I nodded, backing away from Justin when he started advancing. Thankfully, he moved slowly as though afraid that if he progressed any faster, I’d slip away from him again.
A black form materialized between us: Liam. You stay the fuck away from her, Justin.
She attacked me first, Justin said.
I did not! I bellowed, the pain in my rump forgotten.
Cassandra stepped in next to Justin. Seems like our referees can’t agree.
I saw what happened. Justin bit her; Ness did nothing, Liam growled.
He wouldn’t have bitten her if she’d done nothin’. Besides, you aren’t a referee, Kolane. Cassandra peered at me behind Liam. Good thing you prepared her so well, ’cause rules are rules. She licked the blood coating her rubbery lips.
This fight stays between you and me, Liam barked.
Too late for that.
Liam’s body seemed to expand like an afternoon shadow, blackening the overwrought air. Ness, can you run?
Yes, I answered out loud because he had his back to me.
Remember our bear hunt?
My ears peaked. Was Liam about to shift back into skin to distract the Creeks?
I’m going to create a diversion.
The Creek Alpha’s furry brow wrinkled. What are you two cookin’ up?
Energy crackled through my body.
Our audience should be told what’s happening, Liam said.
They’ll understand, Morgan said.
I’d rather explain it. I’ll switch into skin. And since we’re sticking so closely to the rule book, unless you get into skin, you can’t attack me until I’m back in fur. Right, Morgan?
Her blue gaze glowed like a flame atop a wick. Right.
Even though the air was rife with rapid heartbeats, I caught the pace of hers accelerating. Was that excitement?
Don’t keep us waitin’ too long, Morgan said, her voice syrupy, borderline gleeful.
I backed up a few paces, agitated by the intensity of her focus.
Keeping his back to me, Liam said through the mind-link, She thinks I’ve forgotten that you’re fair game to attack since you’re in fur.
I jerked to a stop.
They’re going to go after you. Just keep running, and don’t stop. Run in circles; run around the ring. August will adjust your trajectory. Got it?
I didn’t say anything, afraid of spoiling our plan, and afraid Liam would hear the tremor building inside me at the idea of being chased by not one, but two giant wolves.
Like he’d done in the Smoky Mountains, Liam slid into skin. His muscled form was outlined in moonlight. He turned a little, and I blinked at the amount of blood coating his stomach. Scabs and seeping gashes crisscrossed all over his abdomen. “Shifters, Justin attacked my Second.”
People frowned. I didn’t think it was in surprise-after all, they’d seen it happen-but in confusion-they probably didn’t understand why Liam felt the need to interrupt the show to explain it to them.
The tether tautened . . . I glanced over my shoulder at August. His green eyes were steady, his arms crossed in front of his chest, his shoulders pulled in a line. He was ready and concentrated.
As I twisted around, my gaze collided into Alex’s. His hand was no longer wrapped around Sarah’s, but she still stood next to him, concern glittering in her dark eyes.
“Ness! Watch out!” she screamed.
Just as Liam predicted, Cassandra and Justin raced in opposite directions, drawing a V around my Alpha, a V that converged on me. I took off at breakneck speed along the edge of the ring, thanking Matt when my lungs didn’t explode and my muscles didn’t give out. Then again, I couldn’t feel any of my limbs, only the wind brushing my fur, whooshing inside my ears. In that moment, I became more bird than wolf.
Suddenly, my body was hauled almost to the center of the ring, blades of grass ripping beneath my claws, the only things keeping me from toppling over. I whipped my neck toward where I’d stood, and found Cassandra shaking Justin off of her. They must’ve collided, which might’ve amused me had her gaze not locked like a double-barreled shotgun on me.
She must’ve yelled through the mind-link, because Justin squirmed and then vaulted in my direction.
I took off again, my back paws almost reaching my ears as I ran. A roar sounded at my left, and then a shadow shot out from behind me. Was it Cassandra? I pushed myself harder, sprinting faster than when the rocks rained down the mountain during the first trial. Bodies crashed behind me, and then snarls. Without decreasing my pace, I swung my head toward the ruckus, found a mountain of black fur atop a mountain of dark brown.
A sharp wince punctured the night, followed by a wet rip.
I was so shocked by the sight of Justin’s blood dripping from Liam’s muzzle that I didn’t see the shape arrowing for me.
Ness! he screeched into my skull.
I froze. A heartbeat before Cassandra crashed into me, August yanked on the tether. This time, I fell as he drew my body toward the center of the ring, mere feet away from Justin’s slack form.
Cassandra yowled in frustration.
My pulse seemed to have penetrated my eyes, because the world beat and bobbed.
Liam trotted out in front of me, head and tail held high, shoulders relaxed, a wall of pure, unadulterated confidence.
She’s cheatin’! Morgan yelled.
Too bad your referee’s no longer alive to call the duel off, Liam barked.
Wheezing, I climbed back onto my paws, ribs feeling bruised and displaced. The smell of warm blood and wet earth penetrated my nostrils. I kept expecting Justin to twitch, but only his fur rustled.
He was gone.
I could hardly believe how rapidly his life had been snuffed out.
There one minute and gone the next.
A disturbance in the ring of shifters behind Justin had my gaze springing up. Alex Morgan was elbowing his way toward my pack. I let out a shrill bark, but my mate’s attention didn’t veer off me. I barked again, and still he didn’t look around him, but a groove appeared between his eyebrows. Did no one see Alex approach? He wasn’t freaking transparent!