West stared up at me hopefully.

Marking me? Now? Before the Alpha Challenge. This meant...

"You'll know what happens if something happens to me," I tell him quietly. I don't think I could stand West being hurt because of me.

"So?" West says, leaning down and brushing my hair back to expose my neck. His lips gently brush down where he intends to make his mark. He wasn't making this easy. "And you can mark me after you win." He says this with such conviction and confidence, I clutch his back a little tighter.

"Do you really want this?"

"Oh yeah," West chuckled, "I'm being patient please help out me here, Edith. I'm not patient."

I couldn't help but smile. "I know you're not."

"Now....Let me remind you that you were the one that kissed me first. Wonder how long you've been wanting to do that." West stole a kiss from me, gazing down at me with his muddy brown eyes, darkening with the emotions he felt.

"Are you sure-"

West leaned down to kiss me, hard and sensual, effectively shutting me up. I made a small noise which he growled out his approval.

"I'm sure." His lips made their way down my jaw, back to the sweet spot that made me clutch his shirt again, making me sigh out. "Stop making those noises!"

"Stop making me feel good!" I argued.

"Never."

Before I could retort something back, West bit down on my neck, his teeth elongating piercing my skin deeply- definitely an Alpha's mark. It was only a sharp stinging pain for a second before a wash of pleasure, sweet it was almost sickly, overcame me.

A whoosh of emotions filled me, all related to West.

I think I made a noise again because West's eyes flashed red.

"Hmm," West inspected his mark, kissing it, sucking it, a shock wave of pleasure made it's way up to me. He lifted his head, a lopsided smile gracing his beautiful lips. "Absolutely beautiful."

The way he made me feel sent me to inwardly shiver, I was never letting go of this feeling. How could I ever have thought to hide it?

"I want to see," I took out my phone, inspecting it in the camera. The mark was fresh, a deep purplish red. Now, everyone would be able to discern West's scent on me.

"I didn't hurt you did I?" West asked when I was quietly inspecting it, and I shook my head.

A mark was official official.

The night before the Challenge I had to say my goodbye to West. He spent all day with me, which my mom and Ava recommended for me not to train and relax before the big day, so we did exactly that. Spent the whole day doing nothing, lounging around, kissing- okay, there was a lot of kissing- and just enjoying not having to worry about anything.

Except for what tomorrow would bring.

It was late, and Mom told me I had to sleep soon, get a goodnight sleep. I walked West out to Penelope's front door.

"You can't be there tomorrow with me." I looked down at our entwined hands. There was no way Salvatore wouldn't shift. West would let Salvatore shift and not even try to control him.

This one hurt him. I felt it through the newly strengthened mate bond. West sighed, kicking the dirt.

"I know."

Surprised, I looked up at him.

"Hey don't look too surprised." West tugged me to him, so I was crushed in one his warm hugs.

"I was sure you were going to argue with me," I confessed.

"I was." West grinned. "But Wyatt, my parents and everyone else came to me to tell me I couldn't be there. I understand...but it sucks. You've been training with Reggie- one of the best- and Wyatt, so you got this. Remember, Edith since I'm not going to be there. You're the Alpha. Not Silas. So show him who the real Alpha is."

I tightened my hold on him, not wanting to let go of him.

"Tonight, you're going to be in your bed, but for the rest of your life..." West leaned down, "I don't think I can sleep without you next to me."

I went back in the living room where my mom, Blaine and Penelope were.

"I'm going to sleep," I said, and at once they got up.

Blaine was strangely quiet, not saying anything to me, but giving me a squeeze on my shoulder. "Make him pay, Edith."

"Alpha Edith, I love the sound of that," Penelope hugged me. She gave me a heartbreaking smile. "I love that you're my best friend."

"Me too," I told her sincerely.

"Look at you, my baby all grown. Off to battle with the ugly Silas." Penelope finally let me go, allowing my Mom to step in.

"Have a good night," Mom gave a kiss to my cheek, hugging me too. My throat constricts. I missed her hugging me, with her entire being and nothing but love and affection to me.

"Love you."

"Your dad would be so proud of you," Mom whispered to me. "I know it."

A large crowd was already formed around the arena built by the elders in my pack.

