Page 121 of Wolf Cursed
Kai growled and started forward. Isaac grabbed him and hauled him back again, but Kai’s eyes glowed yellow, and I knew his wolf was way too angry to calm down now.
Shit.
This was going from bad to worse.
I bit my lip and then turned to Silas. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll fight.”
“Ash, no,” Idrissa said, her expression filled with horror.
“It’s the only way,” I said.
“Ash, don’t,” Kai said through clenched teeth.
“I won’t let you get hurt because of me,” I told him.
The look in his eye made my heart ache, so I turned away. “I’ll fight,” I told Silas firmly.
“Baby girl, this is a bad idea,” Isaac said.
“It’s fine. Silas is going to pair me with someone equal,” I said, relieved when my voice came out sounding even. I gave him a look that hopefully appeared braver than I felt. “Won’t you?”
Silas nodded. “Rules are rules.” He paused, and for a moment, I actually had myself convinced I stood a chance. “Unless, of course, someone challenges you directly. If that were to happen, I wouldn’t be able to step in.”
“No one’s stepping in,” Idrissa began through clenched teeth. “And no one’s fighting. She’s going home.” She pinned Silas with a look, and I watched as her form began to shudder. “We had a deal. If you’re backing out, you’re going to pay for it.”
“I challenge her.”
Drake stepped forward, and I could only stare in shock at his naked form currently too covered in blood to even make out.
“What?” Isaac screeched.
“This is insane,” Idrissa said. “Why would you challenge her? She’s not a threat to you at all.”
“She’s strong,” Drake said. “I can sense it. And my wolf feels the threat.” He stepped closer, eyeing me. My mouth twisted in disgust at the blood coating his skin. None of the others were this much of a mess. It was like he’d done it on purpose. Like he’d enjoyed the kill. “My wolf needs to secure its place in the pack, or who knows what it’ll do,” he said, the lie so obvious, it made me sick.
“Give me a fucking break,” Isaac said. “Your wolf has lost its fucking grip, man.” He looked at Silas. “You have to stop this.”
“Rules are rules,” Silas repeated, and it was such a cop-out, I wanted to claw his tongue off.
“Fine,” I said, heart pounding. I looked at Drake. “Let’s fight.”
“Oh, I don’t plan to fightyou, sweetheart.” His expression was colder than I’d ever seen. The look in his eye far surpassed anything Silas had ever said or done. “My wolf would rather hit you where it’ll hurt the most.”
He swerved suddenly, shifting as he twisted his body—and slammed into Kai.
I screamed.
Drake’s claws raked over Kai’s body, drawing ribbons of crimson across his skin, and I lost my grip on reality as the two went rolling. Somewhere along the way, Kai shifted, and then they were both wolves. Both murderous. Each clearly trying to kill the other one.
Someone grabbed me, and then everyone was moving at once.
A sharp pain stabbed at the back of my thigh, and my knee buckled. I went down just as Isaac appeared next to me, hauling me back up again. He carried me toward the trees, back in the direction of Kai’s truck, but my body screamed with each step.
I sucked in a ragged breath as fire spread from my leg up to my chest and all the way down to my feet.
“Something’s wrong,” I heard myself say.
All around us, wolves growled and surged to where Kai and Drake continued to fight. A few watched us, but none approached as Isaac continued trying to back me away from them.
