They arrived at the arena for the final day of the competition, to hear the announcement that the entire Crescent Blood Moon Pack had resigned and forfeited all their remaining matches and left. That a new schedule for the divisions was now being drawn up, that it would take some time.
Mala turned and looked at her Alpha questioningly, he said nothing at all, just shrugged it off. She highly doubted that he knew nothing about it. He and his Beta had disappeared last night, after he’d handed that envelope to his brother, during the day.
That man’s sudden withdrawal of his pack was not expected, not if he came here every year to fight. So, whatever had gone on between her Alpha and his brother, combined with that envelope, had affected today’s events. It could well have been a formal warning, that they were going to declare war against the man’s pack over the Luna’s death.
Something he clearly had no idea about. It could have been that Aston and Simon actually dealt with the man and his pack was now without an Alpha. She had no idea, and he was giving nothing away either. Whatever had happened, was between him and his brother.
She was dead certain there had been a meeting of some sort between the two brothers last night, that it was likely to have started with the accusation of Raymond’s Luna killing Aston’s Luna, something Raymond had no knowledge of, didn’t, it seemed, know his mate at all.
Mala turned her attention back to the arena. There was a lot of chatter about the sudden withdrawal of the Crescent Blood Moon Pack. Lots of people were wondering why, many things were flying about the room.
They all sat waiting for the new divisions to be sorted out, it took an hour for them to come out, and in that hour, she found Ben’s hand in hers, his fingers interlaced with hers, smiled up at him to see him looking right across the room, felt his lips touch her hand, knew what he was doing.
Displaying that they were together, he had taken great pleasure in pinning her to the bed this morning and attaching his lips to her neck, just above her mark spot and kissing her deeply and long, there was currently a very dark hickey on her neck in full view of everyone. Not even Suki had healed it.
She’d tried to fend him off, but he’d laughed and said “Oh, come on. I like how angry he looks every time I touch you.” He thought it was very funny apparently, and he didn’t seem to care about the things their Alpha did.
She didn’t really pay Hudson any attention, kept her eyes off of him and his pack, unless they were fighting, so had no idea how he reacted to Ben’s touching of her, didn’t really care at all, he was not their mate anymore and she was not his. She was free to sleep with anyone she wanted to.
Finally, the new divisions were up, 32 fighters had been reduced to 25 with the exit of the Crescent Blood Moon Pack, and an even number of fighters was needed to make it a fair competition. Four divisions were reduced to three and that fourth division which they removed was Ben and Laun’s, it only had five remaining fighters left in it.
Ben was automatically pushed to the final as he had the most points in his division, had pipped Jet by all of one point. Mala was happy with that, as was Ben, and that then left them with even numbers to continue on with the challenge. The remaining four fighters were divided up and placed into the other three divisions to make up the numbers.
Jet had looked ticked off about that, but Ben had sat next to her and smiled happily “I’ll be nice and rested for the final fight.” He chuckled.
Mala smiled at him “And I’ll get to take on Jet myself.” Was happy about giving that man a beat down, had beaten him one on one many times, didn’t see why she wouldn’t be able to do it again. Was looking forward to giving him a beating if he could make it to the final two of her division.
Wasn’t matched with him right away, they had slotted him into where Raymond had been. A pity, she could have gotten rid of him early on, and made him sit and watch her win every match afterwards, just like the last time they’d been here. When he and his Alpha had lost, and it was just her left.
She was itching to rub it in their stupid faces, that she was still the best warrior out here. That because they had treated her so badly, that she had rejected the pack, even after she’d gotten her wolf, making them lose the best fighter in their shitty pack. That it was their fault she’d left.
Looked at Jet and smiled right at him as she stood before him, as the two of them faced off together in the last match for their division. They had both made it through. Now it was just her verses him. “You can bow out if you like. There’s no real shame in knowing when you’re already beat.”
“Isn’t there, you would know, made it to the final and came second, last time you were here if I recall correctly.”
Mala laughed “I did, at that. Designed it that way, for my own reasons.”
“Really, pray tell Tamala, what was the reason for killing yourself?”
“Do you really want me to say that out loud, might humiliate someone close to you? Tell everyone, show everyone.” Saw his eyes glaze over and laughed. He was getting told to shut the hell up, she was betting. Raised an eyebrow at him when he looked back at her.
“Just fight Tamala.” He muttered.
