“Here! Jeez, woman, you really had a rough night, didn’t you?” Chantelle trotted out from behind a tree, hand in hand with Rusty. She was stark naked, and Taylor could see the wolf bite on her thigh. That was how Rusty had turned her.
Chantelle looked brand new. Eyes sparkling. All her color had returned.
“Excuse me, I’m not the one who looks like she styled her hair with an eggbeater,” Taylor said happily.
“Seriously? Have you looked in a mirror?” Chantelle laughed and let go of Rusty to twirl like a ballerina. “Oh my God, I feel so great. I’d hug you, but we’re both naked, which makes things awkward.”
Taylor smiled at Rusty. “You saved my friend, and I am forever grateful. And I’m sorry I spilled hot coffee on your crotch.”
“So am I.” Rusty groaned at the memory, cupping his hands instinctively over his genitals.
Cliff grabbed Taylor, spun her around and hugged her up against him. His enormous erection pressed into her stomach.
“The only man whose crotch you should be discussing is me,” he said, only semi-joking.
“Have I told you I love you?” she crooned at him. “Lately, I mean?”
“Not since yesterday, so I feel sad and neglected.” He bent down to kiss her, cupping her chin in his hand. His tongue forced its way into her mouth and probed hungrily, tangling with her own.
“Ewww, they’re so sappy,” Chantelle said to Rusty. “Gross. We’re not going to be sappy like them, are we, babe?”
“Of course not, gorgeous. We’re way too cool for that. Although just so you know, you’re my mate, and if any man looks at you wrong, I’ll wear his balls for a hat.”
Taylor managed to give the middle finger to her best friend while kissing Cliff, which took a lot of coordination, she thought.
The sound of the helicopter overhead drew their attention. Time to go back to town. Time to prepare for the last fight.
As the helicopter landed, a thought occurred to Taylor.
“Cliff,” she said. “Where’s Shelley? Did she come back to pack lands to change?”
“I’ll find out. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I’ve been wondering how Perry and Joel just happened to be there at the restaurant. I saw Brandii in the bathroom about an hour before we all left. She’s friends with Shelley. Well, she’s in awe of Shelley, anyway. I think she called Shelley and told her she saw us, and I think Shelley called Perry and told him. If Joel was spying on you and your pack, he probably found out that Shelley was a werewolf. I suspect Shelley was working with them, to get rid of me.”
“That bitch. If I find out that’s true…” Cliff didn’t need to finish his thought as he helped her climb onto the helicopter.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The bleachers were arranged in a massive ring around the field. There were thousands of pack members there; all businesses had shut down for the day. This was their future. This fight would determine the direction that the rest of their lives would take.
There were cameras set up to record the fights from every angle. As usual, Jerrold’s pack, and his group of supporters from Cliff’s pack, sat on the opposite side of the field from Cliff’s pack members. Taylor sat with Mandy, Serafina, Roger and Dax in the front row. There were two empty seats next to Taylor. Chantelle and Rusty hadn’t showed up yet.
The matches were drawn at random, with Grant fighting Jerrold first.
The two walked to the center of the field and bowed to each other before shifting.
Cliff stood with Austin and James and Truman, watching as the two wolves circled each other. The fight was shockingly brief. They snarled and snapped and hurled themselves at each other. Grant flipped Jerrold onto the ground, and Jerrold lay there with his paws waving in the air. No blood had been shed at all. He’d surrendered without a fight.
Impossible.
Grant backed up, growling. He stared at Jerrold suspiciously. Jerrold lay there, tongue lolling out, belly and throat exposed.
He’d forfeited.
The Elders walked onto the field and signaled to him to get up. He shifted back into human form with a shudder and a snarl, and met their gazes calmly.
“He wins. I forfeit,” he said, and walked off the field without another word.
