by Rae Foxx
My claws dug into the dirt as I pawed it, the hackles on my neck and back lifting as Selene’s wolf growled at me, her bared teeth looking like a distorted smile as I lunged.
Her fear bathed the air as she met me in the air, her body hitting against mine as teeth gnashed and hit against each other. She was so small that it didn’t take much for me to overpower and send her back.
She scuttled back, trying to escape my jaws as I herded her towards the middle of the ring, but I was so big it was hard to do more than mirror my movements. I rounded on her, nipping at her side and she stepped back with a yelp.
The wolf who had challenged me was pissing herself scared now. My wolf, however, was laughing her ass off. Good, we both thought Selene was a pain.
Selene howled once and pounced, clearly ready to take me down. I lifted my paw and batted at the air, sending her down to the dirt in a plume of red sand.
Stupid move on her part. I saw her coming from a mile away. She was kicking, trying to get to her feet, but my wolf ducked and clamped her teeth down on Selene’s hind leg, drawing blood and a gasp from the people around me.
Oh shit. We weren’t supposed to draw blood. Did I lose? I half expected the Alpha to end the thing, but the guy was still scowling at us, looking as pissed as his son as they stood in mirroring sentinels.
Selene limped and whimpered, licking her wound as she pulled herself to her feet, looking like some poor puppy that had been kicked.
I thought she might submit, right then and there, but instead, she rushed me again--the stupid girl. I clawed at her side as she passed by me, but this time she was ready, she spun and clawed me across the face, her long claws digging into my skin, separating my fur and sending rivers of warm, wet, fluid over the dark fur that was there.
The smell of metal and anger drenched the air. It swallowed the aroma of the redwoods, the dirt, and any common sense I had up until that point.
My low rumbling growl shivered the air, my wolf’s lips curling back as I revealed the long teeth that were dripping with the need for revenge. I could have sworn Selene’s wolf shivered. Shivered and cowered, and looked back at Howl who was still staring at me with that evil dagger filled stare.
That was her mistake.
I struck hard and fast at her hindquarters and dug in with my teeth as deep as I could. Blood filled my mouth and she fell to the ground with a whimper and a high-pitched bark of pain.
‘Good. Perfect.’ The rumbling ground of the other wolf filled my head, his pride and awe fueling on the blood lust and I shook my head, my jaw still clamped down on Selene’s hunches. She whimpered again.
“That’s it. It’s over,” The Alpha stepped closer, in between Selene and I, his eyes fixed on mine and I knew I was supposed to submit, to look down. To bare my neck or some shit. But I couldn’t move. I froze, staring him down as Selene’s blood continued to fill my mouth.
As I began to growl.
‘Ivy!’ The snap of the other wolf hit against me and I blinked, dropping Selene’s leg as I sat back and forced myself to look away from the Alpha, Pater. To look anywhere but at the now fuming man. Perhaps I could find the other wolf, see him in his human form.
Everyone was looking at me with the same awe, the same fear. I could no sooner pick him out of a trailer park line up after a brawl.
“It’s over, Ivy. Shift back,” Scarlet hissed from behind me, her tiny hand against my haunches enough to pull me out of the crazy that was still trying to take over.
I imagined myself a human and in no time was back on two feet, the crowd silent and still around me. Staring. Staring at my naked body. Staring at the blood that was drizzling over my cheek and dripping over my neck. Staring at Selene’s blood that was still covering my teeth.
The taste bitter, metallic, and strangely wanted.
I couldn’t get back into my clothes fast enough. I put my shorts on inside out and my shirt on backward as I booked it out of the center of the ring of judgment, thankfully no one followed me and they all broke apart as though they had been ordered that way.
“What the hell was that?” I snarled as Scarlet caught up to me.
“That was you, being a bad-ass, and knocking Selene out of her position in that pack.”
“Speak English please,” I grumbled as I pulled to a stop, the crowds far enough away now that I could stare at them from the shadows like a stalker.
Fitting.