Mom and Penelope walked besides me. Quiet.

Whispers from the pack, wondering how Mom was still alive, how I was still alive. At least Silas didn't abuse my pack members. Only Blaine and I. Only threatened my aunt and my Mom and Rosie.

I tried to put on a brave face, straightening my back as I neared the arena. A circle the size of half a football field. Silas was already there, looking bored. His hard stare met mine, and strayed to my neck, where my mark was. Eyes narrowing into slits, he gave me a slimy smile.

Sometimes I wish West would have seen Silas. He would have killed Silas the moment he saw him.

"I'm sure you know how it goes," one of the elders, Henrrick announced. "The one who is on the ground for more than 10 seconds, and has no way of breaking free wins the Alpha Challenge. Do you agree to these terms?"

"Yes," both Silas and I said.

"Very well. With or without your wolves?"

"Without," Silas commented.

Wait. What? I looked back, to see where Mom was supposed to be with Penelope and Blaine, but only Penelope was there. Blaine was nowhere to be seen. I banned West from being here. I kind of felt guilty, but only slightly. He'd get word as soon as....whatever the end results would be.

I'm sure Penelope was giving him live updates anyways by the way she was texting someone.

"Are you in agreement, Edith Silva?"

I nodded, "Yes." My throat was dry, wishing I drank more water.

"Remember, any attempt of doing something out of the rules mean you forfeit the Challenge therefore have lost. Now..."

A pause.

"Begin."

Silas stalked me like I was prey. And he was the predator. Silas has always looked at me as prey.

It was time to show him I was the one he should be scared of.

Reggie training me how a vampire fights was helpful. They were quick, and tactless. Light on their feet. Wyatt helped me hone those skills. Every time I blocked Silas' punches, counting one two three....

Four.

Swinging with full strength, my left arm swung at him in the gut, making him step backwards a bit. Coming forward to knock him in the ground, he quickly recovered, and bought his knees up to kick me in my rib cage. I jabbed him, and ducked and dodged as he tried to punch me.

Getting two solid punches on my face, I grabbed his hand before it could connect, trying to beat him at pure strength.

I was beating him at it too. Until Silas pulled my hair- dirty move, and butt his head against mine.

My vision blurred, getting dizzy, and saw Silas kick me in the gut again. Knocking me into the ground.

"One."

The countdown began.

My failed attempt at getting up ended up with Silas kicking me hard again. This time in the face. My nose hurt.

"Five."

Show him you're the Alpha.

I thought of West. Mom. Penelope. Blaine. Rosie.

"Seven."

Silas pinned me down with his feet. "Edith, you did better than anyone ever would have-"

With frustrated grunt, I brought up both my legs to my chest, kicking Silas right above his crotch, making him stagger backwards. Twisting over my full body, I did a round kick, making him fall to the ground. As he was trying to get up, I pulled one of his hands over his head, putting a chokehold on him. Not to break the rules, but enough that should make him submit.

In this position, Silas couldn't move. He snarled at me, calling me every name in the book and tried to bite my hand off, but I wouldn't budge. Only applied more pressure.

Sheer determination and willpower was going to let me win.

The seconds ticked by, and the elder began, "Silas has lost-"

"Now!" Silas screamed, stopping the elder from finishing the sentence.

One moment I'm holding Silas down, and the next we're completely alone in a forest, only him and I.

He was a few feet in front of me.

"I see you've improved little small Edith." He gave me a chilling smile. "One way or the other I had to kill you. Like I killed your father. I worked with some rogue werewolves and vampires. We're in the wolfsbane business."

His smile was sickening as he spread out his arms.

"It was me, Edith. I had the rogues kill your father. For years I wanted dissent in your pack, and sent a rogue to kidnap you and take you to another greater pack so you guys could be at war. When that didn't work I had to be patient." Silas rolled his shoulders in a smooth motion. "So I waited. Waited for your father to warm up to me. Trust me. And I killed him. The rogues are always hungry. Especially after their plan got ruined by the vampires. They wanted more and what more do they want than a pack they can belong to?"

"You're no Alpha, Silas," I purposely taunted him, knowing his narcissistic self would get angered by this. "You'll never be an Alpha."

