"Brother..." My voice cracks as I struggle to get the next words out.

"Meela, are you okay? I've been calling and calling, but Grey wouldn't let me talk to you."

I can't even speak as sobs start in the back of my throat. Closing my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears, I grip the phone tight in my shaking hand.

"Meela, what's going on? You're scaring me... Meela, say something!"

"I can't do this... I can't be..." Another sob breaks free from me. "I can't; I'm so sorry."

"Meela, if you come back, our land is gone. He'll take everything. You'll have nowhere to come back to."

Big fat tears fall from my weeping eyes, splashing on my shirt, soaking the fabric. I bring the sleeve to my nose and wipe at my face.

"I'm getting branded this evening." I'm hardly able to get the words out; they feel so tight in my throat.

"That's what's suppose to happen. All females take their mates brand, Meela."

"I'm being challenged for Luna after."

There's a sharp intake of breath on the other end. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I only found out about it last night. He doesn't think I can beat her."

Nothing but my heavy breathing is heard on the phone....silence.

"Meela, what's her rank?"

"None that I can tell, but he says she's the best female fighter they have."

"Meela, you're naturally stronger than her. Use that to your advantage. Also, don't hesitate. Attack first, go in quickly, don't hold back....finish her. Your wolf and her wolf will know you're dominant. Get into fighting form as soon as you think the fight will start. Don't stay in skin form. If you do, then you'll be on level ground." He takes on a desperate tone. "Remember all our training. Attack her as you attacked me when we were training to bring the bear down. You take the point and don't let go of that neck until your teeth come together."

I remember all the training, all his ear pinching until I got it right.

"Meela, I love you! I could've never asked for a braver sister. I have faith in you."

I cry into the phone; I cry out everything I have. He patiently listens until I can't cry any longer.

"Do you feel better?"

A little hiccup escapes. "Yah, I just... needed to talk to someone who cares about me, who cares if I..."

"Don't say it, Meela. You're going to be fine. You always are."

"I love you." My voice cracks. "I just wanted you to know..." I can barely get the words out. "I love you."

"I love you too, Meela. Call me after everything's finished."

"Okay... I love you." I turn off my phone and throw it against the wall.

"Meela."

"Go away, Northerner, I'm not in the mood for you." I don't look at him. Instead, I give him my back in disrespect.

"Meela, look at me." The bed dips with his weight.

"Why don't you go away? I have nothing to say to you." I'm feeling hurt, annoyed by him.

My wolf is pacing in my head, agitated because of him. She wants another go at him for his behavior towards me. I need to restrain her.

"I brought you lunch." He holds the plate up, but I swat it away.

"I lost my appetite. Go!"

His hand brings my hair to his nose, inhaling the scent. He gives a little sigh of pleasure. Just that little sound coming from his mouth has my body humming.

Shaking it off, I get off the bed. "Leave."

It's those eyes that pull me in, those sad, dull grey eyes. My body naturally wants to comfort him, to ease his suffering.

"I want to spend some time with you before the branding," he says, taking a step closer to me.

"Go to her! She's your future." My eyes fill with tears again. Why can't I just be brave in front of him?

"Meela." That one word sounds out so full of pain, hurt...sadness.

"Don't." Pointing a finger at him. "You're the one who thinks I'll lose. You have no faith in me, in your mate." Looking at him,  letting all my emotions, my turmoil flow out of me.

"You think she is your Luna for her strength, her abilities in battle. That's all she has. Everything else is nothing." Bringing myself to full height, standing tall and proud. "I'm your gift from the moon; we're a sacred gift to each other. I'm your future, your life... I'm your soul." Clasping my trembling hands in front of my body, I let my wolf ascend, so he knows we're both present.

"You've ruined us." The words are spoken with my truths, walking into the bathroom shutting the door, my heart is gone for the male who thinks he's my mate.

Looking at myself in the mirror. The faint pink scar around my neck will be ever present, never fully healed. It will always be a reminder of my struggles.

