Chapter 3

Blaire's POV

The battle was about to start as I walked in with a bottle of water and a neat towel in my hand before sitting on the front row next to the raging crowd as they screamed and cheered the men on the arena ground.

A cold chill ran down my spine when I saw my brothers in the secluded space for the fight surrounded by chain barricades. Five men stood tall against them and they looked like they were about to tear each other apart even before the fight started.

Across the other side, Ares sat in a royalty stance with Freda, the girl I caught him cheating with the previous day leaning close to him, her hand resting against his and that sight made the ache in my chest deepen.

I looked away from his direction when he caught me staring. The horn was blown and the fight started. I felt so uncomfortable at the start as the five men huddled against my brothers, beating them and throwing them to the floor. A smirk pulled up on Ares's face giving off that he was clearly enjoying it.

"Come on, Nightmoons," Ares shouted lazily, leaning back in his chair. "Is this what the first warbook taught you guys? What a shame."

My hand balled beside me, not from anger but from fear. I watched while praying within me that my brothers would pick up on the fight and give their best shot.

Noah suddenly grabbed one of the men by the neck and slammed him against the chain barricade with enough force to shake it violently. A loud growl ripped from his throat as his eyes flashed brightly, his canines showing slightly. Jake moved just as fast beside him, landing a punch against another man's jaw before throwing him across the ground like he weighed nothing.

The crowd roared loudly.

The men tried to attack again but my brothers had already changed completely. Their movements became sharper and more dangerous, their strength almost frightening as growls echoed from them with every hit they landed. One of the men rushed toward Jake only for Jake to catch him midway and throw him hard against the floor.

Within a blink of an eye the five men were on the floor groaning in pain while my brothers stood victorious, breathing heavily with smiles stretched across their faces.

I quickly rushed to meet them, handing them the towel and water. They collected it from me and took gulps before giving it back to me.

"Now, Ares Whitehood," Noah shouted boastfully, wiping the sweat from his jaw. "I hope you're ready to give that second warbook to the Nightmoons."

Ares's hand balled into a fist as he slowly stood up. His gaze drifted to the men on the floor and I could see the disappointment in his eyes. For a moment the hurt on his face was too obvious to hide before he brushed it off with a smirk.

"Fine, I'll keep to my word," he said through a low groan. "See you at the private dining room."

Noah chuckled as Ares walked away. "Man, that look on your face now is golden and this should be a warning to anyone." He turned to the crowd proudly. "Who thinks they can beat the Nightmoons in battle? You don't stand a chance."

"Seriously, Noah let's get out of here," Jake said, cleaning the sweat off his face with the towel. "We have to get ready for dinner and return home on time to deliver our victory news to Dad."

Noah turned to Jake with a smile. "Yes, you're right." His gaze drifted to me and he scoffed. "Should I tell you what to do now?"

I lowered my gaze immediately. "I'm sorry, brother."

I stepped out of the way and he walked past me, making his way out of the arena.

I followed after them, walking in haste to meet up with their pace. My body ached badly due to how long I had been up cleaning and washing. At this point I needed rest badly but I couldn't until my brothers had rested first.

After dropping their things off at the hallway leading to the resting lounge, I carried the empty bottle toward the washing area. The loud noise from the arena was lower there and only a few workers remained around cleaning the place.

I bent down beside a wooden bench and placed the bottle there before spreading the damp towels across the rail.

"Do you really think Alpha Ares would hand over the second warbook just because of one measly fight?"

My hand froze instantly at the sound of the voice.

I slowly glanced toward the other side of the wall where two men stood brushing dirt off their boots with a sponge.

One of them laughed quietly. "Please. Ares Whitehood isn't stupid."

"The Nightmoons are too proud to notice they're walking straight into a trap."

My heart skipped painfully.

The second man shook his head with amusement. "This dinner will definitely be the end of them. Once those two brothers are out of the way, the Woodland Pack would fall right to the ground along with the Nightmoons."

Both of them laughed deeply.

A cold fear settled heavily in my chest.

I gripped the towel tighter in my hand as Ares's face flashed through my mind again. The look in his eyes earlier suddenly made sense now. He wasn't planning to lose.

He was planning something worse.

I quickly grabbed the bottle and hurried out of the area. My breathing became uneven as I rushed through the hallway. People brushed past me but I barely noticed them. All I could think about was my brothers.

I couldn't let them walk into Ares's plan. I pushed the resting lounge door open without thinking.

Noah was standing at the center of the room laughing loudly while explaining the fight to two other men. Jake sat beside the table drinking from a glass while listening.

"I'm telling you he could barely stand after that hit," Noah boasted proudly. "One more punch and—"

"Noah," I interrupted breathlessly.

The room went quiet. Noah slowly turned toward me, irritation already settling on his face.

"What now?" he asked flatly.

I walked closer quickly. "Please don't attend the dinner with Ares."

Jake's brows furrowed immediately. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"I overheard two men talking outside," I said quickly. "Ares is planning something bad for you both. They said the dinner is a trap and—"

Noah scoffed loudly before I could finish. "Blaire, have you forgotten your duty again?" he asked coldly.

I blinked at him. "Brother, I'm serious."

"And I'm serious too," Noah snapped, stepping toward me. "You are here to clean after us, not involve yourself in matters that don't concern you."

"But I heard them clearly," I insisted desperately. "Please just listen to me this once."

Jake placed his glass down harshly before standing up. "You interrupted us over rumors from workers?" he asked sharply. "Do you really think Ares scares us?"

"It's not about fear," I said softly. "I just don't want anything to happen to you both."

Noah laughed under his breath before shaking his head. "Nobody can touch the Nightmoons."

I stared at them helplessly. "Ares looked angry after the fight. Something feels wrong."

Jake's face hardened immediately. "Enough, Blaire," he scolded harshly. "Go do your job and stop speaking on things you know nothing about."

The words hit me painfully. I swallowed hard while gripping the bottle tighter.

"So that's it?" I asked quietly. "You won't even be careful?"

Noah looked away from me dismissively. "Leave."

A bitter ache settled in my chest.

I nodded slowly before stepping backward. "Fine then." My voice shook slightly despite trying to hide it. "Go for all I care."

Neither of them stopped me as I turned and walked out of the room. The hallway suddenly felt colder as I stepped outside. I walked toward the empty wooden chair resting near the arena wall before sitting down heavily.

My chest hurt badly.

I stared at the ground while my brothers' words replayed endlessly in my head. No matter how much they pushed me away, I still couldn't stop worrying about them.