Cardinal points
They spent the whole of the afternoon in the middle of the shore. Every wolf was riled up and was in the effect of going at each other amidst the fight of the Deltas. Wet sand kicked at the faces of the watchers. The fighters had sweat dripping down their chin and their hairs smacking on their foreheads.
Shirtless and reckless in their attempts to pin the opponent to the ground.
“Look who’s giving a good fight,” Shawn folded his arms and smirked in excitement.
“Not bad for a girl,” Ruben snorted.
“Let me show you bad,” Eve grunted.
She lifted a foot from the ground, raising a heap of sand at the Deltas in anticipation. The dirt got on their moist bodies. They didn’t mind and cheered on.
Ruben slanted backward, and her foot went over his torso. Bits of sand from under her feet crumbled on his chest.
“Oh what a cheap shot,” he teased.
“You are nothing,” her face contorted.
He dodged her kicks like many others.
“Girl… you can never make a hit,” Manny slouched and smiled.
He hopped a step backward and stiffened his arm to throw a fist. He intentionally kept his attacks inches away from her face.
It was an error from her end. She made a wrong footing and caught his fist to the side of her face.
“Woah!” Shawn bellowed.
The Deltas were amused Eve would get hit. This caused a stir in her reaction. She looked at the muzzled eyes of the Deltas circling her. She felt her ego crushed due to her reputation in the ranks of the Deltas.
“What are you all looking at?” she scowled.NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.
The multitude fell silent, not because of her but Shawn. He balled a fist in the air.
“Eve you’ve made your point,” he walked to the middle of the two. He points his palms to his chest, “But just know I won’t stop you… if you want to go again.”
“I think don’t she is,” Ruben cocks his head.
“The likes of you are not worth it,” she groaned sitting on the wet sand.
“I wish I knew what you meant,” he smiled and lowered.
Ruben gave Eve a hand to pull her up. She slapped it away and rose up in anger.
“Want to get out of here?” Ruben glanced at Eve. “I’m not feeling it too just so you know.”
“Ugh,” she scoffed. “Fuck off.”
Eve slowly backed the gathering. She picked up her shirt on the shore and walked to the upper banks.
“This is me trying to be friends with Deltas,” Ruben sighed and left the gathering.
He turned to the lake when the others were cheering and observed Eve walking up to meet Faye.
What business you both got going on?
***
“I guess it’s settled,” Shawn turned to the multitude. “We still have time if you guys want to let out some steam,” he punched a fist into his palm looking around at all the Deltas.
“I don’t mind,” the bald guy came forth rubbing his palms.
“That’s right… who’s next?” Shawn squinted at the skinny-looking Deltas. “Wait-wait, where’s the beanie?”
“Who?” the bald guy inched forward.
“Joni. Where the hell is Joni?” Shawn’s face crinkled.
The Deltas murmured at one another. They hadn’t seen him around for a while now.
“I think I saw him in the water,” a female Delta said rubbing her shoulders. “Hanging with the Betas,” she looked at the waves hitting the higher banks.
Shawn shook his head and muttered, “He really needs to stick with us. The betas will make him softer than he already is.”
“Want me to go get him?” the bald guy said with a grin.
“When the moon is out, he’ll come around Polo,” Shawn palmed the back of his neck.
Two young male Deltas walked up to Polo. They marked their foot on the wet sand claiming their turn to fight.
“You two on me…. I don’t mind,” Polo smirked and footed a line on the wet sand. “I’ll snap you both like a twig,” he grinned.
“Okay, alright now… anyone that can take down Polo gets to lead the next mission trail,” Shawn raised a brow and folded his arms. “Right by my side of course.”
Shawn opened his arms to receive a few more opponents for Polo. Three guys stepped forward. They were half the size of Polo and wouldn’t mind a dig at him. Leading the next mission, or any mission trail is a privilege amongst the Deltas.
“Don’t get way ahead of yourselves thinking you can get past me,” Polo stomped.
Shawn left the circled gathering. The young Deltas came at polo one after the other. The first two were able to knock him off a footing. Polo gained balance and was surrounded by six guys and a girl. The girl hopped a kick on his back. Polo staggered to the front.
He was open and vulnerable to attacks from both sides. The first two guys from before landed a kick into his torso, the first time. The second time they were caught in a lock. Polo got a hold of their legs. Their eyes were shaky by their fumbled attack.
The laid-back four were conscious of the crack of bones. They came to the aid of the first two who were rolling on the sand with their busted knees. The girl sought this chance to aim high. Shawn watched her keenly.
