Stefan awoke early the next day. He still felt the rush of hunting just to hunt. His werewolf aspect howling within him causing his heart to feel charged. With that inner Howl came an unbidden image to his mind. Her pursed his lips and went to start training.
He had decided to train even with the tournament because it was who he was and he had felt the tournament would not be much of a challenge for him. Tiffany had already started, as usual. He smiled. This little girl truly was a marvel to him and he and Jess had already adopted her into the family so when he began thinking that he would not allow anything to ever happen to her again there was a fierceness to it.
Tiffany paused and looked at him. He realized he allowed his emotion to seep to the surface again. She nodded and resumed her training. Tiffany was his ultimate Psi. Tar trained her in stealth and combat. She could infiltrate most places with her Psi abilities alone, but when she combined her personal experience and Tar's training with that innate ability she became very close to Alpha level.
And somewhere deep within him, Stefan had decided that he would make sure she rose to Alpha level.
She moved around the training area hitting various targets with a seasoned marksman's precision. She had small dart like objects in her hair that, when thrown with werewolf might, could actual pierce an enemy's vital organs. Then, with her Psi abilities, Tiffany could call her darts back to her causing even more damage.
Stefan smiled as he decided to practice with weapons today and moved to the weapons rack to see what he would use. Today was the beginning of two days of one on one matches. The last one standing would fight his Amber and prove to her that she belong to him.
He paused and blinked a few times understanding his casual thoughts. He breathed heavily. He could not allow the fact that she was his soulmate stop him from anything. His wife had been his world and the entire Star Fire Pack would pay for her death.
He chose a spear and violently thrust it into a target demanding that random thoughts leave his being. What he was doing was about vengeance, not romance. He refused to be distracted from his goal by werewolf drives and innate instincts.
Amber suddenly stopped her training, a moment of unease affecting her more than it should have. She understood that the feeling was coming from her werewolf instincts and that it had something to do with someone important to her. An image of Stefan flashed into her mind. Suddenly she was very worried.
She closed her eyes and calmed herself. If anything had happened to him she would have been informed. Then she paused a second time as she realized a specific connection had opened up between them. She could feel it like a tether to her heart pulling tight with emotion.
'He is feeling strongly about something. She nodded and focused on her training.
There were a hundred werewolves left in the tournament. Of this only about forty were actual contenders for the fight with Alpha Amber. And of them they all felt a primal fear towards Stefan. There had been a rumor that Stefan was actually Alpha Amber's soulmate but he never acknowledged it and now he was back to prove himself and take her as his. They all felt that he lost his chance and he was now an obstacle in their path.
A seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
Stefan maintained a confident smirk as he looked at the five werewolves he knew would be his only real challenges.
First was a dark brown skinned, tall, muscular werewolf with green hair and purple eyes. He had been in Stefan's ring for the previous two rounds and he saw how he fought in his human state and his werewolf state. He controlled his werewolf completely and he utilized his werewolf aspects in his human form with ease. He was also good with both weapons and hand to hand combat.
The next was also in his ring. He was a tall thin, almost emaciated werewolf with vibrant red hair and eyes. Stefan knew this werewolf was either an Alpha or at Alpha level. He did not have the control of the first werewolf on Stefan's list but he was just as deadly as him. He had a poison ability and Stefan had watched a gas release from his clawed hands and kill an opponent instantly. And this werewolf was much stronger than he looked. He had actually picked up an opponent and broke his back above his head.
The third werewolf was a young cocky looking pretty faced werewolf with blond hair and blue eyes. His physique was more toward the athletic side and he was probably the fastest werewolf Stefan had ever seen. He had even asked Tiffany if the werewolf was using an ability that he could not sense. She said not but that he had a special physique that may allow for increased speed.
The fourth werewolf had black hair and blue eyes and like number three he seemed a bit unassuming and maybe even average. But he was definitely an assassin. Stefan had watched him fight in the first round and of the fifty that he killed or helped killed he was able to get around werewolf natural instinct and slit more than twenty throats from behind. Also his chosen weapon was a garret but he could use many others. The werewolf picked random weapons up off the ground and fought expertly.
The fifth werewolf was massive. He had dark brown hair with blood red highlights and emerald green eyes. In his human state he fought like a werewolf. He ripped opponents apart with both his hands and teeth. He was proficient with ever weapon Stefan saw him use and, for such a big man he was incredibly fast.
Stefan focused on one of the judges as the rose in the air and then moved forward to speak.
"This round will consist of two days of one on one matches. The competitors will be chosen at random. Today there will be three rings and tomorrow there will be just one. After the winner is determined there will be a three day break so that he is in optimal condition and then he will fight our Alpha.
"To win in today and tomorrow's matches the opponent will either need to yield, be rendered unconscious, or killed. If you are knocked out of the ring you have a five second count to return. If you can not return within that time frame you will be considered defeated."
The judge finished and looked to everyone to ensure they all understood. He moved back to his position and the next of the three grand judges came forward. She announced the first three pairs. Two of them were evenly matched but the third was not. Still no one yielded. Stefan sat down and waited for his turn.
While he waited he watched his second considered threat, the poison werewolf. He showed Stefan that he did not completely rely on his poison. Most had seen him using the poison during the first and second rounds and they all thought it was idiotic to show your trump card so soon. So his first opponent felt that he did not need to be to cautious as long as he kept his distance. The emaciated werewolf pulled out a whip and stood, waiting for his opponent to make a move.
They both seemed to burst forth at the same time but the emaciated werewolf was a second later because he waited for his opponent to move first. His opponent thought he was out of the range of both the poison and the whip but the whip struck out startling fast, even as the emaciated werewolf moved forward.
It extended and reached the other werewolf wrapping around his torso and with quick yanks up and then down the opponent was taken up just to be slammed into the ground. The werewolf moaned on the ground and moved to get up but before he could he the emaciated werewolf was on him and with a devastating punch to the gut the distinct sound of bones being broken was heard and the opponent stilled.
The emaciated werewolf relaxed his stance, looked at his opponent and began to leave the ring. His win was announced when he had when he had reached his seat. Everyone stood and roared a cheer for his win. He sat down indifferently but he looked over to see Stefan looking at him. He smiled, nodded, and looked back to the rings.
Stefan's first match came up almost right after the emaciated werewolf's and in the same rang. He was matched with a werewolf that was slightly older than him. He had dark brown hair and eyes. Stefan so him fight but he didn't put him on his list because he did not have respect for him. He did not like holding back. Stefan praised and respected those who went all out and held nothing back. For him those how held back were either cowards or nice and both died too quickly in his estimation.
They looked at each other for a long moment, neither making a move. Even when the brown hair brown eyed opponent stepped forward Stefan did not move. He bowed deeply at his waist "I yield to the rightful one."
Stefan looked at the top of his head for a brief moment, nodded, and turned and walked away. His win was announced and he never looked back, feigning disdain.
'He is one of ours Tiffany?'
'Yes My Lord. He was of Dark Howl Pack and has pledged his allegiance to you. I think he is upset that he could not take more opponents out for you.'
Stefan nodded internally. Now he understood that this werewolf was the third option and held back because he was ordered to. No one from the Silver Moon Pack was to die or distinguish themselves in this tournament. It was an order from Marco himself.
He sat back down, slightly disappointed but still proud that his Pack was so strong, and had infiltrated so deeply.