Aidan.

The weight of the sword in my hand felt familiar.

Comforting.

Cold steel rested firmly against my palm as I flexed my fingers around the hilt, adjusting my grip for the hundredth time. The blade glinted under the morning light pouring into the arena, sharp and ready.

Today’s round would not be easy.

Beta Torin’s voice had already echoed across the grounds earlier that morning, announcing the matchups for the second round of the competition.

Sword combat.

A slow breath left my chest as I rolled my shoulders, loosening the tension building in my muscles.

The structure of the fight was simple.

I would face Darren.

Noah would face Daniel.

Then the winners of both matches would face each other.

Simple.

But nothing about this competition was truly simple.

Because at the end of all this....Maria.

My jaw tightened slightly at the thought.

The arena buzzed with excitement as members of the pack gathered around the large fighting grounds. The murmurs of the crowd rose like waves crashing against stone walls. Alphas from the invitation earlier, sat in their designated seats while warriors and omegas filled the outer rows.

I stepped onto the sand-covered ground.

The familiar crunch beneath my boots grounded me.

Across the field, Darren stood waiting. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

His posture was relaxed.

Too relaxed.

The smug curve of his mouth told me exactly what he was thinking, that he already had this round in the bag.

My grip on the sword tightened.

Arrogant bastard.

I lifted my gaze briefly toward the stands.

And that was when I saw her.

Maria.

She sat among the others, her hands folded tightly in her lap. Her eyes moved anxiously across the field.

But they didn’t stop on me.

They stopped on someone else.

Noah.

My jaw clenched instantly.

From where I stood, I could see him on the opposite side of the arena preparing for his own fight with Daniel. Even from a distance, he looked pale, the bandage on his arm barely hidden beneath his sleeve.

Yet Maria’s gaze remained fixed on him, not on the fight about to begin, not on me but....on him.

A spark of irritation flared in my chest. My fingers tightened around the sword hilt until my knuckles whitened.

Then I would give her something she couldn’t ignore.

"Begin!" Beta Torin’s voice cut through the air like thunder.

Darren moved first.

Fast.

The bastard lunged forward, blade slicing through the air toward my side.

CLANG!

Our swords collided with a sharp metallic crack that echoed across the arena. The impact vibrated up my arm.

I shifted my stance, raising my blade to block his next strike, but my mind betrayed me.

Just for a second, as my eyes flickered back to the stands.

Maria.

Still watching Noah.

That split-second distraction was all Darren needed.

SLASH!

Pain flared across my shoulder as his sword grazed past my guard.

The crowd gasped.

I staggered a step back.

Before I could recover....

CLANG!

His blade slammed against mine again.

Another strike.

Another hit.

Darren’s grin widened as he pressed forward aggressively, forcing me backward across the sand.

"You’re distracted," he muttered under his breath as our swords locked.

His knee slammed into my side, knocking the air from my lungs.

Before I could fully recover....

SLASH!

A third strike landed across my arm, the sting burned sharply.

The crowd erupted into loud murmurs.

Three hits.

My chest rose and fell heavily as I steadied myself, the taste of iron filling my mouth.

Damn it.

Focus.

I forced my gaze away from the stands, I needed to win and most importantly, I needed to prove something.

Darren twirled his sword casually, clearly enjoying the moment. "You done embarrassing yourself yet?" he taunted.

Something inside me snapped. My grip tightened around the hilt.

The world narrowed, the noise of the crowd faded. All that remained was Darren, his stance, his breathing and the subtle shift of his weight.

I moved.

Fast.

CLANG!

Our blades collided again—but this time I didn’t just meet his strike.

I drove forward with force.

The impact of steel against steel rang sharply through the arena, the vibration shooting up my arm as I pushed against him with everything I had. My boots dug into the sand beneath my feet as I forced my weight forward, refusing to give him even an inch.

Darren had expected another defensive block. I could see it in his eyes.

But instead of holding ground, I pressed the attack, pushing him backward step by step across the arena floor.

His smirk faltered.

The cocky confidence that had been plastered across his face since the fight began flickered for the first time.

I didn’t give him a second to recover.

I swung again.

CLANG!

The sound exploded between us as our blades met once more. The strike was heavier this time, faster, the force behind it making his arms jolt slightly from the impact.

He blocked, but barely.

His sword caught mine at the last second, but the angle was wrong. The power behind my strike forced his arms downward, the muscles in his shoulders straining as he struggled to absorb the blow.

I stepped in immediately, closing the distance before he could reset his stance. My wrist twisted sharply, turning the blade with practiced precision.

For a fraction of a second, his guard opened and that was all I needed.

My blade slid beneath it.

SMACK!

The flat of my sword slammed hard against his ribs. The impact echoed dully through the arena as the strike landed solidly against his side.

Darren grunted, the air leaving his lungs in a rough burst as he stumbled backward, his balance breaking for a moment.

The crowd roared.

The sound crashed over the arena like a wave, shouts, cheers, the thunder of excitement rising from every direction.

But I barely heard it.

Adrenaline surged through my veins, hot and electric, sharpening every instinct inside me.

Again.

I moved before Darren could recover.

My body lunged forward with precision, each step calculated, controlled, relentless.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

Our swords clashed repeatedly in rapid succession, the sharp ringing of metal striking metal slicing through the air again and again. Sparks flew with each collision, tiny flashes of light bursting where the blades met with brutal force.

The rhythm of combat accelerated.

Strike.

Block.

Strike again.

Darren’s arms moved quickly, but not quickly enough. The earlier confidence in his movements was beginning to fracture.

I could see it and feel it in the way his stance was changing. He wasn’t advancing anymore, he was retreating.

Each step carried him farther back across the sand as he tried to recover his footing.

His foot slipped slightly in the sand, It was small, barely noticeable but I saw it.

And that was the opening I needed.

I pivoted sharply, shifting my weight to the side as my body rotated smoothly with the movement.

My sword swung low in a sudden arc.

SWIPE!

The blade struck his ankle with a sharp, controlled hit, not enough to injure seriously, but enough to pull him out of balance.

Darren’s balance shattered instantly. He stumbled, his body pitching forward slightly as he struggled to stay upright.

Before he could recover...I moved.

Fast.

My steps carried me behind him in one swift motion, circling past his weakened stance before he even realized what had happened.

By the time he turned...It was already over. The cold edge of my sword pressed lightly against the back of his neck.

The arena fell silent.

The roar of the crowd faded almost instantly, replaced by a stunned quiet that spread across the stands like a sudden shadow.

Darren froze.

His chest rose and fell heavily, his body tense but unmoving beneath the blade.

One wrong move and the outcome would be undeniable.

I leaned slightly closer, my voice calm and unyielding.

"Yield," I said coldly.

His breathing grew heavier. The tension stretched between us for a long moment.

Then finally....

"...I yield."

The words came through clenched teeth.

A roar exploded from the crowd.

I lowered my sword slowly, stepping back as officials moved in. My chest heaved with exertion, but my eyes lifted instinctively toward the stands again.

Toward Maria.

Toward the one person whose attention I had wanted.

Because now....the real fight was about to begin.

The winner of my match...Versus the winner of Noah and Daniel.