35. Blood and Oaths

The forest clearing is thick with tension as the clan members encircle the stone ring. Uneasy whispers pass from one to another, each glance sharp as a blade. Shadow doesn’t release my hand, but I feel the way his body tightens—poised to strike, to protect, to defy.

The leader—his father—steps forward, arms crossed over his chest. His presence alone commands silence. Even the wind seems to halt.

“Shadow,” he says, his voice deep, layered with warning, “I give you one final chance. Renounce this human. Do not destroy what remains of your place among us.”

Shadow raises his chin, his eyes glowing with quiet resolve. Despite the sweat on his brow and the weight in his chest, he shows no trace of fear.

“I won’t renounce her,” he says. His voice rings through the clearing, unwavering. “I’ve obeyed your laws all my life. But this—she—is mine. And if that means I no longer belong here, then so be it.”

A heavy silence follows his words, thick and absolute. My fingers clutch his tighter, willing strength into him, even as the ground beneath my feet feels like it might give way. Shadow has broken an ancient oath, and I can’t yet grasp what the price will be.

“Then let it be by the old tradition,” his father replies, a cold smile curling his lips. “Let the duel decide.”

The words barely leave his mouth before a bestial roar rises from the clan. It shakes the trees, vibrates in my bones. I fight the instinct to run—but where would I go?

“Duel?” I whisper, eyes wide with dread. Shadow doesn’t answer right away, but the look on his face says enough.

“It’s how they settle conflicts,” he mutters, his tone flat, distant. But his eyes say what his voice cannot. “We fight. Until one of us can’t stand again.”

“One of you…?” My breath hitches. “Who’s the other?”

The leader steps forward, his presence filling the space like a storm. His eyes blaze with restrained fury.

“I will be his opponent,” he declares, the words slicing through the clearing like steel. “After all, I am the only one fit to judge the betrayal of my own blood.”

The sentence lands like a blow. My gaze jumps between Shadow and the leader, trying to make sense of it. This isn’t just a duel. It’s a reckoning—father against son, duty against love. And somehow, I know this was always the leader’s intention: force Shadow to choose, even if it meant tearing him apart.

“Shadow, no.” My voice trembles as I turn to him. “There has to be another way. You don’t have to do this.”

“There is no other way.” Shadow looks at me with a sorrow that cracks something inside me. “If I don’t fight, they’ll take you from me. And I won’t let that happen.”

I want to scream, argue, plead. But I can see it in him—he’s already chosen. This is a world ruled by laws I don’t understand, yet he’s ready to shatter them… for me.

The leader raises his hand, signaling the others. They begin to move, clearing the center of the ring. It’s all ritual now—calculated, practiced. Every motion reminds me of what’s at stake.

When the space is ready, Shadow turns to me one last time. His hands rest on my shoulders, eyes locked with mine.

“No matter what happens, Eve—no matter what you see—promise me you won’t move from here. If you do, all of this will be for nothing.”

I want to fight him on this, but the look in his eyes stops me cold. I nod, though every part of me aches to defy him.

“I promise.” My voice is barely audible, but I know he hears it.

He nods once, then turns to face the circle. The leader is already waiting, arms folded, his face a mask of icy confidence.

The rest of the clan recedes to the edges of the clearing, forming a dark ring around the stone circle. Their eyes glow in the dim morning light, reflecting the anticipation in the air.

“Let the duel begin,” the leader announces, and the world seems to fall silent.

Shadow and his father begin to circle each other slowly, bodies taut, every movement measured. The air between them crackles with raw energy, with history, with unspoken rage.

Then, so fast I barely see it, the leader strikes. Shadow tries to dodge, but he’s too slow. The blow sends him crashing to the ground, a guttural growl escaping his lips.

“Shadow!” I cry out, but my voice is swallowed by the roars around me.

He rises quickly, and as he does, his body begins to shift. His hands lengthen into claws, his features contort into something half-wolf, half-man. It’s terrifying—and beautiful. This is Shadow in his truest form.

The leader wastes no time. He lunges again, and this time, Shadow is ready. Their claws clash like blades in a storm. The fight is brutal, primal. I want to shut my eyes, to look away. But I can’t. I won’t.

A vicious strike from the leader tears through Shadow’s side. I gasp, choking on the sight of blood spilling down his ribs, dark and glistening under the dawn’s light. But he doesn’t stop. He charges forward with a savage grace I’ve never seen in him before.

As they battle, it becomes clear: this isn’t just about blood or pride. It’s about identity. About the right to choose. Shadow isn’t just fighting his father—he’s fighting for his soul.

And though I know the odds are against him, I feel a spark of hope ignite in me. If anyone can win the unwinnable, it’s him.

The duel is far from over, but something in the air shifts. Something is coming.

And deep in my bones, I know:

This is only the beginning.