Wesley landed on the arena floor and rolled limply until his back hit the stadium wall. Some of his intestines were protruding out of the rips in his stomach Alora’s claws had made. Was what Alora did a little over the top?....maybe, but did the male deserve it?...yes. The medic rushed in, and Alora was announced the winner.
There was a roar of approval from the row of Alpha Class fighters, and the row Alpha Andrew sat in shook the stadium. The Dragon Master had joined the Alpha pair in roaring their approval of Alora’s win. The power of it washed through Alora, taking with it more of the burdens upon her souls.
Alora debated on going back up to her seat or not, she was to fight in the next match as well. Instead of doing triage there on the dirt floor, the medics loaded Wesley up on a stretcher and took off with him. As soon as Wesley was off the field, her fight with Byron Northmountain was announced.
Alora turned to face Byron as he stepped up onto the fighter’s platform, the song ‘Undefeatable’ by Sega and Tomoya Ohtani featuring Kellin Quin started blaring over the speakers. Byron was only an inch taller than Wesley, and he looked like a slightly bulkier version of Wesley.
It was like Wesley and Byron could have been twins, they were both born on the same day, within moments of each other. Alora thought of the bindings made of Black Magic that had been placed on her at her birth. It made her wonder whether or not Black Magic had played a part in Wesley and Byron’s conception and birth.
Byron looked at Alora with fury, his body vibrated from it. “You had orders from our Clan Alphas to stand down!” He growled.
Alora narrowed her eyes at Byron, still in her Lycan form. “I’m my own Clan Alpha now.” She growled out. “I do not answer to the Alphas of the Frost or Northmountain Clans.” Byron snarled at her words. “I answer only to our Pack Alpha, the Alpha of Alphas.”
Byron shifted into his Lycan form. “A bitch that doesn't know her place deserves to be punished! I’ll tear you to pieces and bring you to heel!” He snarled before charging at Alora.
“Bring us to heel?!” Xena snarled at Byron, having a voice in this combined form. “I think not. It is you who will heel!” Then Alora and Xena's released their Alpha’s aura. “Kneel!” Alora and Xena combined voices commanded.
With their Alpha’s aura released, it slammed into Byron. He had no choice but to obey the command, his body coming to a jerking halt in front of Alora. Then it was like a huge gravitational force slammed him down onto his knees. There was an audible crack as both his knees broke, then Byron let out an agonized howl.
Byron would have fallen to the platform in a fetal position if he could have, but Alora’s Alpha’s aura held him in place. “Surrender!” Alora and Xena demanded in a growl.
Byron wanted to resist, but his mouth opened up and his voice howled out, “I surrender!”
The official acknowledged the surrender and the announcer called out her win. Only then did Xena retreat and Alora went back to her humanoid form, packing away her Alpha’s aura. This time her aura hovered under her skin. Only prolonged skin to skin contact would give it away.
It seemed to Alora, the more she used her Alpha’s aura, the more control she had over it. Alora made her way back up to her seat in the top row. Alora and Jamison nodded at each other as he made his way down the stairs for another challenge. Alora sat down and was immediately drawn to a conversation Mason was having with Garrett.
“The song you picked for your fight with Serenity wasn’t your usual music. How did you select that one?” Mason asked Garrett.
“Oh! Well, that’s because I didn’t pick it. When the song request comes in, down at the very bottom of the selection page, in fine print, is an option that allows your opponent to choose a song instead.” Garrett told him.
“You're kidding! You mean I could have passed the buck to my challenger this entire time!” Mason hollered incredulously.
Garrett grimaced and nodded. “Yeah.”
“I can’t believe this!” Mason said, throwing his hands up in the air then turning to glare at Garrett. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Or me!” Lexus and Jaxon demanded at the same time.
Garret shrugged. “Sorry guys, I stumbled upon it by accident after a few requests. I don't know why I didn’t think to tell anyone.”
