Chapter 63

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Third Person’s POV
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Her words stirred a warm feeling in Ulrik’s heart.
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Velda wasn’t just any she–wolf; she was a Gamma who commanded troops in battle and a hero who’d signed the Bloodscar Border treaty.
Her willingness to contribute to family and pack was truly touching.
When she said she’d even cook for the pack members for him, it was no wonder Ulrik felt his chest warm and his past disappointments in her fade away.
The challenge was scheduled for dusk. Lance only sent Tommy to inform Adelaide.
As Adelaide watched the wolf warriors train, she nodded slightly at Tommy’s message. “Hmm, noted.”
Soon, the entire werewolf army knew about this challenge.
After training, Paisley and the others sought out Adelaide.
Each patted her shoulder, sparing with just two words, “Beat her.”
Adelaide smiled at them.
Beating Velda would be tough–not because of killing her, but because of the struggle and the need for immense self–control.
A streak of sunset couldn’t dispel the border’s cold.
In the wilderness , 15,000 Ironthorn Army soldiers stood in formation to the east.
Other wolf warriors curious about the challenge packed the other areas, their chatter endless.
Besides the royal guard wolf warriors who’d come to support, there were also those from Alpha Lance’s original legion.
The latter had full confidence in Adelaide’s abilities.
However, the royal guard warriors, swayed by Velda, believed Adelaide had secured her Silver Claw Gamma position through connections.
To them, Adelaide was a she – wolf nearly exiled from the pack, unfit to stand alone on the battlefield.
Thus, most of the supporting wolf warriors favored Velda , except for the Ironthorn Army, which had accepted Adelaide .
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Even nearby Ironthorn soldiers could feel the sharpness of her dominance.
They knew how formidable she was.
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But the royal guard didn’t. They only recognized Ulrik and Velda, who’d led them to the southern border.
Coupled with previous rumors about Adelaide, they held her in even greater contempt, now that Alpha Lance had backed her.
They hoped Velda would shatter Adelaide’s teeth and tear off her mask of pretended invincibility.
Abbot stood nearby, his expression stern. As the challenge’s referee, he knew his responsibility was weighty. Other generals were also nearby, their gazes locked on the two women.
Lance stood in front of the Ironthorn Army, clad in armor. The setting sun cast its rays on his dulled gold armor, highlighting the congealed, blotchy bloodstains.
His stubble had regrown a bit, and the harsh wind had chapped his skin. Though no longer as handsome as before, his majesty remained undiminished.
In front of all the wolf warriors present, Lance reiterated the consequences of defeat for both sides of the challenge.
Once both parties acknowledged them, Lance fell silent.
Velda, her battle robe still unstained by blood, stood ramrod straight with bold eyebrows.
She coldly eyed Adelaide, who held a silver spear before her.
If not for Adelaide’s still–exquisite features, Velda would never have linked her to the elegantly dressed, poised Luna they’d first met.
Beyond her unchanged facial features, her skin and attire were a stark contrast.
Her hair was disheveled and dirty, her face roughened by sand and cold, a far cry from her once- delicate complexion.
Such beauty and skin had never made Velda envious.
She despised that kind of delicate beauty, like a glass doll, fragile and easily shattered.
The wind howled as Velda’s voice carried over, “Adelaide, do you really think stepping onto the battlefield will make you better than me? You’re not just foolish. In a way, you’re shrewdly cunning. You know how to exploit your father’s connections to elevate yourself to a position you could never reach in your entire life.”
Her words reached the ears of the generals and the Ironthorn soldiers .
Velda prided herself on her bluntness, never mincing words.
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more.
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The murmur of discussion gradually turned into a barrage of insults aimed at Adelaide.
Paisley and the others were so angry their faces turned livid. Had they not been restrained, they would have already lunged at Velda to teach her a lesson.
Yet Adelaide’s calm was maddening.
Despite such provocation, she remained unruffled, gazing calmly at Velda without a word in
retort.
Indeed, Adelaide didn’t respond, not even a flicker of emotion crossing her face. Her eyes merely deepened in intensity.
“Adelaide!” Lance took a wooden stick from Tommy and tossed it to Adelaide. “Leave the silver spear aside and use this wooden stick instead.”
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