Chapter 248

A gasp went through the room.

“A death battle?” Rowan raised his eyebrow, but I just nodded.

“This family has been pushing me since the beginning of the year. Nina has claimed to be the one that donated to everyone, using my money and my silence as a way to negotiate her work out of people.” There was another gasp, and I nodded. “She has used my generosity to get the grades she has.” I lifted one finger, counting on my hands the bullshit they have done. “She has tried to attack me when I was running, even though she knew who I was because she was trying to impress a wolf out in the woods.” Another finger. “She has used her rank, her influence, and her status as apparently the next queen to lord over this fucking school, and, to be frank, I’m over it.” A few people clapped. “And then her sister and uncle come here to tell me that I have to fall in line with their bullshit power and influence. They have actively tried to get rid of unranked wolves, because to them, they are lesser than a ranked wolf. This entire family is corrupt, and I’m fucking over it. My father…” I pretended to get choked up, and I saw Rowan’s lips twitch. “My father raised me to be a wolf with a moral compass. He raised me to watch over my pack and wolves of lower rank. He taught me to stand up against people like these three, and I am over being the bigger person.”

“What do you mean?” I saw something flit across Rowan’s face, but I couldn’t decipher it.

“I mean, I am an extremely powerful alpha that has bent over backwards to keep her wolf from striking out without a thought. Even though I am still fairly new to shifting, as I am still in my first year, and I have very little time to run and bond with her, I have not killed Nina. And believe you me, it has been a fucking challenge. But I’m done holding back from this family.” I stalked back up to Nina, and I looked straight into her eyes. “Nina, I’m going to tell this to you, and I really need you to look me in the eye and see that I mean every fucking word.” I waited until she nodded. “If you, your sister, your uncle, fuck, I don’t even care if it’s a distant cousin. If any of you interfere with my life again. If you or any of yours try to force me to do anything I don’t want to. If you come to me to mock or belittle me.” I stepped so I was in her face. “If you even come to me to tell me you won something, I’ll call for a Cath Báis.” I watched fear enter her eyes. “I’m over you showing up at my home, my classes, my training sessions. You have stalked me this entire year, and I honestly have zero idea why, but I’m done being nice. So I need you to really think about your next steps.” I looked at Nadine and then at Thinius. “Her life is in your hands, so choose wisely.” I turned away, and Nadine snorted. I whirled around. “You think I’m joking? Do you think her life is a game?” I glanced at Rowan, and his command lifted with a single word.

“Speak.”

Nadine took a step. “No. But my sister and I have been training since we were pups. We know how to fight.”

I nodded, and I tilted my hand. “And who taught you how to fight? Was it your uncle? Your father?”

“It was our father.” She smirked.

“Your father is what? Top fifty of fighters in the last battle? If I remember correctly, your father Tomen got rank forty-eight. Am I right?”

Rowan stepped up next to me, crowding the family. “He actually was rank fifty-seventh, but then miraculously, nine fighters were disqualified by the council.” He glared at Thinius.

“So not top fifty.” I turned to face her with my golden eyes. “My father was top five. My uncle was top ten.”

“She is being modest. Her father was second, losing only to me. And Ronnie was sixth in the entire world.”

I pointed to him and nodded. Then I leaned in to Nadine and let Nix come out enough that her voice was heard. “My father and uncle beat your dad without even breaking a sweat. And the funniest part out of all of this? I was putting them on their backs when I was sixteen. Neither could fight me in hand to hand without doing damage, and that was before I started shifting.” I gave her a toothy smile. She reeled back from my face, and I saw fear enter her eyes. “I would kill your sister within a minute, and that minute would be full of me shattering her body and toying with her just to get my point across.”