Hild

Jack met me at the parking lot. He looked cool as a cucumber and the antithesis of how I felt. It was Saturday and early morning. Having to work overtime, I had decided to drive to the Prospect early this morning instead of the evening before. I told myself it was so that B could get a good night's sleep, but it was more about me wanting to postpone this day as long as possible.

Jack got me through an entrance, and I managed to do the blood thing, making it possible for me to mind-link anybody at the Prospect territory for the next three weeks. I didn't expect to mind-link with anyone except my pack, but it seemed impolite to refuse, so I did it. A long line started to pile up behind me for it, and as many of them were similarly dressed and looked big as... I assumed they were warriors already dressed for a fight.

As we walked towards our camp, Jack explained the rules to me—a minimum of twelve warriors against a maximum of thirty warriors. I gasped at the difference in numbers, but he raised his hand in what was supposed to be a calming motion.

"The pack we are fighting today, the Rocky Cliff pack, is one of the smaller packs. They have gauged us and will start with 20 warriors, hoping for an easy victory. But, if I may be so bold, not even three of their warriors can match any of ours."

To get the territory size we wanted, we needed to rank seven or better, so we had to advance one level and challenge the second group packs. We were in the third group, the lowest one, and needed at least two wins, ideally three, to advance. 

As we arrived at the campsite, everyone was busy tending to something. Mainly their clothing, some still eating. I found B in our small housing. She stood before the mirror, frantically trying to get the leather suit to stay put. I turned her around and zipped her up, or rather tied her up.

"Got your necklace?"

"Mhm," she smiled meekly.

"Had breakfast?"

She looked down, and then she hugged me.

"Hild.."

"Don't B, don't underestimate yourself. Everyone else out there will; you don't have to add to it by doing it yourself. I have seen you fight, remember? Just tap into that berserk thing, and it will be fine," I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince the most, her or me.

Someone shouted, "Group photo," and we stepped outside. The sight was mind-bending, to say the least. Eleven tall, muscular men in loincloths were all over the place, and I knew they would become fan favorites in a second, at least among the females. Vidar was strutting around like a peacock, perfectly aware of his pristine features. Oh, what an arrogant cock that man was. He was my sole hope, though, B being placed next to him in the formation during the fight. I trusted the rest, too, of course, but when it came to not wanting to look bad, I counted on Vidar's pride to do a lot of work for me today.

"May I?" Gammal approached us with a can of black smear. He gestured to B's face, and she nodded hesitantly.

All the guys gathered around us, and Gammal told Vile to step into the Circle next to B. He placed a big chunk of warpaint on his thumb and put it on Vile's forehead.

"We bend to no one," he said. With his finger, he created a cross of black paint on Vile's face: one lone vertical line from the forehead, between his eyes, over his nose and lips down to the chin, and one horizontal line from ear to ear, under the eyes. Gammal smiled and patted him on the back.

Then he turned to B. I could see this was an emotional moment for both him and B, and he paused before repeating the ritual with her. Finishing, I could see his eyes getting watery, and I heard others sniffle and clear their throats, too. The pride on B's face made my first tear fall and her smile my second.

"Oh, for crying out loud..." Jack said, drying his eyes and laughing at the same time. He ushered everyone toward one of the tents and took some pictures.

"Hild, get in there!"

I obeyed, and another round of pictures was taken.

"Jack, we should get one with all of us!" someone shouted.

"Well," he turned around towards some commotion behind him or rather the silencing of the commotion behind him. Zac came through the gate and, behind him, the Alpha King Prospect.

"I can do it," Zac said as he took the camera from Jack, utterly unaware of how everything had seized to move.

Eleven pairs of blue eyes were staring at the Alpha King Prospect. B looked down, and I tilted my head but gazed up at the scene. Submitting was obviously not in the nature of our guys, and the uncertainty in the air made Jack take two steps forward, holding out his hand to the Alpha.

