Second Chance

*Kiara's POV*

And so I stood, watching the cheering crowd.

Watching the gladiators.

Watching the referees.

And finally, watching the monarchs at the high seats. The same monarchs who had my parents and siblings killed, murdered my mate and in short, took away everything I had ever known and loved.

They sat there, laughing and mocking me, waiting for the battle to begin, so I could face my own terrible death like everyone else.

But no, no!

I wouldn't please them, they wanted me for a maid and personal slut, but I constantly refused and rebelled against their wishes.

I wouldn't please them then, I wouldn't please them now, and I wouldn't please them ever. They would know and unfortunately for them, they would come to realize the hard way, that I am not for anyone's pleasure. They would pay for what they did. For each and every person I loved that they killed, I would get my revenge, I swore it.

I looked at them. Each and every one of them. Those wretched bastards. The royal family of the Lynx pack. The royal idiots that messed with the wrong girl. I promised myself and my wolf, True that we would exact our revenge on them, in this life or the next. We would bring royal pain down onto their royal asses. It was a certain promise.

Because of them, True and I would never be complete. They took away our mate and destroyed our future of happiness and as I cried angry tears, I said to myself,

"I, Kiara Crescendo promise myself that I will exact my revenge on the royal family of the Lynx pack and no soul on this earth will stop me."

That was a personal promise that I would surely fulfill. No matter what the world threw at me, I would do it. I honestly didn't know how, but I would.

But I couldn't do it now because there was a rule that during every Decima, no participating wolf could come close to the Alpha and other seated high personalities.

By the way, a Decima is an ancient battle designed by an Alpha King years ago. It's a battle where a group of wolves who have been picked have to fight to the finish and by "to the finish" I mean till all wolves except one are dead. And by "picked", I mean punished with it. Obviously, with the definition above, you should realise now that it's dangerous shit.

But in my opinion, it's a sickening event organized by idiotic shit-faced leaders who think they can just kill whoever they please.

To them, and about 40% of the crowd watching, it's just a game. Like a movie they can just sit down and watch with popcorn and slushies or something. And when they see someone looking victorious or something they release more warriors onto them because they feel like adding more drama. They're like the directors or producers and the whole thing is some dumb play. I mean they could as well sit in their thrones and yell "action".

Damn, I'm funny. I'm practically laughing to myself because I just made a joke in the midst of all this shit going on. I mean, if there was an award for laughing and cracking jokes in the midst of serious times, I would sooo win it.

"What's so funny?", asked Megan one of the competing gladiators, who I had actually formed a kind of friendship with. Well, not really friendship, it's sort of an alliance as she calls it. Basically, we both agreed to have each other's backs until we were both left and then we would fight till one of us died. I think she only agreed cause I'd have her back and then she'd have a better chance of winning. But she doesn't know how badly I have to win. From my revenge plan to my love for life, dying wasn't really an option either.

"Nothing, just thinking about how I'm gonna kick ass out there", I replied

"And then have your ass kicked by me", she retorted

"Keep telling yourself that", I snorted

"Yeah, that's the thing, I will, and you better not break your promise out there. We have each other's backs, alright?"

"I won't if you don't"

"Well I won't"

"Okay then"

We both watched with intensity as the four referees dressed in midnight blue robes (our pack colour, by the way) walked into the stadium in a single file. They all walked until they were under the royal's seats and knelt with one knee as they all chorused

"Alpha Kenneth, Luna Melody and all members of the royal family of the Lynx pack, we greet you well"

Then Kenneth, with a slight nod of gratification, greeted them too.

The leading referee, Charles, walked away from the line and into the centre of the stadium and said,

"Members of the Lynx pack, it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the Pack's first Decima in decades. It is no secret that the ones who will fight are here for a reason. They are here because they have disobeyed the Alpha's orders in ways so great that could not be forgiven."

He gave a dramatic pause so that his words would sink in. Then he continued.

"They have brought this great punishment upon themselves and so, they will punish themselves by fighting to the death. This Decima has been approved by all other pack Alphas and so, once again and finally, I welcome you to the Lynx pack Decima."

"My lord, Kenneth", he said as he looked to the Alpha.

Then, with his Alpha commanding voice, he said:"Let the Decima begin"

And at that moment I knew, that nothing was going to remain as it was just a few seconds ago.

*Kiara's POV*

The battle horn sounded and the first four prisoners were let loose. They circled each other until one of them with blonde hair and brown eyes who I knew as Marshal made the first move towards the thinnest one, I never knew his name so I called him skinny. Not to his face anyway, just, you know, in my mind when I thought about how I was gonna take him down. But unfortunately, I didn't get to be in his team.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Megan asked

"Just feeling sorry for Skinny over there. He'll be dead in less than a minute"

"He's already dead"

Then I looked and saw that Skinny's head had been bitten off by Tara, one of the contestants. She'd shifted and then given Skinny the fatal blow. I looked at her and she stared at me straight in the eyes.