Walking out, I make my way outside to that beautiful spot on the hill overlooking the forest. I sit on the ground and let the cool earth calm my heated body.

Closing my eyes, breathing in the fresh scent of nature, I give a silent prayer of thanks for everything I've ever had so far in my life.

I relax, allowing all the sounds and smells to fill my body with a beautiful song. There's a rhythm to it, a flow....a calmness.

Hands on my shoulders shake me out of my meditation.

"It's time, Meela. Get ready. I'll take you to the ceremony building," Sophie says.

"Okay."

She pulls me into a hug, whispering close to my ear, "I've heard things. Watch your back tonight. Stephanie's going to challenge you."

"Thank you, Sophie, but your Alpha's already told me."

"You can't let her win. None of us females are strong enough to take her. She's been tormenting us for years. Trust your wolf. She's strong, fierce just like you."

Hugging her close to me, putting my cheek against her's in the Old Way traditions. "Thank you for being so kind to me."

Turning, I make my way upstairs. As I shower, I only wash my hair, trying not to get a lot of other scents on my body. I want my natural female scent to come to the forefront; I want her to be able to recognize my dominance, really smell my full nature without any hidden perfumes.

After straightening my hair, I put on my makeup, fixing myself up, enhancing my looks. If I'm going down, I'm going down looking great.

The former Luna and Sophie are waiting at the steps for me, and both beam as they see me.

"You're beautiful, just the way a true Luna should be." Sophie's kind words almost have me in tears again.

His mother takes me by the shoulders. "Truly beautiful. Let your instincts guide you tonight. Trust your wolf and trust yourself." She places her cheek next to mine, then tilts her neck to me in a show of submission. I place a kiss on her neck and hug her tight.

With a big breath out, I finally say, "Let's go."

"The entire pack is there, so it's crowded."

Looking around, this pack is at least five times the size of my old pack.

"Grey will make a speech, lift up your shirt and brand you."

Not making a sound just nodding my head in understanding.

As the double doors open, the crowd of people parts, giving me a straight path to the altar. The northerner's eyes take me in. Oh, I see how affected he is, his chest sucking in lungfuls of breath, his fists clenching and unclenching. He shifts slightly, uncomfortable in his pants.

Exactly what I want to happen. I let my hips sway back and forth, tempting him with my walk. I don't take my eyes off him. The northerner addresses his pack formally. I turn to face the crowd, searching for his....complication. My eyes lock with hers.

As he lifts up my shirt, I feel the searing hot pain of the silver iron cutting into my flesh, branding me as one of theirs. I don't make a sound. Gritting my teeth, I take the pain.

"Everyone, please welcome Meela, the newest member of our pack."

People throw back their heads in howls and whistles.

My eyes never stray from hers, staring with the aggression, which has the ridge fur rising along the length of my spine. The pack picks up on my posturing of intent. Thomas who stands to the side of the Northerner pushes Sophie behind him protectively. He knows, he understands what's going to happen.

"Meela, stop. There is a time and place for that. Do not embarrass yourself or me." It's whispered out so softly I almost can't hear him.

Too late.

Before the words are even fully out of his mouth, I attack. She wasn't expecting it. My wolf is screaming for blood. It's time to show these Northerners what this Southerner trained female can do.

He thinks I'm weak, some runt of the pack, someone without strength. It only causes me to push myself more, to destroy my threat.

Before I even land from the stage, I'm in fighting form. A lot of female wolves have a hard time changing in mid jump, but I've practiced and practiced that move of intimidation since I could shift, until it had become second nature, like breathing.

The pack races out of my warpath. Lips pulled back, revealing my canines that are dripping with blood lust. Ears flat against my skull, there is no turning tail, no crouching of submission. We will never turn our neck to something weaker than us.

Letting my wolf fully ascend. I trust her. The months we spent collared have given me respect for her. Our shared suffering caused our bond to grow. I trust her instinct with my life.

Fur bristles, fine muscles twitching, ears pulled back flat against my head. A low growl rumbles in my throat as I take on my prey, his complication.