"Uhm, welcome to our humble abode, Alpha King Prospect. Please let me introduce my pack. Here we have.." he continued to name the guys in order, and they silently nodded toward the Alpha. He seemed perfectly content with what revere he got and smiled and shook hands with them all.

".. and here is my granddaughter B," the pride in Jack's voice was unmistakable.

This time, though, the alpha didn't extend his hand; instead, he put it on his chest and bowed slightly with his head. I hoped B wouldn't freak out, but she didn't.

"B, what a pleasure to meet you again. Are you ready for the fight today?"

I think even Zac was surprised at the words, but one who wasn't was B. I had expected a shy B, avoiding eye contact. But instead, she smiled and nodded.

"I am Alpha King Prospect."

He smiled and glanced at me, B noticing immediately.

"You have met my aunt Hild, of course."

His gaze now fully turned to me.

It was true that I hadn't met a lot of alphas before. Only this one, and at that time, I didn't know he was an alpha from the beginning. So, none, actually, but if this was what their power felt like, I would be a nervous wreck if I ever met two at once. His stature was so grand and his gaze so intense I hardly knew where to look when it landed on me. I wasn't powerful enough to withstand but didn't want to cower either. We bend to no one, apparently. 

I took a deep breath and looked up. Warm brown eyes were so close now—speckles of green in them. The green and brown ring lessened as the middle's blackness dilated ever so slightly. I only managed a second before I had to look elsewhere, gaze falling just slightly below on his lips, now separating a little as he began to speak.

"Ms. Harryson, Welcome to the Prospect," he bowed his head, eyes never leaving me, and I could detect an amused smirk on his lips.

Game on.

"Are you sure?" I echoed my words, and his smirk grew into a grin. This time, though, I remembered myself. "Thank you, Alpha King Prospect."

His shoulders slumped ever so slightly, and I wondered what I had done wrong this time.

He straightened up and turned towards Zac.

"Let me do that," he took the camera.

And we found ourselves posing for the camera again. Zac was ushered into the picture, and suddenly, Jack stretched his neck to look behind Zac towards the gate.

"Trevor! Come here!"

Trevor grinned, and after a respectful nod and submission to our photographer, he proudly joined the picture, too.

I got up on my toes to see who Trevor was standing with, but it was a boy I hadn't seen before. And Henry Johnson. I threw a glance toward B, but she hadn't noticed them. I don't know what I had expected her to do, but I knew that her last encounters with Henry and his friends had been less than pleasant. Only this time, there were no girls with them.

"Alright, we need to go greet the other pack too," Alpha King Prospect returned the camera to Jack, nodded towards us, and turned around and left the camp.

I almost shivered at the sensation of the sun being temporarily clouded. Looking at the blue sky, I realized that I had a lot to learn about alphas and how their presence affected people. B gave me a curious look, which reminded me.

"B? Did you take my sweater yesterday? I have cleaned yours, but I couldn't find mine."

She made one of those vague movements that could mean anything from "Yes, I did and tore it" to "No, absolutely not," and due to the timing, I decided to drop it.

"Can I borrow yours then?"

She nodded.

And then, just like that, it was time.

Henry

When I went to bed, I was exhausted. Friday had been an emotional rollercoaster ride, ending with me finally convincing Annie that my actions earlier during the day had nothing to do with her. It was almost true.

I, therefore, slept in and only woke up when Trevor gathered his stuff to leave.

"Where are you going?" Tate was equally tired as I was but immediately got up when Trevor replied that he was going over to Ironwood pack and hanging with them before the fight. "I'm coming too!"

I was torn between wanting to join them and sleep in. Then curiosity got the best of me, and I got up and joined the guys.

As we were situated closest to the arena and the Ironwood pack the furthest away from it, we had to walk the length of the main street to get there. It was buzzing with life. People who had just arrived for the first day of the Gathering were getting settled in, people were eating breakfast at the Circle, and people were on their way to the arena to get good seats for the first fight.

