Chapter 9
Alora's POV
I decided to ignore my mother's last message and focus on the exam. The moderate class was up next; it was almost as big as the reserve class, but the fights went quickly. These wolves were built more for scouting than fighting but were good enough to be kept out of the reserves.
Then came the Elite class. By the time we reached the final bracket, Serenity had already placed third after defeating Matthew. It was a satisfying match to watch. Galen and Kian were so evenly matched that they finally called a tie after thirty minutes of fighting.
As they were cleaning up the arena floor for our class, Darien leaned over. "You know, it's actually good that you didn't choose Matt as your mate."
Confused, I naturally asked, "Why?"
He looked over at Matt in the medical tent, where Serenity had injured him during their fight. "Because he's weak as hell."
I laughed. It was the first time since being rejected that I felt fortunate. "I hope your mate doesn’t hate me for what I'm about to do to you," I told him.
"Just don't injure my face, and I think she'll be fine," he laughed.
"Okay, pretty boy, I'll leave your face intact...mostly," I laughed at his feigned look of hurt as he dramatically clutched his chest. "You wound me, Dr. Heartsong. How will I attract my mate if my face is messed up?" Laughing, I told him, "You'll just have to use your other...attributes." Now we were both laughing when the announcer came over the speaker.
"THE FINAL TOURNAMENT OF THE HUMAN FIGHTING PORTION OF THE TRAINING EXAM WILL BE THE ALPHA CLASS," he announced, waiting for the cheers to die down as everyone wanted to see these battles.
The board lit up with the only seven people in the Alpha class, each from one of the seven main families. I wasn't representing the Northmountains; that would be for my cousin. I had changed my name, as the Heartsong surname had ended two generations ago. I brought it back when I changed my name.
"WE HAVE SEVEN FIGHTERS IN THIS YEAR'S ALPHA CLASS. I'LL READ THE NAMES FROM LOWEST TO HIGHEST RANKING," the announcer continued. I could feel eyes on me, and when I looked over, Sarah was glaring with angry disbelief in my direction. Garrett Shadowtail, Mason Northmountain, Jamison Blackfire, Jaxon Mountainmover, Lexus Stonemaker, Darien Moonstar, and Alora Heartsong.
With each of our names read, a full-body picture was shown of us in our human form, and next to it, one of our wolves. Darien's picture showed him posed leaning against a wall with his left elbow, hand and fingers combing the longer top part of his hair back, his face tilted up, his almond-shaped, amber-colored, cinnamon-rimmed eyes sparkling with mischief.
A devilish grin showing white teeth, his other hand on his hip. His wolf was large, a black wolf with gray frosting on the tips of his fur, posed sitting with a large toothy grin on his muzzle.
My picture showed me in my favorite fighter's pose, arms up, head down, violet eyes glittering, a smirk on my mouth. I was wearing a purple sports bra and short black sport shorts, showing off my tan skin and fit muscular body, with all my dips and curves. I had to admit I looked really good in that picture.
My wolf was in an attack pose, a snarl showing all her long sharp teeth, white fur glowing, black edging the tips of her ears, the black crescent moon and star marking on her hip, the tip of her tail dipped in black. My wolf looked beautiful and fierce. This was the picture Darien had tricked me into taking, saying, "What could it hurt?"
For the first time, I felt pride in being on display, grateful that Darien had persuaded me to take it. I looked strong, and despite what my parents and sister said, I knew I was beautiful, and my wolf was absolutely gorgeous. I could feel Xena preening on the inside, proud of how her image showcased her as fierce on screen.
Beside me, Darien remarked, "Man, she looks pissed. I bet your parents are too. Yep, they are too." I looked at where Sarah was sitting, along with the rest of her group, all showing jealous fury. Then I glanced up at my parents, who were glaring at my picture. If looks alone could set things on fire, that billboard would be toast.
The screen switched to display all of us from first rank to the lowest rank. I hoped my parents were watching their status among the Northmountains diminish and lower with each passing moment, realizing they could have used me to be number one. But now that I had changed my name, it was Sarah's lack of success that would bring them down.
"Pissed is going to be an understatement. These fights also determine the future placement in the Northmountains clan's structure. Because I changed my name, Mason's family will now be top-ranked among the Northmountains. My parents have just been knocked down to the bottom," he said, looking at me with shocked eyes. "Oh, shit," he said, the smile widening on his face as he figured it out. "Now you understand why I changed my name before the exams," I said.
The first match was between Garrett and Mason, with Mason emerging victorious. The next match was Jamison and Jaxon, with Jaxon winning. Then it was Lexus and Darien, and Darien came out on top. As I was a top student, I wasn’t in the first rounds.
Mason and Jaxon fought next, with Jaxon winning. That meant he was my first opponent, and then Darien and I would fight. I stood up, stretched, popped my neck, and began making my way down to the floor, to the arena where I would be battling.
I focused on the battle, thinking of strategies and making a plan. Jaxon, like Darian and the Twins, was six foot five, with large solid muscles. He wasn't just strong; he was fast too. But then, I was too. I was the fastest.
I could use my speed to add three to five times the power behind my hits, depending on the move I used. I liked to target nerve points that deadened reflexes, momentarily crippling an opponent to land more blows for a win, not a kill.
I had different skills that I'd use for a kill. Jaxon's picture was displayed next to mine, his human form standing with legs spread, arms crossed, tan with fiery red hair. His wolf, a big red muscular brute, sat with a calm and steady look.
The wolf was only two or three inches bigger than my Xena, the biggest she-wolf in the pack, the size of an Alpha, another trait marking me as a Heartsong. My blood started to heat up, adrenaline filling my veins. I wasn't holding back today. Xena's excitement for the impending battle was palpable. We were both charged and ready to showcase our skills.
I had been training with the Alpha's Elite soldiers for years now, careful not to showcase the extent of my training. I was too competitive in a fight to not come out on top. I had been used to help train my fellow seniors.
Fortunately, my parents hadn't opened a single piece of mail or read any notice from the school in the last four years. They had missed all my college accomplishments, my name change, and my training advancement and ranking. Additionally, all my school mail had been going to the Alpha since last year, making things easier for me in the Pack High School and University.
I made it into the arena and looked up at where my parents were sitting. Their fury was palpable, but I wasn't afraid anymore. I was an adult, and the Alpha had kept them from harming my education. If they kicked me out early, I was confident the Alpha would allow me to move into the pack house early.
So, I smirked at them before turning to face my opponent, focusing solely on the battle ahead. I removed my skirt and cardigan, standing in just my tank top and capris, ready to fight.
This was going to be fun, I thought, a grin on my face.
Unknown POV
Sitting in a luxury office chair behind an antique desk in a private study at an Alpha university was an Alpha wolf nearly complete with training, looking forward to returning home to his Pack. In his hand was the most recent picture of a violet-eyed beauty.
He still remembered the bloodied and half-drowned little pup he had found near the Pack House and helped nurse back to health. He despised her parents for their abuse and had demanded her protection from his father as part of his deal for attending the prestigious Alpha training school.
Only the best and strongest wolves were trained here, and his little brother had been her best friend for a long time. He almost felt envious of their deep connection, wishing he had a similar bond with her.
His brother would send him updates, and one such update years ago had him calling his father, urging him to find a way to free her from her abusive parents. When his brother mentioned she hadn't been to school in a week, he knew something was wrong.
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