The two jeeps came to a halt suddenly at the shoulder of the road. Mel got down and walked to the couple, who were waving at them up ahead.


    “How long have you two been waiting here?” he asked.


    “Not long. I think, about 5 minutes.” Phoenix replied as he looked at his watch.


    “Really? Did you guys first go to the hotel?” Mel asked again.


    “Yeah. We did so and then we found you guys had left. We also had a bath and changed clothes, as you can see.” Lavana replied.


    Mel sighed.


    ‘It must be good being able to move about so easily, huh?’ he thought.


    “Alright. You and I will sit together at the back, Phoenix. Oliver is driving today, so your mate and Zehelina will sit together.”


    “Why do you have to separate us?” Phoenix questioned unhappily.


    “No big reason. I think what you did to my buddyst night can be considered a basis?” Mel asked with arms folded.


    “Last night?” Lavana asked in confusion as she looked at her mate for an exnation.


    “Er…. Can we not talk about that? Besides, I did it for his own benefit. If you want…”


    Mel interrupted Phoenix, his right hand showing a reject gesture. “No! I don’t want that smelly stuff. Keep it to yourself. Rndro didn’t get enough sleepst night coz of you, Phoenix.”


    “Why didn’t he sleep? The smell wasn’t that bad.” Phoenix muttered.


    “Phoenix, what foul-smelling stuff is Mel talking about?” Lavana asked her mate.


    “Well…” he took out a transparent bottle from his storage ring. Mel’s eyes widened. He never knew that Phoenix’s ring served that purpose. He thought it was just for beautification. He wondered if Lavana had one too, coz she wasn’t surprised at his action at all. Phoenix handed the bottle over to his mate.


    “This is really the stuff?” Lavana asked with furrowed eyebrows.


    “Yup.” her mate nodded.


    “You’re lying Phoenix. If I call Rndro here…”


    “He’ll recognize this bottle. I used its content to bathe today too. It’s really good stuff.” Phoenix preached.


    “Forget it.” Mel was tired. The one who could prove that this wasn’t the stuff that smelled awfulst night was asleep. Until they arrived at the venue, no one was to wake him up. That was Rndro’s request.


    “You guys get in. I’ll let Rndro teach your mate a lessonter, Lavana.”


    “Phoenix…” Lavana stared at her mate with mean eyes.


    “What? Examine it. It’s really good stuff.” he defended. “Trust me. This is the bottle.”


    “Did you rece the content in it? Coz this smells likevender.” she asked.


    “Before we came here, I used it in the bathroom. Then I indeed put another liquid in it after cleaning it up. The two liquids have the same effect and color, except one smells bad and this one smells nice.” Phoenix confessed.


    “So what’s the effect?” she asked telepathically as they separated and headed to the two jeeps.


    “You’ll see it in the battleter.” Phoenix replied in mind link as they entered the vehicles.


    “Hey, hello.” Zehelina waved shyly.


    “Uh… Why are you acting like this?” Lavana asked after closing the door.


    “Well, I never offended you, right?” Zehelina asked.


    Lavana sighed. “Are you afraid of me and my mate?” she asked.


    “Well…”


    “Look Zehelina, I know there’s lots to exin. That will beter when we return from the event. So now let’s forget about identity and talk like we didst night.”


    Zehelina nodded in agreement. “Ok. So what do you think will be featured for today’s event? Last time, I heard from Dante that the first day would simply be a fun day and also a way for the Alphaless packs to get more points.”


    “Points?” Lavana asked in curiousness.


    Dante, who was driving, replied. “Well, since we have no Alpha, naturally we’re there in hopes of one of us bing an Alpha wolf. Then we won’t have to disband. For some groups, this is their first time, while for people like us, it’s ourst chance. So there are activities that we must partake in that aren’t violent.”


    “Just like the ones we did back in the pack some days ago?” Lavana asked.


    “Yeah. Unlike ours, which had a prize attached to it, these activities have points as the reward. If we can get up to 50 points from all these activities put together, then we can still go to the venue tomorrow, but if we fall short even by one point, no mercy. Immediate disqualification!”