We grabbed some to-go breakfast from the Circle and continued towards Ironwood camp. Apparently, we arrived in the middle of their photoshoot, and they were all standing towards one of the tents, calling out to Beta Zac, of all people, to join them. Trevor was also prompted to join and proudly went up there. I had mixed feelings about it. No, I hadn't. I didn't like it. My thoughts on the subject vanished as I saw Trevor nod respectfully to the photographer, and I noticed that Alpha King Prospect Ben Connors was taking the pictures. I knew he had a habit of visiting the different packs before their first fights, but taking pictures?

My thoughts on that vanished completely when he excused himself and left, and I spotted B and a vaguely familiar woman talking. It was not the woman that caught my eye, though. B was dressed in a tight leather suit. It covered her upper body and showcased her long, toned legs. I.. she looked good. Scratch that; she looked great. Scratch that; she looked kick-ass awesome. And all I could do was stand at a distance and gawk at her, just like the other annoying men around her.

The team lined up two and two and passed us on their way to the arena. B lined up with Vidar in the middle of the six-row formation, passing us without a glance.

Trevor came up to us.

"Fuck it. Even I am nervous."

We started to follow them, but I only managed one step before someone patted me on the shoulder.

"Henry?"

I turned around and faced the blonde woman who had spoken to B earlier. She held out her hand. I motioned for Trevor and Tate to proceed and stepped towards her.

"Hi, I don't know if you recognize me, but we met with B a couple of months ago. She got me out of a house, and you and Tristan helped us. I just wanted to say thank you."

It took some seconds before I recognized the injured black-haired woman. I took her hand and shook it.

"I.. of course. I am just glad I could help."

"And I am sorry for not telling B about your help that night. As I understand, you and she have not been on friendly terms, and I feel I am to blame. I should have told her sooner about you. We just looked forward directly. I know she was, or still is, very embarrassed about it."

Huh.

"There are some things I would have done differently, too, so for me, all is good."

She smiled.

"Thanks, that will make her happy. I'll tell her right after the.. the thing," her smile faded, and she wrung her hands nervously.

We started to walk towards the arena together.

"Are you nervous?"

She laughed bitterly.

"Oh, my feelings are all over the place today. I am nervous because I know B is. She is putting on a brave face, but I can see it. And that stupid suit. The guys and their traditions. Bah!"

"It is not a very typical thing to fight in." I both liked and disliked the suit.

"Well, you should have seen Vidar's suggestion," now she laughed.

I didn't.

Just the thought of Vidar annoyed me again. I wondered if having my wolf around would always be this testy. Rune huffed in my mind, anger vibrating in him.

We entered the oval arena through the main gate in the middle of the shorter sides, facing the main street. The teams would enter the pitch from two walkways under each side of the VIP box. After saying goodbye to the woman, Hild, I found my friends sitting near where one team would walk in. Hild went to sit in one of the team boxes just beneath the VIP box with the alpha of their pack.

Suddenly, trumpets were heard, everyone went silent, and it was time for the first fight. The speaker announced the packs, and they entered. We were sitting where Ironwood would enter, and I saw a line of blonde heads passing beneath us as they walked in.

It was time.

I heard an almost collective gasp when the Ironwood pack entered the arena. Eleven strong men, naked but for the cloth around their waist, and a shorter one, a woman. There was no doubt that Ironwood would be the audience's favorite. The females' favorites because of the men and the males' favorites because of the blonde young woman standing there looking both absolutely stunning and absolutely misplaced, yet somehow, in her natural habitat—fighting.

Annie huffed at the attention B got. And I again felt a pang of vexation at the entire situation. I was vexed and then annoyed because I couldn't pinpoint why. I didn't even know if Rune was responsible for the whirlwind of emotions I felt or me. The mood swings came with him. That annoyed me more, as the wolf had more instincts and emotions than logical thinking, meaning if Rune and I disagreed, I was doing something wrong.