Mala sat down as directed and got up to fight when it was her turn, as did the other warriors in the pack, watched on as some of their warriors got beaten, they were down from eight to five by the end of the day.
Mala was the only one left from her pack in her division, Alpha Raymond was still there, she noted. A good thing was still going to get a piece of that man.
Lyla and Payton were still in their divisions, this could still work because Ben and Laun were also still out there in the same division together. If Ben and Laun continued to win in their division tomorrow, it would leave the two of them standing side by side and you didn’t fight your own pack.
So, two of the Hollowed Moon pack would reign and the one with the most points would wind up in the final. That was Ben. Anyone left in their pack for the final fight, would team up to win it. Two or more of them in the last fight that would be the best option.
Mala stood waiting on the line up for tomorrow’s divisions to be announced, as were all the other packs that were still here and hadn’t been knocked out completely. Several had now and were already gone from the fight arena headed home didn’t need to be here, some though were knocked out, were sticking around out of pure curiosity. To see whose pack was going to win.
She saw her first match up of tomorrow. She smiled, she was up against another member of the Crescent Blood Moon Pack, Alpha Raymond was up there himself on the opposite side of the tier as long as they both continued to win, she would get to fight him. Turned and looked right at the man himself. Smiled right at him, couldn’t wait to fight that bastard. He did not smile back at her, didn’t show any real emotion at all.
She was glad it was going to come down to her and him, didn’t care that Aston had no grudge against his actual brother, that packs Luna had hurt and rejected her Alpha, then had so callously taken out their Luna, and why, because she didn’t want him to have another, didn’t want him to be happy when she got to be, when she rejected him.
She saw Ben and Laun’s tier line up with Jet’s, knew that Ben could bring him down, she knew how Jet fought, would discuss that with Ben himself so he knew what to expect if he was matched up with the Beta. It would not have escaped Jet's sense of smell that Ben was Delta blooded, he would think he was stronger.
But Ben fought like she did, had the same skill set, had taken to her training and become damn good at it. As long as he didn’t lose control and kept his guard up he could beat Jet like she had been able to all them years ago. It would also help that Ben was covered in scar tissue and some of his body didn’t register pain at all, some of his nerves had been severed. It meant he could take hits to certain parts of his body and feel nothing at all. She’d found that rather annoying when first training with him. Ben had found it amusing, still did in fact.
Lyla was over in Hudson’s division, though his pack was winning over there, he still held half that division in his pack. Four of them lined up at the time, if they all won that first fight that was it, he’d pass right to the final. He held the most points up on the board.
Lyla was good and strong, and Mala believed she could take down the opponent she had been matched up with, which could see her pitted right up against Hudson himself. Wondered if Lyla was good enough to take on Hudson. She was an elite warrior. It was always possible. Would have to wait and see.
Payton had one from each of those packs in her division, she would be fine, she thought. Though she was going to sit down and discuss strategies tonight with all of them. She asked Simon to take photos of the division line ups as well, so that they could sit and try to figure out who was likely to win and each of those fights and attempt to see who was going to be in the final.
She was not planning on losing tomorrow, come hell or high water, she was going to be in the final two of her tier, and she was going to bring Alpha Raymond down hard, didn’t concern her much past that. She was here; their whole pack was here to have a piece of The Crescent Blood Moon Pack. No other pack that was here, was of any concern to her. Likely not to any of them.
They were headed out of the arena and almost to their pack cars “Tamala, Raymond is a vicious man. You need to be careful tomorrow.” It was Hudson.
Gritted her teeth, why the hell couldn’t that man just stay away from her? She stopped walking and turned to face him, had yet to say anything directly to him. Looked right at him “Tamala died at 18. No longer exists, I killed her. Mala is my name, and I am of no concern of yours. Leave me alone.”
Saw him blink, seemed shocked by her words.
“The Hollowed Moon Pack does not fraternize with other packs.” She reiterated her own Alpha’s words, moved her eyes to Jet “Get your Alpha out of my face before he loses his face. My claws are sharp and itching to be drenched in someone’s blood.” Turned and walked away from him like she always had.
There was silence on his end, her threat had been clear, she would kill him, it would not be lost on him or his Beta, for that matter. Jet likely should be the one running that pack, had more common sense in his little finger than his own Alpha had, always did have.
Mala got in the car and stared out the window, saw Dain looking at her as they drove away. He was no different to the rest of them, had turned on her just like they all had, her whole family had. It still hurt sometimes, but there were no tears.
