Here's the fourth chapter. I tried to make it longer to compensate for the last short ones. Some Beth and Sting action in here for ya. Enjoy :)
Note* - I don't know the name of Mermaid Heel's guildmaster, so I just made up a name. If anyone remembers or know, please help me out by commenting below. Thanks!
"You're still up this late?" Risley yawned as she found me on the balcony, gazing at the moonlight.
"Yeah. The event has me so anxious these days, I'm not able to sleep much lately," I said. I have been feeling pretty antsy and nervous not because of the competition, but because of the blond dragonslayer.
"Don't worry, Beth. Mermaid Heel will do fine. We have our ace, Kagura-chan, with us all the way."
I nodded, trying to stay positive.
"By the way Beth, you were paying quite some attention to that blond dragonslayer, Sting."
My heart began to accelerate at that.
"Huh? What are you talking about, Risley-chan?" I had to seriously try hard to remain unaffected.
"Well, you were staring pretty intently at him today, and you looked worried about him losing."
"N-no it wasn't that! It's just that—"
Risley chuckled.
"Calm down, Beth." She rested a hand on my shoulder to reassure. "I won't tell anyone, although I am curious how you took interest in Sting Eucliffe. He is very handsome, I suppose."
"He is…someone I knew years ago. But those years have passed, and they don't matter much anymore." They certainly did not matter to Sting.
"Is that right? Well, don't think too much. Soft feelings will make you vulnerable to the enemies. We need to win."
I nodded and couldn't have agreed more.
STING'S POV
"I was lenient about your failure today, Sting." Sting's master said as he paced back and forth slowly while Sting stared forward.
"It will not happen again, Master. Victory will be mine next challenge. Count on it."
"I'm holding you to your words. Knowing you and Rogue are dragonslayers, I don't expect any more losses. Sabertooth has to stay number one again this year."
"Yes, master."
The next match with Fairy Tail, he will be the victor.
On the second day of the Grand Magic Games, everyone anticipated to see Kagura fight Yukino. Alone, Kagura earned a lot of respect from many mages around the region. Yukino was noted because she was from the mighty Sabertooth, the same guild as Sting's.
"You got this, Kagura-chan!" Milliana shouted. "There is no way Kagura-chan would lose to the celestial mage."
"Of course not. She's powerful without unsheathing her sword already." Risley said confidently with her arms crossed.
"I can't even imagine what it would be like if she pulled out her sword." I said.
"Feel sorry for those she pulled it out on."
Kagura was Mermaid Heel's ace mage. She was s-class and lethal. Our guildmaster, Shara, trusted Kagura immensely and left the women in her care whenever she was gone. Everyone in the guild was an older sister to me since I am the youngest of Mermaid Heel.
"That Yukino won't stand a chance! Sabertooth will not win this. Dodge, Kagura-chan!" Milliana continued her support.
I could not help but steal a glance at Sabertooth's seating area, looking for a particular dragonslayer.
Sting Eucliffe leaned coolly against the stone walls with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked at the match with a very stoic face. Beth noticed most of the Sabertooth members were like that. Unlike other guilds, they did not bother to cheer for their guild mates or show any sense of support.
As if he suddenly felt my eyes on him, he rotated his face immediately towards mine and our eyes met for a brief few seconds. Embarrassed that he had caught me staring at him, I gasped and quickly turned away.
"You okay, Beth?" Risley asked.
"Yes. I was just worried for Kagura-chan."
"No need to be. Kagura-chan will do just great."
"And Kagura from Mermaid Heel wins!" the announcer said, and the crowd went crazy. All the girls in Mermaid Heel got excited and jumped for joy.
Then we watched Kagura step in front of Yukino, and said, "Your life… is mine."
Yukino had bet her life on the battle carelessly and owed it to Kagura.
When we reconvened with Kagura in the lobby again, everyone threw their arms around Kagura to congratulate her, causing her to get a little bit flustered.
"That was amazing, Kagura-chan."
"You showed Sabertooth for sure!"
"That little girl was stupid to bet her life."
"Enough," Kagura said.
