After a boring twenty or so minutes of just watching the ball getting kicked and maneuvered from one side of the field to the other, I started to notice that we were drawing closer and closer to the action but not once did she signal to her team for the ball, thank goodness. But they did glance her way now and then.
As the ball was kicked out of bounds and the ref – a.k.a. the coach – picked it up and threw it back into play, I saw that Gearden and his rugby teammates were practicing drills on the other side of the field. He caught my eye and gave a quick wave before going back to whatever he was instructing his team to do. I spotted Bri talking with Freya and a few others in the stands. Homecoming was next week.
Suddenly, the other girl was on the move, following the ball. A split second later, I jogged after her. To my surprise, she signaled to the person dribbling the ball down the field and picked up her pace. I pumped my legs a little faster as well, staying on her heels as I watched the ball get kicked over the fifteen feet of grass that separated the two. Leaping forward, I stuck my leg out to block her and kicked the ball over the line. Not the best performance but at least she didn’t have the ball. Feeling a little proud of myself, I smiled over at the closest yellow shirt, a guy, only to have it fade when I noticed the cautious, concerned look on his face. He glanced down away from me when I tried to make eye contact. Perplexed, I looked around at the players around me. I saw some similar reactions with some wide smiles and chuckles.
Shrugging it off, I moved to stand in front of my opponent as she tossed the ball back in over her head. The moment the ball crossed the line in the air, a streak of blonde and pink barreled over and stopped in front of her. Momentarily confused, it took me a second to realize it was Bri who had her rooted to the spot, the toes of her sneakers still on the white line. Surprised, I watched as Bri stared the other girl down, as only Bri could because the other girl was a few inches shorter. Racing over to them, I tried to put myself in between them, seeing that this was obviously not a friendly encounter and very much aware of the school faculty around us. But Bri shook me off. Panicking, I looked to where I’d seen Gearden, who was oblivious to what was happening on this side of the grass. “Gearden! Quick. It’s Bri, I don’t know what the hell has gotten into her.”
Trying again, I latched my hand around Bri’s upper arm and tried to pull her back, but she wouldn’t budge. Instead, she carefully advanced. It was just one step, but it was all that was necessary for the red shirt to retreat. Gearden appeared on her other side in a flash, but he didn’t touch her. Maybe he already knew it was futile.
He asked carefully, “Bri, what’s going on?”
I couldn’t read her reply, but I felt the tension from Gearden as his wolf seemed to reach out telepathically and roar in disgust. Seeing that I’d brought in fuel to the flame rather than to extinguish it, I skirted around Bri to intercept Gearden.
“What the hell is going on?” I demanded.
I had to decipher around the growling and snapping from his wolf side, but I finally heard the words, “She’s been insulting you. Right here on the field, in front of everyone.”
The quick inhaling of breath on my part couldn’t be helped, but I reined in my feelings as I worked to help them do the same. Cautiously, I told him, “Gearden, this is not the first time I’ve been the butt of someone’s joke because of my deafness. Nor will it be the last.”
This time, I could hear the pain behind the growls. I knew he felt it with me, sharing the burden. And I loved him even more for it. I carried on. “It’s not worth it. This won’t teach them anything. They won’t learn from a beating or being scared to death. Only from compassion and patience.”
“It doesn’t make it right,” he said out loud. He was right, but we each had to be the bigger person. It sucked and it had taken me years to learn how to do it but trying to force acceptance was not how someone changed.
The coach approached us then, and my heart nearly jumped from my chest as I willed Gearden and Bri not to do anything that would get them expelled.
“What’s going on here?” he asked, eyeing the four of us suspiciously.
“I …”
He jerked his head up to look at someone behind me. Turning, I saw another yellow shirt – the guy from before – standing closer and speaking to the coach. “…saying things about her.”
With narrowed eyes, the coach zeroed in on the girl in question, the one that Bri was still crowding and Gearden was still snarling about.
“That true?” Coach asked her.
