The Eclipsed Bloom
Chapter 76: Strongest Alpha

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Strongest Alpha

Varek stood from his seat and stepped forward, placing a firm hand on the balcony railing.

"Begin the duel," he commanded, his voice deep and resonant.

The crowd erupted instantly.

"Awooooo! Alpha, win! Win!"

"We’re with you, Alpha! Whooo!"

Hearing their cheers for Jane, a proud smirk tugged at Varek’s lips.

On the other side of the arena, Zara watched the scene unfold. She turned to Lilith, who was quietly holding her hand.

"Lilith," she asked softly, "who do you think will win?"

Lilith huffed in response. "That pampered mutt will win, obviously. But don’t think for a second she can beat me."

Zara smiled faintly, tilting her head as she watched Lilith try to act indifferent.

"You two are good friends, huh?"

Lilith shot her a sharp look and pinched her waist.

"Ah—hey! Why?"

"Hmph. We’re not friends, that dog is my rival" Lilith muttered, crossing her arms.

But her blush gave her away.

Behind them, Grace approached with a graceful stride and sat beside Zara. She crossed her arms, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

"Well, Lilith is right. They’re not just friends..." She leaned in slightly. "They’re best friends."

Zara bit her lip as she noticed Lilith frown at Grace’s words, clearly flustered but saying nothing.

Before she could tease her more, Zara’s attention shifted. A woman with flowing black hair appeared behind Varek on the balcony. As he stood there proudly, she casually walked up behind him—and smacked the back of his neck.

Varek jolted and spun around, barking, "Who dares to strike the strongest king? How dar—"He froze mid-sentence as his eyes landed on the woman.

With one hand on her hip and a wild grin on her face, she looked him dead in the eye.

"How dare you start the duel without my permission?"

Varek’s expression instantly crumbled. "Mother?! Why are you beating me in front of everyone?"

His mother snorted and walked away, settling down beside Margaret.

Turning to her daughter-in-law, she muttered loud enough for everyone to hear, "See, daughter-in-law? This brat couldn’t even wait for his own mother. What a jerk."

Margaret covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. "You’re right, Mom. He didn’t even wait for you. And did you hear? He just declared himself the strongest werewolf—tch tch."

Varek tried to force a smile, but it twitched awkwardly as he felt his mother’s gaze still burning into him.

Varek sighed in relief as the anchor’s voice echoed through the arena.

"Welcome, Queen Mother! We would also like to formally request your permission to begin the duel."

As his mother’s attention shifted toward the announcer, Varek wasted no time. He slipped around to the other side of Margaret and quickly took a seat beside her. Leaning in, he whispered urgently,

"Wife, please don’t do that again. You just got me beaten... and badly."

Margaret leaned closer, gently taking his hand in hers, her eyes full of affection. "Why would you be beaten? Aren’t you the strongest?"

Varek let out another sigh and muttered under his breath, "I’m the second strongest, okay?"

He turned his head away sulkily, grumbling just loud enough for her to hear,"They just don’t understand... I am the strongest."

Margaret had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud at his sulky muttering.

Behind them, Dorothy—Jane’s aunt—watched the couple’s playful banter with a deep frown.

I still don’t understand what he sees in my sister, she thought bitterly. I’m clearly better than her...

Meanwhile, Zara turned her attention to the arena as the anchor continued speaking. She glanced at Lilith beside her and said softly,

"Lilith."

Hearing her name, Lilith looked at Zara. "Hmm?"

"Who is that woman—the one with black hair? Her hair’s black, so... is she an Alpha too?"

Lilith nodded casually. "Yeah. That’s Frances—the strongest werewolf alive. She’s the one who discovered this realm and moved the werewolves here."

Zara’s eyes widened with surprise. "Wait... so werewolves didn’t originally live in this realm?"

"Nope," Lilith said with a smirk. "They used to live in another realm. You remember when I showed you those things—guns and tech? The stuff my father brought back from that world?"

Zara nodded. "Yes, I remember that."

Lilith continued, "Well, werewolves used to live in that realm. But after Frances found this one, she moved most of werewolf’s here. Jane told me some werewolves still live there, but they’re in hiding now."

Zara’s curiosity was clearly piqued. "That sounds amazing. Is there any way to visit that realm?"

Lilith grinned and lifted her wrist, showing off the sleek, rune-marked bracelet. "Yup. We use this—our realm-traveling bracelet. It can take us there."

Grace, sitting beside them, chimed in with a hint of warning in her voice.

"Don’t even think about doing something foolish. We can’t just go to any realm whenever we want. Besides, we don’t have permission to travel to that realm from Father."

