Chapter 41

Stephanie was back while the match was about to start. I sat closer to Michelle, trying not to be too obvious in how I leaned away from her. Ryan had allegedly sent her to watch over me, I would have a talk with him about that, couldn't he have found someone who didn't have a major crush on him?

"I did not look at your message as promised, and Ryan really appreciated it," the stupid girl went on and on as if I would congratulate her. I let her voice become a meaningless thrum in the background as she bragged.

I was on the edge of my seat looking towards the stadium, where I should see Ryan appear.

"Stephanie," I turned to her, and her mouth shut for the first time in minutes. "What is the first round again?"

"Jacob and Ryan will look into some other's past." She leaned towards me and whispered, "I had to find out for Ryan how the Alexanders tell the difference between past and future visions."

I glared at her, "You should never admit such a thing to anyone, even me." It did put doubts in my mind that she was telling the truth, and how much power this girl had. "If you want Ryan to be ok, that is."

"Of course!" she wailed. "I would not."

On another note, if he hadn't known that, it worried me. "And did you find out?" If he didn't know that, then how could he win?

She nodded briskly, her eyes lighting up again, as if it meant she was his favorite person in the world, she said. "Ryan said I was blessed and useful."

Blessed…. I could hardly imagine him even saying that

When he walked out, announced as Ryan Alexander, son of Shane Alexander, challenger to Alpha Jacob. A lot of the crowd was booing him. My breath caught in my throat. He walked upright and proudly, even from this distance, I could see a glint of his wolf in his stance and eyes. He looked up the stands directly at me.

Stephanie began waving at him. I grabbed her hand and put it down. "You'll give us away," I scolded. "Useful indeed," I muttered under my breath.

Plus, I knew he was looking at me. My heart was beating in my chest loud enough to hear it in my ears.

I hardly heard what they said when Jacob was announced but every fiber in my being froze in time. He traipsed out, his broad shoulders, and perfect posture reflected his dominance. I remembered he was a large wolf and man, but he was Ryan's equal in size and I had never added that up.

Even if my heart beat for Ryan, it twisted and recoiled when I saw Jacob. I felt a little faint. I scanned the crowd, knowing that my twin must be watching too, but the seating box for the Luna was shielded from my view.

There were the elders, and they asked Jacob and Ryan to tell them stories of the past for three men, separately. We could not hear very well from how far in the stands that we were. By the end, the elders determined that Ryan had told more vivid and accurate stories.

Jacob looked furious, and when they went to the second round, he was bitter and his anger stirred terror in my heart.

Here, they would predict the future. It seemed like a strange concept, and the elders would judge who did better without being able to see the actual future.

"They are asking specific questions that they predetermined by comparing to answers from lesser Alexanders who also possess the talents." Stephanie explained.

That made a little more sense. But I didn't like how subjective that sounded. How did we know Jacob didn't find out the answers ahead of time? What if the elders had a bias for Jacob over Ryan?

In the end, the elders determined that Jacob performed better. I was hoping Ryan won the second round, and they would not need the fight as a tie breaker. Ryan looked drained; his skin was going gray like when he might faint. I'd barely sent him a few drops of my blood before two rounds, but he had used a lot of the talents. He needed more.

Jacob pranced off the field, fully strong. I wondered again who's blood he was devouring to keep him that powerful and strong. The crowd was cheering him on.

"Michelle, I need you to bring something to Ryan." I said.

"What about me?" Stephanie whined.

"Not this time, everyone knows who you are. Michelle is really good at not being noticed when she wants." I said firmly while the girl pouted in her chair.

Michelle nodded; her quiet countenance determined. We snuck off to the side where I could collect some blood and pass it on to her. I wasn't sure how she could get close enough to Ryan to hand it off, but I was confident she'd find a way.

I had been drinking the herb, so my blood was flowing really well, and I healed quickly. There was an intermission before the last round, I wanted to see Ryan, but that would be too risky. I couldn't allow for anyone to know I was his "blood provider."

