MATE AND HIS LOVER 9

#45 They collide

It's been a few days since the rains have stopped, and the summer is back with a lineup of its hottest days of the year.

Three men move across the arena, bent down. They swing the water cans in their hands, that jets water to the soft ground through the mob of holes picked at the bottom.

This will prevent the topsoil from getting booted up and obscure the air on the battleground.

The audience watch the poured water dry in just a few seconds after it hits the ground. It's mid afternoon. Daisy looks up. The sun is right above her. But she doesn't feel the heat, just as everyone else. The anticipation is what's burning them. No matter what happens, today they will return to their home with a new Alpha.

Christopher, his Beta, Delta, Castino, Ross, and a few of the other higher ranking members of the pack arrive at the rostrum to the North of the battlefield. Only they would be so brave enough to sit that close to the action.

Soon after, a horn is heard. From opposite pitch black portals, Nate and Patrick walk into the field, to the sound of a hail of claps, whistles, shouts, and shrieks.

Ross comes and stands at the centre, and glances at Patrick and Nate. "The fight will be in your wolf forms." More cheer from the crowd. It's up to the pack leaders to decide which form is chosen for the contenders to fight in. The decision is informed in the last second, so the fighters should be prepared for either.

The contenders nod their acknowledgement, and Ross returns to his seat. Alpha Christopher stands up and says, "The fight... begins now."

In a mere second later, the audience see two wolves in place of the contenders. A pale gray wolf where Patrick was. A larger pitch black wolf where Nate was.

The wolves bare their teeth, and walk towards the centre, towards each other, as their shoulder blades raise and fall mesmerizingly. The tension inside Daisy is gripping. She's on the edge of her seat, holding Lily's hand.

Only a few feet apart, just when it seems like Nate and Patrick would go head to head, Patrick's paws steer him to the side. Nate stays at the center but his eyes follow Patrick without blinking.

Patrick starts to run.

Patrick was born pre-mature, and was smaller (though not smallest) than most boys his age, especially compared to the other seeds of the dominant werewolves.

He was five when he first transformed. He was at home. When he whimpered with the pain his mom came rushing from the kitchen and saw a small puppy struggling to stand. Her instinct threw her towards him to stop him from falling, but Patrick missed her fingers just in time as he darted out of her grasp.

He was literally that werewolf who ran before he could even walk.

The past couple of months Patrick had been scaling the pack's boundary with the measure of his strides on his four legs. Under fifty minutes, he could outline his father's territory with paw prints.

Back on the battlefield, Nate's legs are planted to the ground. His eyes and ears, however, oscillate within their physiological limits and constantly assess the space between him and Patrick who's revolving around Nate in a dizzying speed.

A blow from Patrick, propelled from such a momentum, can cause serious harm.

However, Nate has his own tactic in place.

When you sprint fast, you are spent fast. Patrick can't keep up with this speed forever.

Patrick knows that, too, so he doesn't waste time before deciding to charge at Nate and goes for it.

Patrick's claws miss Nate by a hair.

He lands on the other side and resumes his running as if he never stopped.

The close call puts Nate on the edge, as every instinct in his wolf body wants to break out and return the assault.

This is where all his training comes in use, though — Prevail patience, even in a state of nerves and adrenaline surge.

After the failed attack, Patrick starts to reduce his speed. Draining all his energy right away is not a good idea.

Seeing Patrick slow down, Nate still doesn't move. His opponent might have decided to settle with jogging for now, but Nate knows Patrick is far from exhausted. Patrick can go off like a spark plug with a trigger.

Finally, Patrick stops.

Nate unroots his limbs and steps forward. Restless Patrick, however, starts walking, and then running again. Nate is now closer to the circumference Patrick is keeping, which is dangerous for either depending on who makes the right move.

Patrick attacks again.

When he lands on the other side this second time, instead of keeping running, he stops and turns back to bask his first victory.

There's a long and deep gash across Nate's front left leg.

The feeling of triumph is short-lived, however, when Patrick sees Nate's calm face. It's as if he's not leaking blood down to the dust.

Growling, Patrick reignites his run, confident this time it'll be the final blow for Nate. Unaware that Nate had moved much closer to the circle Patrick is running. Made possible only because Nate let Patrick hurt him.

When Patrick comes closer to Nate's direction. Nate prepares his feet. This is the only time he has to fly faster than his brother. Just for a short distance.

As Patrick reaches the point where, even if he became aware of what Nate is going to do he won't be able to pull the brake, Nate dashes forward.

They collide, a few feet above the ground, in mid stride.

There's a loud thump discharged from the collision, followed by a wave of gasps over the audience.

The smaller wolf is on the ground, slung away nearly half the distance of the field. The larger one stands unfazed.

It takes a moment for Patrick to get his bearings. Meanwhile Nate doesn't do anything. Daisy wonders why. "Please tell me Nate is not on the other side, decapitating that prick, because of some stupid chivalry," Daisy whispers. It was meant for Lily's ears only, but everyone else around them heard it too, and although they prefer it'd been worded better, they wonder the same.

After Patrick's head stops showing twinkling stars and spinning blackholes in front of him, Patrick stands up. Or tries to. Because soon he's back hugging the ground, this time with an unbearable pain.

Nate's plan wasn't to bulldoze Patrick (or decapitate him). It was just to break his front legs. Just that.

And that was more than enough to teach his brother who the eldest is. 

🗳 vee oh tee eee ...