Tyrion was seated under the specified oak tree, making use of his phone.
Suddenly, he felt a light tap on his shoulder that startled him a bit. How did he not sense that someone was here? He turned his head to see it was this hateful Phoenix. This guy must be full of himself since he beat him in the final match.
"You're here," Tyrion said dryly while still concentrating on his phone.
"What are you searching on the net?" Phoenix questioned.
Without glancing at him, Tyrion responded coldly. "None of your business. Just state what you're here for. I have to join my pack members soon. I don't want anyone to see me here with you."
"You loathe me?" Phoenix asked.
"*scoff* You already know the answer to that," replied Tyrion.
"Ok," Phoenix leapt and landed on the closest branch of the tree, which he then sat on. "I'll just speak to you from here."
Tyrion spoke in an unenthusiastic manner. "Say whatever you want to say. My time's running out. I want to see how Gerald's doing."
"Oh, the one your pack sent out for archery?" Phoenix asked but the latter didn't reply.
Phoenix clapped once and resumed speaking. "I'm here to give you three options. One. Your pack withdraws from this competition. Two. You stand on your toes for 5 hours like I earlier said. And three. You can part with some of your money."
"Third option," Tyrion said without thinking. The first two options, he couldn't accept either of them. If it's money this stinky man wants, he'll give it to him!
"Okay. You'll meet Rolandro."
"Who's Rolandro?" Tyrion asked and Phoenix told him to climb to the highest branch of the tree.
An annoyed Tyrion still heeded.
Phoenix soon joined him. He then pointed towards the said person, Rolandro, who was about to shoot an arrow at the target which was a small round, holed cookie tied with a rope to a curved stick. If one's arrow hits the cookie and shatters it, he's lost. The arrow has to pass through the hole in the cookie.
Before now, seven warriors had tried but only 2 passed. They both watched as Rolandro released the arrow. Soon there was some applause from a few spectators as the arrow went through the hole in the cookie before him. He then retreated and another warrior took his place and attempted to shoot.
When he was ready he shot the arrow but it didn't even go that far before falling to the ground. He got boos from the onlookers and sadly dropped all the equipment before heading back to his unhappy pack. Tyrion and Lavana's mate stopped looking. Tyrion jumped off the tree and sat under it. While Phoenix returned to sitting on the tree's lowest but most sturdy branch.
"So that's the Rolandro," Tyrion remarked.
"Yeah, that's him, Tyrion. I want you to transfer just $50,000 to him. I know that's a small amount I asked for. I'm sure to you, it's not even worthy to be called... pocket money. Am I right?" Phoenix asked with a meaningful smile.
"What? Are you crazy?" Tyrion exclaimed.
This Phoenix belonged to an Alphaless pack like him too, right? So he should know that Alphaless packs, depending on their size and aptitude, receive 1-5 million per month from the werewolf association. Tyrion was a Beta's son before their pack got ruined by an enemy pack.
His father had put some money in his account when he was 18 because he had always had an ominous feeling. So after escaping from the destruction of his pack, he decided to join an Alphaless pack. He wanted to become the winner of this competition and then become Alpha. Then he would rightly propose a duel between the 233rd ranked Alpha who caused his pack's ruin and him.
"Why would you ask such an amount of money from me?" Tyrion questioned again.
"Add another 10,000."
"No. I choose option 2."
Tyrion cried. Phoenix got off the tree and before Tyrion could process what was happening, Phoenix already raised him up by the collar of his jean jacket. His eyes widened in shock and he struggled to get free but it proved abortive.
"Phoenix, what are you doing?" he asked worriedly.
"In this life, not everyone can get second chances. Adding another 10,000 more for my speech won't be a problem, right?" Phoenix questioned, wearing a smile that sent chills down Tyrion's spine. Why did he not notice it all this time? This murderous aura was something even his late dad didn't have. This Phoenix must be a demon wearing wolf skin! His sixth sense told him not to provoke this guy.
"Haha, I will add the money since you're very good-looking. That's $70,000. Don't worry, I'll transfer it to Rolandro." Tyrion laughed nervously and Phoenix let go of his collar.
"Tyrion, I'm indeed good-looking but... that's not the only good thing about me. I have a better body than you, I'm taller than you, I beat you in the match, I..."
Anxiously, Tyrion stopped Phoenix, waving his hands frantically. "Pls add no more. I'm broke!"
"Broke?"
