Chapter 62: Combat Season 1
One week later...
After so many grueling weeks of nonstop training, Combat Season finally begins.
By Friday evening, the Moon-Crest Academy is already alive with bloodlust and excitement.
The massive training ring sits at the center, surrounded by metal wire woven into rings. The type of rings you see in movies, where the men don’t stop fighting until one drops to the ground.
There’s not supposed to be any dropping here though... academy rules.
Still, the adrenaline is palpable in the air, students waiting eagerly to watch those athletic boys show off their strengths in a fight.
Tier after tier of bleachers stretches around the training ring, already packed with students, teachers, alumni, and visiting pack officials.
On one side, the Moon-Crest supporters form a sea of black and red, waving banners with the Moon-Crest ’silver’ wolf emblazoned across them.
Directly opposite them, the Silver Fangs section shines in navy and white, their students also chanting loudly.
By the side, the drummers are already playing the Moon-Crest anthem, edging students on as they scream and wave their flags.
Today’s match officially opens the Combat Season for the year. And the rules are simple.
Each academy sends ten representatives. One substitute.
Every victory earns one point, and the match ends when one team successfully defeats at least seven fighters from the opposing side.
A fighter only leaves the ring by being forced out, surrendering, or being unable to continue after a referee’s count of five.
Killing an opponent is strictly forbidden. And any student who deliberately breaks that rule is publicly disgraced, stripped of their rank and pack privileges, and would be completely treated as an outcast.
The one senior who killed another player years ago eventually couldn’t take it and fled the pack and became a rogue.
Meanwhile, the winning academy from today’s match would advance to the national qualifiers.
Nyra arrives with Lena, Leah, and Naya, all four dressed in Moon-Crest’s signature black and red jerseys.
Except Nyra’s.
Instead of black and red, Nyra wears the pure black captain jersey bearing one name boldly across the back.
BLACKWOOD 01
Almost on cue, Adrian jogs onto the arena floor with the rest of Moon-Crest’s combat team. The moment his eyes land on Nyra and the jersey, he pauses. Smiling so bright his dimples pop on both sides of his cheek.
They smile shyly when she sees him, returning his wave, and almost immediately every pair of eyes is on them.
The old Nyra would’ve hated the attention. But now, seeing Adrian openly claim her in front of everyone sends a wave of affection sizzling through her chest.
It’s in that moment Adrian decides he can’t just wave from a distance.
Ignoring the confused looks from his teammates, he runs straight toward the front row where Nyra and her friends are currently seated.
Nyra barely has time to react before he’s wrapping both arms around her in a tight hug.
"You wore my jersey." He presses his nose into her hair, sniffing shamelessly like she’s the sweetest thing he’s ever smelt.
She laughs softly. "Of course I did. You gave it to me."
He pulls back just enough to look at her. "I was already planning to win. But now..." he says with a grin, "I’m definitely winning."
Nyra raises an eyebrow, trying to mask the heat rushing into her face. "I’ll be cheering."
"Only for me?" He asks again. Because even now, even after everything with Jason avoiding her, somehow this crazy man still acts territorial.
She pretends to think about it just to rile him up. "Hmm... maybe."
Adrian groans dramatically. "No ’maybe.’ I need all your luck."
She giggles before lightly nudging his shoulder, the sound like music to his ears. "Fine. I’m cheering only for-"
Before Nyra can finish her sentence, the students begin murmuring loudly, pointing at the entrance. Both she and Adrian instinctively turn toward the commotion.
Only to find Anna walking into the stadium looking beautiful as always. Blonde hair packed in a tight bun with a few strands framing her face. Beside her is her group of just as ’plastic’ girls, all wearing glittering makeup and bright clothes.
But that’s not the problem. The problem is her jersey: Black.
And on the back: BLACKWOOD 01
As expected, gossip mongers among them are already gossiping loudly. And some of them are not saying nice things.
Anna walks in as if she’s immune to all the gossip, very confident. When her eyes meet Adrian’s, she even blows him a kiss, swirls around so he can see the jersey, before continuing with her friends toward the other side. Far away from Nyra, thankfully.
