Chapter 4

Kelvin froze for a moment upon hearing my words, then suddenly burst into laughter.

“Ella,” he scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain, “do you really think this pathetic little act will make me change my mind? You think you can threaten me with a rejection? Don’t be ridiculous.”

Amanda sneered beside him, stepping closer as if to claim victory. With a sharp, mocking tone, she spat,

“So now that your little performance has failed, you’re resorting to pretending you’ve rejected him? Please! Do you really think Kelvin would be afraid of something like that? He only needs one mate—me. As for the other,” she gave me a cold, dismissive look, “you can stop dreaming. No one else has the right to even covet that position.”

I looked at them, their laughter ringing in my ears, and my heart felt as cold and lifeless as ice. Without a word, I turned and reached for the car door.

But Amanda rushed forward and blocked my way.

“What now? Running away after being exposed?” she sneered, eyes gleaming with mockery. “I’m curious—who in this pack would dare claim you now? You’re nothing but an abandoned mate, a walking disgrace.”

Her voice was sharp, like a dagger slicing through the night. My wolf stirred within me, urging me to speak—to tell them that I would soon be claimed by Derek. But I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if Luna had informed him of the decision this late at night.

Seeing my silence, Kelvin let out a low, mocking laugh, his gaze dripping with contempt. His wolf mirrored the same smugness, as though no one but him could ever be my mate.

He turned to Amanda and said, with exaggerated sarcasm, “You’re mistaken, my Luna. There is one more option—a rogue wolf. You remember him, don’t you? The one exiled from our pack three years ago. Oh right... I nearly forgot I even had a younger brother.”

Then he looked at me, his tone turning cruel.

“Ella, if you kneel before Amanda and beg her forgiveness for breaking the ring, maybe—just maybe—I’ll consider asking that arrogant, outcast brother of mine to claim you.”

They both burst into laughter, the sound cruel and echoing like thunder in my ears.

Just then, as if a sudden thought struck her, Amanda turned to Kelvin and spoke in a disgustingly innocent tone.

“Well, Kelvin, it would be far too shameful for someone like Ella to behave this way—after all, she’s supposed to be so graceful and ladylike. If your soldiers heard about this, they’d harshly blame me instead of her.”

Kelvin looked at her with a soft, indulgent smile.

“Amanda, you're still so considerate. Ella, thank Amanda at once.”

“But, Kelvin, I haven’t finished,” Amanda interrupted, her eyes gleaming with a smug smirk as she turned to me.

“I’ve had a wonderful idea. Ella can join me in the hunting competition tomorrow. If she manages to beat me, then fine—she doesn’t need to apologize for breaking my ring. But if she loses… she must stand in front of everyone and accept your public rejection as her mate!”

Kelvin’s expression shifted; he looked visibly shocked. His lips parted in disbelief at Amanda’s outrageous proposal.

“Amanda… you know Ella has never hunted a day in her life. She’s always been quiet and refined since she was a pup—how could she possibly beat you? Forcing her into such a scene—it would humiliate not just her, but her entire family.”

Amanda didn’t respond to Kelvin. Instead, she turned to me and smiled with open defiance.

“Ella, are you scared? I’d love to see whether the so-called ‘Daughter of the Southern Werewolf General’ even has the guts to show up…”

“No problem. I’ll be there tomorrow.”

I cut her off mid-sentence, my smile calm and composed—even though my wolf was already itching for a fight. I soothed her, gently suppressing her growl as I whispered inwardly, “Calm down. Don’t rush.”

I turned away and opened my car door, slipping inside. But just as I was about to close it, Kelvin stopped me.

He looked at me with uncharacteristic seriousness.

“Ella, don’t take her words too seriously. She’s just young and likes to joke around. You know the rules of our pack—don’t join the hunt tomorrow. You won’t like the outcome...”

“Thank you for the reminder.”

I gave him a faint, bitter smile.

After all, he had no idea I was the only female wolf ever awarded the Warrior Medal by the Alpha, years ago.

