Page 145 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

If she didn’t fight for Owen, would she be ruining his plan? Was he expecting her to fight and fail?

Ajax gave a small nod, then flashed his fangs.

She nodded, then turned back to the circle. “Fine. I agree.”

Everyone moved back to expand the circle. Two of the pack’s vampires grabbed Owen and hauled him to the side.

Joel stepped into the center and howled like he’d already won.

Macey drew in a breath and let her fangs descend. She took a moment before covering the short distance to the center of the ring, and snarled at Joel.

She really didn’t know if she could deliberately hurt someone enough to draw blood or break a bone. All injuries during training had been accidental.

A commotion came from outside of the ring, but she didn’t take her eyes off Joel. She didn’t trust him not to attack if she became distracted.

“What is going on?” Her father’s voice rang through the clearing.

Owen’s father stood. “My son and your vampire were caught having forbidden relations.”

Great, why not tell everyone what she’d been doing? Her cheeks were hot, but she kept her head high.

“That doesn’t explain the fight.” Her father said dryly. She was familiar with that tone and he was unimpressed with what was happening.

“This is my pack and I’ll deal with it according to our rules.”

“That’s my daughter.”

Macey’s heart broke a little. Ever since she’d failed to shift, he’d been treating her like a stranger. Maybe he didn’t know what to do with her or how to tell her it was okay. She wished he had. Her mother had tried. Too many rules kept wolves and vampires apart. The old ways cut through families when there shouldn’t be a rift.

She wanted Owen’s pack to succeed to prove that there was a way forward that even the more progressive packs would shudder at. Open vampire-wolf relationships. No stigma attached to being one or the other. No pack hierarchy, but a community.

Both men growled. She didn’t want her father, or pack, caught up in this. This was her mess, and she was dealing with it the only way she could. “I agreed to fight. Now let’s get this done, then we can all go to bed.”

“I will not leave,” her father said.

“You will not interfere,” the pack leader countered. The woods went quiet as everyone waited and watched. “You may begin.”

Macey’s heart thudded. She tried to recall everything she’d learned, but as Joel rushed her, her mind turned to static.

Joel was fast, but she was quicker relying on instinct not thought. She twisted away and swept out her leg, but he recovered from the stumble. He punched, and she blocked, moving back toward the edge of the ring…that was bad. People were yelling. At her or at Joel?

A blow landed on her cheek and her head snapped back. She staggered, and he moved in, ready to end it. She wasn’t ready to admit defeat. No, she understood why vampires stayed with their pack. Their family. They did it out of love. And that’s what she was fighting for.

Her right to love who ever she wanted.

Owen’s right.

She kicked his thigh and clipped his chin with her fist, but he was on her now. He drove her back and to avoid falling over the people forming the ring she ducked sideways.

Joel laughed. “Running away blood drinker.”

He grabbed her hair and yanked. Pain shot through her scalp and her back hit his chest.

“I’ll break your pretty neck,” he muttered.

Fear constricted her throat as his grip tightened.

She had to draw blood or break something. If he took out a chunk of hair, did that count as drawing blood? Still better than being dead. She twisted and threw him over her hip. Her hair ripped and her scalp stung. He landed on all fours as though he was in wolf form, a few strands of her black hair caught around his fingers, and then barreled into her, knocking her to the ground. She broke free and kicked him in the head or tried to. He grabbed her foot and twisted, hoping to break her leg, but she moved with him rolling over the ground.

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