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“I’m sure you’re gonna show them really good. On the count of three?”
“Three…”
“Two…”
“One…”
“Fight!”
Darla and I threw ourselves at each other. I was right, she was way more practiced than me, but I had speed and strength. I’d get a hit in, which would usually knock her back, but then she’d pull a move I never saw coming. One moment I’d be on my feet, another her legs would be around my neck, and she’d be swinging me toward the ground.
Ilovedit.
The physical interaction with no stakes was thrilling. Neither of us were in danger. Neither of us cared if we would win or lose. We were just having fun and exercising together, like friends.
I’d really been missing out on so much, hadn’t I?
Prying Darla’s legs apart, I was able to pick her up and throw her. Although she was taller than me, and heavier with more muscles and curves, it didn’t matter to my shifter strength. Instead of crashing to the mat, however, she just tucked herself into a roll and popped up onto her feet, grinning like a madwoman.
“You need to teach me how to do that,” I said happily.
“After I finish wiping the floor with you.”
“Awe, a shame it’ll never happen, then.”
We went at it again, and our movements became a blur as we went back and forth. I became immersed in the fight.
That was until I heard a shrill whistle.
I paused, confused by the sound, and Darla did, too. Was it a fire alarm? Another warning system we didn’t know? I didn’t think Merrik had tempestuous weather, but what if it was the prelude to a storm, or even a tornado?
The whistle sounded again, and I realized it was far too close for that. In fact, it was coming just a few feet away from us.
Darla and I turned to see a group of guards standing there in their workout clothes, clearly watching us.
“Hey, pretty ladies,” one cooed as I just stared at him.
I knew catcalling was a thing, but it absolutely didn’t fly at Canid. If any of our officers saw it going on, they cracked down on it right away. It was really all I had to work off, considering the fort was basically my longest social experience.
I was all set to ignore him, but then another tried his hand.
“Aye, aren’t you the witch in the prince’s party? When you’re done with him, I wouldn’t mind getting magical with you in the sheets.”
By the ancestors, they couldn’t be serious, could they? How utterly cartoonish and pathetic.
But before I could say anything, Darla vaulted over the waist-high padded barrier around the grappling area and decked the man in the face.
“You better be fucking joking, you asshole,” she hissed, her face pulled back in a vicious expression I wasn’t used to.
Wow.
I felt something stir, seeing my friend so incensed at someone disrespecting me.
“What the fuck, you crazy bitch,” the man blurted, clutching his nose. Mad Dog and I exchanged looks. Darla was surrounded by three other men whose friend she’d just punched, so we hurried to her side.
That was soon to be four, then five, because two others were joining us. I hated the scene we were making, and though I was touched by Darla’s defense, I just wanted to disappear. We were drawingwaytoo much attention to ourselves.
“What’s going on here?” one of the newcomers asked.