Zara, hearing this, furrowed her brows and placed a finger thoughtfully on her chin. "But... doesn’t the bracelet let us go there? Why is it considered foolish?"

Seeing the confusion on Zara’s face, Grace leaned in, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. She softly tapped Zara’s lips with her finger and said,

"Yes, the bracelet can take us there. But that realm can be dangerous—it’s not like here. If you’re really curious, we’ll need to ask Father first. We can’t risk stepping into it unprepared."

Frances, hearing the announcer, raised her hand and declared firmly:

"Let the duel begin."

On the stage, Jane let out a low growl. Her sleek black hair shimmered as it turned snow-white, her nails elongating into razor-sharp claws. Her muscles tensed, growing denser and stronger—radiating pure Alpha dominance.

Henry’s body bulked up as well, but his transformation lacked the sheer presence and refinement of an Alpha.

With a snarl, Henry lunged forward, thrusting his claws toward Jane with wild force.

Jane narrowed her eyes, watching his movements. As his claws neared, she scoffed and stepped lightly to the side, dodging with ease.

"That’s it? And you think you can earn the Alpha title like that bastard?" she sneered, her voice laced with contempt.

Furious, Henry let out an enraged howl and began slashing at her wildly, his attacks fast and relentless—but sloppy.

Zara’s eyes locked onto the stage as the duel began. Watching Jane and Henry clash, something stirred within her. A smirk slowly curled on her lips, her heart pounding with an unfamiliar excitement.

Her fingers curled into a fist.

Crack.

The sound jolted her back to reality. Blinking in confusion, she glanced down—only to find the armrest of her chair crushed beneath her grip.

Eyes wide, she stared at her hand in awe.

"I didn’t expect... Outside the seal, my strength has already grown this much?" she thought, a mix of shock and exhilaration rushing through her.

Beside her, Lilith turned sharply, having heard the splintering sound.

"You need to control it," she said calmly, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of concern. "Focus on it the same way you control your blood."

Zara nodded slowly, closing her eyes. She took a breath and concentrated—willing the surging power to settle,

Suddenly, Zara’s vision blurred.

Across the arena, Frances—who had been watching the duel intently—felt a strange ripple in the air. Her brows furrowed, and she slowly turned her head toward the stands.

Her sharp eyes fell on Zara, who now sat motionless, eyes closed in deep concentration.

A knowing smile tugged at Frances’ lips.

"Oh? I didn’t expect this," she mused silently, leaning forward, her gaze gleaming with interest."Why would a God King claim this girl as his wife...?"

Inside the haze of Zara’s mind, everything shifted.

She opened her eyes, surrounded by a silver mist, a familiar warmth pressing on her chest. Her hand instinctively moved over her heart.

"Isn’t this... the dream I had before?"

Before she could process further, she felt something—an arm, firm and gentle, wrapping around her waist from behind.

Her eyes widened.

"Huh? What...?"

Then, soft lips pressed against hers.

"Ahmm—wha...?"

Startled, she looked up—and her breath caught.

A woman with long, flowing pink hair smiled down at her, her embrace firm yet tender. Her pink eyes sparkled with affection, a quiet joy in their depths.

Zara’s mind reeled.

Isn’t this... the girl from my dream?

Zara froze as the girl leaned down again, her warm breath brushing against Zara’s ear.

"Welcome back, my wife," she whispered, her voice both affectionate and unnervingly possessive. "You remember what I told you, right? I said I’d come... I told you to wait for me."

Zara flinched, a shiver running down her spine.

The girl’s pink eyes gleamed—not just with affection, but with something darker. Something wild.

"Why did you marry someone else then?" she hissed softly, her tone trembling with intensity. "You’re mine. Mine."

Startled, Zara jerked upright, tearing herself out of the girl’s arms and stumbling back.

"What are you even saying?" she demanded, heart racing. "Why would I be yours?! I don’t even know you!"

The girl—no, the woman—stood slowly, her expression shifting into something far more dangerous. Her smile never wavered, but it twisted at the edges, her pink hair glowing softly in the ethereal mist.

She stepped forward, closing the distance with unhurried grace. Reaching out, she cupped Zara’s chin gently but firmly, her thumb stroking her cheek.

Her eyes, filled with unfiltered obsession and overwhelming affection, locked with Zara’s.

"You may not remember me yet, but I’ve always remembered you."

Zara’s breath caught in her throat. Her body tensed, torn between fleeing and... something else. Something deep within her stirred at the woman’s gaze—warmth, confusion, even familiarity.

Who is she? And why... why does she love me this much?

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