Chapter 17: Melody's Challenge

Melody stopped at the edge of the moss with forty guards at her back and a smile on her face.

"The beta's daughter calls a fair challenge," she said, loud enough for every omega to hear. "Wolf to wolf, before witnesses, by the old law."

"You're nobody's daughter but your father's," my mother said.

"Mouth shut, cook."

My wolf curled her lip.

"She wants you hurt," she said. "Let her try."

I pushed my head out and growled once.

Melody looked at the silver coat, and for one breath her smile went.

Then she pulled her dress over her head and dropped to the moss.

Her wolf was gold-blonde and sleek, and she came at me fast.

I let her.

She hit my shoulder with her teeth and tore a line of fire down my foreleg.

My wolf laughed in my head.

"Is that what every slap on that bus was for?"

I turned and put my whole weight on her.

She went down with a yelp.

I set my jaws around her neck, not tight, and held her to the moss.

She thrashed once and went still.

Nobody in the clearing made a sound.

The guards stood with their torches lowered, and not one of them looked at his queen.

I let go and stepped back.

Melody changed under me, a naked girl shaking on the cold ground with moss in her hair.

"Say it," I said.

I had changed back too, and Hester threw her shawl around my shoulders.

Melody stared up at me.

"Say what?"

"Who hit who on the school lawn. Say it where they can hear you."

Her lips shook.

"I hit you."

"Again."

"I hit you." Her voice cracked. "I hit you because I was afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of you." She swallowed. "I could smell it on you since you were twelve."

The omegas stirred.

"Get up," I said. "Put your eyes on the ground and keep them there. Tell your guards to go home."

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