Fated and Claimed by Four Alphas
Chapter 34: You Will Fail

Chapter 34: You Will Fail

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Chapter 34

~Spring’s POV~

My grip on the soda can tightened as I stared at Eva. Her hands were trembling slightly, shoulders drawn in. She looked like she was trying to disappear into her own skin.

And suddenly... I remembered.

That day behind the library wall.

Eva is on her knees. Her voice shaking as she pleaded for forgiveness, she didn’t owe anyone with Madelyn and Liana watching her with contempt.

I remembered the slap. The kick. The way Eva had cried without making a sound, trying not to draw more attention.

And I remembered how something in me snapped then, how Jade surged forward. How my aura dropped like a hammer and made Madelyn kneel.

That was the first time Eva looked at me like I wasn’t just someone passing through this school, but someone she could trust.

I looked at her now, and she wasn’t the same scared girl—but that fear still clung to her in places no one else could see.

Without thinking, I reached across the table and took her hand.

Her head snapped up.

"Eva—" I started.

But she shook her head quickly, eyes wide. Then, as if she’d caught herself, she smacked her own cheeks with her palms and forced a grin.

"It’s okay, Spring," she said in a tight voice, too bright. "I’m okay. Madelyn can’t bully me anymore, right?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but—

"She can," Chloe said, cutting in like a blade.

All of us turned to her.

Chloe stared at Eva, her expression uncharacteristically serious. "She can, and she will, if she sees weakness. That’s how Madelyn works. One moment of fear? She’ll drag you back."

Eva’s fake smile wavered.

"But you’re not alone now," Nari added quickly, her tone softer. "You’ve got us. And Spring? She’s not like the others. She doesn’t just fight for herself."

I looked at the three of them—my odd, chaotic little trio of friends—and exhaled.

Then I turned back to Eva.

"You don’t have to be okay all the time," I told her. "But if she ever—ever—tries that again, she won’t walk away from it."

Eva bit her lip. Then nodded, slowly.

"Thanks," she whispered. "For... standing up for me. That day. I never really said it, but... you saved me."

I gave her a small smile. "I didn’t save you. I just made sure she didn’t bury you," I teased softly.

"Still," she murmured, voice shaking but steady, "it meant everything."

Silence fell over our table. Then Nari grinned and stabbed her fork into a dumpling. "Okay, enough soft stuff. Can we talk about how you’re totally going to wreck Madelyn in front of the whole school?"

I raised a brow. "You sound very confident."

"Oh, I am," Nari said. "And also... I will bet half my snack points on you in the Underground board."

I smiled. However, I did not get to speak when Chloe slammed a hand on Nari’s head.

Shock flashed across Eva’s face and Nari’s. "Hey, what was that for?" Nari complained.

"Yes," Eva began, but Chloe lifted her palm to stop her from interfering.

"How could you say that?"

Nair shrugged. "Say what?"

"Betting half?"

"I haven’t done it yet," Nari defended herself as she crossed her arms in front of her chest and huffed.

"But you were."

"Yes. Besides, Spring is our friend and..."

"And she’ll fail."

The other girls’ shock spiralled into a different level altogether. As for me, my eyes narrowed at her.

Then Chloe turned and looked at me with a tight-lipped smile on her face.

"Forgive me, but you may not like what I am going to say, Spring, howeve,r it is the truth."

"Okay, let’s hear it." My infectious smile was still plastered on my lips. I was genuinely interested in what my ’friend’ wanted to say.

"You are not going to win."

"Why?" Impatiently, Nari and Eva asked.

"Because, Savage Sly, amongst other top dogs, cheat. Which is why no one beats them and they remain on top."

My smile broadened. "Do regional alphas cheat too?"

At once, I saw Eva’s attention piqued, but not the rest. Nari shook her head. "No."

"Okay. But they, too, are top dogs."

Chloe shook her head. "Unlike the rest of the council members, the Regional Four do not participate n the games."

"I thought it was um... a school game. Aren’t you judged by it?"

"Yes, but their participation is equivalent to cheating."

"Cheating?" My ears were all open as I, for once, took time to learn about the mates I had been given.

"Yes. Due to their powers."

"Powers?" That was new.

In my past life, only priestesses had powers and witches, but now...

Chloe nodded before placing both hands on the table. "They were born under different circumstances."

I wanted to press for more but refrained from doing so. The look on Chloe’s face said she did not want to talk much about it but most importantly, I wondered what had gotten ehr down.

"Did you lose?" My question was sharp and it caught them off guard.

Nari choked on her drink while Chloe lowered her gaze.

Bingo!

There it was... There was something they weren’t telling me.

"You lost to Madelyn Pierce, didn’t you? She beat you in one of the games," I said, so sure I hit the nail on the head.

Chloe lifted her head and nodded. "Yes. She did. She beat me in one of the underground games, and I was her ladder to climb into the top ten. She cheats. But if she is not caught, she cannot be disqualified."

My lips curled at the side. Without saying much, I stood up and dropped my goal to them.

"I shall accept Madelyn’s challenge, whatever it may be."

"What?" All three chorused.

"Didn’t you just hear what I said?" Chloe recovered first and countered.

"It is true, Spring, you shouldn’t be impulsive," Nari advised.

Both of them had their opinions, all but Eva. Her voice came out softly as she called my name. "Spring."

I smiled brightly at her and caressed her cheek. "Do not worry, Eva. I will win and make her kneel to you."