"Sad stuff" I murmured

"Hehe, now she's gonna get it" Megan chuckled

"What?"

"Look"

I turned around and saw the last prisoner, Conner creeping up behind Tara. He was a really good fighter but he made one mistake. He went to her when she shifted. I'm so shocked he's that stupid. Anyone and everyone knows a wolf's sense is enhanced when they shift. Tara turned around and with the look in her eyes, even Conner knew he was dead meat.

"You idiot!" Tara exclaimed "you really thought you could sneak up on me!? I'll rip you apart!"

And as Conner was in the process of shifting, she bit off his head exactly as she had done to Skinny. Then as she was revelling in her victory, Marshall came out of the blue and finished her off. Marshall was the only left prisoner therefore, he was the winner.

"Looks like we're up next" I said to Megan

"Yeah, looks like it" she replied

"You're scared?"

"No, I'm not scared. Are you scared?" She replied but I was pretty sure I noticed her voice wavering

"The actual fear is not being able to proclaim your fear" I said

"Where'd you get that from? The newspaper?" She said as she chuckled

"My mom taught me that when I was eight"

"Oh...I didn't realise... I'm...uh... really sorry" she stammered

"No, it's okay. She might have been murdered but when I talk about her I don't want it to seem like a sad thing, you know? Because I believe that she's with the moon goddess...resting."

Megan was the only one who knew about my secret. But she kept them as her very own.

"Now are you ready to go kick some ass?" I asked

"Hell yeah. Remember the plan?"

"Ugh...Yes" I groaned. She'd practically reminded me about 5 times now

"Prisoners, you may enter!" Said Charles with his booming voice

We all walked in in a straight file. I, Megan and two other prisoners named James and Tanner. Tanner was the biggest, James the fastest, Megan the strongest but I...I was the best. They didn't know it, but they would come to know. I didn't just fight physically. I fought with my body and my brain and True was also extremely intelligent so let's just say I was blessed.

"This is going to be so easy" said Tanner

"Don't count your wolves before they shift Tanner" Megan replied.

"Ohh, but you won't even shift before I can rip you apart" he replied

He went in for the first strike but Megan immediately blocked his blow. James who had already shifted came out of nowhere and tried to get a shot at her but just as planned, I defended her by deflecting his attack. I shifted and threw him back about 5 feet. He landed on top of one of the poles surrounding the stadium and was impaled. Unfortunately for him, the tips of all the poles were coated with wolfsbane. He died immediately.

"One down, one more to go. Then you, I suppose" Megan said

"You know I was just about to say the same thing" I replied

We'd both shifted and now our wolves were in control.

I suddenly heard a voice and then realised it was coming from within me. It was my wolf, True who was trying to communicate with me.

"What?" I asked

"Watch out you idiot"

I immediately noticed Tanner coming at us with brute force. Megan was still trying to regain her strength from the fight as her wounds were healing up. I pushed her out of the way and then ducked as Tanner got to us. I slid and lay down and then raised my knee up as I kicked him "where the sun don't shine". He felt the impact and as he fell down I immediately rolled out of the way. Megan (in her wolf form by the way) came and finished him off.

Then it was just the two of us.

The moment we'd both been anticipating but not really looking forward to.

"This is it huh?" I said

"This isn't the time to be sentimental or funny in any way. Finish it so we can get our revenge." True said to me

"Well, it was nice knowing you." I said to her

I'd been talking to her and she hadn't been replying me. I was getting pretty annoyed

"Really? Silence? That's what you're going with?" I said

"Sometimes even silence is a great weapon" she said "we haven't even started fighting and you're already getting racked up"

"Well it's rude to not reply people, you know?"

"Yeah, I know" she said as she ran into me.

I was caught off guard by her sudden attack but I quickly regained my balance before I hit the ground.

Since she started fighting I'd been looking at all her moves...memorising them.

"Left kick, Right punch, Left punch, Fake kick..." I recited to myself

"I'm really sorry it had to end this way babe

"Oh, go fuck yourself"

"Maybe after you're dead"

We fought for what felt like hours, slashing kicking and punching but I never made a move. I just dodged, tiring her out.

"Are you weak now?" She asked

"No," I replied "but you are"

I came forward with all my strength as I rammed into her claws forward and then with a quick move, pulled out her heart.

She was dead.

I wasn't.

I won.

She didn't.

It was all over.