My wolf could play dirty and kill her this instant before she even has time to shift, but she waits in a low crouch until the female is done. Wanting to destroy her painfully slow, I let the blackness of bloodlust swirl around my body, the wild in me demanding retribution for all the insults inflicted on her.

People back against the walls, leaving us room. My focus is on her completely.

Once her eyes lock with mine, I jump, starting the war dance, the dance for dominance. Our bodies collide with a thump, both going for each other's necks, vicious, savage growls coming from both our bodies.

A flash of teeth sinks into my shoulder drawing first blood. This enrages us. My wolf drops to her side letting that she-wolf come on top us. My wolf brings her hind legs up, and her claws puncture the soft underbelly, ripping the fragile flesh, tearing into it like a hot knife through butter.

A yelp of pain is heard, and my wolf is bathed in blood. She let's go of our shoulder. White hot burning pain sinks deep into our wound. It hurts to put pressure on my left shoulder, but I've been through much worse. I can take the pain now.

My wolf observes her as she tries to protect her underbelly from more injury. Fat drops of blood steadily dripping from her wound, causing a puddle to form.

She leaps at my neck again, only for me to pull my head away from those jaws and she gets my ear instead, tearing it in half. Blood seeps into my eye, down my face. I can taste my blood in my mouth.

She's crouched low again, her hind leg ready to spring. I wait until she's in midair, and get underneath her again. I'm able to clamp onto her neck and bring her down hard.

She's on the ground, turned on her side with my canines buried deep into her neck. It's over. I feel her submission as her high pitch whines hit my ears. I can taste her blood in my mouth.

"Meela, enough!" The Northerner's voice booms with authority. "You've won, she's conceded. Let her go."

My wolf gives a low growl and starts to shake the wolf with a fierceness to destroy.

"Meela!" He screams it out.

Reluctantly, my wolf unclamps her jaw from the wolf's neck.

My wolf, still enraged by the wolf's challenge, instinctively turns on all the females in the pack, showing her dominance, looking for anyone else to challenge her.

Slowly, she pads across to the former Luna, baring her teeth in aggression. The former has just a trace of a fine smile across her face as she bows her head and drops to one knee, showing me her neck. I smell her, letting her smell me. My wolf's tongue glides across her neck.

I'm the top female of this pack and I'm showing my dominance to every single female here. They either accept my authority here and now or fight me in order to try and show me theirs.

Starting with the top female of the pack, working my way to each and every female. They all bend a knee, showing their necks and we take in each other's smell. From the youngest to the oldest female wolf, I'm given their submission. I'm their Luna, there are no other challengers.

Swinging my head to the Northerner. Eyes blazing yellow, my wolf is going to challenge him. I don't try to pull her back. She's stalking him, snapping her jaws at him.

"Meela, stop this," The Northerner hisses out.

She looks him in the eye to let him see it's not Meela who's present, it's her and she's pissed at him. She gives him a feral growl, a challenge.

He shakes his head. "I'm not going to fight you, little wolf."

That sends her over the edge. She leaps at him. Gasps are heard from the crowd.

He catches my wolf in those powerful arms, wrapping them around her neck. He falls to the ground with us. My wolf is snarling and kicking her legs, thrashing in his hold. His legs wrap around our body, pinning us to him.

"Submit, little wolf." His chokehold tightens on our air supply. She's too defiant, too feral to even think of conceding. Still growling her curses at him, I feel her nails connect with his neck, digging in deep. She slashes his tender skin.

The pressure on our neck increases. "Submit!"

The air is cutting off, I'm feeling dizzy. My wolf too rabid to listen, but I trust her, I'll die with her.

"You fought well, my little wolf."

The force of his hold takes both of us by surprise and as the air is completely cut off, it's a calm feeling that comes over us. Our vision grows darker with every slow beat of our heart. My body feels like it's floating on air, relaxing, sinking deeper into darkness. No longer fighting, we both give in to the pull of the deep, the darkness engulfs us, wrapping tight around like a protective blanket.

No pain

No Fear

No struggle

Just a feeling of.....peace.