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I rocked him with a knuckle punch to the temple that left him dazed and confused. The few precious seconds he sat stunned, teetering on the brink of a blackout, were all I needed to gain the upper hand.
“Galen, watch out.” Talia’s warning brought my attention back to the first guard but it was too late.
Armed with one of the cattle prods, he rushed me and made contact with my ribs. The prod zapped, sending four thousand volts of electricity arcing through my body. My size and pain tolerance were well above average, but the stun gun was rated for an animal five times my size.
I collapsed, my skin rubbed raw as I writhed on the concrete floor.
It was clear that I’d been incapacitated, but the guard never let up on the trigger. He ran the prod until it died and needed to be recharged.
Everything hurt, from the roots of my hair right down to my toenails. My muscles were contracted, contorting my body into an unnatural position. I gritted my teeth against the pain and refused to cry out.
“Damn, Jeff. Did you see that?” The first guard twirled the cattle prod in his hand like a baton. “Woo. We battered and fried his ass like a piece of chicken.”
“You idiot.” Jeff, the second guard and brains of the duo, snatched the prod from his partner and tossed it across the room. “You almost killed him. Bjorn would have been so pissed. Not to mention, you could have fried me up right along with him.”
They came over, one on each side and dragged me back toward my cell.
“I challenge Bjorn, alpha of the Deofol pack, for control of the four demon wolf clans.” I ground out between clenched teeth.
“You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.” Jeff shoved me inside a vacant cell with a functional lock three down from mine. “I’ll pass along the message.”
“No need.” Bjorn waltzed into the kennel like he hadn’t a care in the world. “I heard him loud and clear.”
“And?” I pressed him for an answer, hoping his pride and short temper would push him to make a rash decision.
The effects of the cattle prod were already wearing off. One shift into my wolf form and I would have been good as new.
Bjorn wasn’t a stupid man.
“I accept.” The alpha’s smile said it all. He saw the play for what it was and counter maneuvered. “The challenge will take place in three days.”
“Are you worried you’ll lose your pack, Bjorn?” I asked, taunting him to fight me sooner, and swiped at the blood trickling from my left nostril with the back of my hand.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to accuse me of taking advantage of an injured man and question the validity of the challenge.” Bjorn flicked his gaze to Talia’s cage and back to me. “Besides, we both know I am well within my rights to choose the date of the challenge.”
He was right, of course, but I’d hoped to piss him off enough that he would have forgotten that particular rule.
“Be sure to shift. I want those wounds healed before the challenge. I don’t fight wounded wolves or lesser men. When you come to claim my throne, you better be ready and at your best.” Bjorn strolled over to Talia’s cage, and dropped to one knee. “Good morning, Princess. I’m happy to see you didn’t partake in this unpleasantness. A member of the Bone clan will be along to collect you shortly.”
Bjorn stood, pivoted on one heel and marched over to his guards with promises of discipline to come and made his way out of the kennel with a parting shot at me.
“You want to fight the inevitable, Long Claw? You think you’re brave enough, strong enough to stop what’s in motion. Take it up with our Demon Wolf god. See what that gets you.”
Bjorn hadn’t meant to, but he gave me an idea.
An insane idea as likely to end in certain death as it was success. But I didn’t care. Talia was worth the risk.
It was high time the demon wolf god and I had a conversation.
