Update: With a commanding 75 percent of the vote, Kate Daniels has won this round. She will advance on in the Alpha Showdown 2017!
Last week the Alpha Showdown made you pick between Adam and Mercy. Today’s bout isn’t any easier. We’ve got another couple in battle today.
The badass-with-a-sword (and beau coup other skills) Kate Daniels is to take on the powerful lion Curran. They both flexed skills in the earlier rounds. Kate took out Raphael, and Curran beat out Bones.
Now only one of them can move forward in the Alpha Showdown.
The battles don’t get easier (peek at the bracket), but the winner is all up to VBC readers. Each round is open for 48 hours. The winner advances.
You know her from: the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
First appeared in: Magic Bites (VBC review | Amazon)
Supernatural Status: It’s complicated.
Championed by: Margaret from VBC
It’s about time a woman won Alpha Showdown. I know I said that last year, but I’m going to keep saying it every year until it happens. And there is no one more qualified to take the title than Kate Daniels. I mean she’s a half-witch demigod, even though she doesn’t see herself that way. She’s just beginning to admit how powerful she truly is.
Yes, that’s Kate’s picture next to the Wikipedia entry for “badass.” (No I don’t know which of the 27 different cover models they used.) Just look at all the adversaries she’s defeated. Vampires, rakshasa, ancient gods, a bone dragon, a djinn. Sure, she gets beat up a lot. But that’s okay because even Kate’s blood is a weapon. She can turn it into blades to attack an opponent or form it into armor for defense.
Kate’s earned the respect of everyone in the supernatural community first by defeating 22 shifters to secure her place at Curran’s side and then by cleaning up all of their magical messes. She’s claimed the city of Atlanta as her territory and has powerful allies to help her defend it. The Pack, the Guild, the Witches and Volvs, the People, and even a few gods fight by her side.
Kate’s a perennial Showdown favorite. She even made the championship round last year. Her hubby’s already won the title—he took the crown in 2012—but why should Curran get all the glory? Kate’s the one who brings all of those groups together. She’s the one they all look to lead them into battle. She’s the ultimate alpha and she deserves to be recognized for it.
You know him from: Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews
First appeared in: Magic Bites (VBC Review | Amazon)
Supernatural status: A werelion shapeshifter—an Atrox lion, to be precise. A Prime, and extremely hard to kill. Plus once he ate a god because it seemed like the right thing to do, so perhaps even impossible.
Championed by: Joanna at Red Hot Books | @jolievinesx
Here, kitty, kitty, kitty. Curran owns this competition, you know it, he knows it, and he’s so chill about it he’s reclining on his massive bed while his measly competitors sweat it round back. In fact the Beast Lord of Atlanta is so untroubled he’s using the downtime ‘tween rounds to raise an army, at the same time dealing with the politics that come from being just So Damn Alpha.
His lordship, the Leader of the Southern Shapechanger Faction, is an egotistical control freak, but with his credentials plus the multitude of powerful shifters he has to dominate, it’s the only way to be. Can you imagine getting in the way of a rampaging Kodiak bear because that’s your job? Curran can.
What? You’ve not met before? Let’s make introductions. You’re in for a treat.
“The rage of the Beast Lord was a terrible thing to behold. Some people stormed, some punched things, but Curran slipped into this icy, bone-chilling calm. His face hardened into a flat mask, and his eyes turned into a molten inferno of pure gold. If you looked at it for longer than two seconds, your muscles locked, your knees shook, and you had to fight to keep from cringing.”
This lion is not only royalty, responsible for uniting the Pack at the tender age of fifteen, but he is one sexy, muscle-bound, generous and funny guy. Loyal to a fault, and with explosive power, you want the Lord of the Free People in your corner.
With gray eyes that turn gold when he’s cruising for a fight, his blond furriness is a head-turner as well as a deadly killer. He lives in the Keep, his fortified stronghold outside of Atlanta, if you were thinking of popping around for a bite. Still looking to beat him? Can you hear the crowd laughing from the battlements?
Flirting with constant danger in being the partner and mate of Kate Daniels, our boy is no slack in the sack or on the battlefield. Our fast healing friend bench-presses a mean 700, can tear a Maserati to pieces with his bare hands, and can switch between being a man, a massive werelion, or a freakish half form, capable of smashing up mountains when Kate pisses him off. Which is often.
Curran is a knight in furry armor. Underestimate him at your cost.
Or don’t. He’s got this. And he knows it.
“The lion opened his mouth, showing his big teeth. Yes, yes, you’re bad. We know, Your Majesty.”
When you vote in this round (which is crazy difficult), we’ll reward you. We have a copy of The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost for one lucky VBC reader. Vote in this round to be entered to win, and you’ll have the opportunity for additional (optional) entries there after.
It’s Curran!
Kate…time for a woman…
Kate!
the only people I think who could take out Mad Rogan are Barrons and Reyes. Reyes especially because of that whole other plane of existence thing. Maybe Kate but it depends on whether she can get the jump on him. Once that circle is drawn she’s screwed. Just my opinion.
I just realized this could end up Vlad against Mad. Mad all ready proved he could take out a fire starter!!!! I do not know why this showdown makes me nuts every year. lol
Curran
Curran
Kate! I support the women here.
It’s time for women. Go Kate
I want Mercy vs Kate!
Kate
Kate all the way.
Kate.
Love Curran…but gotta go with Kate!
Kate. Kate came first!
KATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kate
Kate!
Kate!
I voted for Kate…..wish I wouldn’t have had to choose!
Kate!!!
CURRAN
Kate because she can keep her calm when needed^^
Kate
Team Kate
I FLOVE them both, but Curran is HOT schmexy make rolled into a cuddly kitty !
Curren
I vote for Kate…although Curran is pretty scary at times…Kate has crazy magic on her side…Kate for sure:)
As with Mercy and Adam, Curran won’t raise a paw against Kate. There will be immediately belly showing and that will be it. So yeah – Kate.
KATE!!!
Kate!
KATE!!!
Kate! I love Curran but Kate is bette and she has a good mix of fighting skills and magic so she should be able to beat Mad Rogan, Mercy and Vlad…she deseeves to win and it’s about time we had a woman winner….vote Kate!
Kate
Kate
Kate, but this one tore me up a little inside…lol
Kate
Kate all the way!
Kate, Kate, Kate!
I picked Curran, but it was a tough decision!!!
Went with Kate. Sorry kitty.
I absolutely love Curran, but I have to go with Kate. Her magic and fighting make a powerful combo, but also her flexible thinking and creativity make her a SERIOUS force to be reckoned with. For all Curran’s strategic brilliance, pure power and prowess and his ruthless ability to rule, Kate has her wild rage and her disciplined sword — and the best backup ever: Curran.
Wow! I love Curran but gotta go with Kate on this one.
Such a cruel and hard one!
Kate for sure.
Kate