Chapter 4: The Final Battle

I had no way of anticipating that I would be pushed out of the room like that. Right after, the loud slam of the door woke me up to reality.

What the heck, Max? No surprise, he was always a damn guy.

I muttered obscenities about him in my mind and then jumped when I heard someone call my name.

I immediately turned to the source of the sound. I saw one of the he-wolves helping Max prepare for the battle.

"Lady Catriona, please return to your seat; the battle is about to take place," he said.

I nodded and quickly located my seat based on the number on my ticket. It was a decent spot, providing me with a great advantage to observe the battle.

Even though Max's victory was expected, I still felt nervous as I awaited the warriors to step forward. Members of the pack were flocking here to watch the year's final battle. The entire arena was packed with people, everyone buzzing with excitement about the fight and who would win.

"Max is going to win; he's the strongest in the pack," a he-wolf exclaimed, and cheers erupted in response.

I frowned at the support Max was receiving from the pack members. I admitted that I wanted him to lose, and I hoped that something different would happen this time. But hope was just hope, and there was nothing I could do except watch it all happen.

The whole arena suddenly fell silent, and I saw my father, Alpha Oscar, stepping onto the stage. He had something to say.

"Guys, we're about to witness the most anticipated battle of the year," my father spoke loudly.

The crowd roared in response. The cheers gradually died down and were replaced by silence as he continued, "I know you're all excited, and I am too. And I won't make you wait any longer. Then, ladies and gentlemen, let's give our green warrior a fantastic welcome. The gem of the Black Eye Forest, the child of the Black Eye Mother, Andrew Hasson!"

Immediately, the whole area shook, quite literally. The arena's floor cracked open, and massive green vines slithered out from the ground, rising like giant snakes.

The crowd erupted in cheers, excitement, and applause at Andrew Hasson's appearance, the Son of the Black Eye Mother.

He was so ostentatious, but his power was undeniable. He was nearly perfect both physically and magically. Before Maximilian's arrival, he was the one trusted to become my right-hand Beta.

In our pack's tradition, each Alpha would have a right-hand Beta of their own. To become a right-hand Beta, they needed to meet two criteria: loyalty and effective attack skills.

Usually, when someone mentioned the right-hand Betas in our pack, they would say that these guys had exceptional physical abilities to protect Alphas who lacked combat skills. But it didn't have to be "exceptional physical abilities." They just needed to ensure that they could attack and kill their opponents effectively. So right-hand Betas could be either a closely related Lycan or a witch.

Andrew could make plants grow from his body. When I focused on the green snakes retracting and turning back towards their owner, I realized that they sprouted from Andrew's body.

Andrew Hasson frowned as the plant branches returned to his body. I guessed those branches didn't grow from his body but from his magical energy, which flowed beneath his skin. So when they emerged and carried out their tasks, the branches broke his skin and caused him pain.

I wondered how much he had paid for such an impressive appearance.

Andrew Hasson stood in his place, ready to face his opponent.

My father shouted, "Ladies and gentlemen, let's welcome the pack's knight, known as the Iron Fist, Maximilian."

The entire arena erupted with excitement, almost reaching uncontrollable levels when Maximilian was called.

Andrew couldn't hide his excited smile at facing such a formidable opponent. Maximilian's reputation had quickly spread throughout the pack. Even though he was usually reserved, he endeared himself to others through his kindness.

Before the battle began, Alpha Oscar stepped down to the arena. He approached both warriors and used magic to mark a little praying-for-blessings sign on the back of each man's right hand.

The crowd remained silent throughout the process. I could feel some glances directed at me.

Leaving a praying-for-blessings sign on the back of a warrior's right hand was how Alphas showed their appreciation for their right-hand Betas. Understandably, my father's actions indicated that he had high expectations for this battle, with the victor likely becoming the right-hand Beta of the next Alpha.

Lost in thought, I was startled as a hand was placed on my shoulder.

"What are you thinking about? You look so cranky," Lux, the owner of the hand, sat down next to me.

"Why are you here?" I didn't hide my surprise. Her position in the waiting line was very far from mine.

Lux waved her ticket, "John gave it to me. He must have prepared them for us."

I nodded, helping her to take her umbrella while she took her seat. Lux seemed surprised by my sophistication, but she didn't say anything about it. I understood; I was always pampered by anyone around me in my past life, except for Max, who always seemed indifferent to me. So it was hard to understand when someone who was always pampered being delicate one day.

The sound of drums and cheers echoed throughout the arena as the battle was about to begin.