    “What? That serious?” Lavana cried out in surprise.


    Zehelina added. “Yeah, the disqualified Alphaless pack can still remain and watch how the entirepetition turns out just that they won’t be able topete in the next triennialpetition. Though the first day is for fun, it’s also a way to seed out the weaklings. The ones who fall into this predicament disband the moment they reach home and then find some other packs to join, could be one with an Alpha or one without.”


    “Oh. So today can be considered elimination day?” Lavana asked again.


    “Yeah. We’ve always passed this day in the previouspetitions. From the second day, there’ll be intense battles between the Alphaless packs. The final winner will arrive on the third day. The winning wolf, usually a beta wolf, will be have his wolf rank upgraded and then his pack will receive a medal,nd, properties and more pack members, business opportunites too. He will then be crowned as the new Alpha of the pack and there will be an announcement throughout that day about the emergence of the new Alpha king and his pack. We always watch in envy when that happens.” Dante sighed.


    “Don’t worry, we’ll be returning with good news.” Lavana smirked. No beta wolf for today’spetition can beat her. Not even any of the werewolf council members.


    “I’ll take your word for it.” Zehelina said as she took out two bottles of juice. “Here.” she handed one to Lavana, who epted it with gratitude.


    “Mm! This tastes good.”


    “I made it myself. You’ll not want to drink any other after tasting the ones made by me.” said Zehelina with a smile.


    Lavana gave a thumbs up. “Indeed! Girl, this is perfect.” Lavana praised.


    “Haha. d you like it.” Zehelinaughed.


    “You two keep it down. You don’t want to wake this guy up.” Dante reminded the gigglingdies. Rndro, who was in the front passenger seat, was still sleeping soundly, but if he got woken up because of these loud females, it won’t be good. Took a lot of coaxing from Mel before he was able to fall asleep earlier.


    “Ok. We’ll mind link then.” said Lavana and Dante shook his head with a sigh of defeat. Women!


    *****


    37 minutester.


    They’d arrived at the venue. Lots of automobiles of different brands and sizes covered the vast parking lot. Many werewolves walked about, either hurriedly or leisurely. Thetter taking their time to really gossip. All of them alighted from the vehicles except for a certain sleepy guy who refused to be ejected fromnd.


    “Rndro, we’re under attack.” Phoenix yelled in his right ear.


    “Argh! You bastard! Why yell so loud? Are you that eager for me to go deaf? What’s wrong with you?” a pissed Rndro asked with a deadly look.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    “Well, a certain person was intent on dying people.” Phoenix replied with arms folded.


    “If you didn’t do thatst night and deprive me of my precious beauty sleep, would I be this way?” Rndro thundered.


    “That’s clearly your own problem. I told you it’s good stuff. You clearly didn’t believe me.” Phoenix retorted.


    “What good stuff would smell worse than poop? Blergh!”


    “Get down, Rndro, or I’ll make you.” Phoenix warned.


    “Make me.” Rndro challenged.


    “You said so…”


    Both got interrupted by Mel.


    “Hey you two. Don’t you have any shame? How can you behave like this? You think you’re still children?” he rebuked in ire.


    “Well, aren’t we always children to our parents? Can you refute that?” Phoenix retorted.


    “You…”


    “Guys, please don’t be like this. Unity is needed….” Oliver chipped in.


    “He clearly doesn’t want that.” Rndro interrupted.


    “Buddy, please get down.” Mel pleaded and Rndro immediately wore a smile. “I’ll always do as you say, buddy. But with him…. Hmph!” Rndro harrumphed at Phoenix as he got off the vehicle. “Watch out.” he said to thetter before walking ahead, hands in his pockets. A serious look reced the smug countenance he wore earlier.


    Zyair caught up with him and started discussing a few things with him telepathically.


    “Phoenix, behave yourself.” Lavana pinched his waist.


    “Ow! Are you ashamed of me, Lavie?” Phoenix asked his mate in mind link.