Alpha Francis returned to the platform with a smiling face while clapping lightly. "That was excellent," he praised.
This woman was strong, though not like the woman from her pack yesterday, but after casting her nervousness away, she dealt with her opponent and also, didn't kill him. The purpose of a fight is not always to kill. The first fighter showed no mercy and his opponent was also very stubborn which led to his death. This Legend knew when to bend. Though it's shameful for him to lose to a woman, especially when he boasted about killing her, his life was more important. Hence his pack didn't become one member less.
Alpha Francis proclaimed that there would be a thirty-minute break and then the last match would commence. Also, the fighters for today were not to meet with any of their pack members before the last match.
...
Zehelina was in the costume hall. After receiving treatment and healing from her injuries, she proceeded to the bathroom to have a thorough bath. Upon coming out, she was told to make a choice among all the beautiful outfits. After thinking for a while, she chose one- a loose blue gown and then put it on. There was no need for underwear because she was going to shift anyway as it was Hillian she was going up against.
She also drank the glass of juice offered to her by the staff as that was the only to take apart from the bottle of water she drank upon entering the hall.
She relaxed on the rocking chair while the two pretty ladies fanned her at her desired rate.
Soon she closed her eyes to rest her eyelids for a while.
When the time was up, she rose from the chair and started stretching her body. She was going up against that brutal Hillian who had killed his opponent. She had to be careful in this match. She had to win for her pack no matter what.
Encouraging herself that she could do it, she cracked her bones in gameness. The two ladies who were looking at her smiled slyly.
Hearing her name being called after Hillian's, Zehelina ran out of the costume hall and headed straight to the field where she met Hillian already standing there in a relaxed manner, looking extremely confident.
Her heart wanted to leap out when he gave her the death gesture, but she tried her best to still appear confident. She didn't look towards the audience and just stared at the haughty Hillian with resolute eyes. After Alpha Francis got off the platform, both of them jumped into the ring at the same time, releasing their killing intent. Their eyes changed colour to that of their wolves. Hillian's were hazel, while hers were violet. They walked around each other with their claws already elongated, baring their fangs at each other.
At the beat of seven drums in sync, both charged at each other, soon falling to the floor of the ring. They rose again, and Hillian threw her out of the ring. When she hit the ground, she immediately tried to stand, only to fall to her knees. Hillian got out of the ring, wearing a smile.
"You're already surrendering this early? Where is the confident woman?" he mocked as he walked towards her.
She scoffed, "Surrender my foot!" she managed to stand and got into a fighting stance.
As Hillian jumped towards her, she also did the same, but suddenly she felt like scratching her body. What was happening to her? Hillian's claws swiped her face, leaving bloody slashes. She fell to the ground, resisting the urge to scratch all over.
Why was this happening to her at such a critical moment? No, she couldn't scratch, she needed to get back on her feet and fight. She needed to win...
As she managed to get back on her feet again, a heavy punch in her gut sent her flying until she hit the ring. Hillian ran to her and held her up by the neck.
"Do you admit defeat, weakling?"
"Never!" she spat.
He harrumphed, "Great then. I might as well send you to your death." he threw her into the ring and also got on it. He picked her up by her hair, causing her to yelp.
"Does it hurt?"
Angered, Zehelina's bones started cracking, forcing him to let go of her. She tore off the gown, crouched and transformed into a bisque-furred wolf.
"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk! Your wolf is quite the looker. Too bad you'll die here in my hands." he chuckled, also transforming into a rosy brown wolf. Both let a battle howl before pouncing on each other, destroying all the chains in the ring and rolling off it. They tried to bite each other's neck with no success for minutes. After a while, Zehelina pushed the opponent wolf away. In wolf form, the scratching urge was magnified. It wasn't easy for her. Her wolf couldn't take over, because for some reason she went into a slumber and wouldn't wake up no matter how many times she called out to her.
Hillian had already given control to his wolf spirit William, and he gave her a tough time. Despite pushing him away, he still came back at her, looking extremely sinister.
She rose, shakily standing on all fours and snarled as he ran towards her again with his mouth open. At the last moment, she tried to dodge but was not successful in her endeavour, for he bit off her tail. Damn, that hurt so much!
Many also drew in their breath in the audience. This was the first time in the history of the Triennial contest that someone's tail got bitten off. Zehelina let out a howl of anguish, collapsing to the ground as the pain coursed through her body along with the increased urge to scratch. Everyone could see tears streaming out of her eyes. She looked so pathetic with so many agonising injuries.
Seeing that the rosy brown wolf even ate her tail, she felt worthless. Instead of triumphing, she got her tail bitten off...
She still tried to stand, not willing to fail her pack. As long as she remained standing and tried to fight... As long as she...
Her body couldn't hold it any longer, and she passed out.
Hillian's wolf spirit gave control back to his host, and Hillian smirked after seeing the state Zehelina was in. She had now become a she-wolf without a tail. What a disgrace! Serves her right for not passing out earlier and putting up a bold front in front of him.
He looked at Blood Star pack members who were seething with anger, especially Lavana. If she weren't being held back by her mate, she would have already headed to the field and killed that scumbag!
