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The two wolves—one brown and the other reddish—circled each other, snarling and snapping their teeth, both looking for the perfect opportunity to make their first move. The red wolf, who had to be Elizabeth, lunged first, swiping her claws over Taylor’s muzzle, drawing blood. Taylor’s wolf growled menacingly then leaped through the air, knocking Elizabeth to the ground.
Jessica cringed, her fingers digging into my skin. I ground my teeth together, unsure how this would end.
The wolves tumbled head over heels, both struggling to gain an advantage, but at the last minute, Elizabeth’s wolf came out on top and pressed down on Taylor. She shoved her claws into the wolf’s throat, offering a chance of submission.
While she could have taken the victory then and there, being within the laws of a challenge to kill Taylor if she wanted, she chose the high ground by offering the other woman a chance to live by conceding the battle.
That was how Holden and I always handled things, and we wanted all wolves to do the same. Both of us hated unnecessary death, but it seemed Taylor wasn’t going to take her out.
With another snarl, she somehow managed to buck her body up, even under the pressing weight of a full-sized wolf shifter, startling Elizabeth, who lost her hold. Taylor was up on her feet in an instant, and the fight continued.
All around us, assistants were gathered, and more people were pouring into the hallway by the second, alerted to the challenge. Blood smeared the plush carpets as the wolves slashed and swiped at each other, cutting deep. It became clear after a few moments that Elizabeth’s was the stronger wolf. Taylor was losing more blood, her body becoming slower, stumbling forward when she attempted to charge.
Once again, Elizabeth gained the upper hand, pinning Taylor to the ground. And again, she offered the chance to submit. Some would take the offer, but it seemed Taylor wasn’t that type.
She growled, glaring up at the other wolf, more willing to accept death than defeat. Jessica’s grip on my arm became a vise, and when Elizabeth bent her head, ripping out Taylor’s throat with a vicious shake of her head, I felt Jess flinch, burying her face in my back.
Immediately, a flurry of motion began all around us. Medics swooping in to collect Elizabeth’s battered body once she’d shifted back to human form. Others covered the dead wolf, and assistants surged forward, waiting for Jessica to give them direction.
I turned, wanting to pull her into my arms, comfort her, and protect her from the chaos. And to keep myself between her and any other potential threat. But she let go, trying to move around me.
“Stay back,” I ordered.
Jessica looked up, her brow pinched in confusion, and then she shook her head. “I have a job to do, Garrett. Let go.”
I glanced between us, not realizing I’d gripped her arms to keep her in place. When I still didn’t let go, she jerked away from me, gave me a look of consternation, and then began doling out orders to her team of assistants. To most others, she likely appeared calm and collected, in control of the situation. She sent the three other contestants back to their rooms with their assistants, sent another assistant to inform Holden and Kayden of what happened, and then conferred with the medics.
But I saw the strain around the edges of her eyes, the way her hands shook slightly, and how she kept glancing back at the dead wolf.
“What can I do to help you?” I asked her softly, moving to stand by her side once more.
She met my eyes, and the pain I saw there made my gut clench. “Will you go to the infirmary to check on Elizabeth?”
I nodded, turning immediately, wanting to do whatever I could to make this easier on her. The infirmary was on the same level as the kitchens, but further back, down several winding corridors at the back of the house.
Holden’s grandmother Margie was already hard at work stitching up Elizabeth’s many cuts. She’d been the head medic for years, and though she’d retired, no one would think she had, considering how she continued helping out at the infirmary. She glanced up as I walked through the doors, shaking her head.
“I just don’t know what to make of all this, Garrett,” she said. “Haven’t we had enough death already?”
I nodded solemnly. “I know what you mean, Margie. Just as you know, sometimes it can’t be helped, even if you’d prefer it otherwise.” I scraped my hand over my face. How many more deaths would we see before this thing was over? It was so unnecessary, but this was how it was meant to be done. Sighing, I turned to Elizabeth, who was watching me curiously. “How are you?”
She shrugged. “I’ve been better. But this could have ended up much worse for me.”
“She’ll be fine after a little rest and a shift.” Margie didn’t look away from her work as she spoke.
“What happened? I didn’t see how the challenge began.”
Elizabeth’s mouth was a flat line. “I initiated it, but only after Taylor provoked me.”
I really didn’t want all the details. They didn’t matter. But Elizabeth had proven herself today. I’d be keeping her around for a while.
After making what I thought was enough polite conversation for the situation, I said my goodbyes then left Margie to her work and went in search of Jessica. She wasn’t at the scene of the fight, which had been cleared and was now being scrubbed by a team of cleaners.
An assistant was still lingering nearby, so I approached her, reminded of one more thing I needed to take care of. “Can you get me in contact with Hannah’s assistant?”
The young woman’s eyes widened, but she nodded and spoke into her headset, the same kind that all the assistants wore to communicate. I asked her to find out where Hannah’s room was located then to let the assistant know I was on my way.
A few minutes later, I stood outside the second-floor room, Hannah looking up at me with a sad but understanding expression on her face.
