Page 106 of Pucking Feral: Part Two

Valek's fist buries itself in his solar plexus.

All the air leaves Wade's body in a whoosh.

He folds, but Valek doesn't let him fall. He hauls the bleeding alpha up by the jersey with one hand and drives his other fist into Wade's liver.

Spleen.

Kidney.

Each blow landing exactly where it will do the most damage. Not the face or the head. Nothing that would knock him out and end his suffering.

"You know what I promised?" Valek's voice is conversational as he leans close to Wade's ear. "I promised not to kill you."

His knee comes up into Wade's diaphragm.

Something crunches.

"I never promised," Valek continues, punctuating each word with another systematic impact, "not to hurt you."

Wade vomits.

The Demons players have stopped advancing.

Nikolai's face gives nothing away.

Raven looks like he's fighting back a smile.

Nobody is coming to save Wade Kelly.

Valek spins him around, drives an elbow into his spine, and lets him crumple.

Then, almost as an afterthought, he stomps down on Wade's knee.

The wet crack echoes through the arena.

Wade's scream is barely a wheeze.

Valek stands over him, barely breathing hard, his silver eyes catching the arena lights like chips of ice. His expression is as empty as if he just took out the trash.

The medical team swarms Wade's battered form.

He moans.

Still fucking alive.

Valek skates past us toward the tunnel, his expression serene.

The others must be somewhere, but I can't make myself look.

My shaking hand drifts toward my face, checking automatically for a mask that isn't there under twenty thousand eyes.

Chapter 21

Ivy

The world has stopped making sense.

My brain keeps trying to process what I just watched.