Or maybe it wasn't.

*Kiara's POV*

I stood there, at the centre of the stadium, watching everything around me. I was in shock, just as much as everyone around me. I'd killed to survive. I'd won.

Not that I didn't think I wasn't happy, don't get me wrong, I was and not that I wasn't grateful to the moon goddess. I was just...in shock. I started getting a little confused. I was waiting for the moment when someone would shout "She's mad" or "She's gone insane" because here I was in the midst of all this rambling in my own head. I mean, who does that?

After that, I started to feel agitated, waiting for someone to come out and announce that I'd won so I could start planning my revenge on those stupid royals. Thinking about them makes me angrier everytime.

Then Charles came out, walking towards the stage. Every step he took was an increase in my excitement. But I couldn't start grinning like an idiot, so I decided to play it cool.

He stopped and then started,"Members of the Lynx Pack, you have all witnessed the battles that took place here. From the beginning till this very point."

I was so excited. I was waiting for him to announce me so that I could get on with my life. But then his next words crushed my hopes.

"Now, it is time for the final battle to take place in order to determine the winner. It is my greatest pleasure to commence the final stage of the Decima."

Honestly, I'd never been so confused in my life. I stood there, stuck in my position, unable to decipher what he'd just said. I was still trying to understand what he meant by "final".

All of a sudden, True shifted, took control of me and rolled out of the way.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Saving your life, idiot". She retorted." What are you trying to do? Get yourself killed?"

"What are you..." But then I saw what had just happened.

I'd totally forgotten about Marshall. The wolf who'd won the first round while I won the second. I had made a huge error. A fatal mistake that if not for True would have cost me my life.

"Oh,shit" I said

"Yeah, no duh"

"Look, I'm sorry okay, I guess I zoned out and lost concentration"

"You can't...you know what, we'll have this conversation later. There are bigger problems at hand" True finished.

There was no denying it. My wolf was pissed.

*True's POV*

Once again, Marshall charged towards us. I was ready for him. My head was in the game.

I rolled out of the way immediately he reached my position. And gave him a kick in the back. I didn't have time for his shit.

"You bitch!" He screamed

"Tired?" I asked "or Scared?"

"Dead?" He asked.

For a second, I was confused but then I realised he wanted me to say no and then he'd say he would kill me. He was a smart guy, I'd give him that. But no one on this planet could be as sarcastic as I was.

"Cat got your tongue? Oh, sorry, I forgot the dead don't speak"

That actually made sense! I couldn't take it anymore.

"That's it!" I screamed

No living soul could be as sarcastic as me. He was going down.

"Nobody uses sarcasm against me, nobody!"

I charged towards him with all of my strength and then put my claws forward. I pulled out his spine and then crushed his heart. Once again, I'd emerged as winner. I was tired of all these games. I gave Kiara control again.

Well, I was trying to but she wouldn't let me.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked angrily. "First, you zoned out and now you won't shift?"

"Dude, if I shift I'll be naked. As in completely naked." She replied

"So, what's so wrong in being naked?"

"Uh...I don't know...everything. How and why would you expect me to be naked in front of hundreds of people?"

I rolled my eyes at her comment.

I caught Alpha Kenneth staring at me and I stared right back at him. It was a sign of disrespect but did I care? Hell no.

Then I went as far as to mouth the words "It's me bitch, here in the flesh" in a way that no one except him would see. He understood and then looked away as if nothing happened.

Charles walked briskly to the stadium and then stopped a few feet away from me and started his final speech of the day (well I hoped it was)

He started "We have all witnessed the battles that have taken place in this stadium and have borne witness. On this note, I will leave the rest of the talking to our great Alpha, Alpha Kenneth."

"Great people of the Lynx Pack. You have all been patient and have seen the outcome of it. This girl has emerged winner of the Decima and her life is proof of it. Therefore, I would like to give her a gift."

He hadn't finished his statement but I already knew I would hate what he was about to say.

He continued "I would offer her two things; a position in the pack, in my house specifically or the ability to roam free."

"Girl, please choose your choice" he said as he looked at me with a smirk on his face. He was handsome I'd give him that, but they say beauty comes from within and within, he'd probably be uglier than the ugliest ogre.

"Before I choose, I'd like some clothes so I can shift please" I said

Then he clapped his hands and two maid servants came with fresh clothes for me. I went into a private part of the stadium and shifted.

*Kiara's POV*

I regained control and put on the clothes Alpha Kenneth had sent for me. A purple top and black leather jeans. Surprisingly, they were my size. I took a deep breath and walked back out.

I stood a few metres away from him as I replied: "Thank you for your kindness sir, but I'd prefer to go free"