Chapter 15 The Confrontation
A while later, the trees thinned out to reveal a massive stone wall encircling Druth several kilometers away. Meira drove down the now paved road toward an open gate on the southwestern side of the city.
I feel like I’m in a medieval world, except for the fact I’m riding in a truck. Is this world some weird mix of medieval fantasy and modern technology? I suppose I can’t expect this world to develop exactly like earth, especially when there’s magic. What’s with the lack of traffic, though? Such a large city should have a ton of traffic. I’ve only seen a handful of cars in the last ten minutes. Evernya thought while staring at the approaching thirty-meter tall stone walls.
The road widened to six lanes a kilometer before the gate to Druth. Meira slowed down as she approached the open gate, materializing her ID card for the scanner in each lane in preparation. When she was a quarter-mile from the gate, six cars and trucks turned on from a side street running parallel with the wall before boxing her truck in, forcing her to pull into a parking lot on the left side of the road.
After she stopped in the middle of the parking lot on the left side of the road, the passenger door of the big truck blocking her front opened. A tall and muscular brown-haired catkin stepped out of the open truck door with an arrogant smirk. The catkin strutted toward the back of the truck and leaned against the tailgate with his arms folded, showing off his bulging biceps. He stared through the windshield of Meira’s truck while subtly releasing his mana aura to make himself feel more imposing.
Meira immediately recognized the man, causing her to fume. “How the hell did they know where we were going? He even came himself! We don’t have time for this!”
Unaffected by the man’s mana aura, Evernya tilted her head in confusion, asking, “Why were we forced to stop in this parking lot, and who is that arrogant asshole staring at us?”
“That arrogant asshole is Alpha Wittke.” Grumbled Meira, causing Evernya’s confusion to shift to anger.
While Evernya glared daggers at Alpha Wittke, Meira hopped out of the truck to confront him with a stony expression.
Before Meira could say anything, Alpha Wittke commanded, “I’m here to fetch my new mate. Please hand her over.”
After Alpha Wittke issued his command, over a dozen catkin exited the surrounding vehicles to back him up.
Meira glanced at the surrounding catkin unbothered before replying shortly. “No.”
“Well then, we have an issue then since I am not leaving until I have my new mate.” Remarked Alpha Wittke with his ever-present smirk backed up by the cheers of the surrounding catkin.
“Alpha Wittke, do you really want me to resort to violence because you know what the outcome will be even with all your friends here.” Meira threatened, creating gusts of wind to drive her point home.
Alpha Wittke’s arrogant smirk faltered as his composure cracked. “It is my right as Alpha to take any unmated catkin as my mate! Who are you to dare to refuse this!?” Proclaimed Alpha Wittke.
“Under shifter laws, that would be true if she were part of your clan, which Evernya is not. Instead of simply asking her if she wants to be your mate, you try to force her like her opinion does not matter. The moment you disregarded her opinion, you destroyed any chance she would have accepted you. Times have changed. You can’t just order around a woman and expect them to follow without treating them with the respect they deserve.” Retorted Meira, causing silence to rein as the surrounding catkin await their Alpha’s response.
Meira continued, refusing to let up. “No wonder you still don’t have a competent heir after over seventy years. Most strong female catkin would refuse to mate with someone who treats them like an object, even if that person is the Alpha of their clan.”
Unable to take the disrespect, Alpha Wittke shouted, “She has no choice but to accept me as her mate! She isn’t an adult, so her opinion does not matter.”
“Whose fault is it that? She is of age, just hasn’t had the chance to take the test yet. You’re taking advantage of a loophole to force an Alpha shifter to be your mate against her will. She’s already almost as strong as you are at 19, and unlike your clan members, you cannot forcefully weaken her. Besides, if you mate with her and she conceives a child, she can take the child as her heir under shifter alpha laws. You have to be incredibly stupid to force a female alpha shifter into mating with you, especially one who has significantly more potential than you do.” Meira continued, trying to knock some sense into the idiot alpha.
Evernya, who had been seething in the passenger seat of Meira’s truck, couldn’t hold her anger any longer. She shoved the door open before hopping out, slamming the door behind her, drawing attention. She strutted toward Alpha Wittke, ears erect and forward, tail high. Some braver catkins tried to capture her but failed as no one could make it within a meter of her with mana cocoon repelling all attempts.
Evernya stopped a few meters away from Alpha Wittke, glaring up at the much taller catkin before roaring, “You dare try to mate with me! I would never mate with someone like you!”
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Without pause, Evernya continued to berate Alpha Wittke in front of everyone. “Instead of coming yourself to ask if I would be your mate and showing respect to a fellow alpha. You sent a summons with two weak betas expecting me to follow your command. I am not an object to incubate your heir! How stupid can you be to think that I would allow such disrespect! You have no chance to be my mate! You sickened me!”
“How dare you talk back to your alpha!?” snapped an infuriated Alpha Wittke, releasing the full force of his mana aura, prompting Evernya to counter with her own on instinct.
Stuck between two alpha mana auras caused the surrounding catkin to fall to their knees, some weaker ones even passed out. Unfortunately for Alpha Wittke, his mana aura affected neither Evernya nor Meira.