I pretended not to see Howl with Selene leeched onto his side as he dragged her, human now and dressed, into the huge house that belonged to his father. His lip curled as he turned his head my way for a fraction of a second.
What would he have me do? Lay down and let her maul me? Bullshit.
“There is a hierarchy in the pack. You knocked Selene out of her spot.” I forced my focus away from Howl’s danger-glare to stare at her. “You are sixth in command, Ivy. Hell, I don’t even know who is fourth and fifth anymore. Maybe a higher rank considering the stare down you gave the Alpha.”
“Are you saying...?”
“I’m saying you're a badass,” Scarlet cut off saving me from finishing that thought and cementing the idea in my head.
‘Little wolf doesn’t fit anymore, does it? You are a majestic, powerful wolf. I’m proud of you, Ivy.’
I might agree with the insane voice inside of my head and be proud of myself.
Badass indeed.
Chapter 10
Everyone was staring at me.
I took one step into homeroom, the first class of the day that just so happened to be filled with the pack members from last night. Scarlet and I hadn’t made it more than one step through the door when every head turned in my direction, whatever they had been talking about a second ago turned to a low hum of noise.
“You’re late,” Howl growled, arms over his chest as he leaned against Saenger’s desk. He didn’t even look at me, he left that job to Selene who was glaring daggers at me from where she was clinging to Howl. Or grinding against him. I couldn’t tell.
It almost looked like she was trying to coat him in her vaginal stank, like some kind of scared wolf marking her property in a pissing competition. Sick.
My lips curled at the sight, a weird rumbling pooling at the base of my throat. It took me a second to figure out what it was. Great. I shifted once and now my wolf was ready to take control.
“We’re right on time,” Scarlet said timidly, taking a tiny step behind me.
“You’re late,” Howl said as one of the other students, a Panther shifter if I remembered correctly, scuttled in behind us.
“So, what is he?” I jutted my thumb toward the panther as he slid into his seat.
“On time.” Howl turned to me then, his lips curling as his beautiful eyes narrowed. Dark, alluring, hatred peered right into me.
Damn. How could someone look so hot while still looking pissed as hell? Maybe it was because I never saw him any other way. I had seen him smile with Selene, sure. But every time he looked at me it was like venom was leeching out of his eyes.
I only threw Mongolian food at him once, he needed to get over it.
“Wow.” I lengthened the letters as I took a step closer, looking him right in the eye. “Prejudiced much?”
“Just trying to take out the trash,” Selene snarled, looking around from where she was now in a full-on dry hump of the poor boy. Which was probably why he was now growling at her.
And my wolf at him. That time it was loud enough that a few people turned their heads.
“Stop it. Stop it. Stop it.” Scarlet grabbed me by the wrist, dragging me to the back of the class before I could say anything else. Or I guess growl anything else. “You can’t keep doing that. I know you are new, but you are lucky as hell that you beat Selene. Don’t push your luck. There is no way in hell you would be able to take Howl.”
“I wasn’t planning on…”
“You are growling at him, Ivy. It’s the same thing.” Her eyes were deadly serious. My stomach felt like it w
as made of vomit and rocks. Vomit rocks. Sick.
Every head turned as we sat, eyes still dragging over me before Howl snarled in warning and every head snapped to attention.
“Eyes forward, pack. We have important business to discuss.” Howl gave Selene a look and she scuttled into her seat, leaving Howl to glower and stare and assume control over all of us. “After the events of last night, it has been decided that there will be a pack challenge on Summer Solstice. On that night we will be officially welcoming all pack members and reestablishing biting order through our usual pit matches.”
Everyone immediately burst into chatter. Squeals and excitement echoed back to me as everyone began making plans. I looked to Scarlet in question, but the poor girl was staring forward, white as a ghost.
“Do what you need to do to prepare,” Howl continued, his eyes lifting right to mine. I could feel my wolf bare her teeth deep inside of me. That didn’t seem normal. “This is the only opportunity to prove yourself in the pack and make a change that will affect your fate and your future.”
