Page 94 of Princess Redeemed

I’m everything.

But now, in this moment, I am nothing more than a predator craving its sustenance.

I bite down on my own tongue, tasting the tang of my own blood.The taste distracts me, and I stare into Eris’s eyes.Her growls subside to a low rumble.

She doesn't move away.Instead, she watches me, her gaze sharp and attentive.

She knows what I am, knows what I thirst for.

She’s daring me.

Daring me to take what I crave.

I could take it so easily.Sink my fangs through her coat and into her flesh, drawing what I desire from her body.Let her give me her own strength to defeat her.

And then it clicks.

This is the test.

My stepfather’s test.

I can hear him inside my head, jeering at me, mocking my blood lust, my thirst for wolf blood.

I won’t give him the satisfaction.

With raw, unfiltered power—no magic this time—I summon every ounce of strength in my body.A guttural roar tears from my throat as I throw Eris off me and hurl her to the ground with soul-shaking force.My muscles burn, my breath heaves, but I don’t hesitate.

I stand tall.

Unyielding.

I don’t need Eris’s blood.

I don’t even need Alara’s training.

I need only what I possess inside.

This will be a purely physical fight.

And I will fucking win.

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Eris,sprawled on the ground, shakes herself and lets out a feral snarl.Rage burns in her eyes and she lunges again.

But this time, I’m ready.

As she leaps toward me, I spin on my heel and sidestep, swinging my arm in a wide arc.I connect with her flank and send her crashing into a nearby tree.

For a moment, she lies there, dazed.

I don’t waste the opportunity.With a burst of speed that surprises even me, I’m on her before she can recover.I lock my hands around her throat and squeeze.

I squeeze, but only enough to remind her of the strength and power I wield.

She claws at my arms, struggling beneath me.

But she still has the upper hand.We both know it.In her wolf form, she’s stronger than I am.