Hillian smirked when he saw her countenance and even stuck out his tongue. If she was the one he met today, maybe there was a chance he might lose, but since their chosen warrior was this weak chicken Zehelina, they were doomed to fail from the very beginning. So what if they got more points on Elimination Day and even got a trophy for it? So what if they had a strong woman whom many now desired as a wife, despite her already having a man she's mated to, who was equally strong as seen in his prowess in the first activity on the first day? Didn't he still prevail? He's now the one soon to be crowned Alpha of the Storm Riders pack. Hehe!
Zehelina returned to human form and everyone could see glaring red spots on her body and this made many, especially the females anxious. The pain made her become awake again and she curled into a ball, hugging her knees while weeping silently.
She just couldn't believe it. She had failed. She failed to win the glory for her pack. Because of her not being strong enough... Blood Star pack would be disbanding. She wasted this last chance that they had. If she knew it would end up like this, she wouldn't have bothered to come.
The enraged Lavana couldn't hold it anymore and rushed to the field.
"Lina. Lina! I'm here." she knelt before her friend and put her head on her lap. "Lina, please don't feel bad. It's okay."
"No," Zehelina shook her head. "it's my fault for being so weak. If only I didn't come..."
"Shh. Don't talk anymore. Let's get you out of here."
"I really don't want to scratch but it's killing me."
"Scratch?" Lavana frowned.
"Did you eat anything before the battle?"
"No. Only water and juice. Now that I look at it, it must be those two females who were responsible." Zehelina mind linked.
"I see. It's alright. This bad thing happened and someone must be behind them. Because of this, you couldn't put forth your best. Don't worry, I will take revenge for you." Lavana looked at Hillary who wore a smug face and then darted her eyes towards where Alpha Chase was sitting. He was smiling at her and even blew her a kiss.
So it was this guy who was responsible. Why did he do that? Did he know about her identity? But that was impossible. She had changed in appearance by much and even her little sis had a hard time believing it was her, and her scent had been masked by Phoenix. Why then did he do this?
"Probably he wants you. You look really hot and you're strong. Of course, any sane man regardless of position would want you as a wife." her tribrid spirit spoke up suddenly. She had been really silent these days so Lavana didn't expect her to speak at all.
"Just because he wants me, he did this to Zehelina? Fine then!" she scooped up her friend and left the field, towards the costume hall, ignoring those who were assigned to take her away, her teeth gnashing. Alpha Francis had already ascended the platform.
...
Reaching the costume hall, Lavana found the two ladies chuckling and counting money in their hands.
Seeing her enter, they quickly kept it and wore an elegant look. Lavana scoffed on seeing their face change, which was faster than a page flip.
She placed her friend on the rocking chair and forced the other two lingering staff outside. Now it was her, Zehelina and the two confused ladies.
"So I saw you two were very happy. Why aren't you laughing now? Drop those innocent faces, I don't need them." the ladies retreated until their backs hit the wall.
"Tell me, what did you do to my friend? And who is behind this?"
"We only added itching powder to her juice. We didn't think it'd be that bad." one of them replied in fear.
This was the strong lady that nearly killed her opponent yesterday. They didn't know what was her wolf rank but they felt she must be a Beta wolf and they were mere Omegas.
If they knew she's come here, even having a lion's guts wouldn't let them remain here.
"So who was it?"
The taller one of the two replied, "It was one of the bodyguards of the 2nd-ranked Alpha. We didn't mean to hurt her. He threatened to kill us if we didn't do as he said and he promised us a handsome reward. So..."
Lavana interrupted, "Is the powder still available?"
The other female replied in a shaky voice, "No. We poured all of it."
The taller one spoke up, "It was an accident."
"Okay," Lavana nodded. "Since you spoke the truth, I will make your deaths swifter." she held the ladies up by their throats.
"Lavana, please, don't hurt them," Zehelina mind linked.
"Why shouldn't I kill them?"
"Even if you did, they've already achieved what they wanted. We lost and will be disbanded."
Lavana let go of them, and they weakly fell to the floor, holding their necks while breathing heavily, afraid to even cough. "You are lucky she interceded for you," she spat before turning around. "Give her the best treatment. You know what I mean. I want her to look as energetic as she was before. If I come back and find the opposite, even your Alpha can't save you." Lavana walked out of the hall and shut it. No one could go in.
An Omega's blood can get rid of those spots on Zehelina's body. She didn't care if those two used up all of their blood to cure it.
The assigned staff backed away after seeing how irate she was. They knew they couldn't beat her.
"Kneel," she commanded, and they both felt a force that made them kneel to their surprise. This made them doubt what her wolf rank was.
Storming towards the field, she saw that Alpha Francis was about to announce Hillian as the new Alpha.
"Stop!" a masculine voice was heard from the audience.
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw it was Phoenix. The other Blood Star members were dismayed.
"Phoenix, what are you doing? Sit down!" Zyair urged in a whisper.
No one has ever interrupted the announcement of the champion as Alpha and his coronation in history. It's one thing that they lost and would disband, but why did Lavana's mate want them dead by interrupting? Phoenix headed to the field, looking pissed.