That sounded loaded. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.
Dramatic childish flair for the win.
“Gym classes for the next few weeks will be focused on that night. I hope you all will take this seriously.” He gave me one more look, his eyes wide and greyer than I had ever seen.
My wolf didn’t growl that time. A sound closer to a purr rumbled through me, it barely echoed passed my teeth when he pushed himself off the desk and bolted out the door so fast, Selene tripped trying to catch up.
“You gonna tell me what’s up now?” I asked when Scarlet seemed to be breathing again.
“I hate those things, is all.” she was still white enough that I wasn’t sure I believed her. “You’ll do fine, though. You beat Selene, so you’re already winning.”
The rest of the day passed by in a blur of noise and unruly classes. All anyone would talk about was the upcoming Solstice. Well, and stare at me. I didn’t want to think about how those two were connected.
By the time we got to the gym, I knew something was up. The volleyball nets and basketball hoops from the last few days had been cleared away. Replaced by dozens of wide red rings painted on the floor. It looked like the gym floor had eczema. The sight of the giant rings had sent Evan and Owen into some kind of hormonal marathon, the pair flexing and grunting and growling at everyone who passed them.
Shit was about to go down.
Coach Bleaker blew the whistle with a loud buzz that rattled against the high whitewashed walls. Everyone turned to him, although the rumbling of growls did not cease.
“As you were told this morning we will be having pack matches in a fortnight. So, for the next few weeks, we will be working on sparring techniques and in the case of some brushing up on our simpler skills.”
Coach was looking at Selene, but everyone else was staring at me. One of my eyebrows perked. Selene had known she was a wolf all her life. Not my fault the bitch couldn’t fight worth a fuck.
Truth was, I didn’t know I could fight worth a damn before yesterday. I mean, I’d beaten the shit out of people before. It was survival skill number one in the world of trailer park kids.
Didn’t mean I knew how to kick wolf ass.
Evan tapped me on the shoulder. “You’re with me. If I’m gonna raise my rank I want to spar with the baddest ass around here.”
I laughed loudly. “Don’t you need to actually find the baddest ass around, then?”
“Whatever,” he nudged me in the shoulder. “I saw that beast inside of you, besides, the beast inside me is ready for a tango.”
He went to smack my ass, but I quickly dodged, not ready to do any kind of ass grabbing tango just yet. A low growl filled my head as I danced away from Evan before I ripped his head off.
“I want everyone to start with a basic circle and lunge. I will be making corrections as I come around. Find a circle on the floor and begin.”
Well, that was anticlimactic. I was expecting some grand explanation, but instead, I was dragged into the middle of the floor and to the big red ring in the middle of everything.
“I want everyone to see us,” Evan proclaimed as he moved a few steps away from me. God. I was going to kick his ass if only for his ego.
“Oh yes, let everyone see your grand defeat,” A familiar drawl snarled over everything as Selene and Howl moved into the circle right beside ours.
Double God. Evan was going down for this.
“We already saw that last night, Selene,” I seethed, trying to make my voice sound as even as possible. “Your defeat was grand.”
She narrowed her eyes at me stepping right up to the red line to face me like the rings were some kind of invisible barriers.
“You got lucky last time. Why do you think the Alpha called competition to establish a biting order? Even he knows it was a fluke. He doesn’t want your trash in our pack.”
I opened my mouth to fight back but quickly shut it. I couldn’t pretend that that one didn’t hurt.
“Knock it off, Selene,” Howl said before I could reply, giving me another one of his signature dark looks before he pulled Selene to the middle of their circle and Evan pulled at me. The two of us glared daggers at one another the whole way.
“You two have a death wish,” Evan said, turning me to face him. “Let’s practice so that next time she doesn’t kill you.”
I didn’t know what the hell to do so I put my fists up in front of my face and waved two fingers at Evan to come and get me like I was starting some kind of epic Kung-Fu battle.
