Alpha Tyrone is a Girl

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FOUR

My head was spinning. "Clothes off?" I repeated, my voice barely a whisper. I glanced around at the sea of young men surrounding us. They all looked just as surprised and confused as I felt. Had I misheard him? Surely not.

"Did he just say... clothes off?" Ben asked, his eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline. Liam just stared at the older man, his mouth slightly open.

Mathew turned to me, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Ty, did you... did you hear that right?”

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly feeling dry. "Yeah, I... I think so." My mind was racing. How was I supposed to do that? There was no way I could just take off my clothes in front of all these people. My secret would be out in an instant.

'Oh, no, oh, no, oh, no,' my wolf whimpered in my head, a wave of panic washing over me.

"But... why?" A voice finally managed to ask, it was laced with confusion. "What does taking our clothes off have to do with a test?”

The older man's gaze swept over the crowd, a hint of impatience in his eyes. "Are there any deaf among you? I said, clothes off. Now. This is the first test of your willingness to follow instructions and your confidence. Don't waste my time with foolish questions." His voice was stern and left no room for argument.

A nervous murmur rippled through the group. Some of the boys started hesitantly reaching for their shirt hems, while others still looked completely bewildered. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. This was a disaster.

"Um... sir?" I began, trying to keep my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "Is there... is there a reason for this? I mean..." I trailed off, not knowing how to phrase my concerns without sounding suspicious.

The older man's sharp eyes locked onto mine. "You have a problem, boy?" His tone was cold and challenging.

I could feel the stares of the other young werewolves on me. Ben and Liam were looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and concern, while Mathew's expression was a mask of worry.

'Think, Tyana, think!' my wolf urged. 'We need an excuse, and we need it now!’

My mind raced, desperately searching for a plausible explanation. "Well, sir," I stammered, trying to sound like a nervous young boy. "It's just that... I, uh... I have this rash. It's not contagious or anything, the healer said it's just... sensitive. So, I was hoping I could maybe keep my shirt on? Just for this part?" I cringed inwardly at how weak and unconvincing I sounded.

The older man's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me intently. "A rash, you say?" He took a step closer, his gaze piercing. "Let me see."

My breath hitched in my throat. There was no way I could let him see. "Oh, no, sir, it's really not a pretty sight," I said quickly, trying to back away slightly. "It's all red and blotchy. You really wouldn't want to see it.”

He stopped, his expression still skeptical. "Alright," he said slowly, his eyes still fixed on me. "But if I see you have so much as a single mark on your skin, you'll be out. Understood?"

"Yes, sir! Understood perfectly," I said quickly, relief washing over me in a small wave.

Mathew let out a quiet sigh. That had been close.

The older man turned his attention back to the rest of the group. "Alright, the rest of you, let's go! Shirts off now! We haven't got all day."

Slowly, reluctantly, the young men around us started to remove their shirts. I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead, trying to avoid looking too closely. It was an awkward and slightly surreal situation.

'This is insane,' my wolf muttered. 'What kind of test starts like this?’

'I have no idea,' I replied mentally. 'But we just have to get through it. Just keep your head down and try not to draw any more attention to yourself.'

As the last of the shirts came off, the older man surveyed the group, his expression unreadable. "Now," he said, his voice booming again. "The Sumo is a test of balance and strength. You will be paired up, and you will attempt to push your opponent out of the marked circle. The last one standing in the circle wins. No shifting, no claws, just brute strength and balance. Understand?”

A chorus of "Yes, sir" echoed across the field. I felt a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach. I was small for my age, even for a girl. Against these bigger, stronger-looking boys, how was I supposed to compete?

Mathew nudged me gently with his elbow. "You okay, Ty?" he murmured, his voice full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Just... strategizing."

'Strategizing how to avoid getting thrown out of the circle in two seconds flat?' my wolf quipped sarcastically.

'Shut up,' I retorted mentally. 'I'll figure something out.’

The older man clapped his hands together. "Alright, find a partner! Let the Sumo begin!"

A flurry of movement erupted as the young men started pairing up. I looked around, trying to find someone who didn't look like they could snap me in half.

"Hey, Tyrone," Ben said, approaching me with a slightly hesitant look. "You... you want to pair up?”