"He will not be Alpha," Phoenix said to Alpha Francis, whose eyes instantly turned red.
This guy was defying an Alpha so openly. He was so dead!
Phoenix ignored the Alpha and walked to Hillian. "Since ancient times, if one beats an Alpha, he can become Alpha."
"But that doesn't apply at this moment. Only when I become Alpha and after a week has passed before you can challenge me." Hillian smirked.
"Challenge me then," Phoenix said with arms folded.
"What?" Hillian thought this guy was idiotic.
"Are you hard of hearing?" Phoenix growled, and his eyes turned red.
Everyone gasped. Quite a number were moved to stand up, including the Alphas.
"I am an Alpha wolf in Bloodstar pack. Now I want you to fight me, Hillian. Only when you beat me can you successfully be crowned, or else, I will not allow it," Phoenix declared.
Alpha Francis couldn't believe what he was seeing.
So the Blood Star pack had an Alpha among in their midst all along? Why didn't they just register and become a pack with an Alpha on the first day? Why go through all the stress?
"I didn't want to be publicly known as an Alpha, so I wanted someone else in the pack to be, but you've forced me. The battle between my pack member and this rat was unfair, but no one pointed it out. Wasn't there the rule of no cheating?" Phoenix asked.
"This..." Alpha Francis was tongue-tied. Of course, the red spots that were on Zehelina's body after she shifted back to human, were proof that something had been done to her, and this made her lose so terribly- she even lost her tail!
Phoenix walked to Hillary and raised him up by the neck. The latter started struggling to get free from his grasp, but his efforts were not effective. The difference between the both of them was great.
"You are not worthy to become Alpha." Phoenix twisted his neck and threw him towards his stunned pack members. This caused a stir!
"I have defeated that weakling. Gimme that!" he took the special liquid in a bottle from Alpha Francis and put it in his pocket. Whenever a victor materialises from the final match in every triennial competition, this liquid is consumed by the champ, and then his wolf rank upgrades to Alpha.
Phoenix looked at the Alphas in the VVIP section with a provoking smile. "If anyone of you up there is infuriated, come battle me." he challenged. "If you don't come, it means you are afraid. Why wait for tomorrow to watch the Alpha rankings change when it can be done today?"
Everyone was dumbfounded at the turn of events.
The pack that was supposed to dissolve suddenly had an Alpha, the one who was supposed to be crowned the new Alpha, as winner of the competition, was killed by him, and now, this Alpha was challenging the top three Alphas to a duel.
Was he crazy?
The Alpha of the 2nd-ranked pack unexpectedly was the one who jumped down from the VVIP section. He cracked his knuckles as he headed to the field, wearing a wicked smile.
"Man, you ruined the competition's peace and want to cause more trouble. I will end your pathetic life for what you did." Alpha Chase said in a baleful tone. On seeing the beautiful woman that he fell for, walking over to them, he felt happy.
So this strong woman had an Alpha for a mate, eh? But there was a difference in strength, and he would prove that.
"Dear, when I'm done beating your husband, I will take you as my second wife." he laughed.
"In your dreams, Chase!" Lavana spat in ire.
Many were stunned again, letting out gasps. This woman was as daring as her mate. One challenged the top-ranked Alphas, and the other called an Alpha King without his title. Really outrageous!
But they were surprised that Alpha Chase laughed, instead of getting angry.
"Hearing my name from your mouth makes me so excited. Geez! I can't wait to do you." his eyes scanned her body and he nodded in satisfaction. She should even be his Luna and have the position of first wife.
He was more than willing to demote that Jacinta to slave if need be. She was no longer enticing. This woman before him was the definition of a perfect wife. He even imagined how good-looking their children would be.
The pissed Phoenix was told by his mate to calm down and let her deal with this matter.
First of all, I will not be yours. Secondly," she smirked. " my mate won't be fighting you, Chase." then she pointed at herself. "I will," she announced causing many to gasp again.
What's with all these surprises thrown at them? They weren't prepared for, nor told about any of this!
The competition didn't turn out to be how they expected it.
No Alpha was crowned and now the ones to fight, one of them had now changed to a woman. Yes, she was strong but she's not an Alpha wolf so she can't beat him. Was she out of her mind? Like seriously, what was going on in this couple's heads?
"You want to fight me?" Chase had a look of incredulity, "Would you even be able to take a punch from me?" he asked in arrogance.
She scoffed, "We'll see. But first, I must do something that's long overdue."
"Oh, you want to kiss me?" Chase asked with raised eyebrows but seeing her frown deeply, he asked what it was she wanted to do first.
"You're sure you can handle it?" she questioned him with a sly smile.
"I'm Alpha. I fear nothing." he chuckled.
"Ok then," she gifted Phoenix a peck on his left cheek.
"You're doing that to spite me, huh?" Alpha Chase frowned.
Lavana's eyes turned resolute before declaring with her right hand on the left side of her chest:
"I, Lavana Isla McKenny, heiress of the late Alpha Brandon McKenny of Moon Crest pack, also reject you, Alpha Chase of Ralton Pack, as my mate. May the Moon Goddess bear witness to this!"