I said nothing more and drove away in silence.

The next day, when I arrived at the hunting grounds, I was slightly caught off guard by the grand spectacle before me. I hadn’t expected Amanda’s father—nor most of the elders from her pack—to show up in support of her.

The area buzzed with excitement. Werewolves crowded the field, cheering her name in a chaotic, feverish frenzy. The air was thick with heat, noise, and anticipation.

Amanda sat tall on her horse, dressed in a striking suit of combat fur. A quiver of arrows hung on her back, and her eyes gleamed with cold scorn as they locked onto me.

Her father occupied the center seat in the spectators' stand, seated proudly beside Kelvin. His face wore a smug look of satisfaction as he surveyed the crowd. Then his gaze fell on me—disdainful and sharp—and he declared loudly for all to hear:

“And who is the challenger facing my daughter today?”

Kelvin, looking slightly uneasy, answered in a restrained tone,

“It’s Ella… the daughter of the Southern Werewolf General.”

Amanda’s father let out a mocking laugh.

“How utterly blind. She dares to compete with my daughter? What a joke.”

One of the elders scoffed,

“Who is this so-called Southern Werewolf General? That old wolf who used to win battles but disappeared the moment our Alpha rose to power? Coward.”

Another chimed in with a sneer,

“Exactly. I never even heard he had a daughter. Look at her—silent, blank-faced. How could she ever compare to our Amanda?”

Their mocking laughter echoed across the field as all eyes turned to me, filled with ridicule and amusement.

I ignored their scorn, my body already tensing as I prepared to shift. My claws began to extend—until a firm grip stopped me.

I turned.

It was Kelvin.

“Ella, go back to your den,” he said, his voice low, almost pleading.

“There’s still time, Ella. Don’t humiliate yourself in front of everyone,” Kelvin said, lowering his voice but not his arrogance. “You’ve never hunted before—and look at you. Not even wearing proper gear. Are you really planning to go through with this?”

He stared at me with what looked like concern in his eyes—but all I could feel was the sting of betrayal beneath his supposed sympathy.

I said nothing. Without sparing Kelvin another glance, I brushed past him and walked straight to the center of the hunting grounds.

The judge raised his voice to announce the rules:

“Whoever catches the most rabbits within five minutes will be declared the winner!”

The sharp bang of a starting gun echoed through the air. Instantly, the crowd erupted with excitement, their cheers deafening—every shout was for Amanda.

While Amanda galloped on horseback in pursuit of the prey, I had already shifted into my wolf form and charged into the woods with breathtaking speed and precision.

Gasps rippled through the spectators as they saw my wolf form for the first time. In the chaos, I caught a few whispered words—harsh, trembling—from Amanda’s father.

He pointed at me, his hand shaking uncontrollably.

“It’s her... that she-wolf... I’ve been searching for her for years! The scar on my chest—it was her who wounded me in that battle two years ago...”

“Impossible,” someone nearby muttered. “Ella? She’s never been in a battle. Has she?”

Even Kelvin looked stunned. He stared at me as I tore across the field like lightning, effortlessly bringing down rabbit after rabbit with clean, precise strikes to the neck.

His eyes were wide, disbelieving—as if he was seeing me for the first time.

Before he could process what was happening, the whistle blew.

The game was over.

There was no suspense in the result—I had won, decisively.

I caught twice as many rabbits as Amanda.

All the spectators fell silent.

The world seemed frozen—no one had expected such an ending.

Under their stunned gazes, I staggered toward the rest zone, every breath a struggle. My wolf, battered and spent, could barely stay on her feet.

But just as I passed the halfway point, someone rushed up behind me and yanked me back.

Still dazed from the violent match, I barely had time to react before a sharp slap cracked across my cheek.

Amanda.

“You bitch wolf! Was this all just to humiliate me?!” she screamed.

Her hand rose again for another strike, but it never landed.

A blur moved faster than my eyes could follow.

Then came the voice—sharp as thunder.

“How dare you lay a hand on my Luna!”