Silas sneered at me. "I suppose you think you're going to be one? I killed you're father. And now, I'll kill you.

"Not if I kill you first," I growled out, shifting into my wolf, stronger than she has ever felt before. Whether it was the mate bond strengthening me because of the mark or my training, or both, I felt powerful and like I could take on any wolf.

Silas shifted too, but he was too late as my wolf got a good bite out of Silas' neck, and not letting go. Howls neared us as other wolves surrounded me, taking bites off of me, and I tried to fend them off without trying to release my hold on Silas.

There were too many of them- more than ten of them that made my wold momentarily lose her hold so one of the rogues would stop trying to chomp off her hind leg.

Escaping my grasp, Silas tried to steady himself, until we both heard a loud shooting noise.

Coming from Blaine, who emerged from the thicket with a silver bullet gun in hand.

He shot Silas.

Silas shifted his attention to Blaine, trying to attack him, but Blaine fired again.

A brown lump of ugly fell down howling in pain, but tried getting back up again, snapping his jaw. Blaine, who did not look afraid of Silas. Just like me, we were tired of letting Silas control our lives. Today would be his end. Both Blaine and I knew this fact.

Pure, unadulterated hatred was the only expression on Blaine's face as he did another single shot, right in the heart. Making Silas fall completely still.

Silas was dead.

Just as the other rogues tried to attack Blaine, he turned his head quickly to close his eyes. Growling out, a massive white wolf - those unmistakable beautiful crimson eyes- sprung in front of Blaine.

In just that instant, all of the rogue wolves turned to stone. And shattered. Gone.

My wolf shifted back to my human form, exhaustion taking the better of me.

Salvatore strode towards me, toward my bloodied naked body, his snout touching my wounds and I realize the black smoke coming out of Salvatore was magic- and it was healing me. He whined lowly as he got to my side where Silas almost bit too deep in. Concentrating his magic there.

Running my hands along his massive frame I said, "I'm alright." Now that he was here. I'm so glad West was nearby the whole time even when I told him not to. "Thanks for not listening to me."

Salvatore gave me a lick to my face. Even though there was a rustling sound, Salvatore didn't seem alarmed. He was always alert, so this was new. Instead he made sure that his body was hiding mine fully.

Wyatt emerged from the woods too, and peeked over at the white fur in front of me.

"Glad you're alright, Edith. Uh.... Salvatore isn't going to shift for a while." Wyatt walked over, and I wouldn't think Salvatore would let anyone near him, but he didn't seem to mind Wyatt at all as Wyatt gave him a little pet. And making sure Wyatt had his eyes closed- at my state. Clothes were thrown beside me. I tried to pick up the clothes to be decent, but Salvatore growled at me to let him finish healing. "Blaine and I will be by the river, Alpha!" Wyatt chuckled, walking away from us.

Salvatore finished, making me blush when he went a little too close to some areas even though he saw everything already. For good measure, he gave me a lick on my neck, where my mark was.

Wyatt was right, Salvatore didn't want to shift, but I told him he couldn't just pop in with everyone because he'd kill them all.

Just as West shifted and got into clothes too, I hugged him. "H-he killed my father. Silas killed-" tears were streaming down my face at the confession that Silas gave me. Silas. Who was dead.

Finally. He was gone. Blaine was the one to do it.

We both walked up to the river where Wyatt and Blaine were. As soon as I saw Blaine, seeing his face full of tiredness of it all broke me. My cousin- no, my brother- ran up to me, and it was only then I realized just how much taller he was than me. How he grew up to be a true Beta. Not because of Silas, but because of his mother, a true Beta.

My lips trembled when he hugged me, and tears started to come out. "Hey Alpha, Edith you should be happy. Why are you crying?

"I'm not crying," I sniffled, causing West to laugh at this. "Silas killed my dad."

"I killed my dad," Blaine shuddered, hugging me even tighter. "And I'm so sorry. So, so so sorry."

A smile graced my lips. "I beat him at the Alpha Challenge. And you did the final blow." I knew my dad would have beat Silas, so that's why Silas played dirty with involving rogues and killing my dad.

Blaine and I grinned at each other as we walked towards where everyone in the arena was waiting for us. Just a short distance from where Silas transported us.

