The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride (Evelyn and Alexander) novel Chapter 368

**Steps Along Forgotten Roads**
**By Sophia Reed**
**Chapter 368: Who Was That Woman?**

**Judy’s POV**

Sitting here, I felt like a sitting duck, waiting for something to happen. Just Tabby and I remained while the rest of our team had ventured off in search of more flags. Tabby was lost in her thoughts, gazing out at the vast, unforgiving ocean. The waves crashed against the canoes we would need to escape this island, three in total, just enough to ferry us back to base.

Hours had slipped by, the sun beating down relentlessly, turning our simple task into a sweat-drenched ordeal. I could feel the heat seeping into my skin, and I grimaced at the thought of the inevitable sunburn that awaited me. Fair skin had its disadvantages, and I was painfully aware of them.

With a heavy sigh, I reclined on the warm sand, my eyes drifting toward the endless blue sky. A few clouds drifted lazily overhead, but they offered little respite from the sun’s harsh glare.

“When do you think we’ll get to go back?” Tabby finally broke the silence, her voice pulling me from my thoughts as she turned to meet my gaze.

I opened my mouth to respond, but a sudden rustling from the nearby bushes caught my attention, drawing my focus to the dense woods. I shot up, my eyes narrowing as I peered into the shadowy undergrowth. Tabby mirrored my stance, her expression shifting to one of alertness as she held her breath, the tension palpable between us.

Someone was out there, and they definitely didn’t smell like one of our teammates.

We exchanged glances, our silence filled with unspoken understanding as we strained to hear any further signs of movement. Then it happened again—a snap of a twig, a rustle of leaves—and I was on my feet, adrenaline surging through me, a mix of anxiety and exhilaration coursing in tandem. Perhaps this mundane task would turn out to be anything but boring; maybe Sherry had been right, and other teams would indeed make a play for our flags.

Before long, a group of competitors emerged from the trees, their expressions fierce and determined as they locked eyes with us. The largest among them scanned the area, and a smug grin broke across his face when he spotted us.

“They left two of the smallest girls on their team to guard their flags?” he guffawed, a chorus of laughter echoing from his companions. I recognized one of the guys from a previous scuffle; he paled at the sight of me, and I couldn’t help but flash him a “not so innocent” smirk.

He opened his mouth, likely to say something to his teammates, but then thought better of it and vanished without a word, slipping away unnoticed. Smart move on his part; he understood exactly what I was capable of.

The others, however, were oblivious. They had only seen me in passing, too preoccupied with their own battles to acknowledge my presence. I hadn’t had the chance to engage them before, but today would change that.

“It’ll be easy to snag their flags, just like it was with the other team’s,” the leader chuckled, his confidence bolstering the laughter of his followers as they began to encircle us.

“What were they thinking? At least the other team had a fighting chance. They had a couple of strong waters and some keeping watch. I don’t see anyone else from their team for miles,” another chimed in, shaking his head with a mocking laugh.

“Surrender now, and hand over your flags. Neither of you has to get hurt,” a woman interjected, her arms crossed defiantly. She was tall and lean, but there was undeniable strength in her build. Her short hair framed her face, adorned with warrior markings that gave her an almost exotic allure. Although I hadn’t crossed paths with her before, I could sense she was a formidable opponent.

I met her gaze, silently challenging her to make a move. I folded my arms, raising my eyebrows in defiance. Tabby stood beside me, equally amused but doing her best to suppress a grin.

“Or we’ll be forced to take them by force,” she added, her tone calm yet laced with an underlying threat as her eyes flicked between us, assessing our lack of movement.

“If they want a fight, we can deliver one,” the first guy sneered, shifting into a fighting stance. “It won’t take long to take you down, and then we’ll grab your flags and make our escape from this island.”

“As soon as the rest of our team returns with our flags, we can leave,” the girl remarked, rolling her eyes as if she were already bored with the whole affair. “Which they should do soon enough.”

The others nodded in agreement, their confidence growing.

“Hey, where did Marco go?” one of the guys suddenly asked, frowning as he noticed the absence of the guy who had recognized me.

They glanced around, confusion etched on their faces, but none were keen enough to search for him. He had chosen to abandon his teammates, leaving them to fend for themselves. Even in a team setting, self-preservation was paramount, and I couldn’t fault him for that.

“Maybe he went to scout the perimeter,” the girl shrugged, dismissing the concern. “We don’t need him for this anyway, so it’s fine.”

Laughter erupted among them, a shared bravado that only fueled my resolve.

“Yeah, this will be quick,” the first guy said, stepping toward me, his eyes gleaming with menace. “You should have surrendered while you had the chance.”

Before he could even finish his taunt, he lunged at me, attempting to grab hold of me. But I was quicker; in a heartbeat, I was behind him. His expression morphed into confusion as he realized I had vanished from his sight. When he spun around, it was too late—I had him pinned to the ground in an instant. It was almost too easy; he hadn’t expected me to fight back, and the element of surprise worked in my favor.

But as soon as the reality of the situation dawned on him, his instincts kicked in. Survival mode activated, and he began to struggle.

A wave of relief washed over me.

As we pulled our canoes alongside the dock, the staff rushed to assist us. I quickly realized that we were the only team back already.

Did that mean we had won?

Cheers erupted as we sprinted through the throngs of people, racing toward the arena. The moment our feet hit the base, exhaustion overwhelmed me, and I collapsed onto the ground, my body spent. Chuck stepped forward, presenting all five flags, while Tabby held up the white flags of our defeated opponents.

The arena erupted in cheers; I had never witnessed such chaos, but it was exhilarating. My eyes scanned the crowd, and I was taken aback to see the giant monitors displaying our highlights from the last day and a half. My face was front and center for most of it, and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment. They had captured almost everything, except for the moment Tabby and I had fought the bear in the cave. The drone hadn’t followed us in there, but it had caught us emerging, drenched in blood.

Many in the crowd cringed at the footage, but Chuck found it thrilling, slapping me a high-five as the highlight reel ended. My heart raced at the attention.

Tabby’s laughter rang out when her face appeared on the screen, clearly enjoying the moment without a hint of embarrassment. Chuck puffed out his chest as his own scenes played out.

“You did great,” Sherry said, stepping beside me and placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You’ll be a legendary warrior one day, Judy.”

A smile spread across my face, her words warming my heart.

“Thanks,” I replied, feeling grateful for her support.

“If it comes down to it, I’ll still kick your ass in the finals next week,” she teased, a playful glint in her eyes. “Make no mistake about it.”

“Count on it,” I shot back, a smirk tugging at my lips.

We were soon announced as the winners of this week’s Group B competition, and the stadium erupted in a frenzy of celebration. But amidst the chaos, my gaze wandered, searching for one familiar face. When I finally spotted him, my breath caught in my throat.

Who was that woman he was talking to?