CHAPTER 3

The room was filled with an uproar. A tiny, filthy girl is a fighter?

"Now she is just mumbling," the alpha laughed raucously.

"I can prove it," Mila spoke to Arthur.

"Prove it?" Arthur took back his hand from Chloe's and walked to Mila.

Chloe was taken aback by his action. Never had Arthur acted like this. First, he left her alone in her chambers, then he refused to follow her, then he took back his hand from hers! What was happening?

"Do you have any fighters?" Mila asked carelessly.

Arthur laughed, "Yes, we do have. Even I am a fighter of this clan."

"NO!" both Chloe and the alpha spoke in unison. "You will not fight that," Chloe ordered and spat the last word as she rushed to him and grabbed him possessively.

"No..." Arthur heaved a sigh, "I will not fight her, Chloe," he spoke, eyes fixed on Mila's.

"You really want to fight my people?" the alpha spoke from his throne.

"How else you will know my worth?" Mila spoke to Arthur.

It was as if they were enchanted by each other, neither could Arthur take his eyes off of her, nor could she take her eyes off of Arthur.

"Fine," the alpha spoke as he stood up. Finally, Arthur lowered his gaze and turned to his father. His expressions said he was confused by the incredible pull he had towards this mysterious girl.

He pointed at one of the men in the crowd and spoke, "You will fight him. Tony, you take her as an opponent?"

Tony looked at Mila again and smirked.

"I accept," Tony bowed in front of the alpha.

A crease of concern appeared on Arthur's face.

"Father, this is unfair, he is the best," Arthur started but Mila interjected, "I also accept him as my opponent, my lord."

As Mila bowed gracefully in front of Arthur, Chloe growled.

"It's settled then," the alpha announced. "Tony Haez will fight Mila Grace at noon today in the courtyard. I hope to have a wide audience."

A soft clap rolled through the crowd.

Arthur looked at Mila and she added, "It's unfair, my lord."

"Then why did you accept?" Arthur asked Mila quietly.

"It's unfair towards your man. how would he face the clan after getting defeated by a little girl?" Mila corrected.

Arthur looked thunderstruck at these words, but she added, "It would be merciful if you limit the audience."

"Arthur, my love," Chloe crooned in Arthur's ears. "Shall we go for lunch?"

Arthur looked utterly confused by Mila's words but nodded. And before they could interact more, Chloe led him outside.

**~**

The two men guarding Mila dragged her to the open courtyard. A rush of exclaimation passed through the crowd as she entered. She could distinctly make out a few words from the crowd, 'filth' 'disgusting' 'dirty' 'killed' and so on... 

Mila's eyes scanned the area. The courtyard was at least four times the size of the hearing room and she was now standing in the middle of it. Hundreds of people were standing around on the edges of the courtyard, and a lot of women were standing on the floors above. They all were booing her and cheering Tony.

She could not see Arthur due to the sun's glare, but she could sense him. And Grace could smell him even more finely now, especially after spending so much time in his proximity. Mila was getting used to his smell now, but Grace was ravenous. She was hungry and she wanted to devour Arthur fully.

"He is someone else's mate," Mila scolded Grace as an image of Grace mating with another wolf flashed in her head. 

"Maybe he chose wrong?" Grace reasoned.

"How can someone choose their mate wrong?" Mila added.

"We'll see," Grace said as she forced Mila to draw a huge breath and Mila literally tasted Arthur's smell on her tongue.

The alpha was sitting on an enormous chair in front of her, but Mila knew Arthur was behind her, on her left side, diagonally.

Ignoring all the boos and alpha's laugh, she turned and faced Arthur. Arthur stiffed as she faced him. Arthur was standing with a crowd of men, and by their weapons and stance, they all were fighters. Tony was there too.

Arthur whispered something in Tony's ears, and though Tony nodded, he looked appalled. Somehow Mila knew Arthur had asked Tony to go easy on her. The thought pleased her.

"Am I going to fight in these chains?" Mila asked Arthur.

Arthur chewed his cheek and gave a key to Tony, who approached her with a grin. There was a skip in his step, usually seen in people after their victory.

"You will not wear your armour?" Mila demanded as she observed his attire.

"Against you?" Tony snickered as he came closer to her, "I don't think I need one."

"You reak, you know?" Tony screwed up his nose, and in a fraction of a second, Mila cleaned the tip of her finger and brushed it against the bare skin of hand and Tony's stance changed.

"I know I stink," Mila spoke.

"You don't stink," Tony spoke with glassy-eyed expressions. He now had a vulnerability on his face, a tenderness that spoke more than words.

"Lose, but continue to hate me," Mila whispered so softly that only Tony could hear her. "Now, act like before," she ordered again, and Tony's expressions turned to stone again. Mila rubbed the spot which was now vacated of black mud on her filthy dress and it was covered again.

As her chains fell to the ground, the alpha asked, "What is your chosen weapon?"

"I can fight with anything, but I prefer bare hands," Mila replied.

"I doubt Tony would want to touch you or prefer your bare hands" the alpha laughed, and everybody chorused. "Do you not take a bath, like ever?" the alpha mocked.

Tony shifted uneasily at her insult, and Mila saw Arthur fidget too.

"Don't," Mila hissed to Tony from the corner of her mouth. Tony who was standing a few paces away stopped. 

"Spear then," Mila spoke and two spears and shields were brought to them at once.

Mila noticed that the handle of her spear was splintered and cracked. The shield too was wobbly and was on the verge of breaking point. But she was not worried.

"STANCE" Arthur shouted, and Tony took his position in front of her.

"ATTACK!" Arthur spoke and Tony charged.

Mila blocked his first attack, then second, then third. A gasp escaped collectively from the crowd when Mila stuck her feet under Tony and made him topple.

"Get up, you fool," the alpha shouted.

Tony got up suddenly, his rage was visible on his face, but his eyes, his eyes told Mila that he was under her spell.

This time Mila attacked.

Once - he blocked her.

Twice - he blocked her again.

"Enough," Mila hissed, and the third time Mila attacked him, he miscalculated her move, and her spear grazed his right arm.

Everyone shouted in shock.

While Tony paused to inspect the depth of his injuries, Mila pressed her shield in his chest, pushed him down, pinned him to the floor with her knee, and placed the point of her spear on his throat.

"Do you accept defeat?" Mila demanded.

"I yield!" Tony spoke with raised hands.

Mila too threw away her shield and spear and stood up, eyes fixed on Arthur who looked exceptionally proud and confused.

"I defeated your champion, have I proven my worth to you?" she asked Arthur.

However, before he could reply an arrow came speeding towards her direction.

"NOOOOOOOOO"