They explained to me last night that the apartment downstairs was actually one of Nathaniel’s places. He didn’t sleep there often unless he had to work until late in one of the close restaurants, so Liam would use it every now and then.
He shakes his head.
“No, he slept with one of his women.”
So, Nathaniel is a player... You really can’t judge a book by its cover.
“I thought he had a mate already...”
“Not really. Well, he almost had one. An older woman. But she was already married, and Nate was a nobody then. Itwas before Damian took over the Clan. Nathaniel didn’t really have anything, and that woman was with a rich guy, with the dream house and everything. She said he wasn’t worth the trouble and rejected him.”
What? How heartless! I bite my lip, feeling bad for Nathaniel. How did he endure such a rejection? I can’t imagine how I would have felt if Damian had rejected me... I suddenly feel something fluffy on my legs and realize Bobo is up. He casually walks past me to put his head in the fridge.
“Don’t tell him I told you, okay?” says Liam. “Nate doesn’t like people talking about it. And he’s over it now; it’s been years.”
I nod and take a new sip. Being a player now doesn’t necessarily mean he forgot what happened... I feel bad for Nathaniel all of a sudden. Now I understand better why he’s the type to hide his emotions. What a heartless woman! I feel angry, just thinking about it.
After everyone woke up and had breakfast without rush, I head back to my room to dress up, picking a comfy and sporty outfit. I will shapeshift and get dirty, no need to pretty up today. I put my hair up in a ponytail and choose a dark sweater with some sneakers.
I want to go upstairs and train some more, but Tonia keeps me from it, saying I should save my energy for tonight. But I don’t want to do anything either. It’s Liam who ends up spending most of his day keeping me company, as he brought his school backpack, and for some reason, we end up studying together on his homework for most of the afternoon. Solving exercises and copying his lessons had the benefit of keeping me too busy to think about the fight. Around four, we paused our math exercises and get ready to go.
Nathaniel meets us downstairs in the garage, wearing his usual smile. He went for a more casual look than what he usually wears, so I suspect he will be ready to shape-shift at any moment, too. Liam, however, didn’t even bother changing and is already in his wolf form, like Bobo. Like last time, we take two cars to go.
I start to feel nervous on the way. Tonia casually talks to me, and I suspect she’s just trying to distract me. We discuss the songs played on the radio, what weather to expect for the coming days and clothing brands. None of those really manage to distract me, though, so I do think about the upcoming fight.
I wonder why Nathaniel picked East Point Ground. It’s a large plaza in the middle of the industrial area, covered in graffiti and on open grounds. It’s a place where skaters or delinquents could gather at night to drink. However, it is not usually crowded, unlike tonight. When I exit the car, I’m shocked. There are dozens of people!
I suddenly get why Nathaniel specifically selected this spot: It isn’t part of any turf. Hence, a lot of people from the Jade Moon or the Blood Moon Clan freely came to watch. Duels for the Alpha position are usually private matters inside a pack; however, the Black brothers want to make this one public. Once again, I feel that Nathaniel has a lot more in mindthan he let on.
A lot of people are eyeing me as I exit the car, most of them whom I don’t know or recognize. With both Bobo and Liam in their wolf forms next to me, I don’t feel as intimidated as I could have been. On the contrary, I can’t help but look at the crowd.
People from other Clans came to watch the fight. I recognize people wearing markings from the Pearl Moon Clan, the Gold Moon Clan, or the Rising Moon Clan. To mysurprise, even a few members of the White Moon Clan are there, too. Don’t they have a terrible history with the Blood Moon Clan? But they are clearly harboring the White Moon marking... How odd.
Of course, almost all the Jade Moon Clan is there, too.
Almost all of them are glaring at me. I suppose that’s what I should expect, considering the situation. Most of the Clan is here to support Vincent, of course. He is a carefree leader, letting his people do whatever they want most of the time, as long as they don’t cause any trouble. He only focuses on his hunters and warriors most of the time.
I finally see him among the crowd. He is discussing with his wife and one of the warriors, probably Peter’s replacement as the Beta. He looks tired, has dark circles under his eyes, and his beard is messy. When his eyes find mine, he frowns and ignores me. I wonder if he is having regrets now...
Nathaniel’s arrival causes a lot of people to react. They stare at us and move to not be on our way to the center of the plaza. The only ones that didn’t move are the Blood Moon Clan’s.
I see him smiling. Is he excited about the fight? Or because of the large crowd? I don’t understand why they made sure a lot of people could see it... I realize that Bobo is moving his head non-stop, he must be scanning the area, searching for Alec. I had almost forgotten about my brother. I’m still clueless about how many people are actually going to help us catch him. I start looking around, too, but Nathaniel walks up to the center of the plaza.
“Good evening, Jade Moon Clan. I see you didn’t dare to run away from this.”
“I’m not going to run away and leave my turf in the hands of a brat,” growls Vincent.
“We will see that with the outcome of this fight. So, do you acknowledge that if Nora wins, you will let her entirely decide your pack’s fate?”
Vincent looks at me, seeming hesitant. He must be wondering if I really do have a chance to defeat him. Honestly, I don’t feel too confident right now. I don’t trust my Alpha blood as much as Nathaniel and Tonia do. I barely have any experience shape-shifting, and I just learned how to fight. For most people, this would seem a lot like suicide.
However, inside, my wolf is already growling. The battle has already begun, though nobody else can see it. Vincent and I are staring at each other, judging our strength, testing our wolves. I know what his wolf looks like. I know he must be growling just as much as mine right now. It is way too late to back down.
“I will, only on the condition that you guys let us have a fair fight. No interference from your people to help her. She must fight me alone.”
Nathaniel puts on a shocked expression, looking a bit too dramatic to be true.
“Oh, you think we would actually cheat?”
