Chapter 129
HANNAH
"Alpha Fenrir," I said. "He was said to possess the strength rivalling the Lycans and the wisdom of the moon goddess herself."
"Correct!"
Another round of applause. My heart was beating faster now.
The third judge asked, "What does it mean when a wolf is born during an eclipse?"
"They are considered cursed or destined to bring great change to the pack," I answered.
"Correct."
"The next question is... what is the law of the hunt?"
That one was easy. I remembered Logan telling me about it some weeks ago during one of our training sessions. "It is a rule stating that no werewolf may hunt for sport. All kills must serve for the pack's survival."
"Correct again!" boomed the voice of the moderator, and I nearly jumped out of my skin. "A round of applause for Hannah Baker, please. She's through to the next round now, but answering the remaining questions correctly will up her rankings. Again over to you, judges."
It was the first judge's turn to ask the questions again.
"What item is said to grant a wolf the ability to communicate with the moon goddess directly?"
"The Lunar Mirror." It is a rare artifact that can only be used by a pure-hearted wolf."
"Correct."
The applause this time was deafening. Almost everyone got to their feet, clapping and cheering. Apparently I was now a favourite to win the competition.
Was I really about to get every question correct?
One more. I told myself.
Just one more question, and I could end this slow torture.
The second judge fixed me with a penetrating stare.
"What is the purpose of a blood duel?" he asked in a low voice.
The question hit me like a physical blow, sucking the breath out of me. The murmur of the crowd faded into a full hum.
I was taken back to the arena, back to the moment when I had literally torn Julia apart.
Julia.
I could see her face now, her lifeless body.
I gave my head a little shake. It was all done now. It was all in the past. Now I had a question to answer. What was it again?
"Would you like me to repeat the question?" the judge asked.
"N-no," I stammered.
Focus on your mates.
Where were they? In the crowd, of course.
But I couldn't. Everyone's faces started to blur together. Two words echoed in my head.
Blood duel.
There had been blood—so much blood. Julia's blood on my hands.
It suddenly felt hard to breathe. I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to still the frantic beating of my heart. Everything started to spin. My legs gave out. The next moment I found myself on the floor. The low murmurs of the crowd changed to shouts of surprise.
Through the tears blurring my vision, I saw Edward make his way through to me from the special seats reserved for the Lycan Royals.
"Breathe, Hannah, breathe. Okay?" he said softly.
I nodded, then shook my head. I couldn't seem to remember how to breathe.
"Out of my way!" I heard Jace growl.
And then the triplets were behind Edward, who had swept me up into his arms.
'Put me down. Everyone is watching,' I wanted to say, but my lips didn't move. They only trembled.
"Why the hell did you ask that question?" I heard Chase shout.
I knew why.
They wanted to paint me as the monster.
***********
"Every Alpha was asked to submit questions for the quiz," Alpha Wallace explained. "I'm sure Dawson must have specifically prepared that one for you."
"Dawson!" Cade hissed, clenching his fists.
Alpha Wallace wasn't telling me anything I didn't already suspect. In front of hundreds of people, Dawson had found a way to still get to me, and like a weakling, I had gone to pieces.
Someone squeezed my hand almost painfully. Jace.
I was glad of the contact.
"What happened there wasn't your fault," he said.
I nodded, but I thought that maybe it was. Maybe Dawson had gotten to me because I let him. All this time I had thought of myself as a monster. I kept seeing being the white as a curse, not a blessing.
Dawson knew this, and he was trying to play mind games with me. To crush me internally.
But I was tired of all that.
This time I would embrace what I was. I was not normal, and I would stop trying to be.
"We all need to be more on our guard," Alpha Wallace said. "My private detectives brought back a report today. They are certain Dawson is planning something." He paused. "They don't exactly know what, but he plans to execute it soon. The security around Hannah will be doubled-"
"Naturally," Jace said.
"I'm tired of running and hiding behind all of you," I broke in, rising to my feet, drawing every eye in the room to me. "Attack is the best form of defence, isn't it?"
"You plan to attack Dawson?" Alpha Wallace asked, his eyes widening.
"Yes, Alpha. I think it's time I taught him a lesson he won't be quick to forget."
Chase exchanged a look with his brothers.
"How?" he asked.
"I know just how to get to him," I said.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