I hesitated for a moment. Ben was definitely bigger than me, but he hadn't been completely dismissive earlier. Maybe he wouldn't go all out. "Sure, Ben," I said, trying to sound casual. "Let's do it."

Liam paired up with another boy nearby, and soon, pairs of shirtless young werewolves were facing each other, ready to compete. The older man gestured towards several large circles marked on the field.

"Pick a circle and begin!" he commanded.

Ben and I stepped into one of the empty circles. He looked down at me, a slightly awkward expression on his face. "So... uh... good luck?" he said.

"You too," I replied, trying to ignore the nervous flutter in my stomach. This was it. My first test. And I was about to face a guy who probably outweighed me by at least twenty pounds. This was going to be interesting.

Ben and I stood facing each other in the dusty circle. He shifted his weight, his bare muscles flexing slightly. I tried to appear just as confident, planting my feet firmly and focusing on my balance.

'Okay, Tyana,' my wolf whispered, her tone surprisingly calm. 'Remember what we practiced. Low center of gravity. Use their weight against them.'

'Easier said than done when they're twice your size,' I thought back, but I focused on her advice.

"Ready?" Ben asked, his voice a little uncertain.

"Ready," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

The older man overseeing our circle gave a sharp whistle. "Begin!"

Immediately, Ben lunged forward, trying to use his size and momentum to push me out of the circle. I braced myself, digging my heels into the ground and keeping my knees bent. His force was considerable, and I had to strain to hold my ground.

Instead of trying to meet his strength head-on, I tried to sidestep slightly, attempting to use his forward momentum against him. He was surprisingly agile for his size, though, and adjusted quickly. We were locked in a tense stalemate, both of us grunting with the effort.

"You're... stronger than you look," Ben grunted, his face flushed with exertion.

"You too," I managed to say between clenched teeth. He was definitely putting up a fight.

'He's relying on brute strength,' my wolf observed. 'He's not very well-balanced when he pushes.'

An idea sparked in my mind. As Ben pushed forward again, I suddenly shifted my weight and dropped slightly, ducking under his outstretched arms. He stumbled forward, momentarily off-balance. It was the opening I needed.

Using my lower center of gravity, I pushed against his side, putting all my weight behind the shove. He was caught off guard and his feet slid on the loose dirt. With a surprised yelp, he stumbled backward, one foot landing outside the marked circle.

"Out!" the older man called, pointing at Ben's foot.

A wave of relief washed over me, mixed with a surge of excitement. I had actually done it! I had managed to push someone bigger than me out of the circle.

Ben looked surprised, then a little sheepish. "Wow," he said, shaking his head. "You're... surprisingly strong for your size. And quick." He offered me a wry smile. "Good job, man."

"Thanks," I replied, trying to keep the grin off my face. Internally, my wolf was practically howling with triumph.

Liam, who had finished his own match, walked over, looking impressed. "Hey, Tyrone! Nice move! I didn't think you had it in you!" He clapped me on the shoulder.

"Yeah, well," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "There's more to strength than just size."

Just then, the older man clapped his hands again, drawing everyone's attention. "Alright, listen up! Those who won their first match, find a new partner. We'll continue until we have a few finalists.”

I looked around, trying to find another opponent. Most of the remaining boys looked even bigger and more experienced than Ben. This was going to get a lot harder.

Mathew walked over, a proud smile on his face. "You did great, Ty! I knew you had it in you."

"Thanks, Mathew," I said, feeling a surge of warmth at his praise. "But I think I just got lucky. The next round is going to be tougher.

"Maybe," Mathew said, his eyes scanning the remaining contestants. "But you've surprised them once. Maybe you can do it again. Just keep using your speed and balance."

I nodded, feeling like I wanted to try harder again. He was right. I couldn't just use strength, but I was faster and more agile, and maybe I could be smarter than them.

"Alright, Tyrone," Liam said, grinning. "Looks like it's your turn to face the 'small' guy." He gestured towards a burly young man who was looking my way with a confident smirk.

My stomach did a little flip. This guy looked like he could lift me with one hand. "Right," I said, trying to sound brave. "Let's do this.”

But then… that smell hit me, and it hit me hard. It was a rich, earthy scent, overlaid with something uniquely… mine. And the last thing I expected my wolf to growl from my mouth at that moment was, “Mate.”