For a second, I thought she’d deny it. But then, with a look of disgust (I could tell that this was not for what she’d done, but for being caught) she confirmed it. Gently but firmly, the coach placed a hand on Bri’s shoulder and coaxed her back a couple steps, doing what I couldn’t. Something told me it was his vulnerability as a human that allowed it to happen at all.
With a wave of his hand, he told the girl, “Let’s go,” and waited for her to precede him off the field, presumably to the office. He followed, shouting something to the rugby coach who nodded and blew put his whistle to his lips, calling in his troops. Warily, I looked up at Gearden, seeing that he was frozen to the spot.
“Are you alright?” I asked, hoping he’d hear me over his anger.
I watched as his nostrils flared, breathing in deeply, expanding his chest. As he blew the air out, I leaned my forehead onto his chest, feeling his heartbeat. He took in another breath, trying to bring himself back from the blood lust, I assumed. Finally, after the third breath, his arms came around me, squeezing me tight.
“Are you alright?” he asked. I shrugged. The last thing I wanted was to hash things out when he was still so close to tearing someone’s head off.
“What are we going to do about your wolf?” I worried. “That could have been…”
He pulled back to meet my gaze. “That was all me, Maeleigh. My wolf was pissed, sure, but I was in full control.”
My mouth hung open in awe for moment. It might take me a while to get used to the idea that it wasn’t just our animal natures that were dangerous. “Oh.”
“Come on,” he said, breaking the awkwardness. “Let’s go clean up and change.”
Hours later, wearing my cold-weather jogging outfit, the best I could think of to wear in this case, I walked with Gearden down the dirt road leading to the Westboro compound. The crowd, the same faces we had seen when I was last here saving Jerry’s family, watched me: a circle of bodies forming an audience around the outskirts. The firepit in the center. There seemed to be more than before. Younger. More women, too. Probably kept back from the fighting before. After their scrutiny of me was done, their gazes moved to Gearden and then behind me to Liam, Danny, Bri and Caleb. As we drew closer, they parted and allowed us to pass through the gap.
From the crowd, nearest to the main house, my opponent stepped into the circle, planting his feet firmly in front of the fire, the flames creating a dark shadow around his frame. Figuring he probably did it for effect, mostly to scare me, I rolled my eyes. Nothing like a power play to get this party started. I turned to Liam, not sure how the politics worked in all of this and hoped he had some sort of guidance. Almost imperceptibly, he tilted his head and directed me to the firepit. Slowly, of my own volition, I moved forward, stopping a few feet from the challenger.
“Dad says you need to announce yourself and ask who challenges you.” Gearden’s remembered words were a relief, connecting me to not just him but also to Liam.
“Got it,” I whispered in my mind, but I had no idea why.
“I am Maeleigh. Here to fight for rights to be the alpha of this pack. Who challenges me?”
Of course, I couldn’t see a damned thing he said, if he responded at all. Thank god, Gearden thought had of that though. “He says his name is Peter.”
“Great. Now what?” Jay just stood there, not moving and something told me it was my move.
“Now…” Gearden said almost shakily – It must be hard for him seein
g me about to willingly get my ass kicked – “… you fight.”
“Oh, awesome. Got any tips?” It’s not like I’d ever taken lessons on how to fight. Up until then, I had just been surviving.
“Don’t die.” And he was out. I could feel him leave my mind, which both scared me and was a relief. I could focus more without getting feedback from his mind but I didn’t have access to his assistance anymore. It was quiet again. Tamping down on the panic that I could feel rising up in me, I started towards Peter.
In response to my advance, he side-stepped, moving away from the fire so I could see his face. He hadn’t changed, except maybe to have filled out a little more in the cheeks, confirming my assumption that Vic had been restricting people’s food based on their rank. Which told me he was near the bottom of the totem pole before we came along. He looked young but old enough to grow a beard that actually looked to be having trouble coming in fully. His light brown hair was cut short and he wore a plain black t-shirt with blue jeans. The flames cast light on his feet and I noticed that he wasn’t wearing shoes. The dude probably had plans on shifting, which was fine by me. I actually had less experience fighting as a human than as a wolf. Not to mention that if I could let Luna take over, I wouldn’t be so freaked out.