"I only have $80,000 thousand in my account! This money was given to me by my dad before catastrophe hit us. You can't be that cruel to your fellow man!" Tyrion cried. He had no access to the pack account. Every member is sent some funds each month for clothing and other expenses that arise but food, training and illness are taken care of by the pack leader. He didn't accept any funds from his pack. Instead, he had them sent to human charity organisations to help those poor children that he'd seen on the news one time.
"Oh, that's not a problem!" Phoenix put his left arm around the latter's shoulders. "You just need to sign an IOU when I'm done listing. Or would you like me to announce what you planned to make my beloved mate do?"
"No, no. Please be merciful," Tyrion beseeched with his palms pressed together.
"How about this? I'll forget about the IOU if you call me Father!" Phoenix offered.
"That... Father!" Tyrion said through gritted teeth.
"I didn't hear that."
"You want me to announce it?" Tyrion said in a frustrated tone.
"Nah. Just say it in a good way."
"Fa..."
Phoenix interrupted him. "Don't even bother. Your voice is awful to listen to. I'll just be merciful this one time. Pay $20,000."
"Really?" Tyrion asked with widened eyes.
"On the condition that anytime you see me, you'll immediately go on your knees and call me father."
"This..." Tyrion was hesitant. It was a humiliation.
"Didn't you want your payment reduced?"
"Yes but I..."
"You're not willing?" Phoenix asked. His murderous aura made Tyrion nearly pee his pants.
"I... Can you just beat me instead? In return, I don't have to pay anything at all." Tyrion suggested. As a Beta wolf, he could heal up pretty fast, he just needs to do so in solitude.
"Oh?" Phoenix raised an eyebrow. It was the first time someone was inviting him to beat him up. "You really sure you can handle my beating?"
"Yeah. We are both Betas." Tyrion nodded. A beating won't kill him. He just can't have his account bleed that much money.
"Apart from my brother, those I beat up never have a chance to recover fully. You're sure you still want a beating?"
"Yeah. Just beat me up." Tyrion said determinedly.
"It's stated that fighting isn't allowed today. Breaking all your limbs is an easy thing but I don't want to be queried by my beloved mate and I also want to see you call me father. You're still not willing?" Phoenix raised him up by the collar again.
"I'm willing. Very willing. Haha, I was just joking around. " Tyrion laughed nervously.
"Great. So you'll transfer after Rolandro hands over to another warrior from Bloodstar. If you see me there, you know what to do."
"Yes, father." Tyrion nodded energetically.
"Good boy!" Phoenix put him down and patted his head before walking away, hands in his pockets.
Tyrion sank to his knees after Phoenix left.
With this kind of person partaking in the triennial competition, his plan to win this contest might not succeed. Just his aura alone was suffocating. If he really fights... He prayed not to encounter this fellow tomorrow in the ring or it would be a huge problem!
***
Phoenix returned to sit with his mate who asked where he'd been through mind link.
"You'll know soon. Just be a little patient. Now, why don't we focus on the entertainment in front of us?" he answered with a smirk.
"Why do I have a hunch that you went out to look for trouble?" Lavana asked with creased eyebrows.
"Don't worry. I only chatted with my son."
"Your son? You have a son? How? Didn't you say you haven't touched any other female? Where did this son come from? How old is he? I want to see him."
"Stop being so anxious. Apart from my parents and authorized medical staff who handled me at birth, no one else has seen my nudity," he replied leisurely and then added: "But he's indeed my son."
She grimaced. "You... If you went to meet your son, you should at least have brought him back. Where is his mother? Does he look like you?"
"Are you jealous or just overly edgy?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
"I..."
"No worries. I'm a virgin, ok," he disclosed in an amused tone.
"So you adopted him then. Where is he?"
"Is my son more important than the show before you?"
"I have to see him and give him a hug. I'll be his adopted mummy after all."
"You..." Phoenix facepalmed. "You can't hug my son."
"Why?"
"You just can't hug him."
"I will when I find him. I bet he must be a cutie pie. I'll also give him a kiss too."
"K-Kiss?" Phoenix asked in stupefaction.
"Yeah. Kissing a child's cheek or forehead is not bad, ok. After this whole thing is done today, you have to bring me to him. Is he an orphan like us before he got adopted by you? Is he wiz blood also?
Phoenix sighed. "I suddenly have a headache. Why do women love talking even when their other half prefers they'd be quiet for a minute?"
