The next day we were invited back to the arena for a formal announcement. I had expected that because Darius wouldn't back at just one game or accept defeat.
Neutral council representatives in black robes stepped onto the ice, their expressions stern and unyielding. The head arbitrator, an older silver-haired Alpha named Councilor Voss, raised his hand, silencing the roaring crowd.
“The single match is insufficient to settle a formal mate claim challenge of this magnitude,” he announced, his voice amplified across the arena. “Ancient pack law and the Neutral Council’s tradition require a best-of-three series. Three games. Three nights. The winner shall have the undisputed right to stand before the full council and formally claim Rhea Frost as their mate.”
A heavy silence fell over the
