Chapter Five

The ground beneath Diego's feet felt like it was shaking with the weight of what was about to happen. The challenge had been made, and the stakes were as high as they could be. Diego Rivas, the Alpha of the Rivas Pack, stood in the middle of the ring, his chest heaving as he faced the strange Alpha who had come to fight him. There was a lot of energy in the pack compound. Members of the pack whispered and gave each other nervous looks as they gathered around to watch the fight that would decide the future of their leader and their pack.

Mariana Pérez stood to the side, her heart racing. She wanted to yell at him and tell him to stop, to remind him of how much they could lose. But she couldn't. Her body was frozen in place, and her feelings were a mix of fear, confusion, and something deeper. Love. She had never completely stopped loving Diego, but could she really stand by and watch him risk everything for power, especially after everything he had done to her?

As Diego got ready for battle, her eyes followed him every step of the way. Raquel Cordero, who was standing next to her, looked at her with worry. "Mariana, you should stop him. He's not only fighting for the pack's control. "He's fighting for you and your family."

Mariana's eyes moved to Raquel, and her voice was low. "I can't. I can't decide this for him. He has to do it by himself.

The air crackled when the Alpha opponent, a tall, scary figure, stepped forward with a look of challenge in his eyes. "I am Hugo Martín. "The Rivas Pack is weak, and I'm here to take what's mine."

Diego's lips curled into a sneer, and he stood tall and strong. Hugo, you must be crazy if you think you can take this pack from me. I made this with hard work, blood, and loyalty. "You'll have to work harder than that to get it from me."

The first hit came quickly. Hugo lunged at Diego with a snarl, his claws out, and aimed for his throat. But Diego was faster because he had been a leader and a fighter for years. He ducked and turned to hit Hugo in the side, which made the challenger fall back.

The fight went on, with the sounds of claws hitting flesh and the grunts of battle filling the air. The pack stood still, their eyes glued to the fight that would decide the fate of their Alpha.

But Mariana couldn't take it anymore. When she saw Diego get hit hard in the face and his lip split open, her heart sank. Even though blood was dripping from his chin, he stood tall with determination in his eyes.

She whispered, "Diego!" to herself, but the noise of the crowd drowned it out.

She stepped forward, and her legs moved on their own. She couldn't just stand there and watch him kill himself for power when it would cost too much.

But before she could get any closer, Raquel stepped in front of her and stopped her. "You can't go out there, Mariana. He has to do this by himself. You need to have faith in him.

Mariana’s breath caught in her throat as she looked into Raquel’s eyes. "Do you trust him? After everything he's done to me? "After what he did to us?" Her voice broke with emotion, and anger rose up from inside her. "I can't just stand here and watch him kill himself."

But Raquel was set on her path. "Diego's choices have hurt more than just you. But this... this is a test of all the work he's done. "Not now. You can't get in the way."

Mariana hesitated because she wanted to stop the craziness but also needed Diego to face the consequences of what he had done. But then, something changed in her. She knew that if she stepped in now, she wouldn't be able to save him. She would be letting him keep running away from the truth.

As Diego and Hugo fought, Mariana's heart raced. She could see how tired Diego was in his eyes, how heavy everything he was fighting for was. But she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more going on than what she could see.

She looked at Valentina Ruiz, who was standing just outside the circle with her arms crossed and a look of calculation in her eyes. Mariana's instincts kicked in. There was something strange about the way Valentina was watching the fight. It all seemed too perfect how she moved and how she stayed in the background.

Raquel's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Don't look at her, Mariana." "She isn't the problem."

Mariana looked at Raquel with a look of confusion in her eyes. "Who is?"

As she looked at Valentina, Raquel's eyes got darker. "It's her. Valentina Ruiz has been in charge of everything. She's been playing both of you against each other by using Lucia and Diego's weaknesses to do so. She's the one who's been in charge the whole time.

Mariana's breath caught in her throat. "What do you mean? She's been in charge of Diego? Her voice was almost a whisper.

Raquel nodded. "Not just Diego." She has been controlling the whole pack like a puppet. And now she's going to take over.

Mariana's heart raced. Valentina, the rival Alpha who had always wanted Diego's job, had been behind the trouble from the start. But why? What was her plan in the end?

Mariana felt like she had been slapped when she realized it. She was so focused on her own pain and betrayal that she didn't see the real enemy hiding in the shadows. Valentina was more than just a competitor; she was the one who caused the trouble that drove Diego and Mariana apart.

Mariana ran toward the edge of the ring without thinking, her heart racing in her chest. She couldn't let Valentina have it all. She couldn't let her hurt Diego, their family, or the pack.

She ran up to him and yelled, "Diego!" It's not him! "It's her!"

Diego's head turned quickly, and his eyes were wide with confusion. He stopped for a second, which gave Hugo a chance to hit him. But before the blow could hit, Mariana jumped forward and tackled Valentina to the ground.

Diego looked back and forth between Mariana and Valentina, and the crowd gasped. He yelled, "Mariana!" "What's going on?"

But Mariana was too far gone to listen. She held Valentina down with all her strength, and her face was twisted in rage. "Do you really think you can just take everything from me? From us? Valentina, you've been playing both sides. "But it ends now."

Valentina's eyes burned with rage as she pushed Mariana away, but not before she hissed, "You have no idea what you're really dealing with."

As the fight got worse, the air was full of tension. But just when it looked like things were going to change, Lucia Torres showed up at the edge of the compound. Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide open, as if she were scared. She had an envelope in her hand and looked Diego in the eye as she walked toward him.

Lucia's voice shook as she said, "I have what you need to know, Diego." "The key to your family tree." The family secret that could either save everything or ruin everything.

As soon as she spoke, the pack stopped talking. Diego's heart raced and his eyes got bigger. What was this? What did Lucia know that could change everything?

Mariana stood still, her eyes wide with disbelief as she saw Lucia walk up to Diego, the envelope shaking in her hands.