A Sin of Her Own

Chapter 2

Sweat flew. Teeth flashed. Claws battled claws and bodies collided.

Training up north was as brutal as far as the term brutal was concerned. To these wolves, submitting was not given but deserved. For they had not submitted to the cruel temperament of Mother Natures hostile winters, so in battle, it was not something these wolves gave without first proving their worth.

Many of the males that took up their spots in the training rings were not called brutish without reason. Sinuous muscle lined their bodies and the meaty diet only added to the intimidation these wolves bestowed upon those who looked upon them. Titania was no different. All muscle and hard edges. All shaped by the mountainous terrain and bitter cold. It was not difficult to differentiate them from other wolves as their cold exteriors, which matched the snowy tops of the mountain peaks, hard bodies, and acceptance of death, to which they viewed as the ultimate submittal was not usually seen amidst the other packs.

A formidable opposition.

It was no wonder that the Elder Council was adamant for Titania to take a bondmate. Surely a female couldn't run a pack of such status without some help. She scoffed at such a thought. She'd managed for the past six years and would be damned to rely upon males in which throughout her life, had proved time and time again that they could not be trusted.

Not as if Titania would ever let another bond fester her self-worth. No, that was the past and she was better than that. So much better. Her teeth were now sharper, mind tuned in survival mode and she did not prioritize herself with pointless emotions of love or even affection.

Love was a weakness and Titania was not weak.

With those lingering thoughts, she took her own position in the ring. Wanting, but also needing, a worthy distraction.

Eóghan stood opposite. As a trained warrior he watched his Alpha for any indications of her first move. The problem with Titania was that she was unpredictable and Eóghan and many of his companions, struggled to best her. She was a whirlwind of darkness and did not feel emotion. In other words, numbness was the driver to push her forward. But, he knew his Alpha better than the majority of the pack as he had watched her over the years. A silent companion. A face to rely on. A wolf who had her back.

For those who had encountered hardships like Titania had; deserved a special kind of respect and Eóghan gave her the acknowledgment most did not seem to give her.

She had saved his life in a sense and for that, he'd always have a slight soft spot for her. Not that she'd ever know or appreciate such a ridiculous thought.

Despite this, he still returned her ferocity in combat. Titania was relentless, pouring every ounce of violent rage into each of her hits. But did Eóghan hesitate? He managed to send a kick to her right hip and scratch her arm. A flesh wound but nevertheless blood was spilled and Titania sent him a wicked smile; her piercing blue eyes daring him to do it again.

A simple wound may not have proved significant to most spars but to him, it showed improvement. Not many managed to injure Titania without her permission. And in the past couple of weeks, he had managed just that.

It had taken years in the making but finally, he was proving his worth to her. Which meant more than any normal wolf could comprehend but Eóghan was not simply a normal wolf.

"You're improving Beta, next you'll be having my hide," Titania smirked and patted Eóghan on his shoulder. He refused to flinch at the harsh touch and grit his teeth slowly. Combat with these shifters was taxing to one's body.

"That's a Beta's job. I have to keep up with you somehow."

"True, very true." She grabbed her discarded shirt and wiped her brow, catching the sweat droplets that clung to her skin. "Keep going the way you're going and we'll soon have a scuffle over who's Alpha."