Two seconds later, I was on my ass.
I coughed and rolled over onto my hands and knees to catch my breath, trying to figure out what the hell happened.
“Never lost a fight that fast before,” I groaned while he held his hand out to help me get up.
“Never won that fast before. Come on, Ivy, I want my ass kicked.”
Instead, Evan proceeded to kick my ass all over the gym for the rest of the period. The last time he even put his sneaker to my ass so hard that I stumbled out of the ring and onto my face, ass in the air. My tailbone throbbed as though the bone had been split in two, something warm and wet pooling back there.
“What the hell?” I pulled myself to standing, hoping to high heaven that his kick had broken the skin and that I hadn’t shit all over the place.
Never thought I would be so happy to see blood drizzling down my leg.
I twisted, lifting the leg of my shorts to assess the damage. It wasn’t a scrape, although that bleeding, swelling cut was a doozy. Evan had kicked me hard enough that blue and purple flowers were already blossoming on my ass cheek and upper thigh.
“Fuck, that’s beautiful,” I snarked to myself.
A growl, loud and almost earsplitting, bellowed out from the ring right next to mine. Howl had stopped his fight to stare at me, his fists balled at his sides, his gaze on my leg as he snarled.
“Like what you see tough guy,” I prodded, shaking my ass at him.
He lost it.
The growl grew, the sound feral and frightening as he turned from me to Evan who quickly backed down hands up in surrender.
Oh hell no. I had watched Twilight enough to know what was up and I wanted no part in the dick-measuring tango.
“What the fuck is your problem?” I snapped at Howl who was suddenly in my face, breath heaving, although I got the distinct impression he was trying to control it.
“You are my problem,” he said. The rest of the class’ focus ping-ponged between us.
“I’m your problem because I’m looking at a bruise on my body? It’s my ass. Don’t look at it.”
He stepped forward. “Act like a proper female wolf and then I won’t have to. As it is, you’re showing your ass off to everyone in the class. Have some decency.”
Decency—this bastard had some real nerve.
“Oh, so it was okay at the pack run for all of us to strip and turn into wolves and you and Daddy to sta
nd there while two women kicked each other’s asses for your entertainment, but me looking at a bruise is indecent. Right. Get some perspective, asshole.”
“Technically, you kicked her ass,” Evan chimed in but was instantly silenced with one look from Howl.
“No one asked you, kitten,” Howl seethed through a clenched jaw. “Who do you think you are, talking to the Alpha’s son like that?”
Howl’s fists continued to knot against his gym shorts as I approached, a low growl rattling both in my throat and head.
“He’s with me, Howl. I don’t give a fuck who you are. You don’t get to tell me what I should do with my ass. I’m not one of those females,” I used his term, adding some extra venom to it, “who fawns and melts all over you. I don’t kiss ass, but I will gladly stare at mine if I feel like it.” I leaned into him, listening to the chorus of growls rumbling inside me as his eyes flashed yellow, as I breathed him in. As I about lost my edge. “I’ll flash it at whoever I want.”
Before he noticed that my voice had caught, that my growl had changed, I stomped out of the gym, proud as shit of myself.
I might be trailer trash, but I was no pushover. Not by a long shot.
Seeing as I left the gym a whole hour early, I had nothing else to do but wander the frighteningly empty halls. Thank God my wound wasn’t bleeding that much. If it was, I’d be looking around corners, wondering whether or not I was attracting a vampire.
I had never been in the halls outside of class change. The whole place had a much different feel. It didn’t even seem like the same school. The riotous sounds had been taken over by a calm that was only broken by shuffling feet, mumbling voices that sounded closer to music, and so many blue-gold eyes that were following my sweaty ass I strutted down the hall.
These students were not the riotous shifters that had occupied my classes every day. They wandered in and out of classrooms as though they were made of nothing but air bathed in long gossamer gowns that might even pass as clothes somewhere in the world.
I passed through them, finding myself lost and calmer than I had felt in years. The low sounds almost like a drug.