Lavana scoffed. "Look who's talking. The king of talkativeness who requires me to pinch or step on his foot a lot."
"This..." Phoenix sighed. "Mate, how about this? Let's watch what's before us and cheer for Rolandro. When he comes back here, you'll see my son, alright? But I repeat, do not dream of even hugging him."
"Jealousy isn't good," Lavana said and then fed him a cookie.
"Well, sometimes it is. It prompts you to take action."
"So if I hug your son, what action will you take?" she asked with a playful smile.
"Nothing."
"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yup. Coz I know you won't even want to hug him."
"You're that confident, huh? Wanna bet?"
"No need. You won't be able to. Listen to me."
"If he's a cute little boy, nothing stops me from giving him a hug, dear."
Phoenix just shook his head and chuckled. He knew she wouldn't dare after seeing his 'son'. He brought her closer and ate another cookie that she fed him.
Rolandro was in the second stage of the archery game. Only 18 of the participants had passed the first stage. This time, they were to shoot through the holes of four smaller cookies that were tied close to each other with a thin rope. The warrior was to shoot through the holes successfully at least 7 times to pass. If one arrow shattered any cookie, the warrior loses.
Before Rolandro, 4 had tried but no one succeeded so far. This wasn't the time to just cheer the warrior on but to keep silent and let the warrior be focused on the targets.
Rolandro soon released three arrows and all saw that they passed through the holes in the four cookies. However, this wasn't time to jubilate. There were six more times to go.
Rolandro took out four arrows from his back quiver again and shot them. They also went through the holes.
A few minutes later, there was applause. Rolandro had passed!
"He's good. But Beatrix can defeat him." Phoenix said to his mate telepathically.
"Beatrix can shoot?"
"Many hold the belief that wiz bloods are just a people who attack only from a long-range and rely on their flying scepters. But in close combat, even a Lycan has to be wary of us. The members of the royal family and the top three noble families in the kingdom must be masters at archery." he explained and she nodded in understanding.
"So, how many arrows can she shoot at once?" she asked.
"Ten small arrows."
"Wow!"
"I can teach you when there's time. Besides, dragons are very good archers. Even better than the wiz bloods." he divulged.
"Oh."
"But they are extinct. You probably are the last of them and the mermaids. You know, I still don't get how you turned out to be a tribrid. Where did you live as a kid?"
"Um... Moon Crest pack," she replied after thinking for a while. "My mom had me repeat it one time when we went to a beach."
"Moon Crest..." he repeatedly muttered while thinking. After a short while, his eyes suddenly widened. "In the records of packs in the world library, I remember reading that the Alpha of that pack has never shifted."
"Never shifted?" Lavana asked with furrowed eyebrows.
Her mate replied. "Because for some unknown reason, he couldn't but his strength wasn't a joke. He easily beat other Alphas below the third rank."
"So my homeland was once a third-ranking pack," Lavana muttered.
Phoenix continued: "Yes, dear. He married his soulmate, the daughter of late Alpha Crownstell Hammington."
"Was this Alpha from Moon Crest pack?"
"No, his wife is," Phoenix replied.
"What were their names?" she couldn't help asking.
"Alpha Brandon and Luna Nayelie McKenny." her mate replied and she dropped the packet of cookies she was holding.
Stunned by her action, Phoenix asked in worry. "Are you alright?"
"I... I am," she answered and suddenly rose from her seat.
"Lavana..."
"Phoenix, I'm going to the ladies bathroom. I'll be back."
"You feel uncomfortable anywhere? Are you having your period? I have the products here in my spatial ring. Which do you use? Tampons...."
"Nah, I just wanna relieve myself," she replied. Her mate can be such a talkative. But she's grateful for his concern though.
"Okay then. I'll gist you what happened when you're back." he watched her leave. Deep down, he felt something wasn't right with his mate but she was going to the female bathroom. He can't follow her there. And it's not good to be too clingy.
*****
Lavana sat on the toilet seat lid in one of the stalls in the bathroom, her fingers clasped together while her chest heaved. She tried so hard not to let a tear shed but she was unsuccessful. The emergence of the first teardrop which turned into a pearl as it fell, unlocked the way for others. Her shoulders shook as she wept. However, she tried to restrain herself so she wouldn't shed more tears coz it's not good for a mermaid but she failed at this. The tear-turned pearls fell into her open palms.