Lucianna’s POV
“Are you alright?” I asked Kiara who was immobile behind me, she’s as shock as I am.
I didn’t think that Jacob will come to the field and defend us, but I am grateful because my head must be shattered into pieces by Harlow’s mace.
Once Kiara nods, I looked at Jacob again. His eyes are fixated at me right now and I know that those eyes are scanning me whole, looking for any damage in my body. And thank god, there’s none. Or else, his fire will be fueled.
Harlow must be betrayed by her knees as she slumped down on the ground. I bet Jacob scared her and the exhaustion coming together drained what’s left with her energy.
Jacob looked at Harlow again, making the latter flinch. I can tell how nervous she is. But then, Jacob only gave her a quick glance before bringing his attention to me.
He walked to me this time.
“Are you hurt?” he asked.
I shook my head. Fast.
What happened was scandalous enough and I don’t wish for Jacob to lose his control any more than this.
Jacob hissed and grabbed the hand that held the shield earlier. Only then did I noticed that I was trembling. So bad.
“Stop lying to me.” he growled inwardly.
Why am I trembling? I know I am not scared, I was not! But when that mace head shattered my shield, and Jacob came to save me… I caught a glimpse of my wrong decisions.
I’m trembling because of what I just learned deep in my heart.
I can live without Jacob but I don’t want to live without him.
“I-I’m fine. Really.”
“Then why are you trembling? Tell me what hurts, Lucianna. Don’t make me guess anymore.”
The way he said that pinched my heart. Have I keep on making him guess and think all this time?
“Nothing hurts, Jacob. I-I was just shocked, I’m perfectly fine. Believe me.”
He sighed and although he didn’t argue anymore, I know he’s not convinced at all.
The sound of a loud thud of someone who jumped down the field coming from the high seats took our attention.
A man in his early twenties is standing among us, beside Harlow. I think he is the same age as Alpha Aiden, older than Jacob.
The crowd, particularly Chequer’s wolves stood up, bowed their head and was silenced.
He must be the Alpha of the Chequer pack.
Jacob moved to hide me behind him. “Samuel.”
“Jacob.” Alpha Samuel smiled. “I was not aware that you have found your mate.” Samuel tilt his head a bit to see me and he smiled again.
I hate his smile. It screams of anything but sincerity. It’s too fake, too staged, and I begun to doubt trusting him from this point.
“I was not aware that you’re interested with my life, Samuel. Otherwise, I would’ve told you.”
Samuel laughed hard, so hard that it doesn’t sound like a laugh anymore. And then his face turned serious.
“You’re ruining my event.” he said to Jacob. “You know what I hate, right, Jacob? I hate it when someone’s interrupting my game.”
I swear my heart almost fell on the ground and my blood boiled at the same time.
His game? Is he serious? Kiara would’ve died because of his pack member who doesn’t seem to know the rules! Is Harlow even cared about it? I don’t think so!
In my surprise, Jacob chuckled.
“I thought you’ll stop being a dog once you became the alpha, it seems I’m not always right.” Jacob said that made my jaw dropped. Is he declaring a war?!
Jacob looked around and I watched as Samuel’s face almost burst in anger but he didn’t said a word.
“This female tournament has rules to be followed, in all continent.” Jacob said while looking far away and then returned his eyes to Samuel. “And your pack is not exempted to the rules, nor you’re allowed to change it without the High Council’s permission.”
The crowd is listening, and everyone is quiet. No one dared to speak but I saw how Harley’s eyes twinkled as he watched Jacob speak. I think he’s proud or something.
Jacob looked at Harlow this time and spoke again when Samuel didn’t utter a word.
“That girl is disqualified.” Jacob announced while pointing at Harlow, he said it in a way that Samuel has no other choice. “And my mate just saved you ‘cause this kind of leadership will surely cost you a throne, Samuel.” he chuckled. “I wish she didn’t intervene though. I’d rather watch you lose your title, I bet that’s much more entertaining. But Lucianna was right, life is most important and your little wolf there… broke the rules.”
Harlow looked at her Alpha with terror. I frowned by why her expression look like a baffled kid, full of fear of what she might’ve done wrong. If there’s a chance that Harlow is acting, this is by far the best clueless expression I have ever seen.
I gasped and looked at Samuel. Jacob tilted his head to me but his eyes didn’t reached me.
“Or she was told that killing is the right thing to do.” I said and walked past Jacob so I can face Samuel. I pointed at him. “You ordered this female to kill! In a tournament in which killing is a taboo!”
My anger rises higher than my head, I think it even reached heavens and I don’t care! How can an alpha, a person who was supposed to bring its pack to glory and honor, corrupt his own family?!
Jacob’s hand gently covered my tummy as he positioned himself behind me in an intimate distance. If only I’m not feeling this wrath towards Samuel, I would’ve tremble from his possessive touch.
A low chuckle escaped from Jacob’s chest while the worthless alpha in front of me looked like he is about to explode.
“Since you anger my mate, you left me with no choice but to submit this concern to the higher-ups. No offense.” Jacob said to his fellow alpha.
I can hear Jacob smirking from his tone. Also, the way he included my emotion and connected it to his decisions blew my bubble bigger. Ugh, Jacob.
Samuel’s nose flared and I waited for any upcoming rebuttal from him but none came. He just looked at the announcer who watches us just like the rest of the audience. He gestured a knowing nod, maybe communicating with their minds and then the announcer held his microphone up.
“Ladies and gents, there was a conflict in which also pushed this tournament into its end. A female fighter failed to follow t-the general rule, and th-thankfully, one of the judges s-stopped a bloody incident to occur.”
My brow raised from the way the announcer spoke. Just earlier, his enthusiasm and excitement with violence is above level and now he had the guts to act innocent while trying to get into my side?
Ha. Don’t make me laugh.
“Harlow of the Chequer pack is disqualified!” the announcer’s voice turned slightly cheerful this time.
Jacob and Samuel haven’t broken their eye contact since the announcer spoke.
“The victor that will bring home the CFFT Golden Trophy and fifty thousand dollar prize! The winner of Chequer’s female fighter tournament is no other than: Kiara from the Shadow pack of the North region! Let’s give her a round of applause!”
I heard Harley whistled, too loud not to notice and Brent is giving a slow and proud clap. Meanwhile, the crowd applaud but it didn’t sound congratulatory at all.
It made me jump into a conclusion that in this pack, not only Harlow is taught violence is power but all of them. Excluding Mual, of course.
“This sums it all.” Samuel said through gritted teeth. “I don’t see any reason for you to stay in my land.”
“We will leave.” Jacob answered calmly. “But a reminder: this matter will be handled properly by the council.”
Samuel growled. “Why don’t you butt out with my business, pup!”
Jacob let out a phoney sigh. “I intend to, I do. But I changed my mind the moment your fighter almost crashed my mate’s skull.”
Jacob held my hand and dragged me out of the field before Samuel can even respond. Harley went to Kiara and helped her up and that’s the last thing I saw that happened in the arena. The next thing I knew, I was inside Jacob’s truck.
“Lucianna-”
“Take me to Mual’s house. I’ll tell the way.” I cut him off.
I know what he is going to say but I need to do something first. There is no way I can stay at Chequer, I have to leave but a part of me knows I can’t go home to Jacob, too.
Talk about fucking up inside and I am.
Seconds of silence after, I decided to look at Jacob because my curiosity is already punching me inside.
Jacob was looking at me with eyes I can not describe. The emotions behind his black eyes are saying too much that I can’t point which one is he wanting to argue with me about.
Then his lips formed into a thin flat line before gearing up and the car started running away from the arena.