Alora thought about the song that played during Sarah’s match to Arthur Treasuregaurd, an obviously Sarah song. Leaning closer to Darien, she grumbled. “You know, we should have suspected we could do something like that when Sarah fought Arthur.”
Darien let out a chuckle. “We should have. Even if we did, would you have really allowed someone else to pick the music for your matches?”
Alora didn’t even take a second to think before she shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t have, any more than you would have.” she responded, giving Darien a knowing look.
Jamison won his challenge and came back up in time to catch Darien throwing his head back and laughing. With a curious expression, he pointed at Darien and asked Alora “What’s all that about?”
Alora had a smile on her face. “We just found out that the both of us are music control freaks.”
Jamison was only more confused, but before he could ask anything Mason told him to “Ask Garrett.” on his way by for his next match.
Jamison shrugged and made his way to his seat next to Lexus. Lexus explained it all to him before he could ask Garrett. After Lexus got through his explanation, Alora’s words finally made sense. In the end, he turned to Garrett and said, “You still could have told us.”
Garrett let out a frustrated growl, “I already said I was sorry!”
Everyone was still laughing when Mason came back from winning his match. Garrett’s name was called over the speakers for another match. Mason smirked at Garrett’s annoyed expression and couldn’t help saying a cheerful “Good luck.” The growl he received back had him laughing with the rest of his row.
“How many more matches are left?” Lexus asked aloud.
Jaxon looked up at the screen. “Enough to keep us busy till the second to last bell of the school day. Unless we keep ending them as fast as we have been.” he added the last as Garrett made short work of his challenger.
“Sweet, the sooner we end the day the better. I’m already hungry again.” Lexus said, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes.
“We just got back from lunch not that long ago,” Jamison said with a frown.
Lexus looked at him with one eye. “Fighting and shifting takes a lot of fuel, and I’m halfway through my stores.” His tone was almost a whine.
“Quit your whining, it’s only been an hour.” Jamison told him, still frowning at him.
“Would you two lovers quit quarreling?” Garrett said as he came to sit back down in his seat. Jaxon’s name was called for the next match.
Jamison and Lexus looked at him and said at the same time. “We’re not lovers.”
Mason laughed. “Yet.”
Jamison growled at Mason. “Quiet you.”
Mason grinned toothily back. “Make me.”
Alora was looking at them with wide eyes and softly commented, “You would think for Alpha Class fighters, you all would be more mature than this.”
Darien threw his head back and laughed, while the others ducked their heads in embarrassment. “Give them a break Alora.” amusement in his voice. “They can’t be wise and sagelike all the time.”
Alora looked at Darien with a raised eyebrow. “Wise and sage-like, really?”
“What?” Darien asked, “You don’t think they could be wise and sage-like?”
A short laugh escaped Alora. “No. If we were talking about Damien, then I would use those words as a descriptor.”
“That’s not fair, we can’t all be like Damien.” Mason complained.
“No one is like Damien.” Alora responded.
Darien laughed and pushed Alora off her seat, causing her to let out a surprised squeak. Alora jumped up and snarled at Darien. “What was that for!”
Darien started to laugh harder as Alora and him entered into a slap fight. “Not so mature yourself now, are you?”
Alora froze, glaring at Darien she pointed and said, “Why you…!” Unable to think of a good response, Alora let out a disgruntled growl. Annoyed, Alora sat back down and crossed her arms under her breasts. Darien laughed at her frustrated expression, and Alora growled at him again.
Before they could get back into another argument, Darien’s name was called for a challenge. Alora smiled, and as Darien started to move past her, she stuck her foot out and tripped him. Darien stumbled into the aisle and nearly fell. Turning swiftly once he righted himself, Darien snarled at Alora. Alora stuck her tongue out at him and Darien growled in response, before turning away to go fight his match.
Alora refused to look down their row at the expressions of the classmates she had just accused of being immature.