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"Yes. The answer is yes. " Tyson shook his head and gave his brother an almost bitter look. "You've killed us all with your need for vengeance. "
Blake swung around to face him. "We will win this. Have no doubt of that. " He glanced back at us, and spat. The globule landed at Rhoan's feet. "We've beaten this trash before. We'll do it again. "
Rhoan merely smiled. There was nothing warm or pleasant about it. "Then let's get to it. "
"Yes, let's," Blake said, all arrogance. "I have somewhere to be later this evening. "
He spun around, presenting his back to us, showing his contempt. I shared another glance with my brother, saw the slight twitch of his fingers as temptation called, saw the deeper hunger and anticipation in his eyes. But he didn't say anything, and neither did I. We simply followed our nemesis around the meeting hall to the arena at the back.
There was already a crowd gathered there. My gaze swept the sea of faces, but I couldn't see anyone familiar. If our mom was there, she'd changed beyond recognition.
But I very much suspected she wasn't there. She'd no doubt been forced to watch Blake rip her father apart, and she probably had little faith that we could win this one. No one in their right mind would want to see such violence again.
The arena was just over an acre in size, and positioned on a slight incline. The ground was strewn with boulders and broken trees, and no grass ever grew in the soil. It was if the blood of all those who had fought and died in this place had made the earth barren.
The gate slid open as we approached.
"Left corner," Blake said, as the four of us walked through.
The left corner was prime position. It was close to water and situated at the top of the incline. We'd known Blake would claim it, even though as challengers, the call was legally ours.
We trudged down the hill, watched by the silent crowd, surrounded by their anticipation and tension. I flexed my shoulders, trying to not let it get to me.
"We need to end this fast," Rhoan said softly. "There can be no chances, no mistakes, and definitely no doubt in anyone's mind of the consequences should anything like this ever happen again. "
"Blake's ruled for years, and he knows this arena well. " I shook free of my jacket as we neared the other end of the arena. "And he packs more weight than me. That'll tell in this fight. "
"He may be bigger, but you're faster and stronger. " He gripped my arm. "You'll be fine. "
"I know. " I also knew that it wasn't going to be as easy as Rhoan believed.
I rolled my shoulders, flexed my legs. Prepared, as much as anyone could prepare for the brutality that was a wolf fight.
Halfway up the arena, a green flag went up. A horn sounded immediately - its note haunting and poignant -
informing all those not already aware that ad vitam aeternam was about to start. As the final notes drifted away on the breeze, the flag dropped.
Rhoan and I jumped forward as one, flowing from one shape to another as we raced up the hill. Blake and Tyson were already halfway down, suggesting they'd jumped the flag, their growls and fury staining the crisp air.
I swerved to the left, getting out of Rhoan's way, running at an angle across the hill. Blake moved to intercept me, taking several gigantic strides before he leapt. I met him in the air, our chests crashing together, the sound cracking across the arena like a whip. I bared my teeth and lunged at his face, snapping and snarling. His teeth slid across my nose, tearing into flesh as we dropped to the ground. I dove away, twisted around, rearing up on my back legs as he came at me. Again our chests met as my paws clawed his side and my teeth sank into the ruff of his neck. He pulled away, but I hung on, twisting and shaking my head, trying to tear flesh. He snarled and slashed with his jaws, his canines ripping into my ear. I released him, jumped back. Felt the blood coursing down my neck, thick and warm.
Saw, out of the corner of my eye, the glint of silver on a distant rooftop.
A rifle.
Aimed at Rhoan, not me.
Fury swept me. I should have known the bastard wasn't going to play by the rules.
Blake lunged. I twisted around, rolling under his leap, then ran, with every ounce of strength I had, toward Rhoan. Heard the crack of a gunshot, and dove, shifting shape as I did so, straight at my brother. I hit him just as he was leaping at Tyson, heard his grunt of surprise as I grabbed him with both arms and rolled us both out of the way. Tyson flew over the top of us, but Blake was right behind.
The bullet that had been aimed at Rhoan's head went through my leg instead. It was silver, and it burned like a bitch, but it also went in one side and came right out the other without appearing to do any serious damage. For once, fate was giving me a break.
"Sniper on the rooftop," I said, releasing his midriff and rolling to my feet. He scrambled to his, meeting Blake's charge chest first as the big red wolf leapt, knocking him to one side before twisting around to meet Tyson's charge.
I kept in human form and ran, every sense I had focused on the sniper. He was aiming again. There was only one way to stop him. I threw open my shields and hit him with every ounce of telepathic power I had. I felt the brief resistance of a nanowire before it shattered under the force of my attack and I plunged into his mind. This was no gentle attack. It was hard and fast and brutal, and his mind snapped as easily as the nanowire.
Lodden Jenson wasn't dead, but his mind was.