"How about we celebrate with drinks on me?" Milliana said, and the other girls agreed with excitement.
"I'm underage," I reminded them of my sixteen years.
"It's alright! You can be there as long as you're not having alcohol." Risley confirmed. And the whole guild headed towards the tavern.
Sting watched in silence and pity as their master kicked Yukino out of the guild.
It was her fault for being so overconfident and bet her life against Kagura. Kagura's reputation was well-known, and she has demonstrated it real so far.
Measure the enemy's strength. Take the time to find their weakness.
"Rogue, care to join me at the tavern?" Sting asked.
"You should know I don't like those places," he replied. Sting sighed and signaled Lector.
"Party pooper as always," Sting said out the door.
"To Kagura! For the big win today!"
"To Kagura-chan!" The whole guild repeated after Milliana and everyone drank their glass whole. I sipped my cider because I was underage.
"Kagura, you displayed a great show of skills today," the bartender said. "Let tonight be on the house."
Everyone cheered at free beer and Kagura said her thanks.
Suddenly, the door opened, and the crowd went quiet.
"One of Sabertooth's twin dragons is here," someone near our table whispered though it was easy to hear them.
Sting Eucliffe walked in and noticed the silent atmosphere due to his appearance. It surprised him as if he was not aware of the effect his presence has. Then he took advantage of it to announce his arrival.
"I did not mean to intrude your celebration tonight, Mermaid Heel. Please continue," he said with a grin, flashing fangs.
Fangs…
I had forgotten that he sported fangs as a dragonslayer. It was strange that his were sharper than any of the dragonslayers I had seen so far.
Our eyes caught again, and he noticed me. His brow raised as if surprised to see a country bumpkin like me hanging at a bar.
"Sting-san." A woman called out. She was the beautiful Jenny from Blue Pegasus, and she waved at him.
She looked like the hook-up girl for Sting tonight evidently by her tight, revealing clothes and heavy makeup.
Sting averted his eyes to focus on Jenny and made his way to her table.
It had not even been an hour, and Mermaid Heel seemed to have drank too much. Even Kagura was feeling it as her speech began to slur.
"Ano…Kagura-chan?" I began.
"What is it?"
"I'm feeling a bit tired, so I'm heading back to our hotel."
"Alright. We'll be back soon too. Be careful, Beth."
"Yes, I will." I slid from my seat and began to make my way to the door. I also noticed that Sting and Jenny had disappeared from their table.
On my way, I couldn't help but think of when I saw Sting with Jenny. They looked almost intimate. Were they dating? Was Sting Eucliffe that kind of man? To settle for a girlfriend?
I probably was thinking too hard until I bumped into another person, and I fell backwards first.
"Ah! Gomen!" The person I bumped into was a lady, and when I looked up, it confirmed to be Yukino-san. And she seemed to be crying? "Are you okay?" She still asked me.
"I'm fine, really." I got up on my feet. "Yukino-san?" I asked.
"Hai. I'm sorry to have bumped into you."
"Ah no! It's my fault. I wasn't looking at my way." Although I shouldn't have meddled in a business that was not my own, Yukino-san's wet face made me curious. "Are you okay?"
"Hm? Oh! Y-yes." She wiped her tears. "I'm just on my way to rent a new room."
"New room? But don't you share a corridor with your guild?"
Sorrow and gloom washed over Yukino-san's face immediately, and she took a deep breath before a few small laughs.
"After a display of weakness and embarrassment, my guild no longer wants me. I'm no longer a part of Sabertooth."
"What!? What kind of rule is that?" I could not help but asked. "They're your guild, and your family."
"Family?" Yukino asked as if the word was foreign. "Sabertooth does not have any of that. It's alright. I deserve it for not being strong. Kagura was really great. Please tell her that I meant it when I offered her my life."
"I'm so sorry, Yukino." I said earnestly. "I hope things go well for you."
Yukino gave a small smile and a nod of thank you before she walked away.
Kicked out of Sabertooth? How could they do something so harsh to a member? Without even giving Yukino a second chance?
