The Dragon King's Heart

Victoria was instilled with a sudden burst of energy. Her will to live, her desire to win fueled her every move. She rushed towards Kragen, closing off the distance between them. 

She protracted her claws and swiped at him. Kragen dodged as much as he could. But with the compounded fatigue he felt, it was getting increasingly difficult for him to move swiftly. 

He could not find any opening to counterattack either. To him, Victoria was swiping at him as if she had gone berserk. She had lowered her defenses and went full force on the attack. 

But even then, he could not find any opportunity to get in a few attacks of his own. Though Victoria did not have his size or strength, her attacks were still lethal. Claw marks from Victoria's attacks began to cover Kragen. 

The open wounds ached as blood seeped from them. Victoria even made sure to attack the wounds for added damage. 

"Get him, Victoria! Get him!" Laina yelled at the top of her lungs from where she stood, cheering her on. 

The crowds were slowly warming up to Victoria. They admire her courage and her perseverance. She just might have turned the tables. Seeing Kragen slowly being covered with wounds, Victoria grew more confident. 

She exerted more strength in her attacks. She was getting used to her wolf form. She was in the zone of the battle. The adrenaline-fueled her every move. The desire for revenge grew in her heart and mind. 

Victoria noticed an opening. She went for it. Victoria bit down on Kragen's neck. She sunk her sharpened fangs into his fur. It penetrated through his fur, broke the skin, and wedged deep into his flesh. 

"You bitch!" Kragen cursed as he winced in pain.

The weight of the wounds and the intense pain from where Victoria bit him caused him to stumble and fall to the ground. Victoria had the upper hand now. She did not let go of Kragen's neck. 

When he tried to get up, Victoria sunk her claws into the wounds on his legs. Kragen cried out in agony as he could feel her sharpened claws digging deep into his muscles. 

He could not move. The pain was indescribable. The entire colosseum held their breath. The fearsome, merciless Alpha who had never lost a single battle was held down by his opponent. 

His opponent was half his size. 

Laina could not take her eyes off the arena. She too held her breath as she waited for what was to come. 

"Do you yield?" Victoria asked through her bite. 

Kragen spat as he grunted in pain, "I will never-"

She did not even wait for him to finish. Victoria dug her claws into Kragen's ribs and drew them out. A set of long streak claw marks formed on Kragen's side as he yelled in agony. 

His skin along with muscle and sinew were torn open. You could almost see the bone beneath. Even those in the crowd winced at the sight of it. 

"Do you yield?!" Victoria asked again. 

"I… I… yield. I yield," 

For a moment, she could not believe her ears. But with the roar of the crowd, Victoria realized her ears did not fail her. Kragen yielded to her. She won. She won!

Victoria released Kragen. She took a few steps back as she looked out into the colosseum. She could see Laina and the wide smile on her face as she was cheering for her. 

Victoria took to her human form once more as a wide smile appeared upon her face. She raised both her hands up, as she enjoyed the cheers of the crowd. The silhouette of the Moonlight Wolf formed behind Victoria. 

The crowd was in awe. As the Moonlight Wolf let out a howl towards the sky, the crowd went wild. If there was any werewolf who was skeptical about Victoria's credibility to become their ruler, they were silenced. 

The Moonlight Wolf was the best affirmation of her status. 

Kragen laid in a pool of his own blood. The injuries he sustained were severe. As he laid there on the ground, he gritted his teeth in anger. He was back in his human form, covered with wounds. 

The Royal Guards entered the arena. They collectively knelt before Victoria, acknowledging her as the new ruler of Wolfenheim. Their leader, General Matthias knelt before her. 

"Your Highness, what would you like us to do with your defeated opponent?"

She glanced over to Kragen for a moment before replying, "Have the healers heal him. I want him locked in the dungeon for the time being, until I can think of a suitable punishment."

"As you wish, you Highness," General Matthias replied. 

As soon as Victoria gave her order, she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. The adrenaline was wearing off. She felt fatigued. Victoria almost lost her balance as she was hit with a dizzy spell. 

Laina had rushed down to the arena to congratulate Victoria. Dante and Kol followed closely behind as she went. Just as Victoria was about to lose her balance, Laina caught her by the arm. 

General Matthias called for the Royal Healers immediately. 

"Victoria, Victoria!" Laina called out her name, hoping to keep her conscious for as long as she could. 

"Her Highness has exerted herself during the battle. She needs to recuperate," Matthias explained. 

So, they headed back to the castle together. Laina followed suit. 

Kragen was taken away by the healers on a stretcher. In the distance, he could see Laina through his blurred vision. He gritted his teeth as he cursed beneath his breath. If it was not for Laina, he would not have lost everything overnight. 

"Just you wait, Laina. Just you wait. When I get my hands on you, you'll never see the light of day!" He muttered to himself. 

Though they were far apart, Dante could hear Kragen's threat. He narrowed his eyes at the injured alpha as he was taken away on the stretcher. 

"Hmph, what a foolish dog," Dante commented as he shook his head.