Stellaluna

Tournament

Sebastian

I woke up to the glaring light of the sun blinding me. I rolled on my back and covered my eyes with my hand. Flashes of the dream I was enjoying flitted through my mind. I glanced down at the blanket, tangled in my legs and bunched at my hips, to find it tented.

Must have been some dream, Rowan chuckled.

I groaned, pushing away the memory of pale skin under my hands, glowing in the moonlight, and violet eyes.. I jumped up and took a cold shower. Even though I was a werewolf, I wondered if I'd get sick from the amount I'd been having lately.

It had been two days since we saw her at the lake that night.

Rowan was going to go to her, I wasn't sure what he'd do. But just as he'd found her he stopped. She had looked so beautiful. Rowan was suddenly nervous.

I was not! He growled, offended.

He was though. As was I. He took a step back and we watched as she snapped her attention towards us. I thought she be frightened, but she stood, facing the danger. We froze, as she changed. Glowing colors seeped from her pupils, filling her irises, one gold, one pale blue. She growled a warning at us, her teeth sharp and dangerous. Rowan was shocked. She really didn't know him. His mate was threatened by him. Was threatening him! We could feel the power emanating from her small body, as she stepped closer. He ran. He would not fight his mate.

I sighed at the memory.

You were right.. he sounded so sad and regretful.

I'm glad you came to your senses. Once we finish here, we can go around worrying about mates. Besides she might not even be our mate.

I didn't even sound convincing to myself. I drank my potion, dressed, and headed downstairs, I just needed to talk with the alpha. Today was the day. Then we could get out of this goddess forsaken s**t hole. I rounded the corner to the dining hall quickly, and promptly ran into something small. Or rather someone.

"Watch where you're going!" I growled, looking down at the small pile on the floor that bounced off my chest. The pile removed the blankets that covered her and shot up, shoving me into the wall.

I blinked as I stared down at a pair of very angry violet eyes.

"How dare you knock me over and have the audacity to blame me! You watch yourself!" She yelled, pointing a finger in my face and sending her deliciously warm, sweet scent swirling my way. "Now pick up the things you so recklessly knocked over," she scoffed, placing her hands on her hips, looking up at me. I laughed at her, which maybe wasn't the best move on my part but here was this tiny thing demanding me to clean for her? I had a foot on her, height wise, and she looked as if she expected me to be scared of her.

"I don't do that, runt." I said slowly. "Find some omega to help you do your house chores." I stepped around her and into the dining room, where everyone sat looking nervous. I glanced at the alpha only to find him glowering at me. Oh-

"F*ck!" I groaned, as I shoveled actual sh*t. The alpha assigned me to work the fields, on the other side of the compound. They actually had farmers here. Werewolves that wanted to live simple lives. I was currently loading 'fertilizer' onto a wheelbarrow. I looked over my shoulder and saw a couple of the men laughing at me. They raised cups full of lemonade at me and went back to talking. Yes, actual f*cking lemonade. Where the f*ck was I? Its like being in an old western film, I might as well whistle for Old Yeller and see if he shows up because I could not be f*cking surprised anymore. I shook my head bitterly and got back to work.

Around three in the afternoon one of the farmers came up and patted me on the back.

"You did well, kid. Glad to see you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty," he laughed. I did not find it amusing. "Well we're all done here. Might want to go clean yourself up before sparring tonight."

"Uh, what do you mean tonight?"

"Tomorrows a full moon! We spar tonight to refresh everyones training. It'll be fun! Kind of a king of the hill situation! The winner usually joins The Guard, if he isn't already in it." He laughed again and walked back to his cabin.

"They have a tournament?" I mumbled, surprised once again. I trekked my way back to the castle and took ANOTHER shower. Could this day get any worse?

——————————————————————

Evangeline

"Again!" Hypatia demanded, shoving another book my way. I had touched for just a second or two before it was ripped away. She opened it to a random page. "Page three hundred and ninety four"

I groaned, holding my head in my hands.