I turned back, heading towards the direction of the tavern. I needed to let Kagura know, and perhaps help plead for Yukino's life. The poor ex-Sabertooth member was going through so much already.
"Oh, Angel!"
Angel?
The neko! Sting Eucliffe's pet friend.
He insisted on calling me Angel that first day I met him again at the market.
"Why are you calling me Angel?"
Lector smiled brightly.
"Because you saved Sting and me a long time ago. You're our angel."
Their angel? Surely, Sting's opinion of me differed.
"What are you doing out so late, Lector?" I asked as I crouched down to meet the neko.
"Waiting for Sting to finish his business. He needs to satisfy his cravings."
"Cravings? I saw him at the tavern earlier, but he did not look like he was eating anything."
"Uh…" Although being a cat, I could see Lector was getting nervous. "Uh… hai… you know, being a man, he has uh… manly urges to take care of."
Manly urges?
Though I was young, I was not clueless. Some of my guild members have boasted about their experiences with their boyfriends before, and they did not care to who they spill, including virgin ears.
So, Sting was that kind of man. It all clicked why he met with Jenny tonight. And she seemed eager to be the one to please him.
"What about you, Angel?"
"I was on my way to my hotel, and I bumped into Yukino," I said. "She was crying. How could Sabertooth kick her out because of one loss? Isn't that too harsh?"
"That's none of your business," a deeper voice that sent cold chills down my back answered, and I froze. In my gut, it told me who it was, and I rose up, slowly turning around to confirm the newcomer.
I gasped at Sting, who was towering over me. I instinctively backed away, and my pulse began to quicken.
"If… If you're looking for Yukino, she went that way." I pointed to his left.
"I do not care for Yukino," he stated clearly.
His closeness was too intense, and I took another step back.
"But… she's your guild member. Your friend…"
An amused smile carved on Sting's face, and he cocked his head to the side.
Goodness, he truly was handsome.
"Friend? We're not friends, and she's no longer part of Sabertooth."
"She's your family. Your guild is your family. You share the same dream and protect it together."
"You're really naïve. A strong guild is based on power and abilities. But I don't expect you to understand that considering the limit of your…vegetable power." He smirked. "Yukino was weak, and that is not allowed in Sabertooth."
"You lost The Chariot race," I defended and immediately regretted it when Sting had moved so fast in anger, grabbing me, hauling me against his hard body. "S-she deserves a second chance…" I said in a shaky tone.
"Careful, little Beth. You don't understand my worth as a dragonslayer in Sabertooth."
"Sting-kun!" I could hear Lector protest.
Too close…
His cobalt eyes stared down at me, while gripping my right hand. There was also that frightening smile of his, revealing fangs.
Then suddenly, the air changed, and I caught the strangest thing that flickered in his eyes.
Desire…
Suddenly reminded of what this male dragonslayer was capable of, I tried to ease out of his grip.
"P-please let me go."
And as if he had awaken from a strange trance, Sting blinked once and immediately let me go.
"Don't interfere with our business again. Ikuzo, Lector." Sting said and began to walk.
"Goodnight, Angel!" Lector said, and I could only bid him a small smile because fear had taken a hold of me.
STING'S POV
What was he thinking? He already knew her scent tempted him. Why the hell was he hauling her against him like that? It seemed like that only whetted his appetite even more.
Little Beth was small, yet very soft. Too soft for his liking. Her small wrist felt delicate under his hold as if he could snap it if he applied any more pressure on it.
She had bright blue eyes that he had lost himself in it for a bit. Sting then caught the scent of her fear, and she resisted, pleading for him to let him go. That went against his dragon instincts. It hated the fact that she resisted him. He learned his dragon did not like "no" for an answer.
She was young and too innocent. Even if he decided to accept her as his mate anyway, she would know nothing of what happens between a man and a woman.
-I will teach her everything.- His instinct said, and it seemed like a tempting idea.
-I would be her first and last of everything she experiences with a male.-
Sting shook his head to clear his mind. Clearly, Jenny had not done her job right to calm his sexual needs. Perhaps he needed to call someone else.