She left on her mission, and I returned alone to sit with Stephanie, who still looked upset that I was sending Michelle. I ignored her.

When Michelle returned, she had nothing in her hands, and she looked pleased. Even without words, I knew she'd succeeded. And just in time because Ryan and Jacob were reentering the stadium in their wolf forms.

Jacob was an enormous black wolf with dark reddish-brown eyes. He pranced with his head and tail carried high. Even so, Ryan was a slightly larger wolf with the thickest dark gray coat, and bright yellow eyes that shone like gold even from a distance. He stepped confidently but also carefully.

I stopped breathing till I needed to inhale in order to keep alive. I recognized that Ryan looked strengthened again, he must have taken the blood.

"This won't be to the death," Stephanie said almost to reassure herself as the two wolves looked ready to kill one-another as they stalked and snarled around each other, sizing each other up.

I could not bear to watch if Jacob were to hurt Ryan. But I knew how powerful Ryan was too.

I flinched when Jacob abruptly lunged and grabbed Ryan by the neck, who reared up to pull away, but the black wolf held firm, shaking and pulling the skin and gray fur. Ryan snapped, and used his leg to push down Jacob's snout and pull away.

The crowd was clearly cheering for Jacob, and only for him.

Blood turned his gray coat red by his neck, but it was not a lethal wound, I could tell his lack of concern as he prowled back, this time Ryan attacked Jacob, and threw the large wolf to the ground. They were not supposed to kill one another, but for a moment, it looked like Ryan could finish him.

Jacob flailed and lashed out, they snarled and bit at each other's faces, and Ryan threw him down again, physically overpowering him as the stronger wolf. I cringed with both fear and thrill, I wanted Jacob to be finished forever, but more than that, I wanted Ryan to leave this match safely and not under the conflict of killing the Alpha of Crowalt during a battle for physical dominance. That might render him an enemy to the elders and the ways of Alexander.

Jacob became a fury, he ripped out from under Ryan, coming back for more blood. I looked away, putting my face to Michelle's shoulder for a second, it was too hard to watch, but I peeked back because I also had to know what happened.

Jacob grabbed the skin on Ryan's back, but he was able to turn and grab his neck. Once again, for the third time, he threw Jacob to the ground.

"Surely, that's enough," I whispered. Were they going to let Jacob kill him? Ryan was handling him much more cautiously- Jacob wasn't even bleeding. I could tell it was taking all Rupert's self-control, but he was proving that he had it. I remembered him telling me once that it was a little easier to fight to the death and go for the jugular than fight to keep the other intact.

Ryan was fighting with his brutal force, but not trying to hurt Jacob, which seemed crazy to me. Why wouldn't he rip him apart like Jacob was to him? I could only imagine it had something to do with Alexander rules that I wasn't aware of.

As if reading my thoughts, Stephanie sighed and said, "Ryan is so magnificent. He is a true Alpha, with control over his wolf."

But Jacob was not exhibiting that control, and what if he killed Ryan while he was being diplomatic. I hated it; I couldn't watch again.

Jacob grabbed his leg and ripped it open. Ryan somehow managed to pull free, and throw him again to the ground.

The crowd had stopped cheering at this point, and the silence was deafening. Everyone knew that the match should have been called already, and finally to my great relief, and elder called out. "This match is finished! End it. Stop now."

"That's my grandfather," Stephanie said proudly.

I could have even hugged her, but instead I embraced Michelle happily. Ryan was limping off the stadium, his back turned to Jacob. It was supposed to be over, it was called, but Jacob went after him.

The whole stadium gasped. This time when Ryan threw him down, he showed a hint of his true rage at Jacob, and he tore open his lip.

Other elders were on the field now, trying to prevent their Alpha from destroying his challenger, but now the challenger was about to destroy the Alpha.

Somehow, miraculously, they deterred Jacob, and Ryan was able to get out of there before one or both of them were dead.

I nearly collapsed with relief.