“I have no alpha, nor will I ever have an alpha!” Proclaimed Evernya, releasing the unknown ancient aura Meira, and the betas experienced. Alpha Wittke paled with terror as Evernya’s aura engulfed him.
“Now, begone! I have more important places to be.” Evernya commanded, releasing an explosion of energy slamming Alpha Wittke into the tailgate of the truck, leaving a dent.
Without bothering to see if he complied with her command, she spun on her heels, strutting back to Meira’s truck.
With a giant smile on her face, Meira gushed, Oh my! My kitten has a temper.
Her smile disappeared a moment later as another thought came to her. I will have to teach her to control her temper. It may get her into trouble in the future. If it’s even possible to rein in a temper of an alpha.
Meira surveyed the surrounding catkin before threatening. “I would suggest you listen to her. Otherwise, I’ll have to make you comply, and I won’t be as gentle as her.”
Terrified of Meira, the surrounding shifters jumped to action. They scrambled back to their vehicles, collecting the weaker unconscious catkin along the way. Without looking back, the catkin left their Alpha Wittke, still stunned by Evernya’s energy blast alone with Meira.
“You should follow your smarter clan mate’s example and leave,” taunted Meira, copying Alpha Wittke’s previous smirk.
Finally, snapping back to his senses, Alpha Wittke glared hatefully at Meira as he retreated to his truck. “This isn’t over bitch! I will remember how you embarrassed me in front of my clan!”
“You embarrassed yourself trying to take something that does not belong to you,” yelled Meira as one last jab before Alpha Wittke slammed his truck door closed.
After the catkin left, Meira returned to her truck to continue the rest of the way to Druth. She stopped at the scanner in the far left lane to swipe her ID. After the light on the scanner turned green, Meira continued to drive through the gate.
As they pass through the gate, a forceful scan invaded Evernya’s body. Evernya shivered in revulsion, “What the hell was that scan?” Evernya demanded.
Meira glanced at her kitten with a sheepish expression as she explained, “Oh, sorry, I should have warned you. Upon entering a Sespina Federation-controlled city for the first time, the barrier will take a sample of your mana signature. The city can use your mana signature to track you down within the confines of the city, but that is unlikely to happen. Usually, new arrivals have to enter through the main southern entrance to register, but my ID allowed you through.”
After taking a deep breath allowing the revulsion to dissipate, Evernya commented, “I guess it makes sense they would want to keep track of new arrivals.”
The duo fell into silence as Evernya stared out her window, taking in Druth. She watched cars whiz by as they waited for the light to turn green. A minute later, the light turned green, allowing Meira to turn left on the busy street. Evernya watched as they passed buildings made of stone in various colors, with humans and even shifters of all ages roaming the sidewalk.
A few minutes later, Meira broke the silence with a warning. “I am proud of you for standing up to that asshole, but you need to keep better control over your temper. Especially during this mage test. Many people are going to be insulting you, and you can’t just blast them away like you did Alpha Wittke.”
Evernya returned her attention to Meira as she admitted, “I know, I don’t know what came over me. That asshole just infuriates me.”
“It’s because you’re a prideful being. All alphas are,” Meira said.
“During the mage test, don’t ignore or forgive the people who insult you. Remember them. Just because you can’t confront them during the test doesn’t mean that you can’t get your revenge later.” Advised Meira, causing a vicious smile to bloom on Evernya’s face.
“Oh, I won’t ever forget the people who look down on me,” Evernya vowed in a sinister tone.
Whoa, what is with her? Is she still riding the high standing up to Alpha Wittke? Or is there some other reason? Thought Meira, surprised by her kitten’s reaction.
At the next traffic light, Meira drilled her gaze into her kitten while advising, “Time to calm down. We’re almost there. I know I’ve said it multiple times, but I will say it again. The mage’s test will be a challenge. Many people will look down on you just because you’re a shifter. To make it worse, some may notice your inactive slave band and insult you. You need to keep your cool during the test. If someone attacks, you may defend yourself, but please try to avoid escalating it to that point. Don’t make extra trouble for yourself. These people will look for anything to use against you.”
After the light turned green, Meira returned her attention to the road, but continued to speak. “Everyone at the test will be your age, so if you stay in this area, you may meet them again. If they don’t outright insult you, try to be friendly, as many humans aren’t racist. Some may even be friendly towards you. Try to make friends, I can’t be the only person you know after all.”
A few minutes later, Meira pulled into a parking lot next to a big brick building with a sign stating ‘Druth East High school’ on the front.
“Since most of the humans attending the mage testing are in high school or just out of high school, they usually run the mage testing in the gym of a high school,” Meira remarked, sensing her kitten’s question.
After parking her truck in one of the few remaining vacant spots, Meira turned toward her kitten to give her a rundown on what to expect. “The first part of the test will be on the door to enter the gym to prove you are a mage. Once you're in line and I leave, your stress test will begin. You will be on your own from that point on. But don’t worry, I will watch and will intervene if things become too serious. I don’t know if you remember Dr. Fisher. He is a middle-aged brown-haired guy with some graying who will probably sit next to me. He will score you on how you handle yourself during the test.”
Evernya jerkily nodded her head as the nerves caught up to her. “Calm down, I’m sure you will be fine,” Meira assured.
Evernya sucked a deep breath while stroking her tail a few times before opening the truck door and stepping out.