Mala had never shed a single tear, there was nothing there inside of her sometimes, she could be so cold and emotionless when needed. Could feel the pain of their past, the ache inside their chest of all that had happened to them, but that was it. There were no tears.
She would never cry, not ever. Pain was their life, so enduring it was all one could do, lived with it, was used to it. Could dismiss it most days, burry it way down deep and forget about it, ninety percent of the time.
Unfortunately, here, there were too many memories, it was constantly keeping her emotional pain in the background, and it was what fuelled her words and aggression towards all here in the arena. She couldn’t, it seemed, push it down and away, keep it buried, with her old pack here. With another pack that had cruelly and without warning attacked hers, in the most underhanded way possible.
Closed her eyes and just tried to shut it all out, close it all down. It did help to be away from both those packs at the hotel, helped a lot actually. “I’m hungry.” She stated as they got out of the car at their hotel. Even though there were other wolves here, neither of these packs concerned her.
“We’re all hungry Mala, it’s been a long day. Go up shower and change, I’ve already booked a table, everyone go shower and rest a little, be down here in 45 minutes for dinner.” It was Simon.
No-one argued with him, her eyes fell on Alpha Aston. He was frowning down at his phone, she didn’t like it, mind link to the Beta ‘Don’t let him go and see his brother alone.’
‘That is of no concern to you Mala.’
‘It will be if he dies.’ She shot right back and stalked away from him. Their Alpha had no heir. Hell, none of his unit had an heir. If something happened to their Alpha, who was in charge would come down to a vote, it wouldn’t be Simon if he let the Alpha die on his watch.
A vote, or the council would step in and appoint a new Alpha themselves, hand pick someone, she didn’t like that thought at all. Alpha Aston was a good Alpha, she had never met and Alpha so kind and caring, to start a pack like he did. Name it for what it was even, kept it quiet and everyone inside it safe, until the council had ruined that.
She had that long hot shower, stood there under the water and let the hot steady stream ease her aching muscles. She’d had sixteen fights today and was tired, recalled being this tired once before, she was going to sleep peacefully tonight though, unlike last time. Before the final fight. Shook that thought off, did not want a trip down memory lane.
They all ate dinner, lots of food was eaten. Most of them ate a solid four-course meal, they chatted amongst themselves, kept the topic light because there were other packs in this restaurant. Once again, many looked at them, they were a relatively new pack to the wolfen world and not many knew anything about them, only those whose mating balls they’d been made to go to and then their knowledge would be bare minimum at best.
Sat and listened to her pack talk about what they were going to do when they got home, most were going to hit the hot springs for a full day of relaxation, were tired and wanted a nice way to wind down. The pack had two natural hot springs, one small and private and the other was quite large and could see a dozen wolves lazing about in it relaxing at any given time.
Once dinner was finished, they headed back to Ben’s room to strategize for tomorrow. She noted that Aston and Simon excused themselves and didn’t like it. She wasn’t the only one to frown either. But it was not up to them what the Alpha did or who he met with.
It was nearly 11pm when she crawled into her bed, found Ben with her again. Although he like her was tired it seemed, just pulled her body into his and said ‘good night’ it was a bit weird to be in bed with him and not have sex. They’d never done that before. Just sleep next to each other.
But he was a good wolf and likely just trying to help her piss her ex-Mate off, they would stroll into the area tomorrow smelling like each other, as they had done this morning, though they had been better behaved during the day. Ben had kept his hands to himself for the most part.
Only stretched him arm along the back of her chair when they happened to be sitting next to each other, and only once had she felt him twirling his fingers in her hair, only had to be warned one time verbally by Aston, to knock it off, when she’d gone to sit down after her fourth fight and found Ben yanking her onto his lap, to kiss her fully on the mouth.
She’d not known why, but had seen him simply smirk afterwards, as she’d tried not to laugh, they’d both been chastised by Aston, she’d not even known Ben was going to do it. It came as a complete surprise to her, but she had kissed him back. Purely on instinct, for when he did that inside the pack, it usually led them to heading off to have sex. Usually it meant he was horny. She just responded to it the way she normally would.
But the look on Ben’s face that smirk had told her something else was going on, she knew he was in Jet’s division. Wondered if the man had said something to him while he’d been fighting or pulled him aside while she’d been off fighting, and he’d not taken kindly to it. Had decided of his own accord to respond to said words, in a way that would show him, he didn’t care. Mala was his woman.