Keeping my gaze neutral as I try to fight back the laughter threatening to spill with Rune’s greeting to Valor, I watch as the Omega wiggles free of Valor’s grasp and runs down the hall towards another room. It seems like this Omega is smart to run and hide away from us as we came here for one reason and one reason only.
“R-Rune.” Valor stutters out as Rune takes a step towards him.
“What are you doing here in Pine Moon after turning your back on it?!” He demands, his words becoming confident. It seems Valor still has some bravado left after how cowardly he’s been acting.
“Like Rune said a moment ago.” I decide to answer, leaning against the staircase railing.
“Rune and I are back for our Pack as rightful Alphas.” My words hit their mark and Valor clenches his jaw in annoyance. I can’t help the smirk that grows as Valor chooses to ignore me to focus on Rune. He sees my Mate as the biggest threat out of the two of us and that’s fine. Having an opponent underestimate me makes the beating I give them oh-so-satisfying.
“Valor.” A shrill voice calls from the open door. Rune stops walking, his head cocking to the left. My smirk grows as it seems my prey has decided to come out of the room to see what is happening out in the halls.
“Why is the alarm blaring?” As if on que, Tanya steps out of the room towards her Mate. She takes in the stiff stance Valor has, the fear he tries to hid floating in the air and the direction of his gaze as she grows closer to him, her body hastily clothed in a baggy t-shirt. I can tell that Tanya is confused, her brows furrowed but she hasn’t yet noticed Rune and me as her attention is solely on Valor.
“Tanya, go back into the bedroom.” Valor orders, his voice threateningly low.
“Why should I when no one is telling me, the Luna, why that alarm is blaring.” Tanya snaps back, her voice carrying a bratty tone. I watch Rune wince, regret flashing in his eyes as he stares in disgust at her. Being with her for years must have been a nightmare if this is how she acts once she is a Luna.
“I can give you a hint.” I call out, taking slow measured steps and relishing in the way Tanya’s body snaps straight. Her disgust and anger for me is thick in the air and it takes everything in me not to laugh at her little display of power. To think I used to be scared of this she-wolf and what she could do to me by tattling to Valor. That I used to avoid her in order to keep the peace outside of the sparing ring.
“I see attacking them is unnecessary now.” Tanya scoffs out, crossing her arms across her body. Rune lets out a warning growl while I stare at the baby bump on her belly. She really did get pregnant just to secure her spot as Luna.
“Tell me something.” I start, looking up to find Tanya glaring at me.
“What would have done if things had gone to plan and Rune marked you only to cause a miscarriage?” I ask, watching Tanya stiffen.
“From my understanding, only his pup would have survived the marking at a matting ceremony, so everyone would have known that you cheated on him.” I continue to taunt the she-wolf in front of me, watching her eyes narrow in rage.
“Shut up you bitch!” Tanya snarls as soon as I finish speaking. I chuckle, deciding to toy with her before I end her.
“Why should I? As Rune’s Goddess given Mate, I think I have the right to ask questions like this to my step-mother-in-law.” I shrug, catching a twitch in Rune’s stoic mask. Now it's my turn to make him hold in his laughter. Tanya says nothing and instead surprises me when she lunges at me. Her claws have replaced her nails and on instinct I dodge her, jumping to the side. She lets out a snarl of frustration and tries again, swiping at my body.
“Tanya!” Valor cries out before gasping in pain.
“Sorry, but your fight is with me. Brynlee has been waiting since the day you banished her from Pine Moon to get her revenge on Tanya.” Rune says, his voice so dangerously low that it makes me shiver with delight. Goddess, I am so happy he and I made up.
“Pay attention to your fight, Love.” Rune calls as I barely managed to dodge the pissed of Tanya.
“How can I when you sound so sexy.” I muse, watching a blush creep along Rune’s face before he dodges a kick thrown his way by Valor. Tanya by now is frustrated, her eyes narrowed further into slits as she snarls with every swipe.
