. ▁ ▁Story ▁within ▁the ▁nov els ▁Although ▁Richard ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁refuse ▁most ▁of ▁Rain a ' s ▁attempts ▁to ▁involve ▁him ▁in ▁her ▁schemes , ▁Marcus ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁order ▁him ▁to ▁serve ▁Jean - Cla ude , ▁which ▁allowed ▁Richard ▁to ▁meet ▁and ▁begin ▁d ating ▁An ita . ▁ ▁Richard ▁ultimately ▁proposed ▁marriage ▁to ▁An ita , ▁who ▁accepted , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁set ▁a ▁date , ▁both ▁because ▁Jean - Cla ude ▁demanded ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁court ▁her ▁and ▁because ▁she ▁was ▁un com fort able ▁with ▁Richard ' s ▁ly can th ropy . ▁ ▁Meanwhile , ▁Richard ' s ▁conflict ▁with ▁Marcus ▁es cal ated ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁where ▁Richard ▁became ▁an ▁official ▁ch allen ger ▁for ▁leadership ▁of ▁the ▁pack ▁( F en rir ), ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁nearly ▁half ▁the ▁pack . ▁ ▁However , ▁although ▁powerful ▁enough ▁to ▁beat ▁Marcus , ▁Richard ▁refused ▁to ▁kill ▁him , ▁and ▁therefore ▁did ▁not ▁succeed ▁to ▁pack ▁leadership . ▁▁ ▁In ▁The ▁K illing ▁Dance , ▁Richard ' s ▁conflict ▁with ▁Marcus ▁reached ▁its ▁conclusion . ▁ ▁Under ▁pressure ▁from ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁pack , ▁An ita , ▁Jean - Cla ude , ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁shapes h if ters ▁of ▁St . ▁Louis , ▁Richard ▁eventually ▁agreed ▁to ▁fight ▁Marcus ▁for ▁succession , ▁even ▁if ▁that ▁fight ▁ended ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁their ▁death s . ▁ ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁gain ▁enough ▁power ▁to ▁force ▁Marcus ▁to ▁back ▁down , ▁Richard ▁accepted ▁Jean