Semua Bab Rejected by the Alpha Heir, Mated to His Rival Brother: Bab 11 - Bab 13

Kaden's POVA few minutes prior.The path to the combat grounds wound through the eastern training fields, a route I had walked countless times. The familiar terrain should have brought comfort, but today my thoughts were restless."My lord, wait."I paused as Garrett, my guard captain, jogged ahead to investigate the raised voices drifting from around the bend. He returned moments later, his expression carefully neutral in that way that meant he was suppressing amusement."There appears to be a dispute ahead, my lord." He hesitated. "It seems to involve your former fiancée."I frowned. "Ciara?"That was unexpected. We had almost only met at formal events over the years—balls, pack gatherings, official ceremonies. She would stand silently at the periphery, her posture perfect, her expression serene. Almost invisible, unless one made the effort to notice her."Are you thinking about her, my lord?" Garrett's voice held that familiar teasing lilt only a childhood friend could get away wi

Ciara's POVLydia bared her teeth and roared, the sound reverberating through the arena like thunder. Then she lunged with even greater ferocity than before.I barely dodged the first strike—her jaws snapping closed inches from my throat. Her claws raked across my shoulder as I twisted away, sending pain lancing through my body. Blood matted my fur, warm and sticky.But I still had stamina left. I could feel it in my muscles, in the steady rhythm of my breathing. I had been conserving energy throughout the fight while Lydia had been burning through hers with every powerful, wasteful attack.Lydia came at me again, and this time her movements were fractionally slower. Her strikes still carried force, but the lightning-quick reflexes from the beginning of the match had dulled.She was running out of energy.The mood in the crowd shifted, whispers spreading like wildfire."Lydia's getting tired.""Is she actually slowing down?""Could Ciara actually win?"Lydia's ears flattened against h