And she knew she was right, “There is no Tamala anymore, she was weak. I killed her to get away from a cruel, sadistic mate. Nice to meet you, Jet. The names Mala and I take no prisoners.” Didn’t care what his Alpha wanted, or that he didn’t want her to state why she had done what she did that day.
Raised both her hands and closed her fists, she took up her stance. “I’m ready, Beta, are you?”
“Yes.” He nodded “Let’s just get this over with.”
The round started and she was quick to dodge him, watched him go on the defensive and stay that way for two solid minutes, stopped and stared at him, called a time out to the referee and then looked right at Jet. “If you’re not actually going to fight me, call it now and don’t waste my time.”
“I’ll fight when I’m good and ready.” He smiled at her. “Just like you did that day.”
“Fine,” she shrugged, took up her stance and nodded to the referee to say she was ready once more again, got past his guard several times and scored a few points on him, stayed calm and didn’t let it bother her at all, she could win on points alone. If he didn’t want to fight, so, be it, everyone here would see that too. She didn’t really care as long as he lost.
It took him to the third round to get annoyed with her hits, jabbed her fingers into his pressure points where she could and heard him gasp in pain several times. Finally, he’d had enough and snapped a fist out at her to try and hit her. Mala grabbed on to it as she dodged to the side, kicked him right in the side that she was holding open, right on that lowest rib, with the very edge of her foot, heard it crack and as she yanked him down and around, slid right behind him using all her weight to pull him off guard and as he stumbled let go of him, rolled over and was on him a second later, her choke hold was good and tight.
Nothing was going to make her let go, leaned right down to his ear and murmured softly ‘Night night.” Squeezed harder, saw him tap out before he passed out “Spoil sport.” She smiled to herself and released her grip, was still on him though “You should have just fought me.” Her lips were on his ear, she clasped her arms around his neck casually. And chuckled softly like they were friends.
“Get off me.” He snarled at her and turned his head to look right at her.
Smiled right at him and on impulse leaned forward and kissed the man, softly right on the mouth, winked right at him and then got up as he’d stared at her completely shocked by what she had done.
She heard Ben burst out laughing, as Jet got up and stalked off the mat. Smiled after him as she was declared the winner and moving on to the final round, she watched that man stalk right past his very pissed-off looking Alpha, and out the arena doors.
Turned and walked back to her pack, was frowned at by Alpha Aston, but Ben was still fully amused, seemed half the pack thought it was funny, they all knew who her ex-Mate was by now, and that Jet was his Beta. She sank down next to Ben, who was still chuckling “you’re going to have them fighting each other.”
Mala shrugged “So be it, perhaps they’ll kill each other and be done with it.”
“You know Mala, I’d ask you to be my chosen Mate but…”
“Don’t do it, I’d disappoint you, besides Ben, if you’re off the market, who’s going to sate all the needs of the other she-wolves you have.” Winked right at him. “Thanks though.”
He laughed softly, Mala wouldn’t do that to him, he would make some lucky she-wolf happy one day. She wanted him to find his Goddess Gifted Mate, seeing as he was not rejected like the rest of them were. Banished and turned rogue for challenging his brother who’d been the Delta in his old pack, had lost to him and been kicked out for disrespecting the pack and its chain of command or something like that. He’d mentioned it only once.
Mala looked up at the remaining four on the leader board; Ben, Hudson and a guy named Billy from the Hunters Moon Pack. Everyone was allowed to go eat and rest up. But was asked to come back one hour prior to the final fight. She and Ben had the odds to win, could team up against the other two and take them down, one at a time.
They trained together all the time, knew how each other fought, what their strengths and weaknesses were, spent their break discussing tactics on how to win, had no idea if Hudson would team up with this Billy guy, or if they would try and separate her and Ben and try to take them down one on one. She could beat Hudson, and he knew it, so she thought he was likely to try for Ben.
Ben smiled at her and said “Let him, get a shock, he’s likely looking to give me a beating for all my touching of you, he doesn’t so much like it. That is a given, Mala.”
She didn’t care what he liked or did not like, she did not belong to him anymore.
They arrived one hour prior like all the others, noticed some of the other packs had up and left. Now they were out completely, they didn’t care to stick around to find out who won. Others were curious.
