Chapter 28 Duel
Hayden
“I’m going after Adonis.”
I’d been holding back my anger towards Adonis for too long. I already knew about Phoebe’s condition, and I wanted nothing more than to deny it. I couldn’t accept sharing her.
A part of me wanted to fight the destiny the Moon Goddess had set for me. How could she bind us together like this? It felt wrong.
And with Adonis’s obsession with Phoebe, I was growing more restless. Not only was he a Lycan, but he also had a split personality. I was afraid he might hurt her.
“What are you planning to do?” Finley’s question stopped me in my tracks.
“I’m going to beat him up.” My fists were already clenched tightly. “He deserves it. He’s the reason Phoebe’s like this. He’s crossed the line.”
“Hayden, wait…”
Ignoring Finley, I stormed out of the room. The start-of-class bell echoed through the hallway as I made my way to find Adonis. My guess? He’d be in Algebra.
When I reached the Algebra classroom, there he was, standing without his glasses. Zion noticed me first, but I didn’t stop. Without hesitation, I stepped in, walked straight to Adonis, and grabbed his collar.
“Do you have any idea what’s happening to Phoebe right now?” I growled, my eyes locking fiercely onto his green ones, now unobstructed.
“Hey, Hayden! What are you doing?” Zion called out, trying to stop my hand still gripping Adonis’s shirt.
“Stay out of it, Zion,” I snapped, not breaking eye contact with Adonis. “Unless you’re siding with him and want to duel me too?”
Zion fell silent, though I could feel his tension. Meanwhile, Adonis just stared back at me with a crooked smile, completely unfazed.
“So, this is about Phoebe?” Adonis said casually, though there was a mocking undertone in his voice. “You’ve got the temper of an Alpha, Hayden, but sadly, that’s all you’ve got.”
I growled, throwing a punch at his face, but Adonis dodged effortlessly, stepping back. Zion backed into a corner, giving us space in the classroom now emptied except for the three of us.
“Alright,” Adonis said, rolling up his sleeves. “If you want a duel, let’s do this properly. Out on the field.”
Without waiting for my response, he walked out, heading toward the athletic field. I followed, my jaw clenched tight, with Zion trailing behind silently.
The sky was overcast above the practice field, adding a darker tone to the situation. Adonis stood in the middle, waiting, his confidence only fueling my anger.
“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” he said, cracking his neck in preparation for the fight.
I didn’t respond, glaring at him with unwavering determination. I knew Adonis was stronger—he was a Lycan, and I was just a Werewolf. But this wasn’t about winning or losing. It was about stopping him before he hurt Phoebe anymore.
Without warning, I lunged first, shifting into my wolf from midair. My claws almost grazed his shoulder, but Adonis dodged with incredible agility, then shifted into his Lycan form—bigger, stronger, and far more intimidating.
He retaliated with a powerful blow to my chest, sending me flying several meters back. Pain shot through my body, but I didn’t care. I got up again, ignoring the blood seeping from my side.
“Damn it, Noel! Why can’t I land a hit? He keeps blocking me!”
\[This is our first real fight, Hayden. Letting out this kind of anger is new to me, too.\] Noel’s voice sighed in the back of my mind.
I attacked again, slashing at him, this time managing to graze his shoulder. Blood trickled down, but he showed no sign of pain.
The fight escalated, each strike, claw, and impact shaking the ground beneath us. Our breathing grew heavy, our bodies covered in wounds, but neither of us backed down.
Zion stood on the sidelines, visibly anxious but not stepping in. He winced every time one of us hit the ground or bled. I knew he understood my temperament by now.
Occasionally, he’d call my name when I was at a disadvantage, like he was silently rooting for me. But being from different packs, mind-linking wasn’t an option.
As my body began to weaken, Adonis suddenly leaped with blinding speed, pinning me to the ground with a massive claw at my neck.
I shifted back into my human form, and he followed. Our hands grappled each other, refusing to let go. Neither of us would submit.
“Still want to fight? You’re just wasting your energy, Hayden,” he growled, his glowing orange eyes burning with an intimidating intensity.
Before he could do anything else, a booming voice cut through the air.
“STOP!”
Coach Cooper stormed onto the field with a group of male students. His commanding aura froze both of us in place. Adonis released me as a couple of students pulled him back. Zion grabbed me, but I shrugged him off quickly.
“What were you two thinking, fighting like this in the middle of the day?” Coach Cooper growled, his gaze shifting between Adonis and me. “Do you want to die, or worse, expose this to the entire school?”
I didn’t answer, glaring at Adonis, still seething. I wasn’t satisfied. I still wanted to break him.
“You two, to my office. Now,” he barked, his tone leaving no room for argument. “The principal will definitely deal with this.”
Adonis just smirked as if he didn’t care. I responded with a low growl, prompting another sharp reprimand from Coach Cooper. My eyes met Adonis’s, now back to their usual color.
As I walked away from the field toward the coach’s office, frustration and dissatisfaction burned in my chest. I hadn’t gotten the answers I wanted from Adonis, and now I’d have to face the consequences of my actions.
Zion stayed beside me, positioning himself between Adonis and me as we walked. He kept talking, commenting on my attitude toward Adonis. I ignored him, too caught up in my anger.
“No one can defy the Moon Goddess’s fate,” Adonis remarked after Zion finally fell silent. “Whether you like it or not, you’ll have to share Phoebe, Hayden.”
I stopped, glancing at him briefly before picking up my pace. His nonsense didn’t bother me much, but I was more concerned about what he had done to Phoebe.
“You know, Hayden?” Adonis continued, a smug grin on his face. “Phoebe enjoys my touch. The wolf inside me can feel hers, and I can sense the passion between us.”