Chapter 8 Terms And Conditions

Alexa For a moment, the three of us were engulfed in tense silence while the people around us continued to cheer for Jo's victory or cry over her opponent's loss. I blinked, opened my mouth soundlessly, and Mr. Moris only squinted at me. ‘I knew this was going to be a bad idea!’ Mythril complained. “Do you need money or something? She didn’t have it. She was just sold to an Alpha and ran away,” said Harlow, his brows furrowed. “Bad news, everyone has problems in this neutral zone. I don’t give a damn where you heard of me, but if you think I’ll give her a damn bed and free food, let alone train her,” he caught a breath, glancing back and forth between me and Harlow, “then you’re gravely mistaken. She’s not good enough,” the man scoffed. ‘Not good enough,’ Mythril whined in my head, echoing those words in my head. I furrowed my brows and bowed my head. Was I truly worthless? Was I destined to be a punching bag for the rest of my life? The man turned away, facing several men who were shaking his hand. Some even handed him a small portion of the money they had won from betting. Mr. Moris grinned at the sight of the money he received, ignoring us completely. “Come on, Alexa. He’s a waste of time,” Harlow said, turning toward me. His eyes darkened as if he was ready to lose control and shift into his lycan form again. I bit my lower lip, weighing everything. I had no home, no money, and for some reason, I had a feeling that this was the right place for me. Maybe I was crazy to trust an invisible whisper that held no guarantees. But something urged me. I couldn’t leave here empty-handed after Harlow had taken such a significant risk to save me. He was already an enemy of two Alphas, and with me following him, he would undoubtedly struggle. If it was true that Mr. Moris could provide me shelter and training, then this was what I needed. “I will work.” Yes, maybe I truly was insane. My voice rang out as I took a quick step toward Mr. Moris instead of following behind Harlow. Hearing my voice, the man paused and stared at me. ‘What?!’ Mythril screamed in my head. “What do you think you’re doing? Let’s go,” Harlow snapped, rushing to my side, but I raised my hand to stop him. I knew what I had to do. “I will work for you. Any job is fine. I used to be a servant in my home. Please let me stay and train with you here. I want to become stronger,” I said, looking straight into Mr. Moris’s brown eyes. He stared at me for a moment before a crooked smile appeared on his lips. “Fine. Let’s see what you can do.” Mr. Moris stood and cupped his hands around his mouth before yelling out, drawing the attention of everyone around us. “Hey, Jo!” The female fighter named Jo turned from the ring to look at Mr. Moris. “One more round!” Hearing Mr. Moris’s booming voice, the crowd erupted into loud cheers. Jo nodded as her response. Realizing what his intentions were, Harlow yanked his arm. “What are you doing?” he growled through gritted teeth. “Giving her the first training,” Mr. Moris smirked at Harlow before turning back to me. “Fight Jo, and I swear to train you and protect you to my last drop of blood. Go change at the counter,” he tilted his chin to another door across the room. “She won’t fight,” Harlow growled, but Mr. Moris didn’t flinch. “I’ll do it,” I said. My steps made their way to the counter. Although Harlow called after me and tried to stop me, I slipped through the crowd. *** “You look decent in that outfit,” a man behind the counter nodded after glancing at my appearance. “So, what’s your stage name?” he asked. “Stage name?” I replied, frowning as I tied my hair into a high ponytail. “Yeah. People always use stage names in fights to make themselves sound stronger. Everyone will know you by your stage name.” The man shrugged. I paused, confused. My eyes darted to the fight schedule board displaying fighters’ names: The High Priestess, X-kay, Jo, Rock Man, and many more. Maybe, a stage name could be a good alias to hide from the world. *** I was crazy. Mythril shouted with excitement at the thought of fighting someone, while Harlow simply stared at me sharply, disapproving of my decision. I walked toward the ring. Wearing borrowed clothes—a slightly oversized short-sleeved shirt and thigh-length shorts—I stood below the ring. Harlow folded his arms and repeatedly told me I shouldn’t do this. “I don’t want to be your burden any longer,” I said. The bell rang as the referee struck it. The people around us cheered, chanting Jo’s name. The referee raised his hand and extended it toward me, introducing the stage name I had chosen. “Brianna Smith!” Hearing the name, I climbed into the ring through the metal barriers surrounding it. The crowd jeered at me, but I swallowed hard and let their roars fade into the background. Yes, I had decided to change my name to erase any traces of myself from Alpha Alastair. Meanwhile, Harlow stared at me wide-eyed as I entered the ring as Brianna Smith. “And on the champion’s side! Here’s Jo!” The female fighter named Jo entered the ring. She clenched her fists and swung her head side to side for a quick stretch. Maybe she wanted to intimidate me, but I focused on finding her weak spots. Unfortunately, I found none. After observing her closely, I realized she might be far too tough for me. Hell, she had just taken down a burly man at least five times my size. I huffed and chanted that everything would be okay. I was determined not to back down. If Mr. Moris kept his promise to protect me to his last drop of blood, maybe Alpha Alastair wouldn’t find me in this deserted town. All the while, I could train to control my wolf, be a real lycan. ‘What if you die?’ Mythril asked. ‘I won’t die. I’ll strengthen myself,’ I replied to my wolf. Jo just stared at me intently. Her tall, muscular build and broad shoulders indicated she had trained physically for a long time. Her toned abs and tattooed arms added to her powerful appearance. Her gaze was different from my bullies at Silver Moon. Her eyes held no hatred, only honesty and determination to win. Maybe she was like me, searching for a place to train and protect herself. I wondered if I could one day be like her. “Listen, girls. Fight as much as you can. There are no rules. Whoever falls, faints, dies, or cannot fight back within ten seconds loses. Do you understand?” The referee looked at me, and I nodded. Jo also responded with a quick nod. ‘Alright, I think we can win this. She’s already tired from the last fight, so we have the upper hand now.’ “Fight!” The referee raised his hand and cut through the air with it. As soon as he stepped aside, the bell rang, signaling the start of the fight. The room erupted into cheers from the crowd. I raised my fists in front of my chest, ready to face her attacks.