She could hear quite a bit of chatter about The Hollow Moon Pack, that no-one even knew where it was situated, what type of pack it was. That they had arrived and surprised everyone with the strength and skill of their fighters, that for such an unknown pack to come in and just dominate was practically unheard of.
This was actually what they wanted other packs to think and feel, that they were strong and highly skilled, it would be a deterrent to any thinking about attacking them. If they could find the pack first, that was.
Sat and waited, Ben’s arm draped along the back of her chair as it was announced that they would all get to sit and watch the remaining four competitors' highest ranking fight, if they had fought here before. She had but as Tamala Lucas from The Glimmering Moon Pack.
It was likely she would get to see Hudson up there on the screen. It seemed that he and his pack came to this challenge every year. She knew nothing about Billy, so that would be good if he’d fought here before.
Ben shook his head, indicating that he’d never fought here till now. Mala was not expecting to see herself up there. She had a different name now, and it was a very long time ago. She had no idea if they had even filmed the fights that far back.
They got to see Billy’s fight first. He had never made it to the final, was one step away, he was a good fighter, and the year of his best fight was just last year. He would be happy with his increased ranking, as would his pack, she imagined. Watched as he fought a wolf she didn’t know and neither won by knock out, won by points, and there was a real battle only one point between them in the end.
Hudson’s fight came up next. Two years ago, he ranked in the top four and came first. Watched him fight, the man himself looked angry the whole time. Using that anger to help him hit harder, it appeared to her, he didn’t rest, just took down one and moved on to the next, like nothing could stop him, driven by something it seemed, though she did not know what. Expected that to be it.
But then there she was at eighteen. Mala had never seen her fight, just remembered it, the pain and determination, the words she’d yelled out about her old pack, wondered if they would cut that out of this.
“This will be interesting.” Mala heard Aston state. She’d never talked about this to anyone, never told her tale to anyone at all.
The footage actually started with her pulling off the top half of her Gi and letting everyone see the bruises and marks on her body, as she stepped up in just her pants and a crop top. Heard herself state she was wolf-less and injuries could kill her.
“Sweet Goddess.” Ben murmured, sounding a little horrified.
“Wolf-less at the time, remember.” She murmured right back.
She saw herself make the decision not to fight, watched herself defend only and go down for the first time, it was not pretty to watch herself get beat by the three of them like that.
‘you’re throwing the match.’ Ben mind-linked to her.
‘yes, I did.’
‘Why?’
‘Look at her Ben. They’re wolf marks. No wolf allowed in the arena, those marks, they would only get worse if she went back.’
Felt his hand on her arm ‘He, did that to you?’
‘To her, she no longer exists. I killed her myself. You’ll see it.’ Knew everyone here was going to see it. She had experienced it but not seen it.
They all heard Hudson yell at her to fight.
Watched on as blood burst from her own mouth and down she went a second time. Everyone here in the arena today, including her, heard Hudson and his wolf. She now realised roar her name. She hadn’t known it was both of them at the time, been in too much pain at the time, though she did smile at the sound of it.
All of them watched as the referee told her she was done. Heard her state 'no I’m not' and laughed, kind of sounded like a crazy person, sat up and spit blood out, turned and looked right at Hudson. To Mala’s surprise, the footage showed him, being held down by his entire unit as he stared at her. The camera moved back to her as she got up. It took a full minute, she now realised, every one heard Hudson try and forfeit the match and her clear refusal.
Then the way she yelled about hating all of them, hating her pack, his pack.
Mala could feel eyes on her now, then her declaration that she would stand and fight to the end. They all knew it meant she was willing to die out there. Saw that referee speak directly to her into her ear and her not so quiet answer “No, I’m his punching bag.” Hadn’t realised at the time, she’d used a hand to indicate the wolf marks on her own body.
Mala turned her eyes to Hudson who now, sat across the room from her, found his eyes right on her, raised an eyebrow at him as if to say 'What don’t you recall what you did?' Actually, saw his eyes fall away from her and couldn’t hold her gaze when face with what he had done to her it seemed, what he’d made her do to herself in order to escape him.
Moved her eyes to Jet, saw him sigh heavily, he’d known what she was, allowed everything to happen. She wouldn’t be half surprised if he stood outside the hotel room door and listened to it all. It’s what he normally did, protect the man even when he was fucking someone.
She turned her eyes back to the screen, she was fighting now and winning, Mala was here, watched herself step right into that hit and go down, saw the referee on her in an instant, checked her pulse and yelled for a medic, then it was gone from the screen.
