Chapter 6

I slept with one eye open that night. If the contenders really were threatening to take me out, I couldn’t be too comfortable here lest I might die in my sleep before I can even make it to the frozen forest.

The morning couldn’t come sooner. It was the guards that woke us, ringing this incessant bell that was piercing to the ear, but the pain from it was quickly replaced by my hunger for the breakfast that I could smell all the way from my room.

My room is practical, just like the housing. It had a bed with a fur covering, a small bathroom to the left, a tiny closet with nothing in it to the right and absolutely no windows. There was no special treatment here. Everyone is treated the same.

I left my room after a quick shower, yawning as I did. With my eyes closed from that yawn, I hit the very same iron back that I had slammed into last night.

“Well, good morning to you too, Miss Petrov.” His teasing voice is something I don’t think I’d ever forget. “You can’t seem to get enough of me, huh?”

“Go away.” I grumble under my breath, attempting to leave his side, but his smile follows me anyway.

This morning, I can now see why it was so dark in the hallway last night. There were, again, no windows, casting the entire hall in shadow even during the morning.

The hallway was long and breaking off into a fork at the very end, probably to more rooms. It’s high ceilinged and wide, allowing a man like Big to pass through easily. His room, though, after seeing mine must be difficult for him.

“Go away?” Voss spoke from beside me. “But I’m your only friend in this tournament.”

I swerved to face him, my eyebrows furrowed in frustration. “We are not friends. There should be no friends here. This tournament is to the death.”

He leaned against the wall, arms crossed and smirking. “Damn, alright. Not friends then, but how about… allies?”

When I don’t reply, his smirk only widens.

“Lovers, maybe?” He offered in that same teasing voice. “I know I said I wasn’t attracted to you, but it’s not like I can release my godliness on Big or Teapot.”

I punched him in the gut, making him wheeze out and pant for breath. “Go away. I mean it, Voss.”

Sunshine and happiness. I chanted over and over in my head.

When I entered the main room, it was already crowded with other contenders eating their fill of breakfast that was as high as a mountain on the table. They ate barbarically, eating with their hands and enjoying their food with zest. I sat with them, ignoring the heated glares as I ate with my hands as well. I try not to be too irritated when Taj Voss sits on the chair beside me, bobbling down his own food.

A guard in front of us gives our first instructions. We were to finish breakfast and rest for an hour after that. When the hour is done, we proceed to our first exercise, watched by an eager audience that have come to see what we can do. That will continue all the way to lunch, followed by another hour's rest and then the famous spars. It was a test of strength between the candidates, facing off with each other like what would happen with the final two. At night we can drown ourselves in drinks, heal our wounds, sleep and repeat. This would go on for a week until the tournament.

Big, So-so Big and Teapot are the first to finish breakfast, their large figures shaking the floorboards. They shoot angry, nose flaring looks between Voss and I. “Mark my words. You two will die in the first few hours of the tournament.”

I gasp, completely insulted by this, but not because of my promised death but by something else. “Don’t associate me with this criminal.”

Voss looks equally offended, hand to his heart. “Don’t associate me with this Princess.”

They ignore us. Teapot looked angry that we did not care about his threat of death. “I don’t care if you two are some sick pair of lovers or some crap—“

Voss quickly interrupts him. “Lovers? Excuse your ugly face, but my extensive sex drive is not at all beaconed towards the beast sitting beside me.”

“His tiny sex drive beacons towards the old.” I jab my thumb high into the air, insinuating Voss’s admiration for old women. “Old, old.”

Big, So-so Big and Teapot’s infuriation was evident with the redness in their cheeks. “I don’t care for your sex drives. You will both die.”

Instead of addressing them, Voss turns to me. “Old? How old?”

I shrugged, ignoring the three men in front of us. “Sixties.”

“Oh,” He shrugs as well. “Not that old then.”

I threw a fruit at his face. “You’re disgusting.”

“What? You brought it up!” He argued, throwing a fruit back at me. Although I had thrown a mango at his shoulder, he in return only threw a blackberry that bounced on my nose.

I leaned towards him, as if talking of something secret despite my loud voice. “How old are we talking about here? Sixty five?”

He copies me and jabs a thumb higher.

Internally screaming, I hid behind my fingers. “Seventy?”

He jabs his thumb higher, prompting a squeal to leave my lips.

“No! Seventy five?!” I was nearly on my feet, ready to throttle Voss in disgust or shake him back to reality. He only gestures higher and my lips part. “Eighty five?”

Voss nodded and I screamed. Around us, the other contenders that weren’t given nicknames gasp and let out sounds of horror. A few clapped him on the back while a few threw him even more fruit… one even being a whole watermelon.

“Get out of here, you freak!” I squealed.

The criminal merely grins. “What can I say? Werewolf women are feisty.”