"How did Silas manage to transport you guys?" Blaine asked.

West frowned, "He might have had someone with magic."

Mom and Penelope jogged over to us.

"Alpha!!" Penelope hollered, tackling me to the ground. "Whoops. Sorry are you hurt? You did amazing, sweetie. I am so proud."

"Thanks," I smiled at my best friend. Mom came over to me too, and just gave me a squeeze.

"Ava and Lance are at the Alpha council right now speaking on our behalf," Mom said.

"My mom hates those," Wyatt chuckled.

The council pack elder, Henrrick, smiled at me, "You know, you remind me so much of your father. He was so good and strong, protective. Such a wonderful Alpha.

"Silas killed my dad," I informed him.

Henrrick shook his head sadly. "It's all connected, your kidnapping when you were a baby by the rogues. Silas thought himself as the Rogue King, but there was only one. His name Orin. His group of werewolves, vampires and witches disbanded years ago. Something I believe to do with the

"I'll be the Luna of this pack until Edith is ready. Everyone has seen that she is the true Alpha," Mom said, giving me a look. "I'm sorry I haven't been there for you all this time."

"It's okay," my throat formed knots, thinking how I finally have my mom back.

The ones that worked with Silas were all seized by the Alpha Council for questioning.

"That's the stragglers," one of the pack members said. "These rogues that killed your father and worked with Silas were just an aftermath of another horrible Alpha."

"Mom!" Blaine hugged his mom, my aunt who I haven't seen in a while, who looked sickly and I watched as my family all come together, smiling. In such a long time in years, it felt like I could properly breathe again.

"What do you want to do?" Mom turned to me.

"Uh sleep?" I asked.

Everyone laughed.

It was too overwhelming and exhausting to be at my pack right now. Or even being at the pack house, full of what Silas left behind. He liked luxury, and the pack house fit his modern style. It reminded me too much of what Silas left behind, and the feeling was icky. Made my skin crawl. There needed to be much renovation.

"It's alright I'll take care of business here," Mom patted me. "You can go." All my pack members were scattered, planning out the next move after Silas. We had a long way to go, but I know we'd get there.

"Where to?" West asked me.

"Noctis Luna," I answered, surprising him. Right now that was as close to home as I had -with all the ones I trusted. He was too happily ready to go there with me as we said our goodbyes to everyone. I did fall asleep in the car, and let him carry me to his room where I had one of the best sleeps.

The lunch table was buzzing with everyone trying to figure out the details of how we all managed to take a part in Silas' demise.

"I'm so mad because I never thought Blaine was already planning on doing something. No wonder he was so sketchy! Man was trying to kill his dreaded dad."

"Shooting Silas was a dream," Blaine said. "And West's wolf is magnificent!"

Blaine was already so in love with West, he was even more starstruck of the white wolf who killed more than 10 rogues at once.

"Salvatore is," I agreed. West ducked his head on my shoulders, embarrassed.

We were silent for a moment. Me, wanting to spend time alone with Salvatore.

The rowdiness began again when Theo and Maddox joined us.

"Hey if anything crazy happens would you let us know?" Theo asked. "Kind of hurt here."

"Will do," West said without humor.

"Any other sick Alphas need slaying?" Theo asked. "I bet Wyatt and I could take them."

"You know," Wyatt leaned back in his chair. "I feel like I need a vacation. An actual vacation where we all relax."

"Where should we go?" Blaine asked, excited of this prospect. We never been on vacation.

"Disney!"

"The beach!"

"My bed!"

I opened my mouth, "I've never been to the beach."

West, Wyatt and Theo looked at me in horror.

Wyatt shrugged, "I guess that's it we gotta go show Edith the beach."

"Aww yes!" West cheered.

"Make sure you study for your midterms before you get too excited West," Wyatt chided his twin.

West groaned then. I loved this. Being normal, in high school worrying about midterms. How it should be.

"At least I have a hot tutor," West winked at me. I arched an eyebrow.

"You think being cute will give you a free pass?"

"Yes." He half shrugged, and gave me a cheeky grin. Totally adorable, making me mushy inside. "It's worked with you so far hasn't it?"

"Shut up and kiss me."