Chapter 52: Duel
Claud asks Astri to bring him to meet Dieg, and she gladly takes him there with Lee and Galion.
Elias and Kai are running after them. Males develop faster than females, if they shifted to human form they would be babies like Yuki, but in beast form they are already very capable of running and destroying some things.
Yuki loves her mother and likes to be with her, like any baby, but she always opens her chubby arms and smiles at her fathers so they can carry her.
Lee is carrying her, looking around seriously as telling other males to keep their eyes out of his female and also from his little girl.
When they arrive at Dieg’s tomb, Astri and Claud cleans the little weeds that are growing on it. Astri talks to Dieg as usual and Claud thanks Dieg in his mind for giving his life to protect Astri.
As they were getting ready to leave, Ana arrives with some her males and with two other females with their respective males.
Claud and Lee see Astri rolling her eyes already, exposing her dissatisfaction.
"Here we go..." Astri painly says in low voice.
"What are you giving to my cubs? All of them are too fond of you and want to go visit you everyday." A female with a fat belly and tight skirt and tube top says.
"We just play together. I give them water when they ask. -
"Are you putting them against us? They say we should be gentler like you." Another female with long black hair, and thin only on her legs, says.
"No. Never. If they’re saying that, maybe they just want your affection differently." Astri says as if it was something obvious.
"Treating them with too much affection will only make them weak and not find a good female." Ana says.
"If you say. How you educate your children is your choice. How I educate mine and how I treat people is MY choice. Now if you excuse me." Astri firmly says.
"If my cubs become too weak because of this affection you said, I’ll blame you when they die." Ana spits.
"You know... I treat all my males with the utmost respect, love and affection. Yourself said that I keep all strong males here. I can’t understand your logic of treating someone that way will create weak people." Astri says.
"They go after you because you’re a little pretty, that’s all. -
Claud and Lee laughs.
"A little? Her beauty can’t even be compared to any of you. And we chose her not because of her beauty only, she makes us stronger for treating us well, and supporting us. She makes us want to be stronger and have more. If you live in a safe tribe, be grateful to her because she’s the one that makes us strong. And she was also the one who gave the idea of building a wall for the tribe to be safe and not only her in our castle. Your envious thick head is too blind to admit that." Lee speaks, walking forward to face Ana.
"She treats you well because you’re strong." Ana tries to divert the situation again.
"Then why does she still care for your brother? Who died protecting her. She had Wayde and myself to protect her, why did she still treat him so well and still treat his memories with love?" Lee questions Ana, who lost her voice after being questioned about all that.
The other females lower their shoulders not knowing what to answer too. Ana convinced them to face Astri, but now they don’t know what to face her with.
"If you had someone like me on your side you will be way stronger." Ana retorts.
"Oh really? Are you implying you’re stronger than her? I only saw her beating you. And I heard once you even cried for your father’s help." Lee sneers.
"She only does surprise attacks. She’s a coward. If she faces me in a duel I’m sure she won’t stand a chance." Ana crosses her arms defiantly.
Astri giggles and shakes her head, starting to walk away pushing Elias and Kai kindly so they don’t keep hearing that mad woman.
"See how weak your mother is, kids? She’s a coward knowing she will lose and she’s running away." Ana says to Elias and Kai.
They look at their mother confused, but not believing Ana too. What that stinky female is implying?
"Don’t hear her, boys. Your mother is the strongest in all matters. That woman is just envious." Lee says to them.
Then Lee and Claud feel a dense energy coming from Astri. The moment Ana tried to put Elias and Kai against Astri made her see red.
"You convinced other females to come here to bully me using their cubs as an excuse. You use lies to pretend you’re stronger and, again, you use cubs, my cubs, to have what you want. Who is the coward here, Ana?" Astri says, so serious that everyone near her felt the deep pressure of her energy.
The other females look at Ana now thinking the same. Using cubs to attack others is too low even for females.
Females have the freedom to be cruel and possess everything they want, but they don’t do anything to harm kids because in this harsh world having them is not easy. They might die against diseases, predators or monsters easily if they don’t live somewhere safe.
"I’m not a coward to bring the truth to your poor cubs. I actually pity them for having you as their mother." Ana sneers.
"You’re sick. Your mind is sick. Why don’t you take the time trying to bring others down to your level and use that to elevate yourself? You’re so eager to have power, but you’re not big enough to handle it." Claud speaks, angry.
"Oh did she trick you too? It doesn’t surprise me. I’m sure she uses some herb to make you f*ck her and be her mate." Ana giggles.
"You!" Lee angrily tries to retort.
"Let her, Lee. Let’s see the plot of her story. I gave them a herb. And then? How do they keep loving me after that? Another herb?" Astri jokes, but her tone is serious.
"Are you calling me stupid, you disgusting vulture?" Ana threats walking forward on Astri’s direction.
"What was your first clue?" Astri smirks.
Ana growls angrily.
"Claud and I will be mates soon, but we don’t carry each other’s marks yet. Why don’t you ask him when I gave him this herb to make him want me?" Astri sneers.
She wants to provoke Ana and make her give the first move. Claud and Lee hold their laughter and that made Ana even angrier.
"I challenge you on a duel, weak worm." Ana barks.
Astri smiles.
"Good. Come then. Let’s bring this to the center of the tribes. I’m sure you want everyone to watch you defeat me." Astri says and walks away. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Ana stomps walking on their front. Her spouses are looking at each other worried, then look at Lee.
"Don’t look at me. Your female is the crazy one here. Male up and stop her if you want." Lee speaks.
Her males try to convince her not to duel Astri. They can sense Astri is strong and if she loses Lee will treat them badly for years.
Ana grew angrier after hearing her spouses trying to convince her to not duel.
"Everyone! Ladies and gentlemen. Can everyone see me? Can everyone hear me?" Astri says out loud, calling everyone’s attention.
Everyone stops to look at that.
"Go call Zin, Wayde and Cyprian. They will want to see this." Claud says to Galion.
Galion nods and runs away.
"Amazing! Gather around! Today, Ana, daughter of my dear Leader Shung and Lady Fraz, is proposing to me a duel. And I’m inviting you to watch her beat me up." Astri says out loud.
More and more people gather around, and that is making Ana angrier. Soon Shung appear running, already knowing Ana was making a big mess again.
"As more people, the best! So, Ana. What are your terms for this duel?" Astri asks.
"If I win you will order your males to be my males and your castle will be mine." Ana barks.
"Ana! What are you thinking?! Stop this madness!" Shung speaks angry.
"Let her be, Shung. I accept her terms. My terms would be to play fair. But I know Ana won’t stick to that, so forget it." Astri chuckles.
Cyprian, Wayde and Zin arrive and rush to Lee and Claud’s side.
"What that stinky female has in her mind?" Zin asks.
"I normally don’t like fighting, but after you use my cubs to weaken me. After creating lies about me giving herbs to poison my mates’ minds, and calling them stupid for falling in such a low move. I had to accept it." Astri says.