THE RISE OF AN OMEGA-Chapter 25: A strategic battle

Ryker’s POV

Mira and I kept circling each other; the tension in the air was thick. My muscles burned from the lingering effects of the wolfsbane. But I wasn’t going to let her see that I had become weak.

I couldn’t afford to be beaten by a mere beta wolf.

Though Mira wasn’t fighting like any kind of beta wolf, she seemed to be on another level.

I wasn’t sure if it was because of her fighting techniques or if she had always been this strong. Nevertheless, I couldn’t afford to lose.

Mira’s mocking smirk fueled my anger, her composure was confident. She wasn’t the weak beta. I used to know the weak beta, who I had always come to her aid when she was little. Her movements were sharper, calculated and annoyingly familiar.

Our fight became fierce. Mira came at me, aiming a kick at my ribs, but I blocked it just in time.

The impact sent pain through my arms and then My body. I retaliated with a swift punch to her side, but she dodged, twisting effortlessly before landing a sharp elbow hit to my shoulder.

I staggered backwards, growling. Mira was fast. Too fast. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment all her life, preparing for years.

The way she fought me made me wonder if she had a grudge against me all these years.

Could it be because of what she said earlier? Not giving her what she wanted?

Every strike she delivered felt practised; her techniques were too polished for someone who had supposedly been weak.

Since she was using Asher’s fighting techniques, that only meant one thing: they had been planning something. They probably had to execute this plan now because they found out that Kira was the moon keeper, and having her on their side would give them the upper hand.

Mira moved around me with a self-assured grin; her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Surprised?" She chuckled. "Did you think I was always the weak beta everyone pitied, the beta who always lost a fight? Well, I wasn’t always this strong, but I was never weak either."

I moved around as she moved to make sure I was facing her at every turn she took, as I didn’t want to be taken by surprise.

"Appearing weak to you and everyone in this pack was a strategy I had to maintain, a strategy just so you guys could be deceived. Plus I didn’t want to be sent to a battle with Asher’s pack."

I remained quiet, watching every step she took. My mind raced as I analysed her movements. She charged forward, her fist slamming into my ribs before I could fully react.

I honestly didn’t see that coming.

I growled.

I was angry about two things. Majorly, firstly, I was angry because of the way she made me feel; I was an alpha wolf, but fighting with her made me feel like I was a low-ranked wolf.

Maybe because I underestimated her, or it still hadn’t dawned on me that she wouldn’t think twice about killing me at that spot if I made a wrong move.

She came at me again; I barely dodged her attack, rolling to the side before jumping back to my feet.

Mira smirked.

She seemed to be enjoying the way I was struggling "I’ve been training for years, Ryker. While you all were busing, looking down at me, I was preparing for this very moment. I am sure if I killed you here alpha Asher would be very delighted"

Mira’s confidence was annoying, but I knew I couldn’t afford to lose my calm, at least not yet. She seemed to be revealing her abilities too easily; it made me wonder if she was toying with me. Or she was testing my limits?

I steadied my breathing; my eyes narrowed as I studied Mira’s movement; she was fast, just like Asher. I had engaged in a battle with Asher’s pack a few years ago, and we barely got out Alive.

I would say it was the moon goddess that helped us.

Instead of reacting to her attacks, I decided to shift stance; I adopted a more aggressive style, whose sole aim was to cut off every one of her escape routes. I was bringing in my A-game.

The next time she came at me, I already anticipated it; with wolf speed, I closed the gap between us, catching her off guard. Landing a blow at her left rib side.

The force sent her moving to the side; blood spilt from her mouth.

For the first time since our fight started her smirk faltered, she placed her hands on the side I had hit, her eyes flashing with anger and shock.

I could have taken advantage and launched my finishing blow. But the truth remains that Mira was one of us; she was born in this pack, and I knew her parents.

In case you are wondering how possible, I have lived about eight decades; I don’t look anything like it; werewolves don’t age as fast as normal humans do, but we grow old and weak definitely.

I was ready to give Mira a second chance if only she would surrender.

"Why Mira?" I asked, "Why betray the pack."

She wiped the blood from The corner of her mouth, then chuckled "Betray?" She echoed, "I didn’t betray you, Ryker. I was never truly one of yours. You just didn’t notice."

Her words sent shivers down my spine, but I refused to be shaken by it. I needed answers; I needed to know her plans and Asher’s plans and I was ready to tear them from her if need be.

Mira let out a cold, bitter laughter, the sound echoed through the silence between us. I watched her carefully, my fist clenched, my teeth gritted, waiting for her next move.

But what she did was to straighten up and wipe the blood from her lips as if it were nothing.

"Oh dear Ryker, you still don’t get it, do you?" She said tilting her head. "There was never a time I was weak, Ryker." She chuckled. "I just played the part I was asked to play; pretending to be weak was the easiest way to get what I wanted."

My expression changed into a questioning one "And what was it that you wanted?"

"Oh dear, a lot. I wanted to learn. Study every strategy and every weakness, every mistake this pack made. Every one of you looked down on me; you saw me as nothing more than a weak beta. But that even made my work easier." She folded her arms "You all were busy underestimating me, but I was preparing for something greater."

My jaw tightened "Asher?"

She nodded.

"My darling Asher," she said, heaving a deep sigh and looking up to the sky. "He saw what you didn’t, he gave me what you never would have been able to give me. Power, recognition. While you were busy, ignoring, and underestimating me, he was grooming me."

It became clearer that what I had suspected was the real deal. It wasn’t just about Kira; he was planning something else.

"But why now? Why didn’t you attack since."

"You see, that’s one major difference between you and Asher; he takes time to strategise, to plan, but you? You act on impulse, which is why you will never win against alpha Asher" she laughed ominously.

Anger burned through my veins, but I forced myself to remain controlled. Dwelling on anger wouldn’t win me this fight. Strategy would, Asher was a man of strategy.

I had learnt this in our previous battle decades ago. Hearing Mira say she was trained by him, I wasn’t surprised about her moves; they were strategic.

But despite her strategy, she still had a flaw; yes, she was fast, but at the same time cunning and overconfident. I decided that I was going to use her flaws against her.

I took a slow step backwards, intentionally loosening my stance just so I could appear vulnerable. I increased my breathing pace, making it appear that I was exhausted. I also made my movements sluggish just to make them more convincing.

Her eyes beamed with satisfaction, and she lunged forward, aiming for my exposed side.

I waited till the last second before I moved.

I twisted my body, dodging her strike while grabbing her by the wrist, and locked her in place.

I carried out my technique before she could react. A fierce counterattack designed to shatter my opponent’s stance. With a well-calculated shift of weights, I swept her legs from under her while slamming my elbow on her chest.

As soon as Mira’s body struck the ground, I sensed the shock reverberate through my bones. She hit the ground forcefully, and a quick breath caught in her throat as the air rushed out of her lungs. For the first time, she appeared out of control—her confidence broken, her body striving to react.

I hovered above her, striving to calm my breath despite the torment coursing through me. Each muscle throbbed, and each injury burned, yet I wouldn’t allow it to be evident. I was victorious.

"This is where it ends," I snarled, my tone deep and resolute.

Her large eyes locked onto mine, and for the first time, I perceived something unfamiliar—uncertainty. She was extremely confident, entirely convinced that she held the advantage. However, she had misjudged my capabilities.

I tightened my fists, every instinct urging me to end this, to ensure she could never betray us again. However, while she coughed and tried to lift herself, a thought entered my mind.

Had she always acted this way? Or had Asher transformed her into something unfamiliar?

I believed I understood Mira. At that moment, I felt uncertain.