Nyra’s fingers slowly curl into fists around the hem of her own jersey as she forces her gaze away.
Her sister knows exactly what button to press.
Beside her, Adrian’s expression is a mix of rage and guilt. "What the hell is wrong with her?..." he mutters under his breath.
He takes Nyra’s hand reassuringly. "I swear I didn’t..." He sighs exhaustedly. "That jersey was my spare in the condo. Why the fuck would she even..?"
"It’s fine." Nyra shrugs it off. "I’m used to her antics by now."
"That doesn’t mean you should have to take it!" Adrian counters, long fingers sliding under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his silver-warm eyes. "You’re my mate, Nyra! I need you to understand that no matter what Anna says or does, I choose you!"
Before she can respond, he pulls her closer and presses their lips together. Not rough and lustful like their past kisses, but warm and reassuring. For a moment, it feels like the entire room has faded away behind them.
Nyra kisses back--maybe a part of her wants to show Anna her place, though she would never admit it out loud--the students around them cheer happily, phones out, whispering and jabbing each other.
Nyra should feel embarrassed. She is. But there’s also warmth. Warmth that makes her chest feel like it’s about to implode on itself.
The blare of a horn from the training ring finally, finally pulls them apart.
Adrian rests his forehead against hers, smiling despite everything. "Don’t look away," he whispers. "Every hit I land today is for my future Luna."
Another horn blares. His teammates yell his name, and with one last wink, Adrian turns and sprints back toward the arena.
---
The moment the game starts, one thing is obvious: The Silver Fang team players are raging mad.
The news has spread like wildfire already. Ronan, their best fighter and captain, is in jail. And somehow, they have decided to take it all on Moon-Crest during the fight.
What’s worse is, they don’t completely cross the line, so the referees can’t penalize them, but the intent is obvious.
Fight to cause as much damage as possible.
--
The horn blows again: the fight has started.
One boy from the Silver Fangs team crashes into one of the lowest Moon-Crest fighters hard. Before he can recover, he punches his face over and over again until blood flies from a broken nose, one of his eyes swollen shut.
The boy falls back, face all red and swollen, groaning on the ground--still he doesn’t let him go. The Silver Fang player raises his foot, hind claws out, intending to cut deep against his ribs, when Adrian flies in without warning and shoves the boy off him.
Medics quickly rush and drag the injured boy out.
One down from Moon-Crest.
The opposing player, annoyed, faces Adrian instead--though he knows he won’t win, he still does--his claws are out, swinging, trying to claw Adrian’s eyes out.
Adrian ducks, but another player slams into him from the other side, pressing him against the iron wire. His face pierces into a loose wire, digging into the side of his face.
Fuck.
The entire spectators on the Moon-Crest side have gone completely still. The other fighters can’t help because they’ve also been swarmed by other fighters.
Adrian’s alone in this.
Nyra grips the rail tight. Her heartbeat fast as she watches. The two of them have ganged up, trying to make the wound longer and deeper by shoving his head down harder.
Adrian snarls, planting both feet against the ground, and with a sudden burst of raw strength, he elbows one of the fighter’s ribs.
The loud crack can be heard all the way from Nyra’s seat.
The boy folds in pain, and Adrian uses that chance to drag his face from the wire--though cutting himself deeper--then drops his head low before twisting the hand of the second guy and slamming his knee into his stomach.
Nyra gasps when Adrian turns, and she can see the wound on his cheek clearly. It is long and jagged, from his cheek almost down to his jawline.
It has to hurt like hell.
But somehow, somehow Adrian manages to still fight.
He punches the first boy now trying to stand, then jams their hard bodies together. Again, and again, until they eventually stop struggling, rolling on the floor from the pain.
The referee starts counting somewhere: One, two, three, four... five, and when neither of the boys stand up again, he announces the updated stats.
Silver Fangs four down.
Moon-Crest five down.
Adrian’s eyes snap to the board in shock, the referee is right. Silver Fangs is winning.