Trying to get a head start, I started to pull my shirt over my head, allowing the shift to take over. I tried my damnedest to ignore the dozens of strangers’ eyes that were undoubtedly watching me right then as I toed my shoes off, and shucked off my pants, underwear and sports bra. Everything about me was on display for their judgement. If I beat Peter, there was nothing to stop someone else from challenging me. I needed to show, upfront, that I wasn’t one to be messed with. If I survived, that was.
I felt the hair sprout over my skin, sending an uncomfortable all-over itch until it finished. I let the partial shift hang on for a moment longer than necessary, just to show that I could, before completing it and falling to all fours as a wolf.
He smirked at me, and then stripped and shifted as quickly as he could too, I was betting. It seemed he was rushing like he had something to prove, but I couldn’t fault him for it, seeing as how I had done the same thing just a second ago. The second his paws touched the dirt, he snarled at me, saliva gathering around his jaws. He was an average gray color but his fur looked to be shorter than my own. I let out a growl of my own, hoping the rest could hear it as well. My throat rumbled as I felt Luna come forth, taking over the reins of my human side.
Crouching low, Peter bounded up into the air, making to land on my shoulders, jaws wide. I was faster though. I jumped back and slapped a paw out, extending my claws, scratching at his face. I felt flesh snag and pull as his face ripped above his muzzle, below his right eye. He stepped back, shaking his head in pain, but I didn’t give him any quarter. As I advanced on him, he stumbled back, collecting himself, but not before I had jumped towards him, teeth aiming for his neck. He rolled out of the way but I went in again, too fast for him to back away this time. Clamping my jaws on his scruff, I bit down, pinning him in place. With his hind legs he pushed and scratched at my belly and chest, pushing me off.
When I slumped to the ground, momentarily off balance, he pinned me, teeth biting into my shoulder and tearing at me, like Vic had on my first shift. In the midst of the white-hot pain that shot through me, I just knew Vic taught all his wolves that move. Though I tried, I couldn’t turn my head to bite him. He’d hit his mark and he held me in a paralyzing grip.
Luna was pissed, which was better than the terror I felt at that moment. I tried to buck Peter off but, without any movement of my shoulders or neck, I couldn’t get in a good enough position to do so. I was trapped. Thinking of all the wrestling matches I’d seen on tv (which was probably a grand total of one, if that) I wondered if he’d allow me to tap out. I was actually starting to shed, so I wasn’t far from being just a piece of meat in the dirt.
“Get up, Maeleigh!” Gearden’s voice shouted in my mind. I opened my eyes, full of tears from the pain by then, but couldn’t turn my head to see him, so I just shut them again.
“I can’t!” I cried. Already I was feeling the sorrow of never seeing the life we could have together. Peter wasn’t going to show me any mercy and would probably just squeeze harder, cutting off my air. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to him, hoping I kept the fear from my words and sent more of the love I had for him instead.
“Screw that! You aren’t dying tonight,” he growled at me, dismissing my parting words. “Do something! Get up!” Though he demanded it, doing it wasn’t as easily accomplished.
“I can’t!” I told him again. Agony now turning to numbness that was spreading to my other paw.
I heard him snarl at me in my mind, causing me to jump a little. “Remember what you can do.” There was no arguing with him. He was in denial.
I opened my eyes, hoping to get one last look at him as I felt Peter dig deeper, causing me to cry out. Through my tears, I saw a glow in the wall of people standing a few feet from us. The glow grew brighter and brighter, and, for a moment, I thought it was Danu, but then it drew closer, pushing through the wall of bodies to step up to the front.
It was Dad. Instead of a worried look on his face though, like one would expect to wear when their child was near death, he looked mad. And at me! Why the hell would he be mad at me? It wasn’t like it was my fault I was lying there, immobile. I was the victim here. Still, he raised a brow at me, as if to say, “Well, what are you waiting for.”
