"Well, it was nice knowing you. I pray that you may have a longer and happier life in your next life."
"Wow. Thanks for the vote of confidence," Selena bit out, though she couldn't really say much to counter it. Not when it's slowly becoming her reality.
Three days. The duel was supposed to be held three days after Claire gave her declaration. They're already on the second day, and Selena has no idea what she should do other than run away.
"You can't!" Melissa cried when she told her about it. "If you try, in any way, to throw away a challenge, especially one that is officially recognized, the pack will throw you out! You'll go rogue!"
"That sounds better than being stripped into ribbons, don't you think? At least no one will hound me to do chores or stuff." That's what she understood from the story, anyway. Rogue werewolves were ones that were kicked out of their packs and left alone to roam. That didn't sound too bad; Selena was fairly confident in her independence skills.
The statement only made Melissa shake her by the shoulders with so much force that it made her dizzy. Apparently, becoming a rogue werewolf is a fate worse than dying. Selena didn't understand the priorities.
So now she had to brainstorm ways to at least let her survive this duel. In the original story, the female protagonist almost died from her injuries, but Selena couldn't fully rely on that information. Not when she's still confused as to what happened that night.
She was sure that she had already escaped the duel challenge from Claire the first time, and she was sure that she had already left the clearing where the ceremonies took place. But she was also running on fumes by that time, so having hallucinations was not that outlandish an explanation. But her shirt was still damp when she touched it; she remembered drinking some water by a stream after she sneaked out.
She's not sure if she's gaslighting herself or what.
"Does Claire have any weakness we can use?"
"I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? Weren't you two sisters?"
"Stepsisters. And technically cousins. And we're not close."
Melissa blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Well then, what's something she likes doing?"
Selena, who was lying down on the soft grass behind their estate (she should have realized that the giant house she woke up to was her family's, and now she felt a bit irritated that they put her in the basement to sleep. The place has too many rooms!), hummed non-committedly. "Bullying?" She then squawked in protest when Melissa threw a handful of grass in her face.
"Be serious!"
"I am!" Selena spat a blade of grass. "But it's not like I had any options to choose from. I'm already physically weaker than the rest due to being an Omega, and I can't even shift." Though she is definitely stronger than in her previous life. It's almost amazing how she can easily carry full large sacks without breaking a sweat. "I already told you the most plausible one, and you shot it down."
"For the last time, we are not turning you into a rogue! Do you have any idea what kind of dangers are out there?"
It's not like here's any different. "I'd rather take my chance with a vampire, Liz." Another fistful of grass was thrown her way.
The two of them fell into another silence. "What if…" Melissa tentatively said, "What if we try to get you to shift? Before the duel?"
Selena gave her a flat look. "If I can do that, then I would have done that a long time ago." If everything followed through with the original story, she still had a long way to go to reach the part of the original story where the protagonist finally shifted. And if her luck runs out…
"I'll just prepare your eulogy, just in case."
Selena groaned. "Do you have something I could use as a weapon? Anything?"
Melissa shook her head. "Do you even know how to use one?"
"No, but it's better than nothing."
The sound of twigs snapping behind them made both girls jump and turn. "Wha… Wait, Chase?"
The young man had a bored look on his face as he observed them, his arms crossed over his chest. Selena could tell when Melissa started salivating at the arm muscles. Great. No help there.
"What? You need something?"
Melissa threw her a wide-eyed look, but she didn't move her gaze from the man. Chase raised his eyebrow at the tone. "Grew yourself an impudent bone in a span of a night? Watch your mou—hey!"
Selena was already standing up and stretching her body. Oohh, that pop always feels so satisfying . "Hmm? You don't seem to need anything, so I'll just go on my way. Cheers!"
Chase stood blinking for a couple of seconds, mouth gaping a bit, before he managed to utter his next words. "Wh—and where do you even plan on going?"
And why are you asking? Selena managed to bite the words before they tumbled out of her mouth. She, at least, managed to pull herself into a more coherent mindset that she could go through her day without metaphorically flapping her way through confusion, so facing the alpha feels less frightening and jarring now. "I'm trying to brainstorm a plan for the incoming duel that Claire issued. As I'm unable to shift into a wolf, I'm already at a huge disadvantage, so I'm looking for a way to fight back."
Chase blinked again as his face scrunched up a bit. "The duel… The one to be held tomorrow?"
Selena nodded, and Chase's face was starting to look funny.
"You… intend to fight?"
Now it was Selena who was left blinking at the question. "Yeah? She issued the challenge to me." Hopefully, she'd survive. She's supposed to be the heroine of a story, right? This story should give her a bit of plot armor she can rely on!
"… Didn't you say you didn't even want to be mated with me?"
"Yeah? What about it?"
Chase's eyes narrowed to an almost glare, and his lips pursed. Selena then felt something niggling at the back of her mind, its presence barely there, but then it started to slowly swell, the feeling reminding her of—
"Hey! Stop it! Why are you trying to drill my head in?" Selena cried, throwing an accusing glare at Chase. The man's eyes widened in shock, and Melissa's mouth fell open as she looked, bug-eyed, at her friend.
"Honestly, just when I was trying to convince myself that you can be civil…" Selena mumbled as she marched away. After knowing that the story-Selena and he shared a childhood together, she thought that maybe there's something there that she could use, maybe salvage if possible (If he's supposed to be her "fated", maybe there's some way they could create some semblance of connection-hopefully not on the sexual nature. Just. No.). But no, he really is just an asshole, much like how he was written in the story.
After she turned to a corner, the two individuals she had left stood looking in her direction, silent for a couple of beats.
"… She does know that she can opt out of the duel, right?" Chase asked.
"… I'm not sure," came Melissa's reply. "She's been acting weird since the afternoon before the ceremonies."
Another silence. "She didn't even react when I used my pull on her."
Melissa nodded. "I know, it's almost amazing. I never thought I'd find someone that is unaffected by an alpha's pull." After all, it's already rooted deep in their emotions, in their instincts. An alpha, especially the alpha of the pack, always demands the loyalty and obedience of their pack. They were always meant to be followed, idolized, and loved. No werewolf alive could ever fight against their natural charms.
But somehow, Selena suddenly became immune to it in just a couple of days.
Then, realizing who it was she was talking to, Melissa felt her shoulders stiffen as her eyes snapped to Chase's direction, but the man continued to look in the direction Selena took, a conflicting look on his face.
"… I want you to relay my instructions to the council," Chase suddenly said, making Melissa jump. "I want them to prepare a set of different weapons available. For tomorrow's duel, all participants are allowed to choose a weapon of their choice. A medical team must also be on standby for possible emergencies."
Melissa felt her mouth hang open at that, though the words in her mind were in a jumble. When Chase gave her a pointed look, she nodded and quickly dashed away.
A few distances away, gazing at an open window, a certain pointy brunette was clenching her fan so tight that it was already about to break. She couldn't help the growl bubbling from her throat as the handsome alpha continued to gaze at where the bitch had left.
Claire huffed as she turned to where that simpering Melissa had left, her lips blooming into a smirk as a plan formed in her mind. She wouldn't let anyone steal him away from her. Chase is her alpha.