Caitlyn's POV
What unfolded before their eyes occurred in the blink of an eye, leaving the previously excited onlookers now fixated on Karma, who lay collapsed on the ground with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Father, kill her!" Karma's hands covered his face, her body trembling with anger.
"Shame on you! Get up!" Kayn grimaced, unable to conceal his frown at Karma.
Karma, realizing she had lost her composure, succumbed to a human unable to transform in front of everyone, even allowing me to slap her—a significant humiliation.
Rising from the ground, the springy light on her chest caught the attention of nearby young werewolves who eagerly rushed forward to assist her.
"Back off, I don't need this yet!" Whether out of shame or anger, Karma flushed red as she shrugged off the assistance offered.
"Okay, Caitlyn, huh? I'll remember you." Karma glared viciously before getting up from the ground and directing her frustration at me.
"Too bad I don't have any interest in you. Next time you approach me, make sure to offer the other side of your face for symmetry."
I chuckled softly and waved my hand at Karma.
"You!"
Indignant, Karma looked ready to transform and attack, if not for Kayn restraining her.
"Alright, I declare Caitlyn the winner of this match. She is now a part of our Fullmoon Pack. Any objections?"
As everything settled, Zed wore a smile on his face as he stepped onto the stage, making a majestic announcement to the clansmen below. Disbelief among them turned into deafening cheers.
Standing on the high platform, I surveyed the crowd and noticed a werewolf standing at the edge, looking at me suspiciously. It seemed there was a strong connection to Ornn.
"What are you looking at? Oh, he's Ornn's son, Nasus. Although he's part of their camp, he wouldn't deliberately give you a hard time."
Zed followed my gaze and then explained to me.
The werewolf called Nasus, gave me a deep look before turning his head towards the pack's camp.
When the cheers of the crowd died down and everyone slowly dispersed, Zed, Azir, and some of their cronies were the only ones left at the end.
"It's getting late. Zed, you take Caitlyn and go back to rest first. You must be exhausted today."
Azir gently rubbed my head before instructing Zed. Immediately after, Azir dragged his hunched body away in the opposite direction as well.
"Come on, I'll take you back to rest. You'll be satisfied with the room."
Zed nodded obediently, taking the lead with my bags and guiding the way.
"It was the most brilliant decision I made to bring you back. I wasn't really expecting you to win like that. To be honest, that hit just now would have given me a headache for a while. Tell me, what else are you hiding from me?"
After walking for a while, Zed turned around and looked me up and down, his eyes appearing a little confused.
"I honestly don't know."
I gave a bitter smile and shook my head lightly.
"Don't lie. Are you deliberately hiding your strength? I doubt you've taken control of the ability to transform into a wolf. That slap just now wasn't the kind of power that a human could burst out with."
Zed's eyes were extraordinarily deep, as if he could peer into all the secrets in my heart at a glance.
"I didn't think I would win either before I agreed to her challenge. I just felt that I couldn't admit defeat easily."
I pursed my lips, carefully recalling the changes in my body just now.
"It wasn't until I reached the high platform and felt the wolf in Karma's body that my body's strength came back, but it was limited to the strength of my arms."
I said, slowly raising my hand and examining my pale arm in the moonlight. No one would have guessed that such a petite arm could have unleashed such incredible strength just moments ago.
"That means you were still human when you accepted her challenge, so how did you dare?" Zed's face displayed a mix of surprise and contemplation.
"Probably because I've been through a lot with Talon before. There's nothing to be afraid of. I just felt that I couldn't dishonor the expectations of the people around me," I replied casually. Then, a sudden insight struck me, and I seized Zed's arm to continue.
"By the way, I remembered when I gained my power; I also heard the call of the wolf inside me. It seems that it was because of this territory that my wolf chose to retaliate in the face of Karma's wolf's provocation."
"That would mean the bloodline in your body is actually purer than Karma's, so your wolf felt its majesty was being provoked," Zed said in a hushed voice, gently pursing his lips as if contemplating something.
"Alpha, it's here," one of the guards whispered, prompting Zed to turn around.
"Oh yes, this is the place. You're going to love it because this is exactly where your mother lived before," Zed exclaimed. Upon hearing his words, a mix of emotions enveloped me as I slowly pushed open the door, revealing a cozy room.
A profound sense of intimacy surrounded me. Observing the sweet decorative style, I couldn't help but miss my mother, whom I had never met. After all, she was once an innocent young girl before becoming my mother.
"Why did my mother choose to leave the pack in the first place?"
The shame in Azir's eyes when he first learned I was Gwen's child flashed in my mind.
Taking a deep breath, I turned my head to look at Zed with a somewhat cold expression—a questioning look, more than just a question.