“I’ll say, and I thought the highlight of today was seeing Alora’s legs in those shorts.” Garrett commented.
Garrett was a large male at seven foot seven, he had broad shoulders and a thickly muscled chest. His muscles were tightly packed, almost cut. He had a broad face, with a chiseled jaw and high strong cheekbones. A long straight lupine nose over a medium full mouth and a soft olive skin tone.
Garrett’s hair was a chocolate brown with a few strands of auburn. His dual colored eyes were an inner ring of pale dove gray with an outer ring of dark charcoal gray.
Alora froze, going completely still as shock ran through her at those words.
“The rules for the challenge portion are as follows. You are only able to challenge anyone, as long as they are above your rank by no more than two class levels!”
“They do look tasty.” Jamison commented.
Alora’s eyes were wide, and she refused to turn her attention away from the arena. Darien on the other hand had a smirk on his face. He was hoping Alora would now realize just how attractive she was to the males of their Pack. Not just the few assholes Sarah had gotten to harass her.
“You two do know that she is one of my Clan members, right?” Mason asked them.
“The exception is the Alpha class, only those in the top five levels of the Delta and Beta Class can challenge those in the Alpha Class!”
“See that confuses me, your Clan has really only produced pale skinned blond haired and blue eyed wolves for generations now.” Garrett said, then asked, “So how is it that your generation has a caramel colored Goddess?”
“Every student who wishes to challenge another to move up in rank will need to open their student portal app…”
“I have wondered about that myself.” Jamison commented, then he turned to look at the silent unmoving Alora and asked, “Are you adopted?”
“...each fighter will be listed first by fight class, then by their fight rank in that class…”
Alora’s attention was torn from the arena at Jaimison’s question. Darien was already wincing, he’d already asked Alora this question earlier. Now Darien was waiting to see what Alora would do, she had become a little unpredictable today.
“...search by first name…”
Darien wasn’t used to not knowing exactly how Alora would react toward things. The only reason they were all able to talk and not focus only one the announcement, was because they were the Alpha class.
There was no higher class to challenge for than theirs, they only had to worry about defending their rank after they were challenged. They only had seven seniors in their fight class at the moment, but Darien bet by the end of the day, there would be at least twenty or more.
“You will only be able to issue two fight class advancement challenges. After the fight class advancement challenges are done, we will move on to the fight rank defense portion of this exam…”
“No unfortunately, as much as I may wish it were so, I am my parents' biological offspring. I’ve had a DNA test done.” Alora told them.
The reaction from their fellow classmates was entertaining to Darien. Their expression kept changing, it was like they didn’t know which reaction they were supposed to have for that statement.
“...if you are not able to defend your rank in the class you have advanced to, you will still be in that fight class, but your rank will be beneath the fighter you lost to…”
“You seriously had a DNA test done?” Mason was the first to ask. “Why?”
Darien winced again, Mason wasn’t going to like Alora’s answer. Alora looked at Mason and saw the genuine surprise and curiosity in his expression.
“...will be fighting in all forms…”
“Do you know what it’s like being the only dark Werewolf in a Clan of exceedingly bigoted wolves who favor the exact opposite of what I am?” Alora asked him.
Now everyone of their classmates is looking at Alora.
“...magic will be allowed…”
Mason’s expression fell. “Yeah…I could see that…it's why I want to become the Northmountain clan Alpha, I want to change all that.” He said softly.
Alora was shocked at Mason's response, and didn’t know what to say, at first. “Then I hope you are able to change that Clan for the better one day, but I have left it already.”
“Wait…what?” Mason was astonished
“Left your Clan?” Jamison looked at Alora with disbelief.
“The day I turned eighteen, I blood oathed my loyalty to this Pack under a new name, and not as part of the either the Northmountain or Frost Clans.” Alora told them.
“What did you change your name to?” Garrett asked.
“...We will now be displaying each fighter with their class, rank and pictures on the screens above now…”
“Alora Luna Heartsong.” Jaxon was the one who said it, his voice rough as he said it.
“How did you know that?” Lexus asked him.
“You saw it happen?” Alora asked Jaxon.
Jaxon looked up and into Alora’s eyes and nodded, he looked almost exactly like his Mountainmover cousins. Only his hair was a dark red auburn that fell midway down his back. Jaxon’s dual colored eyes held sadness, but also respect.
“You didn’t deserve that.” Jaxon said to Alora.
“What happened this morning?” Jamison asked.
“I was rejected by my mate, and I rejected him back.” Alora said it casually.
"What?! Who?!Why?!” came the three different shocked responses.
“Matthew Stonebreaker.” Lexus winced at Alora’s response.
Matthew was one of Lexus’s Clan members though Matthew's father. even though Matthew's father was Beta to their Pack’s Alpha. The others also winced, because everyone in school knew Matt had been with Sarah, Alora’s sister, for the last four years.
“That's…fuck I don’t know what to say to that.” Garrett said, running a hand through his hair.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait….if you were just rejected, why are you not a mess?” Mason asked, “The physical pain alone is one thing, but emotionally…?”
The others looked at Alora too, trying to see the evidence of a rejection. All they saw was Alora sitting back, relaxed, her legs crossed at the ankles. Her arms crossed under her breast, her back braced against the wall behind their seats.
“She didn’t even flinch, when she rejected Matt back, she was so calm. Her voice didn’t waver, there was barely any emotion in it. Then Matt collapsed onto the ground in pain.” Jaxon told them.
They all looked at Alora in shock, their expressions all asking questions. “The things my family has put me through were so much more painful than being rejected.” Alora said calmly.
Mason looked so shocked, he knew their Clan was full of bigots, but he never thought any pup of their clan would suffer abuse. so much so that they wouldn’t even flinch under the pain of being rejected.
“Ma chéri, I don’t see any scars on your beautiful skin.” Jaison commented, some of his mother’s native tongue coming out.
“Alora’s skin doesn't scar, no matter how deep the wound is, and she heals faster than anyone here. What would take me three days to recover from and will leave a nasty scar, does not affect her for more than a day. The evidence that there was ever a wound is gone in two or three days after that.” Darien said, hoping Alora would be okay with him sharing that.
Alora met Darien’s gaze, and nodded, letting him know that she had been okay with him sharing that bit of information about her. The others, though, were shocked.
“I’ve only heard of that with Vampires, but the scars are still there, they just don’t show unless they transform into their Sprite.” Jamison commented.
“I say you take that DNA test again.” Garrett said, and the others nodded in agreement.
“Darien has already suggested that today.” Alora said with a chuckle.
“I maintain my viewpoint that someone as amazing as you couldn’t have possibly come from both of those horrible excuses for Werewolves.” Darien said, sounding stubborn.
“You already know Bettina is my biological mother.” Alora reminded him.
“Yeah, but is Allister really your biological father?” Darien asked her again.
“Do you want him to be your biological father?” Jaxon asked.
Alora let out a surprised laugh. “For Darien my answer is I will ask if I can get a new blood sample from Allister to test against mine. As for Jaxon’s question, the answer is no, I honestly hope he is not.”
Alora’s phone started to go off again, message after message. Looking down at it she scoffed, “They think I’m ditching today’s exam and cursing me for trying to embarrass them.”
Darien leaned over to look while Mason just asked who, when Alora answered his response was a surprise. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”
Showing Mason the texts didn’t make it better though, the others were also upset and angry at the messages.
“How long have they been this abusive towards you ma chéri?” Jamison asked.
“Since my very first memory.” was Alora’s response.