I sighed. Both of the men in my life needed to accept that I wasn’t getting up from this. Not on my own. I wasn’t strong enough. Luna wasn’t strong enough. She snarled at that notion. I wasn’t a strong enough wolf. Shutting my eyes, I felt Peter growl in triumph as he prepared for the killer bite. It hit me. In the nanosecond it took for him to adjust, unclamping his jaws just enough to ensure a hold of my spinal cord at the back of my neck to sever it and end it all, I realized why Dad looked so disappointed.
I wasn’t just wolf.
In a rush, I switched Luna off and remembered what Selena had taught me the day before. Quickly, not wasting a single moment, I shoved a flash of light into Peter’s mind. I felt it. The impact threw him back and allowed me to get up. I was wobbly at first, my paws still not fully functional. He blinked and backed up, distancing himself from an attack. He was right to worry. Rearing up in one fluid motion, I stood on legs that were neither wolf nor human. A beastlike creature that the Cearer feared and called berserker. Now, towering over him, I growled, feeling the spit dribble down my chin. My mouth was wide open, showing that I was to be feared and not tested.
Recovering, Peter lowered his belly to the ground, uneasy at the change in his opponent. I felt his fear before I smelled it. It was pungent and I felt Luna delight in it, telling me to advance. But I was in charge of this beast, not her. I had all the powers of an animal, a wolf, but the thoughts and desires of a human. I felt power and I thrived on his fear right then. It told me I’d already won. Even if he were stupid enough to try something, a last-ditch effort to win, he’d still come out the loser. The question was, would I show him mercy?
He proved to be an idiot and leaped at me. The second he was close enough though, I swung out with my large pawlike hand and slapped him to the side. It felt like I was flicking away an annoying bug. He landed like one too. He was slumped on the ground, unmoving, but I could see he was still breathing. There was no telling if there were any broken bones. I was still working on that whole control part of being in this form.
When I was sure he wasn’t going to get back up, I looked around, allowing myself to return to my human form. Looking out at the sea of faces that wore a collective expression of awe, I found Gearden, who was running towards me. He wrapped his arms around me, warming my naked flesh that was still covered in sweat and shivering from the chill air. I felt my chest push in a bit from the force of his hug, but I didn’t protest. Instead, I squeezed even closer, gripping the shirt at his back. Danny stepp
ed up alongside us after a moment, handing me my shirt, and as I donned it, giving me my pants. He looked away as I dressed and I knew he did this for my comfort, which I was thankful for. Ever the wolf, he probably could not have cared less. With Danny being Bri’s dad, I didn’t feel awkward at all. Pfft. Glancing around, looking for Dad, I couldn’t find his face in the crowd.
When I finished dressing, I stepped away from the two of them and looked back out at the crowd, who had gathered closer, the circle lost in the chaos. I glanced over my shoulder to Peter, seeing that he was finally rousing himself, but no one cared to check on him. I guess that’s how you were treated when you were the loser.
Liam, Bri and Caleb joined us then, each giving me a quick hug. Of course, I wondered if it was because they were happy to see I was still alive or to congratulate me on my victory. I went with both so I didn’t feel weird about it. Finally, after I pulled away from Caleb, Liam looked at me, stepping closer to be seen in the dim light.
“You need to present yourself now, as their new alpha,” he told me. I could see the pride there, but underneath, the worry. Which was fine because it told me I wasn’t wrong in feeling my own worry. This was exactly what I didn’t want, to be pack leader. I had trouble controlling my own wolf let alone a whole pack.
Still, I turned to look out at those who I’d just taken up responsibility of, and said, “My name is Maeleigh. Alpha of Pack Westboro.”
The reaction was instant and had me flinching, jumping into Gearden’s side. I could feel the collective roar rising up from the ground and up through my toes, as they all cheered and howled at once. It didn’t take long, but when I finally came back from the initial shock of it all, I found myself smiling with them. Strangers, now pack, started hugging and shaking my hand, welcoming me with open arms, literally. I glanced over to Gearden, who had stepped back to give me room with my new pack and saw Bri and Caleb standing shoulder to shoulder with him. It hit me then, that I hadn’t just gain a pack. I had also gained more family.
The Kill: Book 3 in The Hunt Series Page 7