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“Thanks,” she replies and lightly tugs on my arm. “Now stop stalling and get to the juicy stuff.”
I can’t help but smile at her eagerness.
“So all Shifters, including Shifters like Chester, have this rage, right? How do you deal with it? I know you mentioned something during the party at the beach, but what’s the normal way?” Rez asks, and I shudder thinking she had to start there. The Blood Matches.
“Yeah, I’m sure Chester has some form of rage in him. But it’s different for all Shifters. For as long as I can remember, there’s been the Blood Matches. We have them once a month at least, more so if dad needs a release or we have visiting Shifters and we’re celebrating.”
“The name doesn’t sound like a celebration,” Rez points out.
“That’s because it’s really not,” Zeke points out, cutting into our conversation.
“Do you mind?” I ask, giving him a pointed look.
“Not at all, I want to see what else I can ruin,” he jokes, but JP grabs his hand and pulls him up with him.
“Sorry about that,” JP calls back. I wave it off as we get closer to the bottom of the ravine.
“Blood Matches work on multiple levels. On the basic level, they are a way for Shifters to get out our aggression and test our abilities against our peers. Think of it as sparring with someone that’s at your same weight and power level. On a different note, you can challenge another Shifter and fight them, and whoever wins is the more dominant Shifter. It can also be used as a punishment, or if someone is trying to prove a point; they can point you out and challenge you. Sometimes though…” I clear my throat and crack my neck. Fuck, why is this so hard to say to her? Rez squeezes my hand, and I feel her reassurance through our link. I just have to trust her.
“As you can imagine, sometimes as Shifters we tend to get carried away and…”
“Some of you don’t come out alive,” she guesses, and I nod.
We reach the bottom of the ravine, and suddenly, I understand why we were advised to wear protective clothing, or at least pants and guards. Large ferns with long needles sprout from the ground. The path we’re on is still worn, so there’s no problem staying on it, but the ground around it doesn’t look pleasant. The grass is dry and seems to be sharp as a blade, and the few trees that are present are bare. From the glimpse of them, there’s dried blood along the trunks. I continue to survey our surroundings as I explain more about the Blood Matches.
“They say the stronger your bloodline is, the more rage you have; therefore, you have more animals to shift through. The average is two, with a small and larger animal form. I’m obviously not average, given my parentage and what we’ve learned about Lilith’s contribution to us. Baron says there’s another inside me, but they don’t know what, and I can’t feel him,” I admit, swallowing thickly. Fuck. I can’t believe I just admitted that. I haven’t even told my brothers. “If he’s right though, that means I have four, which is almost unheard of.”
We’re quiet for a few minutes as we walk in comfortable silence. I don’t feel any resentment or disgust through our link, so I continue to send her positive vibes while keeping my eyes open as we continue on.
“I think I see the cave,” Moni points out, floating above all our heads. Focusing on the formation in front of us, I do see an outcrop that could be the entrance.
“Do the Blood Matches really bother you?” Rez asks once more, and I take a moment to really think about what’s upsetting about them.
“What if I become lost to the rage?” I speak the words that have plagued me since I was a child. It’s a weight rolling off my shoulders that I didn’t know I was holding all this time.
“I won’t let you,” Rez says simply. I’m so moved by her I lean over and kiss her forehead and get a whiff of something.
‘Fluffers? Could use your help,’ I say, pausing.
“Knox?” Rez says picking up on my worry. “What is it?” The entire group stops and watches as I scan the area.
‘Dude… We’re about to be fucked. I smell about six incoming meaties. Don’t know what they are… but they’re fast and…. hungry.’
Meaties is a term he uses for another predator that he’s hoping he can chew on.
“Six incoming. Don’t know what, but they are fast and hungry,” I inform the group and fall back, allowing Fluffers to swing forward.
It’s the first time that we’ve agreed to shifting since we mated Rez. The incident at dinner was all Fluffers just reacting, and I had to get his ass under control. This time though, we’re ready.
I hear multiple weapons pull from their sheaths, and the smell of fear hits me. I know it’s normal, but it’s not helping the situation here. It’s practically ringing the dinner bell.
“Guys, stay in pairs and let the advanced fighters to the front. It’s okay, we got you,” Zissa calls out as I track movement to the right.
‘There!’ Fluffers yells. ‘Let’s get them!’
I take off, close to the ground and weave between the tall fern plants when I get my first glimpse of the creatures. Shit! I’ve seen Jurassic Park before and these creatures aren’t far off the mark. They’re Velociraptors, but with a skin flap that connects from their forearms to their legs. Open sores are along their tails, which I can only guess is a defense mechanism, and they all seem to be branching off.
“Pteroraptors,” Zissa yells. “Stay away from the trees. They can glide and drop on you and cut you up with their claws.”