"Something about a full moon?" I asked.

"No. Again!"

"No I'm tired of this! That isn't how it works! I don't see words I see what's written, and live it, live the memories of the person who wrote it!" I yelled. We had been at it for hours. She was testing me in every way possible. Just slightly changing the tests in an effort to zero in on my abilities and to understand them fully. Today was particularly bad. Selene was not doing well and had moved into the library, unable to be apart from Sarge. I was bringing her blankets, pillows, and an assortment of toiletries when that a**hole ran into me. My patience was just running very thin today.

"Very well. You've seemed to have discovered how that one works quite well. Powers can change over time, so do keep an eye on it." She said, checking something off in her notebook.

"Thats all?" I asked

"Of course not, now what am I thinking." She questioned, moving on to her next series of tests.

At five in the evening, I'd had enough. Hypatia was painstakingly thorough. She was relentless! I guess getting tired was not a problem she'd had in a while. I, on the other hand, felt like I would explode if I didn't get out of that stuffy room. I left, Hypatia waving me away, and ran outside for some fresh air.

It was a chilly night, and I closed my eyes, just breathing in the scent of the calming, cool night air. Pine, fir, maple trees. I could smell the dew already coating the grass, and the faint smell of.. smoke? I looked up and saw light glowing from in the distance. I jogged over to see what was going on, and followed the growing noise and light to the training area.

Torches lit the clearing and to my surprise it seemed everyone was out, crowding around bunch of people stretching. I saw Alyssa waving at me and pushed my way to her.

"Whats all this?" I asked, curiously looking around.

"Its Sparring Night! Everyone can test their skills and have a chance to refresh their techniques."

"So everyone fights each other?" Wide eyed I looked to the children and older people in attendance. She laughed and shook her head.

"No no, we already trained together. Thats the only requirement. Now its the sparring, where anyone can test their skills against the best in the pack! The winner gets an invitation to join The Guard, but Ryders men usually win anyways. Well Flynn usually wins," she giggled, looking over at her mate with so much love and adoration. I shook myself, not in the mood right now.

"Can anyone join?" I really needed to get some aggression out.

"Yes but are you sure?" She clasped my arm worriedly, and I gave her hand a squeeze and danced my way through the crowd into the clearing in the middle, I walked up to Flynn and he smiled big.

"Please tell me I get to finally fight you," I grinned at him.

"Looks like I cant back out now," he laughed, noticing Alyssa waving and cheering for him.

He helped me stretch and told me what was about to happen. Everyone would soon be fighting all at once, trying to throw their opponents out of the circle. The smart challengers, would team up, that way they'd have a greater chance of making it to the end. I looked around the circle of about thirty men, and a few women sprinkled here and there. This would be fun. Flynn, who usually fought alone, promised to watch my back.

"See you at the end," he smiled and disappeared into the crowd. I jumped in place and took a fighting stance as the count down started. I was on the edge of the circle and saw a few men grinning at me. I needed this. I took a deep breath and remembered. Remembered why I was here, all my frustration and anger up until this point, leaving my home, Sarge, all this the training and testing and prodding I had to endure. I pictured the faces of everyone who had made me stressed or angry. Focusing it until I had tunnel vision, one thought, one goal. Tonight, I would kick a**.

A horn sounded and one of the men closest charged me, I ducked and grabbed his legs, standing up and flipping him behind me, outside of the circle. The crowd roared but it was just a dull sound in my ears as my heart beat and breathing were deafening.

Breathe in, flipped another dumb guy who tried the same thing as the last. Breathe out, deck another in the face and kick his legs out from under him.

Breathe in, someone grabbed my hair from behind and pulled my head up. It was Thomas.

Breathe out, I grabbed the back of his neck and jumped, pulling my legs up and over him, wrapping them around his head and using my momentum to twist my body and throw him to the ground, catching myself before I fell.

