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Commander Malakai stepped out once more to announce the next fight. How Griffin had managed to convince this stern, no-nonsense man to host the event, Violet had no idea.

"Next up, we have the enigmatic Alpha of the South, Leon Draven!"

A wave of cheers and whistles broke out as Alpha Leon swaggered onto the arena floor. Where Irene had looked fierce and formidable, Leon carried a relaxed, cocky air, his combat pants and tight T-shirt showing off every sculpted inch of his body.

Leon, far from finished, lifted his arms and stripped off his shirt in slow motion before tossing it away. The audience hushed for a second, unsure what was happening, until he started unbuckling his belt.

Nearly everyone burst into shocked gasps as Leon casually began undressing right there in the middle of the floor, unbuckling and stepping out of his pants until he was down to personalized black shorts that hugged his muscular thighs. The crowd went wild.

Someone from the stands couldn’t help themselves and yelled, "Make me yours, Daddy Leon!"

Laughter rippled through the students, and even some of the teachers struggled to keep a straight face.

Up in the VIP seats, Luna Alexa didn’t look the least bit surprised. She simply rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, "Just when you think he’d grow up."

Commander Malakai, ever the professional, barely batted an eye as he stepped back into the spotlight. "And now, facing him is our own cardinal alpha, the fox-hearted warrior, the ever-sly and deadly, Roman Draven!"

The cheers grew even louder, the students clearly hyped for the next match. Roman emerged from the side, sauntering forward with that trademark lazy smirk on his face, oozing charm and mischief.

Without hesitation, and clearly inspired by his father, Roman peeled off his shirt in one smooth motion, sending another ripple of noise through the stands. His bare torso was leaner than Leon’s but no less impressive, defined and agile, his muscles taut and honed.

Father and son stood shoulder to shoulder, their likeness almost uncanny. Apart from the difference in hair and eyes, they looked remarkably alike. Up close, Leon’s body bore the extra bulk of years of training, while Roman was leaner, all sharp lines and the lithe grace of a predator.

"Hot damn," someone breathed from the stands. "There really are two of them."

Violet, watching with narrowed eyes, couldn’t agree more. Definitely two of them and trouble in double.

Commander Malakai raised his arm. "Let the match begin!"

Leon was the first to make a move, lunging forward with surprising speed. Roman evaded with ease, flipping back in an acrobatic twist that drew awed gasps from the crowd.

Unlike the Hales, whose fight was pure strength and brawl, the Dravens were a dazzling display of agility and finesse. Leon hammered forward with unstoppable force, while Roman flowed around him, quick, nimble, and razor-sharp in his reflexes.

Leon swung a powerful kick, but Roman leapt over it, flipping mid-air and landing softly, a cocky grin tugging at his lips.

"Too slow, old man," Roman taunted.

Leon laughed, dark and deep. "You think that was my best?"

He rushed in again, and this time Roman met him head-on. Their fists collided in a rapid exchange of strikes and counters, their bodies twisting and ducking with seamless coordination.

Roman flipped, spun, and weaved through each assault, his keen animal instincts and incredible flexibility making it all look effortless. He coiled and snapped like a whip, landing quick kicks and rapid-fire jabs.

The crowd was wild now, caught up in the breathtaking athleticism of it all. The humans in the audience gaped as the two werewolves moved in ways that barely seemed possible.

Leon caught Roman’s wrist mid-strike and yanked him forward, but Roman twisted out of it with a lithe backflip, landing lightly and springing forward again.

He was a blur, ducking under a punch, sliding low, and aiming a swift kick to Leon’s legs, but his father absorbed the hit and retaliated with a heavy arm swing.

To the crowd, they looked evenly matched,

but Violet, watching closely, could tell that Roman was holding back just as much as Griffin had.

And then, in a blink, it happened. Leon pivoted with a burst of speed and locked Roman in a chokehold from behind. The crowd gasped as Roman stiffened, his body straining, his back arching as Leon’s muscular arm cinched tightly around his neck.

Roman could have slipped out easily, but after a beat, he lifted his hand and tapped twice on Leon’s arm.

Commander Malakai’s voice rang out. "Tap out confirmed! Winner of this match, Alpha Leon Draven!"

The arena erupted with noise as Malakai stepped forward, raising Leon’s arm in victory. Leon, never one to miss a show, threw his head back and let out a primal howl of triumph.

And because he couldn’t resist, he followed it with a slow, sexy grind of his hips, rolling them in a way that had half the audience screaming and the other half trying to cover their kids’ eyes.

"Oh for heaven’s sake," Luna Alexa covered her eyes in embarrassment when she caught her husband’s smug, sweaty grin.

Roman wiped the sweat from his brow, then shot a wink in Violet’s direction before strolling off the arena floor, pure swagger in every step.

It was like Cupid had fired an arrow straight at Violet’s heart and she smiled bashfully, her cheeks heating up. Her friends turned to her at once, grinning wickedly.

"Oh, she’s blushing," Ivy said with a smirk.

Nancy laughed loudly. "I bet she wants to shag him dirty right now."

Except Nancy was the only one laughing. Ivy, Lila, and Daisy froze, staring at her with wide eyes, completely bewildered.

Noticing their looks, Nancy threw up her hands. "Joking! Obviously joking!"

That broke the tension, and the girls burst into awkward laughter, trying to brush it off. Yep, just a joke. Totally a joke.

They all turned back to the arena, silently agreeing not to dwell too long on how shamelessly blunt Nancy could be sometimes.

Seriously, how had Violet survived her all these years?

Luckily, the next match began almost immediately, cutting through the awkwardness like a breath of fresh air.