Chapter 10: Chapter 9

Mads

 

Classes were canceled today. Instead, the competition took place in the early afternoon.

I had a stomach ache, and I felt sick. I wanted to go home. Today, I wouldn't meet Levi here, in the gorge. No. But maybe tomorrow? If I won?

I was standing with a group of fifteen-year-olds waiting for the dreaded competition to start. The gorge was large enough to accommodate such a questionable spectacle. The older wolves sat around the sporadically demarcated arena. Excited murmurs went through the ranks. Emmie, Einar, and Adahlia also sat outside of the arena, along with Alpha Ava and Beta Lifa. A simple pedestal had been set up for them.

So that was the special role for the young alpha wolves and my lovely sister. They were spectators.

One of my classmates whimpered softly. We had all taken our wolf form. Among all the other wolves, I was probably the thinnest. But at least not the smallest.

I quietly agreed with the little wolf girl. Most of us were afraid. Even the older participants. A few were optimistic about the competition. All those who had never lost.

"Pack" Alpha Alva stood up and smiled. "Today is a special day! We celebrate our big anniversary! Today our young wolves will compete in a competition! The winners can look forward to a reward presented to them by our young alpha and beta wolves! From the future of our pack! But those who lose will leave our pack in a week! Today we see who strengthens our pack! Let's get started!"

No one clapped.

I felt sick. Could I win? Could I at least convince them of myself?

We were divided into four teams to compete against each other in Wolfball. Wolfball. I couldn't stand this game...

And this should be only the first of two tasks. After that, everyone should go hunting and present their prey to Alpha Ava.

Hunting was also not one of my strengths.

First, the twenty-five to twenty-year-olds competed against each other. The game was rough and wild. But the two opposing teams did well. No one stood out as particularly bad and two wolves managed to snatch the ball from the opposing team with skill and brutality. These were declared the winners of the first round. The spectators cheered. All except my parents. My mother chewed on her fingernails. Our eyes met. She looked at me pleadingly. She wanted me to do my best.

Levi's smell was briefly in the air, but it quickly disappeared. He wanted to meet me here. But he couldn’t.

Then it was the turn of the second group. My group. The nineteen to fifteen-year-olds. I wanted to throw up. The teams had long been chosen and I looked nervously at our opponents. Some grinned maliciously at me. I trembled slightly.

Each team had six players.

I looked at my comrades-in-arms. They didn't make a better impression than I did. But there was hope in her eyes. They hoped for my, and mine alone, failure. But I wouldn't do them that favor.

I threw myself into battle. I bit, I scratched, and I tried to get to the other team's ball. No matter how tired I was after a few minutes, no matter how many times I was pushed to the ground, I stood up again. I had a goal. The ball!

I mercilessly attacked the other wolves. After some time, my mouth tasted of blood. The taste made me dizzy, but I tried to ignore it. I got closer to the ball and pushed myself between the other fighters. Then, finally, the ball was near me and I jumped.

But the girl, who had whimpered before, bit roughly in one of my legs and tore it. I fell to the ground just in front of the ball.

It hurt terribly. She pounced on me and bit my neck. Then she jumped away. As if paralyzed by pain, I couldn't get back up. The wolves of the other team trampled on me. The last thing I heard was Emmie calling my name in panic. Then I lost consciousness.

When I woke up I was lying at home on the small sofa. My mother sat next to me and stroked my hair.

"Mom? What happened?"

"You were injured in the first task", she said quietly. Tears glistened in her eyes.

Someone cleared their throat. In the room stood Alpha Ava and next to her my father, who had tears in his eyes, and Adahlia. She smiled.

"You're an Omega from now on", said the Alpha. She seemed satisfied. "You will be pleased to hear that no one else has been awarded this rank. Soldiers will come here in a week. They will temporarily bind you to themselves and then bring you to the market. Your sacrifice strengthens our pack. We thank you for that!" She made it sound like this was a great honor. As if I had volunteered for it!

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My mother shook her head. "Please don't! He can work his way up!"

But Alva shook her head. "He won't succeed. Mads? Enjoy your last week."

She was about to leave when Adahlia stood in her way with a sweet smile. The alpha raised her eyebrows. "Do you need something, my dear?"

"Alpha?" Adahlia sighed theatrically. "I'm afraid there is a risk of absconding! Mads has met with a wolf from Alpha Aksel's pack. The wolf suggested that he leave our pack and become part of the other pack. Luckily, I was able to overhear their conversation and save Mads from betrayal. But he might try to escape."

Our Alpha gave me an indignant look. "Is that true?"

I said nothing.

"Is that true?", she repeated and... She slapped me. My parents both cried out in shock. Adahlia hid a grin under her hand. Alpha Ava's smell became threatening. She demanded obedience and I couldn't resist. Her presence was too overwhelming, and I was afraid. Startled, I stared at her and nodded.

"I want you to lock him up until the soldiers pick him up. I see you later!" Her smell remained demanding. Alpha Ava growled threateningly, then she left the house. Mom wrapped her arms around me.

"I'm so sorry", she sobbed. "I wish you were spared all that!"

In the evening, when my parents locked me in my room as ordered, Emmie came to visit me. My parents unlocked the door for her, and my best friend hugged me furiously.

"Mads! Are you okay?", she asked.

"Glorious as always."

"Mads!" She wiped tears from her eyes. "I don't want to lose you! Why are you imprisoned? It's cruel!"

"I know." I sighed. "Adahlia told the Alpha about Levi. That he suggested that he could take me into his pack."

"Hm..." Emmie leaned against me, and I let her. "Adahlia is an ugly goat!... But a different pack. I'd rather see you as part of another pack, even Alpha Aksel's, than on the market. I'm meeting Levi!" She spoke very softly so that no one could hear her but me. But no one listened at the door. We would have smelled that. "I find him and tell him what happened. He means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"Really?" I blinked. "Emmie? You also mean a lot to me! More than anything in the world, but... Really? Would you do that? For me?"

"Of course!" She kissed my cheek. "Don't worry. I'll sort it out."

"But Emmie. If I don't go, then...", I protested quietly. "The soldiers will not leave the market without at least one new wolf for their hot collection."

"Hot collection?" Emmie snorted and rolled her eyes. "Still, Alpha Ava can't send you just because she doesn't want to recognize your talent and worth!"

"And if they take you?" Now it was me who cried. "No. That's not possible."

"I can take care of myself! No one takes me. Don't be silly, Mads. I'll meet your future husband." She winked at me. "But I hope you won't forget me after your wedding!"

"Thank you, Emmie!" I showered her cheeks with kisses and made Emmie laugh.

"I love you too, Mads! More than anything in the world. You won't end up in the market. You marry your Beta and be happy!"

 

(Yes, that’s what happened. Adahlia was snitching and my parents had to lock me up. It was not easy to resist an order from an alpha or beta wolf. Unfortunately. Not because it wasn't possible. It was possible, even if the smell of alpha and beta wolves demanded obedience. Again, that was something I didn't exactly appreciate about them... But that was not the reason. No. The reason was very simple. The whole pack liked to snitch when someone defied an order. – Out of the fear of being labeled as an omega. I don't know if this had happened before, but that's the way it is with fear. - And because Alpha Ava liked to make sure you did what she wanted you to do. And she wasn't exactly gracious.)

 

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