The Wicked Alpha's Star-Crossed Luna

2.1 | HELP US WIN

After hearing Jacob’s final choice for the team, it didn’t take much convincing for me to approve his selection. We had all seen the time and effort put in by the wolf in question, and I was also aware that he had dealt with bullying for far longer than any other recruit under my command, so he had more to prove than we did. It was a no-brainer.

When the ten minutes were up, my team and I diligently made our way to the front of the platoon, standing out as representatives. Beta Dione, Gamma Ravi, Delta Connor, and Epsilon Dakota all seemed to show hints of approval in their eyes as they glanced over my team, and I kept my head held high.

“Lieutenant Vespera, reveal your team!” Epsilon Dakota called out.

“Sir, representing first platoon is Specialist Howard, PFCs Gim and Marti, Reservist Vespera, and myself, sir!” I announced, saluting along with my team.

Tara and Francisco Marti--the first omega warrior to not only last a year with us, but also to be bumped up two grades--puffed out their chests, proud to represent their comrades. Carina’s eyes sparkled no matter how serious a face she tried to wear, and Chan-Yeol was as stoic as always. Or was that confusion tainting his golden brown eyes?

Beta Dione smirked but said nothing, while Gamma Ravi seemed pleased with my selection. The delta and epsilon always made a point not to play favorites, thankfully, so their expressions held no emotion while the latter wolf nodded and turned his attention to the next lieutenant.

I wasn’t the only platoon leader to insert myself into my team; the second and fourth elected to join their squads, while the third simply chose their strongest soldiers and sent them to fight the battle for them.

I scoffed. “Pathetic.”

The captain dismissed us for a couple minutes, claiming they were allowing us to strategize, while I had the sneaking suspicion that Ravi was showing the older men how to use an app on their phones that would randomly choose which teams will fight which, and in what order. All four platoons were seated on the grass along the outskirts of the training field, while the four teams were huddled together, for the most part. Carina and Tara were closest to me, while Chan-Yeol (who had only hung out with us for fleeting instances in the past) and Francisco (who has never been this close to us before in a semi-casual manner) idled a couple feet behind us.

Carina snorted. “What? Don’t approve of Altair’s strategy?”

“Not in the slightest,” I grumbled. “What kind of leader doesn’t join their people in battle?”

“The cowardly kind,” noted Tara.

“You’re completely overlooking how sending soldiers to fight small battles in your stead is a viable strategy,” Carina pointed out.

“That only applies if there is a bigger battle on the horizon,” I countered. “Or if there is an overarching war that would necessitate the preparation of such a battle. What could possibly be the bigger battle here?”

Carina shrugged. “Oh, I have no idea. You’d have to ask him.”

“Hey, uh, Lieutenant?” The three of us spun around to face our male teammates. Francisco had his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants, his posture nonchalant in spite of the plain uneasiness on his face. Chan-Yeol, on the other hand, watched the omega’s exchange with us with intrigue.

I nodded to Francisco. “You can speak freely.”

“Thanks. Uh, I was just wondering--why was I picked for the team?” blurted out the teenager.

I arched a brow at his question, and he blanched. “Ah, well, what I mean is--there’s nearly forty of us, right? And I know everyone really wants to go to the dinner tonight. So if you’re trying to win--”

“If we’re trying to win, why would I choose you?” I summed up his concerns concisely.

Francisco nodded meekly, almost appearing regretful that he even asked.

“Well,” I began. “I always consult with my sergeants on these kinds of things, and you came highly recommended by Sergeant Russell. He didn’t need to exaggerate his pitch, though--I have eyes and ears, and I know how hard you’ve worked to get to this point.”

Francisco’s face regained its usual cool russet shade and then some. “Really?”

“Really.” Then I did something uncharacteristic of me; I clapped one of my hands down onto his shoulder, squeezing him gently. “Francisco, we’re glad you’re here. Help us win this, alright?”

“Yes ma’am!” he saluted, garnering the attention of the nearest platoon.

I could hear my girls giggling behind me as I released the omega with a sigh. “Relax, kid. No use getting worked up before the fight even starts,” I chuckle.

Then I turn to the fox, who had been watching our exchange curiously. “Do you have similar questions, Chan-Yeol?”

Chan-Yeol shook his head, but spoke up anyway. “No, my concerns are a little more complex.” He paused, only continuing after I gestured for him to do so. “I’m only wondering if it’s alright for me to shift at all during our battles?”

“Gamma Ravi stated that our beast forms are allowed,” I reminded him, but he shook his head.

“No, it isn’t that simple for me--for my kind,” he pointed out. “My family has some magick at our disposal, but in our beast forms that magick is amplified to the point where it leaks out through our aura, affecting those around us by way of either a glamour or a trance. This affects all non-fox shifters, regardless of alliance. It’s the reason why I only train in human form with the platoon.”

I blinked, fighting the wide-eye expression that I knew would have matched my sister’s. We didn’t know as much about other shifters as we did about our own species, and we knew even less about foxes. “Interesting. Can your fox aura be diminished or controlled somehow?”

He grimaced. “Eh, no? Not really. The only way I know of would be through the magick of a powerful witch, but I’ve never come across one strong enough to try it.”

“I have so many questions,” Tara shared unabashedly.

“We do not have the time for that,” I reminded my friend, prompting her to simper beside me. I knew exactly what she was getting at; Tara was obsessed with all things human--human fashion, human technology, and human slang. She had us watch so many human films and shows that their mannerisms and lingo were bleeding into our own. “Represent” was a throwback, one of Tara’s favorite terms from just a few short years ago, which is why Mina had used it in her pitch. One of Tara’s most recent obsessions, though, was Korean entertainment, specifically their drama series and romantic comic books, or manhwa. Apparently, foxes were a theme.

“Channie, you said your aura affects all non-foxes around you, regardless of alliance,” repeated Carina. I furrowed my brow at the nickname she gave him, but he didn’t seem to mind. “Are you saying even shifters of high rank are unaffected?”

Chan-Yeol shrugged. “I mean, they would have to be of pretty high rank.”

“How high we talkin’?” asked Tara. With her as a gamma and Cari and I as alphas, we wouldn’t need to worry much, right?

“Royal status, probably.”

Shit. “Welp, way to force me to strategize,” I sighed, tacking on a playful smirk to let on that I was only teasing. “Seriously, though, there’s no problem with you fighting as you are. All I’m gonna say is, if push comes to shove and you’re the last of our team standing, then you should go for it. We’d have nothing to lose by that point.”

“Got it.”

“Actually, I’m gonna say this definitively,” I told my group, my eyes glancing over at the other teams before continuing. “When we fight the second platoon, Tara and Carina should shift into their wolves. For the fourth platoon, only Tara should shift. And for the third, we should all try to remain in human form for the duration of the battle. That being said, keep your links open, because I’m going to relay commands and information that way for the entire tournament. It’ll be up to whoever is closest to Chan-Yeol to relay info when needed. Things could change at the drop of a hat, so expect that we could all shift by the end--”

My words were cut off unceremoniously by a loud howl.