Chapter 4

The Combat Arena was packed with crowds filling the stands.

Shoved forward, I stumbled into the center of the field.

Jessica stood on the platform with a microphone in hand.

"Fellow students! Today, we gather here to expel the bad apple from our midst. Not only did Mindy Newman seduce Alphas and break families apart, but she also sold her body for money.

"She even attempted to assault a professor and dishonor werewolf bloodlines. She is nothing but a walking scourge!"

The crowds started to jeer.

"Get out!"

"Burn the witch!"

"Kill that half-breed!"

Rotten tomatoes, stones, and eggs rained down like hail.

A stone struck my forehead. Blood immediately trickled down and gummed my eyes shut. But I remained standing straight.

The principal, Alfred Rocha, sat on the highest platform and tapped the microphone.

"Silence."

The entire arena fell into hushed stillness.

"In light of Mindy's numerous offenses and her complete lack of remorse, I hereby announce, on behalf of the school board, her immediate expulsion. Furthermore, she is to be added to the 'Werewolf Territory Blacklist', banished from our lands, and henceforth forbidden from entering any Veldtian territory."

"Bart!" Mr Rocha called out. "As the Physical Training instructor, you will carry out the Stripping Ritual."

Bart leaped into the sand arena and strode toward me with his large, clawed hands raised.

"Mindy, just cutting your hair wasn't satisfying enough. Now, let's see what kind of filthy body is hiding under that school uniform."

I clutched the collar of my uniform with an iron grip, my icy gaze piercing through Bart and straight toward Mr. Rocha on the high platform.

"Are you sure you want to do this? If you lay a hand on me today, the consequences will be more than your entire academy can bear."

Mr. Rocha scoffed. "More than we can bear? And just who do you think you are? Princess of the Lumin werewolf kingdom?"

The whole arena erupted in laughter.

Bart had already reached me, his sharp nails hooking into the fabric at my collar. The razor-like tips sliced across my collarbone, and blood began to seep out.

He didn't hurry to tear the entire uniform. Instead, he deliberately traced his bloodied fingertip slowly down from the wound, leaving a glaring crimson streak along the side of my neck.

"Such delicate, tender skin." Bart leaned close to my ear, his foul breath washing over me. Lowering his voice into a vicious snicker, he continued, "Once that uniform is torn off, I'll toss you into the beast cage in the detention room. Let those animals get a taste of a young woman's scent too."

Then, with a sudden burst of force, he used his claws to slice through the top two buttons of my uniform. It was as if he was toying with a prey. The metal buttons flew off into the sand, and my shoulders were instantly exposed to the chill air.

The surrounding, malicious prying gazes closed in on me.

Bart let out a wild roar and raised his massive hand high, ready to rip away the remaining buttons.

"Stop!"

At that critical moment, the sky abruptly darkened.

A deafening roar instantly drowned out all the jeers and laughter as gale-force winds whipped up, churning sand and dust into the air.

Ten heavy-duty military helicopters, emblazoned with the blood-red emblem of the Royal Guard, hovered at low altitude. Their searchlights pierced through the darkness and locked onto Mr. Rocha and Bart in unison.

At the same time, a thunderous warning blared from the giant loudspeaker, "You lowly half-breed, take your filthy hands off her!"