Polo’s guard was off. She climbed his shoulders to put him to submission. Her legs were knotted around his neck. She seized a hand and reached for the other. She grabbed it and Polo fell to his knees. To her short-lived victory, Polo got a grip on her braids. Her eyes widened. He pulled her down his shoulders, slamming her to the wet sand.
The four Deltas who were unscathed circled fast around Polo. The girl crawled away in defeat as did the other two who made an attempt and failed.
They positioned Polo like the four Cardinals points.
“We can take him,” the delta at the north grinned his teeth.
“About time I make one of you bleed,” Polo cracked his neck and steadied his stance.
“I’ve got him,” the south delta jumped on Polo’s right foot. West delta followed suit.
Polo jabbed the blows the east and north came darting to his face. The crowd was enthused and wondered if these four could actually bring down Polo. After the first Delta, Shawn, Polo was renowned as the second strongest Delta.
The subdued deltas who tried their best at testing his strengths were recovered and watched closely at Polo’s feat. They witnessed battling with him and his strengths were why the Deltas were seen as the cornerstone of the Alpha pack.
Shawn took his eyes off Polo and stared at Ruben still standing at the mouth of the lake. The dark waters swept at his feet. He looked at the line of sight of the young Delta. Gazing at the flying birds towards the upper banks. Faye and Eve having a close chat. Jamal stood a few feet behind, awaiting a dismissive wave. He didn’t want to stand there much longer than he already was.
***
The four wolves were on the ground moaning in pain. Their nose were red, forehead and cheeks blistered. They held on to a limb like it was about to break off. Polo stood over them jolting his fists in the air.
Polo looked around for Shawn. He caught sight of him in his tank top walking up to the higher banks. The other Deltas clustered around him hailing his victory among his brave subordinates. He smiled and rejoiced with the lot.
The fire had been lit on the shore. The hour was late and in a few, the night would fall upon them. The surface water was sparkling with starlights in the gloomy weather.
“We have been in the water for a while,” Joni laying afloat on a plank with his beanie on his chest.
“Not that long in,” Sandra rowed her plank to Manny. “This menacing beta still went ashore to bring us planks,” she collided with his plank. Manny’s plank turned over and his already preserved dry body was wet all over again.
“Oh come on Sandra,” with a grim, he mounted his plank.
Joni sat with his feet in the water and looked up at the higher banks.
“Isn’t that-”
“Freaking Jamal,” Manny snorted.
Sandra turned her eyes away. She felt amused by the fire on the shore and lowered to her plank ashore.
“Where do you think you are going?” Manny held her plank.
“I think he’s looking over here,” Joni wore his beanie and glanced at a few bodies standing on the higher banks.
“And there’s the Luna of the year,” Manny grimaced. He let go of Sandra’s plank and clenched a fist in the dark waters. “I can’t believe Jamal’s kissing up to her. He knows better than to be protecting that-”
“Mind your words,” Sandra warned rowing back to them. “She did turn him you know.”
“And what if she fucking did?” Manny jerked his feet in the water. “You don’t see me sucking up to Eric.”
“Eric… he sure has been sitting alone at that one secluded palm tree,” Joni rubbed his chin carefully maintaining balance on his plank. “I never saw him get in the water once. At least Faye and the other betas washed their feet or something-I don’t know,” he swayed his palms open sideways.
“Who gives two shits about Faye,” Manny splashed water at Joni.
“Your best friend is still staring down at us,” Sandra tugged at Manny. “It’s just sad,” she shook her head with a stern face.
“It will be oblivious if he just jumps into the lake and swims up to you,” Joni smiles at Sandra. “To profess his another failing attempt of love,” he winked. Sandra got upset and rowed back to the shore. Joni knew how the two betas parted ways and it was trivial of him to make a joke of it.
“What was that?” Manny turned to Joni all confused.
“Oh shit,” Joni palmed his face and lowered his head
“What?” Manny whispered. “What is going on with you guys know that I don’t know?” he raised Joni’s head.
Joni rowed his plank back to the shore. Manny rowed behind him. The Deltas still had their celebration going on. They had quickly set up a stand offering fruit delicacies. Sandra walked up to Ruben who was at the stand. She grabbed an open-shelled coconut from him and drank its contents in one gulp.
“Good seeing you two,” Ruben raised a shell to her.
“I wish the curse just hit us here and now,” Sandra sighed tossing the shell behind her.
“Yeesh… wanna talk about it?” he gestured.
“So you can piece by piece. Meh! I’ll pass,” she pushed her palm on the stand and inched back. “Ruben wouldn’t care less of a delta not to mention a pretty, mesmerizing beta like me,” she twirled a lock of her hair in her finger.
“Now from you-that’s just odd,” his forehead creased. “See how fast you switched up,” he pointed.