I think I might throw up but I’m laughing and I can’t even stop it. I’m so annoyed, disgusted but thoroughly enjoying every moment of it. I barely even noticed that Big, So-so Big and Teapot had left in fury.

“Is it true?” I asked Voss on our way back to the rooms. We were alone, everyone else was still eating or already resting.

The glimmer in his eyes was a confusing one. “No. I just like to tease you.”

“What do you get from that?” It was an offhanded question. I didn’t even expect him to answer, but he did.

“Your expression. It’s cute.” He says softly, sounding genuine for once. “You go all red in the face.”

I falter in my steps. My eyes were on him now, completely aware of how close he was. “What?”

Voss smiles, poking at my cheeks as if we were the best of friends. “That, that look.”

Sinner.

Something inside me warns.

He’s a sinner and he’s baiting me like he does to all his victims. So many sins. He has done everything and anything for himself. He has lied and cheated, a bad man who’s gathering as many sins as possible as if it is a game to do so.

I take a step back, giving more space between us and I can finally breathe again. “What are you playing at?”

Voss’s smile vanishes as he blinks. “Playing at what?”

“Playing at me.” I emphasized, making myself taller than I really am. “What’s your game? What do you want from me?”

“Nothing, Princess.” His name for me is biting, like I’ve insulted him. “Why would you think I want anything?”

“Why are you offended?” I pressed, refusing to look away from his eyes.

“I am not offended.” He snaps, sounding very much offended. “You Petrovs always think people want something from you. Get your head out of the snow. Some people don’t care who your parents are.”

It was the only time I’ve seen him mad and I didn’t exactly understand why. “Not offended? You look very offended to me. What’s your story, huh? What is your point in all of this?”

“I have no sob story to share.” Voss gritted out through sharp teeth. “I was not betrayed or left mistreated by the Alpha or the royal family for me to act this way. What I did and why I did it was purely because I could do it. So no, I am not like the sad Alpha and his traumatic past. I had a good life, a perfect life and I just wanted to--“

“Ruin it?” I promptly finished for him. Taj Voss was an enigma. No one knew anything about him. His name wasn’t even his name… I think.

“Have fun with it.” He corrected snidely.

I narrowed my eyes on him. “I still think you have a story to tell.”

Voss erases the distance between us with one step, his height towering over me as he presses close, his chest against mine, our breaths mingling. “Am I the one with the story? Or is it you?”

I forced myself not to react to his closeness and instead bite at my lower lip. “What about me?”

“The rightful heir to the werewolf throne?” He not so kindly brought up, eyes flickering to my lips. “I’m sure you’ve heard the whispers, the political unrest about how Daniel Petrov is the King when he was not born for it. When he does not deserve it.”

“He’s a good King.” I quickly defended my brother, the heat of my heart intense. No one bad mouths my brother. “He is the best there is.”

“I never said he wasn’t good. Only that he isn’t preferred.” He carefully clarifies, seeing my anger. “And you know he’s not. The world wanted you.”

I take a few deep breaths. I don’t owe this man anything. I don’t need to explain myself, but still, it’s as if my body is giving up the fight and admits the truth. “I couldn’t take it there. The environment, the way of living.”

“So you left him on his own?” His frankness made me flinch. “You ran away?”

“We talked… and he said he was up for it.” It was a weak defense.

“Far be it for him to disappoint his legendary sister.” Voss was teasing again, his mention of me wasn’t insulting but honest. He believes I’m legendary. “You were the best at everything. Intelligent, sharp, the one with all the incredible accolades, the one everyone fears and respects. You were your mother’s most fearsome general for years before running off here. You gave the Queen peace in her rule.”

There was wonder in his eyes.

And a little bit of fear in it too.

I ignore it though, focusing his attention on my even greater brother. “And my brother is all that and more. He has higher tolerance for the things that happen in that castle and he loves the kingdom more than anything.”

He looks surprised despite already knowing my not so healthy relationship with the Capital. It was widely known after all. “You don’t?”

“Not as much as I love these lands. I spent many winters and holidays here. Every time we would go back here, I just always felt so alive and happy and invigorated. I never want to leave.” I explained, choosing my words well. “I have thrown everything in me plus the kitchen sink in my battle to be the Alpha.”

“An Alpha but not a Queen?” He motions a crown above my head.

I pushed at him, done with this conversation. “Because Alpha is what I want to be and I won’t let some petty criminal take this away from me. Not after everything I’ve done to get here. Now, you will get out of my way or you will die like the rest that has stopped me in my path.”

Voss peers down at me, curious and intrigued. “What’s your sink?”

The question surprises me out of my seriousness. “What?”

“Stainless steel? Porcelain?” He offered, uncurling a finger for every kind of sink material or whatever it is.

“Fuck you, Voss.” I growled, shoving at him harder.

He merely chuckles, leaving me be. “And fuck you even more, Petrov.”