Chapter 240

Chapter 240
Hazel's POV

As Skylar's eyes began to change, I felt Lupa surging forward within me almost simultaneously. The sensation was like electricity crackling just beneath my skin.

Looking around the table, I noticed Grace's eyes flashing with the same golden glow that mirrored in my own.

Three Guardians, our powers awakening in perfect synchrony.

The dining hall fell completely silent. Every wolf present could feel the Guardian energy filling the room—wild, ancient, and overwhelmingly powerful.

Several Alphas inhaled sharply, their expressions transforming from mere curiosity to unmistakable greed as they realized what they were witnessing.

William, Ethan, and Steven immediately positioned themselves protectively beside us, their stances wide and threatening.

The message was clear: they were ready for war if necessary.

"You think you know what you're facing?" William suddenly roared, his voice reverberating through the hall with Alpha authority.

The tension in the room was suffocating, like a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest spark. I could see several Alphas calculating their odds, weighing the potential reward against the risk of challenging three of the strongest packs simultaneously.

Before the situation could escalate further, one of the tournament Elders rose from his seat, his weathered face grave.

"Alphas," he announced, his voice carrying above the tension. "No one will attempt to take your mates from you. This is a competition, but a friendly one. Your mates are marked—everyone can smell your scents on them." He gestured toward us. "Observant wolves have already noticed that three females will be competing on Alpha Day. Some may have assumed they were Alpha females, but now everyone understands that Guardians will be stepping into the arena." He clasped his hands together firmly. "Now, let's finish our lunch and continue with the tournament."

His words seemed to break the spell. The suffocating tension gradually dissipated as wolves returned to their meals, though I noticed many still casting furtive glances our way.

Ethan guided Skylar back to our table, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist, his eyes never leaving Alpha Leander. Only when they were seated did I hand Skylar back her son, who immediately began tugging at her hair, completely oblivious to the drama surrounding him.

Grace leaned forward with a mischievous smile.

"We looked pretty badass just now, especially with William's dramatic declaration."

We all burst into laughter, the remaining tension finally dissolving.

After lunch, the wolves whose warriors were still competing returned to the arena. The rest either went to watch or shifted to wolf form for an afternoon run to decompress. By four o'clock, the competition had narrowed to the top 100 warriors. All three of our packs still had fighters in the running.

By six, that number had dwindled to fifty. Some of William's and Ethan's warriors had been eliminated by our fighters, though several impressive warriors from other packs remained in contention. By eight, only ten fighters remained standing—five from our pack, three from Ethan's, and two from William's. Every other pack had been eliminated.

At ten, the battles finally concluded. Our warrior Joseph claimed first place, and Steven and I exchanged a knowing glance—he would be our Lead Warrior when we returned home. Ethan's warrior took second, and William's fighter secured third.

Both Ethan's warriors and ours earned extra points for one-hit victories and for continuing to fight despite injuries.

When the first day's competition ended, Wayward Home Pack and Wildfire tied for first place, with Silver Moon close behind in second.

For a pack that hadn't even existed six months ago, our performance was nothing short of miraculous.

Throughout the day, I'd been observing my father. The toddler I'd glimpsed yesterday was indeed his son. I also saw his mate—younger than him but older than me, probably in her early twenties like Skylar. That meant my father was old enough to be her father.

I couldn't help but wonder if she had willingly mated with him or if she'd been pressured by her family.

As I watched him interact with his pack, I noticed details that my childhood self had missed.

Back then, I didn't understand what made a good Alpha. My father was strong and always insisted on demonstrating his power and dominance to the pack.

As a child, I thought that was right.

But now, as a Luna mated to a powerful Alpha, I understood: truly strong Alphas who care for their packs don't need to constantly prove themselves. When you've earned respect, your pack accepts your leadership and trusts you to do what's best for them. They don't continuously challenge you or force you to repeatedly establish your position.

That's what I observed now—his pack didn't trust him, which meant they didn't respect him.

I wasn't sure if this had developed after my mother and I were banished, or if it had always been this way.

A child's perspective is certainly different from an adult's.

I also spotted Stephen, the wolf who had let my mother leave all those years ago. I needed to find a way to thank him—if he hadn't allowed us to go, I probably wouldn't be alive today.

When we returned to our cabins that evening, our warriors were celebrating their impressive showing. Steven and I visited with everyone, ensuring none had been harassed by members of their former packs. There had been some approaches earlier in the day, but once word spread about the three Guardians present, most troublemakers decided to keep their distance.

The next day, with none of our members competing, Steven officially offered Joseph the Lead Warrior position, which he accepted with pride.

Day two featured 1,790 participants—roughly half of yesterday's numbers, but the battles would be even more intense. We watched the first two rounds before heading to lunch.

When we returned, I noticed a commotion near one of the paths.

Soren stood protectively in front of Junia and Ondine, who were being mocked by another wolf.

"We're sprites!" Junia protested, her tiny voice barely audible over the larger wolf's laughter.

I could smell that he was a Beta, and his words were growing increasingly hostile.

"Whatever you are, I don't know which pathetic pack you belong to, but you should crawl back there before I use you as fish bait!"

I was about to step forward when I saw Grace appear behind the Beta.

"Are you insulting a sprite and my guest?" she asked, her voice deceptively calm.

The Beta turned, the sneer still fixed on his face. When he saw Seraphina's golden glow in Grace's eyes, a flash of fear crossed his features.

"Gu...Gu...Guardian," he stammered, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously.

"Or perhaps you were threatening the mate of my sister's warrior?" Skylar approached from the other side, her eyes also glowing with Guardian power.

"No, no, not at all..." he stuttered, backing up until he hit the wall behind him.

Grace and Skylar effectively cornered him.

"Maybe you need a lesson in manners, Beta," Grace emphasized his rank with deliberate disdain.

"We were just joking around, right?" The Beta attempted to explain, his voice cracking.

"That guy is an embarrassment to Betas everywhere," Steven muttered beside me.

"I've always said you had Alpha blood," I told him, watching the tense standoff. "You're more Alpha than Beta."

"I agree with Hazel," Ethan added, his eyes never leaving Skylar. "No Beta would have lasted that long in my dungeon."

"Sometimes Betas are descendants of Alphas—second or third sons, perhaps—but people forget over time," William commented, similarly watching Grace with intensity.

We watched as Grace and Skylar reduced the Beta to a trembling mess.

I wasn't entirely sure, but I suspected he might have wet himself from fear.

When he finally slunk past us, Steven grabbed his arm, stopping him. "You're from The Blackwood Pack?"

The Beta glanced between Steven and me. "That's right."

Without warning, Steven delivered a powerful punch straight to his face.

"That's from Christopher. He sends his regards."