Page 13 of Sold Wolf Slave

The dance continued like that, me darting out of the way as Pierce charged repeatedly. We moved around the pit, the crowd roaring cheers and jeers alike as we did. Eventually, though, I got bored. I was here for a mission, not for the fighting pits. With a growl, I lunged forward, charging for him. I jumped, paws outstretched, and landed on top of him, my paw on his throat.

I could have killed him. Part of me wanted to kill him, if only because he was part of this horrible place. But I didn’t know what sort of clout he had here, or what sort of enemies I might make if I sliced his throat. If murdering him risked causing me more trouble in the long run or made it harder to complete the mission, then I had to move carefully. Instead of continuing the fight, I shifted back to human, my hand still clutching his throat.

“Do you yield?” I snarled, hovering over the wolf.

His jaws snapped toward me, trying to jerk his neck from my grasp. I growled, my fingers lengthening back into claws, their tips digging into the flesh beneath the fur.

“Yield,” I said. “You’ve lost. Or do I need to knock some more sense into you?”

The wolf snarled at me. His jaws lunged upward, snapping at my face until I slammed him back against the ground. He yipped, and my free hand slammed across his temple. The wolf growled, but I could see in his eyes that he knew he’d been defeated.

The fur melted away, revealing the scowling man beneath. He glared at me with hatred.

“I yield,” he said, spitting the two words like venom. Blood coated his teeth, and the area around one eye was already darkening into a bruise.

I nodded and stood to my feet. All around me, the crowd continued to cheer while Pierce glowered. I held out my hand, offering to help him up. He slapped my hand away.

“Asshole,” he spat through a mouthful of blood. He glowered at me. “You’re going to pay for this.”

“We’ll see,” I said as he staggered to his feet. He shot me a death glare as he marched away.

Surprised cries emanated from the stands, along with the angry jeers of people who had lost a bet. It seemed I had been an underdog, then.

A clapping figure emerged from one of the entrances. Lucas’s features came into focus as he strolled toward me with a lazy grin.

“Not a bad show,” he said. “I should be pissed. I lost a good deal of money on you. So did a lot of other people. Pierce isone of the regulars. Ruthless shifter, that guy. But I can’t be mad when you put on a performance like that.” He chuckled. “Next time you come around, I’ll know where to put my money.”

“Your mistake the first time around,” I said evenly, earning me yet another chuckle.

“Damn straight,” he said. “I can’t wait to have you back here. You know how to put on a show. Where the hell did you learn to fight like that?”

“Ex-military,” I muttered, still scanning the arena. Everyone was still waiting around. I would have expected them to trickle out, or for us to be ushered away to get ready for the next fight. But most of the people were still waiting, watching, as if expecting something else to happen.

“I should have guessed,” Lucas said, sizing me up again with interest. “You definitely look the type.”

I shrugged without saying anything. Glancing to the side, I watched Pierce get back to his feet and shake his head, dirt clinging to him from where he had fallen.

“You could have killed him, you know,” Lucas said, watching my opponent stalk off with mild interest. “Anything goes in the fighting pits.”

Shrugging, I said, “I didn’t feel like it. Seemed like a waste of energy. I’d already won.”

For a moment, I thought Lucas would press me on it. Instead, he shrugged with almost casual indifference. “Your fight, you decide. But I’ll go ahead and let you know that Pierce has never extended that same courtesy to anyone else.”

“Lucky for him that I’m not him, then,” I said, trying to sound bored.

Chuckling, Lucas said, “Bit of an understatement. But no matter, the fight’s over with now.” His eyes flicked past me toward something beyond. “And of course, here’s your prize.”

A large shifter strolled forward, guiding a tall, slim figure by a chain. A figure with vibrant red hair. A very familiar-looking figure.

I tried to keep my face impassive as the woman came forward, her jaw set, eyes staring straight ahead, refusing to glance over at me. It was the same woman I’d seen in the street, being guided by the same shifter.

My wolf stirred with interest. Up close, she was even more beautiful. I could see individual freckles on pale skin, and the anger burning in her eyes only seemed to enhance her features. Her scent was a mix of campfire smoke and chocolate, and I had to stop myself from moving closer and taking a deep breath.

All common sense seemed to fly out the window. For a moment, I couldn’t remember what I was doing. All that seemed to matter was her.

The guard handed the chain to Lucas. The woman glared at him with genuine rage, as if she had a vendetta against him. Something about that furious stare was both terrifying and erotic at the same time.

Ignoring the glower, Lucas pulled her forward with a tug. She shuffled forward two steps, then stopped. He shot her a warning look and jerked on the chain again. This time, she moved more freely, though the same anger and hatred radiated off her. I was surprised at how much fire she’d managed to retain in this horrible place. I had to admit I was impressed.

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