Felt a hand on her shoulder, knew it was Aston ‘If you don’t want to fight today, leave it to Ben.’ He mind-linked to her.
‘I’m fine, that girl is dead.’
‘I know’ he commented, and released her shoulder.
All their names were called one by one and both she and Ben got up and stepped up onto the floor, as did Billy and Hudson, heard a low growl come from Ben “Don’t bother Ben, it was a long time ago.” She told him.
The referee stood and reiterated the rules to them all, looked right at her and smiled “You’re willing to fight this time.” He commented.
“I am.” She stated simply “With all I have the entire time.”
Saw him step back and hear Billy state “You and I should team up.” As he looked at Hudson.
“It won’t help, she’s trained him for nine years.” Hudson replied right back. “They will be in sync on everything they do.”
He was not wrong in that and her and Ben’s game plan was to tag team their opponents, allowing no rest for either of them. Heard the referee count it out and it was on. Billy shot forward towards Ben and as he dodged Ben's first hit, Mala attacked the man, a flurry of hits to his lower back. Then as he turned from Ben to look at her, Ben stepped in to attack him.
The man got beat every time he turned to defend himself, went down but was not out, left him there to pick himself up and she and Ben turned right to Hudson, who at this point had done nothing at all, stood watching as all.
Both she and Ben shot forward to attack him. He dodged Ben’s hit but couldn’t hers at the same time, and then they were on him. She saw Billy getting up, he was watching them, Hudson had told him he didn’t want to team up. But she knew he would want to get them off guard and separate them.
She wasn’t the only one to see him though. She watched as Hudson grabbed the man and used him as a shield from Ben and then stepped away, to watch him take the hit Ben had aimed at Hudson, had a bone to pick with him it seemed.
Mala shot round Billy, smashed an elbow between his shoulder blades and left him to fight Ben, turned and looked right at Hudson as he took a step away from her. It didn’t look like he wanted to fight her. Why? She wondered he’d taken great pleasure in doing so for the two years she’d been wolf-less inside his pack, what was different now.
Watched him go on the defensive, much like Jet had in his and her fight, like she had in her last final fight. It did not stop her from attacking him and finding a gap in his defences and fully exploiting it. Certainly, didn’t help him when Ben put Billy down unconscious on the mat and shot into their fight.
She did notice that Hudson threw punches at Ben without issue. He wanted to hit Ben it seemed, as much as Ben wanted to hit him. Would fight only Ben and not her. The man was a fool. She did not stop, and he could not defend himself from her while Ben was trying to beat the hell out of him.
He went down on one knee, and she watched as Ben’s foot snapped out at him, right towards his face, Hudson rolled out of the way and even before he could get up, both her and Ben were on the move. She slammed a fist right into his side as Ben hit him right in the lower back.
Watched as Hudson staggered under the weight of both of them hitting him at the same time, saw Ben lock him into a choke hold, Mala moved round and hit him two quick hits to his solar plexus, heard the man expel air as she winded him, and saw Ben’s grip tighten.
Watched as Hudson lost consciousness and Ben let him go, glared down at him like he wanted to beat him some more. Walked over to Ben and put a hand on him, Hudson wouldn’t be out long being an Alpha Wolf. “Leave it, he lost.”
The Hollowed Moon Pack was declared the winner and she and Ben walked away, back to their pack. Everyone was smiling at them, they were high-fived and clapped on the back.
Though Mala was disappointed that Hudson would not fight her, that was his choice to go out that way, he’d known he was not going to win, never had been able to, not against her, though he’d tried damn hard to take a piece of Ben.
Alpha Aston went up and accepted the first and second place certificates on behalf of his fighters, saw him get pulled up by Hudson and quiet words were had, it was hard for her to hear with all the chatter and laughing that was going on, and other packs talking and heading out the doors.
Watched as Hudson, at first looked mad and then fully pissed off, turned and stalked away from her Alpha, he wasn’t getting his own way it seemed and didn’t like it. She looked right at her Alpha when he came back. “Don’t concern yourself Mala, I told him no and declined to tell him where the pack was.”
Frowned up at him, then nodded he would tell her if he wanted to, she couldn’t make him, he was the Alpha. Whatever had been said between them was just that, between them. Though she was curious, more than curious actually.