He stood up and someone else tried to hit me. I dodged their punch and pushed him at Thomas before running and kicking the guy in the chest with both feet, pushing both outside the circle.

I ducked, dove and jumped. This was a dance, and I knew the number by heart. Two men ran at me from opposite sides and I dropped, doing the splits, and rolling out as they collided. The number of people left in the ring was quickly dwindling, giving me more space to work in. A woman appeared before me. Tall, thin, highlighted blonde hair cut in a bob. She smiled with perfectly straight white teeth, but her blue eyes were cold and calculating. She moved lightning fast and had me on my back.

"I've been trying to meet you for a while now" she laughed. I remembered her, she was one of the visitors. Here to study the kingdom and help train the people with new techniques since all the territories had been attacked, Alyssa had told me.

I threw her off and jumped up, but she landed on her feet like a cat. I suddenly felt arms around me holding me to someones chest. The woman ran and jumped, fist out to knock me out, when she jerked to the side and was thrown out of the circle. I wasted no time, grabbing my wrist and throwing my elbow back striking my captor in the stomach and was released. As I fell I grabbed his arm and spun, now holding it behind his back. I pushed it up and he yelled in pain. I threw him out of the circle and saw it was another of the visitors. Flynn stood smiling and gave a bow, and I knew he had helped me with that woman.

I turned away and immediately faced one of Ryders men. He was BIG. I looked all the way up at him and laughed a bit nervously. He raised his eyebrow and picked me up by my shoulders, my feet swinging in the air. Aha! I smiled evilly and swung my legs back before jumping off his chest, grabbing his arms and sending him flying behind me, out of bounds. I groaned a bit, having landed pretty hard in the dirt, and turned around only to see Flynn fly out onto the crowd. There was only me, and Flynns assailant. He turned around and all of a sudden I wasn't hurting anymore. My anger flared once again, seeing his annoying disrespectful face. I cracked my neck and stepped towards him, Sebastian, Ryder had told me. He cautiously moved with me, as we circled each other.

"How were the fields?" I smirked. "Still smell like sh*t?" His eyes darkened at my taunts, a scowl marring his face. "Maybe next time you wont be so rude to strangers," I continued. I didn't tell Ryder to send him there, but I sure as hell had a good laugh when he told me, and again when I saw him walk through the halls covered in feces.

"You're no stranger, you're just a lowly, disgusting little rogue." He murmured in a low gravelly voice.

"Yet there I was in the castle perfectly clean, and there you were doing hard labor. Oh you missed a spot," I teased, pointing to my hair where he really did have a chunk of something stuck in his dark brown locks.

He growled and ran at me, but I spun away laughing, like a matador teasing a bull. It was like the crowd faded away and it was just us. He turned around and glared at me. He laughed and slowly walked up to me.

"You think you're so funny. Tell me, is this the peak of your sad, lonely existence?" He mocked.

I threw a punch but he blocked and grabbed my arm, pulling me closer.

"I can't imagine the life of a rogue being a happy life. No home, no family, no friends, no place to belong," he whispered. I kneed him in the balls, making him drop in front of me.

"You know nothing about me. I don't know what your problem is but leave me alone." I said, staring into his emerald eyes. There was something about him.. but I didn't like the confusing feeling I got looking into his eyes. I punched his face, and he fell over. As soon as the connection broke, the sound of the world came rushing back. I looked up and Flynn, Alyssa and Ryder were at my side, as well as the test of the crowd now cheering for me.

"That was incredible!" Alyssa squealed,

Everyone congratulated me and Ryder gave me a hug. "You were amazing Evangeline! And as is customary, you are invited to join my Guard." He exclaimed proudly.

"Your guard? As in join your pack?"

I felt a bit dizzy, all the strenuous activity and the adrenaline suddenly hitting me.

"Woah are you okay? You don't have to we just offer it-"

But his words were drowned out as the sound of blood rushing in my head filled my ears, and my vision went dark.