Dawn muffled her cry with her palm when the gray wolf tumbled with George, who moved just in time to protect his neck from sharp teeth coming at him.
Growls, grunts, and yelps overlapped from the human and the animal as the cloud of dust rose around them, and everyone stared there anxiously in the hope of seeing what was going on.
Damon was tense like a string on a bow. He was not used to being a spectator, and this situation was nerve-wracking.
'Damon?' Talia called through their mind-link, and she let him sense her worry. Why was George not shifting into his wolf? Did Alpha Edward use some underhanded method to incapacitate George?
The dust was so thick now that they couldn't see what was going on there.
'Trust in George,' Damon said to Talia. 'He is fighting for his past, present, and future. He won't fall easily.'
With a high-pitched squeal, the gray wolf flew out of the cloud of dust, landing heavily on his back and leaving a trail on the ground as he slid backward.
Everything was silent.
The gray wolf stood up and snorted. He shook his head before narrowing his eyes on the cloud of dust that twirled in front of him.
A long second later, a dark brown wolf emerged from there, sneering to show his long canine teeth. Ruffled fur sticky from blood revealed claw marks on his left hind leg, but George's pain was numbed by the adrenaline.
Owen's eyes were open wide in disbelief. He and George had been friends from childhood, but Owen never saw George in his wolf form.
As Alpha Edward stood there, Owen confirmed that George's wolf was bigger between the two.
If anyone doubted if George was an Alpha, those doubts were gone now. One could impact their muscle mass by exercising and eating a protein-rich diet, but the size of the wolf was proportional to power. Only Alphas could grow to such size.
Alpha William sucked in a sharp breath.
"What is it?" Alpha Richard asked.
"The mark on the boy's head."
Alpha Richard narrowed his eyes to see the light brown patch of fur on top of George's head that resembled a five-pointed star. "What about it?"
"That's the mark of the Frostcrest pack," Alpha William said. "I knew Alpha Conor. He had the same mark. It runs in their family."
"Are you saying," Alpha Richard spoke in a low voice, "...that's the young Alpha of the Frostcrest pack?"
"Not young. With Alpha Conor gone, Commander George IS the Alpha of the Frostcrest pack. And Red Moon pack is responsible for their demise."
Alpha Richard was unsettled. "What does that mean for us?"
Alpha William was not sure. "If George were just a warrior, Edward's win would be certain. However, now that we know he is an Alpha, things are tricky. Alpha Conor was not a fighter, but his wolf was strong. If this boy inherited his father's disposition, and he sharpened his potential with the training of a warrior, Edward is in trouble."
"What should we do?" Alpha Richard asked in an urgent whisper.
Alpha William shrugged. "There is nothing for us to do. Edward challenging the Dark Howlers pack was not part of our plan. Since he did that on his own, win or lose, we are just witnesses."
"Can we do that?"
Alpha William snorted. "Do you think we will benefit if Edward wins?"
Alpha Richard shook his head, and Alpha William continued, "Since you know that's the case, why do you think we will suffer if he loses?"
Alpha Richard knew it made sense, but it was not a secret that the two of them were closest to Alpha Edward. Will other Alphas just let them be?
In the fighting area, gray and brow wolf circled slowly while releasing low growls and observing, measuring, and deciding.
Damon was scrutinizing every movement of two wolves while talking to Talia through their mind-link.
'They are suppressing the other with their aura in order to gauge where they stand in terms of power. However, using aura too much takes concentration, and they need to strike a balance. George's aura is stronger than Alpha Edward's, but George had limited training in his wolf form because he couldn't reveal his wolf here.'
'Where did he train?' Talia asked.
'At the Dark Howlers pack. I taught him a few moves.'
'You did?' Talia asked.
'I tried, but then he found Dawn and ended up screwing her most of the time.'
Talia didn't want to think about what George and Dawn did in the privacy of their bedroom. 'Are you telling me that George's wolf is stronger, but Alpha Edward has more practice?'
Damon confirmed. 'Correct. This is a game of skill, instincts, and strength. George has an advantage in terms of strength, while Alpha Edward is better if we look at their skills. As for instincts, it's a coin toss because both of them are under pressure. Every move could be deadly.'
Talia nodded in understanding. She noticed that audience was barely breathing, and no one was blinking.
The reporter stopped taking photos since George's wolf appeared.
It was intense.
The gray wolf snapped his maw and sneered, and the brown wolf jumped at him.
There was a collective inhale as two wolves rolled together, each trying to bite the other's neck and end the fight.
"Ahh!" Dawn cried when the gray wolf bit the brown one's front leg.
George's wolf managed to move and avoid fatal injury, but the amount of blood flowing showed it was serious.
Alpha Edward's wolf had no intention of letting go, and George's wolf whined while twisting his body, and then he bit the hind leg of the gray wolf.
With one jerk of his head, the brow wolf had a mouthful of fur and flesh, and the gray wolf yelped.
The brown wolf used this chance to move away and bite the gray wolf again, this time going for the neck. It was close.
The gray wolf kicked and snapped his maw, but it was in vain.
George's wolf was biting harder and releasing low growls as George's aura flared to suppress Alpha Edward's movements.
Damon released the breath he was holding, and Talia knew it was over.
It was like time stopped as everyone looked at the scene in front of them.
Eventually, George's wolf stepped away from the gray wolf, who twitched on the ground, unable to get up and continue fighting.
"AWOOOOO!"
An earth-shaking howl ripped from George's wolf as he raised his head to the moonless night sky.
George groaned as his form changed into one of a man.
His deep brown fur covered up the injuries, but his slightly tanned flesh was now mostly deep red from blood and engraved with cuts and gashes everywhere. The worst one was on his shoulder, which was bleeding profusely.
"Shift back," George said to the gray wolf.
There was no response.
George inhaled forcibly. "SHIFT BACK!" An Alpha command echoed, and Alpha Edward's form was revealed after a few painful seconds.
"Woah!" Alpha William exclaimed. "Conor's son has the strength to command another Alpha."
Alpha Richard swallowed hard. George was in human form, and he forced a command on an Alpha wolf. That can't be good. What if he turns on them?
George swayed a bit before steadying himself and looking down at Alpha Edward, whose body was soaking in the pool of blood.