I continue to dodge her, slowly bringing her away from Valor and Rune as my Mate fights against the sperm donor that helped bring him into this life. Tanya is too focused on her rage to notice this and I make sure to just stay out of her reach. On her next attack, I step towards her, landing a punch to her jaw and wincing when her claws barely graze my arm. Tanya is sent flying into the wall behind her, her body landing with a hard thud before she crumbles to the floor. Her face has paled with pain as her hands move to protect her stomach.
“I…I’m sorry Brynlee.” She stutters out, her eyes wide with fear as I step close to her. Valor is snarling by now, trying his best to get to his wounded Mate but Rune keeps him back, laying strike after strike to Valor’s face, legs, and torso.
“I’m sorry I had my friends attack you after your birthday. I am sorry I hurt you growing up. I am sorry for everything. Just please, spare me and my baby.” She pleads, tears welling in her eyes. I scoff, grabbing Tanya by her hair and lifting her head so she looks me in the eyes.
“Why should I spare you and your pup when Valor, you, and your allies were coming to Crescent Phoenix to kill everyone I care about, including me and my unborn pup?” I ask with a snarl, my hatred for these two wolves spilling over. Shock crosses Tanya’s face as she looks to my stomach. Unlike her, I am not far enough along to really show, but that doesn’t stop her from scenting the air and breathing in my scent.
“No.” She gasps in shock.
“Yes. My pup will rule Pine Moon eventually.” I state with a grin, enjoying the look of despair on her face.
“Unfortunately for you, your pup will join you in the afterlife no matter how much I wish they could live on without you.” Tanya tries to claw at me but I take out the dagger I stole from a Warrior earlier and plunge it into Tanya’s heart before her claws can connect against my flesh. Pressing the small mechanism I release the wolfsbane from within the handle and watch as the pain of the poison flickers into her eyes. Letting go of Tanya’s hair, her body slumps once again. She is fighting to stay alive, but that fight is futile. As Tanya takes her last breath, Valor lets out a sorrow-filled scream that echoes through the halls of the Pine Moon Pack House.
“You bitch!” Valor snarls out, his anger so strong that it has me shaking for a moment. I turn just in time to see Valor hit Rune in the stomach with a punch making Rune let out an “oomph” in pain while his body hits the door frame behind him. This gives Valor a chance to break free from my Mate and he takes this as an opportunity to charge at me, his claws aiming for my neck. I manage to duck just in time before Valor could harm me, hitting the floor and rolling out of the way.
By now Rune has regained his composure and rushes to my aid, tackling Valor from behind. The two never noticed how close to the staircase Tanya and I had been and Rune tackles Valor, sending both Valor and him tumbling down the stairs.
“Rune!” I scream out, rushing to the top of the staircase to find that my worries are for nothing. There, at the base of the steps Rune straddles Valor, sending punch after punch to our enemy’s face. Blood splatters the walls and floor but I don’t rush to stop him. Rune has been put through hell because of Valor. He killed his own Luna and chosen Mate to stop her from going to the council about the threat Blood Claws posed over us. He caused Rune to grow up without his mother and abused him into becoming a miniature version of himself just for the sake of appeasing Jonnah Cross. He belittled him, cursed him, and threatened Rune just to control him for his personal gain.
Now it is time for Rune to exact his revenge.
“Rune!” Someone shouts and soon Tristan appears, gently placing a hand on Rune’s shoulder.
“He’s dead. You can stop now.” Tristan adds softly. Rune’s fist is held at the ready, poised to land another strike on Valor. He takes deep, heavy breaths as the tension in his body slowly releases.
“He’s dead?” Rune asks quietly, his fist lowering.
“He’s dead.” Tristan confirms. I sigh with relief, turning to find Tanya’s lifeless body with a pool of blood gathering beneath her. Both wolves are dead. They will no longer terrorize any innocent wolves here in Pine Moon nor harm smaller Packs ever again.