Chapter 6

Let's Get Ready To…..

Shocked murmurs zipped about like agitated insects, buzzing in Koga's ears as he glared his own hunter down in open challenge. Katashi stared in shock as his mouth opened and closed repeatedly, searching for an answer; any answer to the taunt.

Cocking his head to the side, Koga stepped closer towards the center of the ring.

"What's wrong, Katashi?" he taunted in a cold tone. "I thought you wanted a fight. You're alpha now, right? Let's see you earn it."

Blinking in blank confusion, Katashi's eyes suddenly widened with recognition before he dropped suddenly to his knees, head bowed in submission.

"I was just following your orders, Koga," the hunter replied as he kept his frightened gaze focused on the rocky dirt at his feet.

Koga sniffed in annoyance. The fool didn't even have the respect to address him as Alpha. So, this was how Katashi wanted to do this. Pathetic.

"Really?" he asked as he started to circle about the still kneeling hunter at a calm pace. "I ordered you to betray me? To steal my place as Alpha?"

"I didn't steal anything," Katashi cried, anger starting to tighten his tone. "You put me in charge till you got back. When we got word you were dead, that made me Alpha."

"Word from who?" Koga demanded, continuing his pacing about the tense hunter. "Who told you I was dead?"

The silence that followed only secured Katashi's fate in Koga's mind. It didn't matter who told him. The greedy bastard had been waiting for the opportunity. He'd planned on betraying Koga at the first possible chance.

Crouching down beside the shaking male, Koga placed his open palm on the hunter's shoulder.

"Who told you?" the Alpha repeated, his tone brokering no argument from the male.

Katashi's shaking only grew worse under his leader's touch.

"Things have only gotten worse," he sputtered in a mad rush. "The tribe needed me, Koga. You need me."

"Who?!"

The snarl had Katashi shuddering before going still, every muscle tense.

"I don't know," he replied. "I never saw his face."

Koga stood to his feet, bright eyes piercing down at the male kneeling before him.

"That was all it took," he muttered low. "The word of a stranger."

"Things aren't how you left it, Koga," the male answered as he looked up accusingly at him. "It's so much worse than you thought."

"Is it, now?"

"If you only knew what I know—"

"Oh, I'll find out," Koga replied, raising his voice for all to hear. "We ALL will find out what you've been hiding."

Recognition flashed in the hunter's eyes before his face went hard as stone.

"So, that's it," he stated, straightening to an upright position.

"Yeah, that's about it," Koga answered, cracking the knuckles of a clawed hand. "Do yourself a favor and make the fight worth it."

With a yell of fury, the male suddenly dove for Koga, pulling a knife from his belt. The glint of the blade didn't escape Koga's eye as he spun sharply on his heel, swiping his claws in a vicious attack that caused the hunter to freeze in shock.

The blade landed with a soft thud in the packed dirt as the male started to gurgle a desperate breath for air. However, the wet red bubbles popping below his chin drowned out any sound he struggled to voice before his knees shook and gave out under his weight. A sharp shivering and the body went still.

Only a moment later, a booming cheer thundered about Koga as his warriors welcomed their returning Alpha. A bright smirk from the young leader and he lifted his sharp eyes towards the surrounding cliff-sides. The blinding sunlight barely hindered his vision as he spied a small shadow slipping quickly back under the rocky out-cropping above the clearing.

With a huff of amused satisfaction, Koga nodded sharply towards Ginta. With an answering nod, the hunter started up the path as Koga took the congratulatory pats and prods from the other hunters.

The tribe was his. Koga's position as Alpha was secure. Now, it was time to give them a shock. The human couldn't hide forever, afterall.

NOTICE:

Hey, sorry about the delay. And, the super short chapter. Don't worry. More is coming, promise. I just had some stuff to deal with but I'm baaaaack. Promise. X)