highness—”

  “Bring her to me!” Alexander yelled and the bedroom walls shook. I gripped the sheets even tighter.

  Multiple feet left the common room and my bedroom door opened and closed.

  “Who is it?” I asked into the void as I heard footsteps coming toward me. I didn’t smell Sebastian.