“Here,” said Asher as he held a goblet out to me.
“Not tonight,” I said with a shake of my head. My stomach was churning, and wine was the last thing I needed.
“Dar?” Asher asked, holding the drink out to Darian instead. Frowning, Darian refused as well.
“Suit yourselves,” Asher said, downing the contents of the goblet before starting on the other one he was holding. When both goblets were empty, he handed them to a satyr who was passing by with a tray.
“We’re about to have company,” I said to him as I noticed Losak approaching us from the right. Two members of Losak’s house flanked him, and unlike Losak, who wore an easy smile, his friends stared at us with disdain. I recognized one of the companions from when I’d first met Losak nights ago. Quinn’s dark hair was once again combed back neatly from his head, and his pale pink eyes bored into me as he sneered.
Asher lifted himself to his full height as he moved in front of me, and his hands dropped to his sides as if he was just itching for an excuse to grab his axes.
“What do you want, Losak?” Asher asked bluntly. It was the first time he’d acted overly aggressive during one of the parties, and I could only guess he was more on edge because the fae had attacked.
I stepped to the side, moving closer to where Darian stood so he wasn’t covering me. Asher tensed as I moved, but he had to know I wasn’t about to cower behind him. Besides, Losak hadn’t tried to hurt me, and I had no reason to believe he would now. He thought I was a shifter like him, after all.
Losak’s sharp gaze slid from Asher to me. “I’m here to offer my congratulations on yet another victory,” he said, his voice almost coming out as a hiss and his lips curving upward. “Every night, you manage to surprise me.”
Forcing a smile on my face, I nodded. “Uh, thanks. I’m glad you’re finding the fights interesting.”
“Indeed,” Losak replied. “Win your fight against the vampire tomorrow night, and I would be happy to offer you a place with the House of Silat.”
I blinked dumbly at the male as both Asher and Darian stiffened beside me. “I’m sorry, what?” I’d convinced myself that I wouldn’t get any offers to join houses. I mean, I hadn’t even shifted or shown any display of real power. I’d merely beaten my opponents by sheer luck and skill with my blades.
“Presuming, of course, you show us your shifter side. I can’t very well offer you to join us when I have no idea what you hide beneath that skin,” Losak went on to add, and the way his gaze trailed over the bare curves of my shoulders had a chill snaking down my spine. It was almost as if he was imagining peeling back my skin to find out for himself.
Yeah, no thanks.There was no way I was joining the House of Silat. First, because I wasn’t going to join any house, and second, because the male made me uneasy. Despite his cool exterior, there was a coldness to Losak that hinted that he wasn’t the male he appeared to be. Something told me I didn’t want to find out who he really was behind closed doors.
“Raine will shift when she’s ready,” Asher said, drawing Losak’s attention to him. “No point shiftin’ when the newbloods weren’t givin’ her much of a fight.”
“That demon almost bested her tonight,” said Losak’s other companion. His round face had a ruddy complexion, and his brown gaze was anything but kind. “She’s not shifting because her creature is pathetic. Why else would she keep from turning? There ain’t room for weaklings in our house.”
“Cassar,” Losak said in warning and shot a glare at his companion before turning back to me. “Please, excuse him. Cassar isn’t known for his patience. Though, itwouldbe good if you could humor us and show us your creature.”
“What, now?” I blurted in surprise, and when Losak just stared back at me expectantly,my pulse quickened. I’d known the monsters would be expecting me to shift during the last fight, but I hadn’t thought they’d ask me to do it during the party. I mean, what the hell?
“She doesn’t need to show you anything,” Darian said, moving closer to me. “There’s one more fight tomorrow night. You can wait like everyone else.”
Quinn scoffed, and his upper lip curled. “Cassar’s right, boss. Her creature must be weak. Why else would she keep staying with these rejects? She’s crazier than Asher’s mom was.”
Anger rushed through me at his comment.
“You shouldn’t have said that,” Darian pointed out calmly right before Asher’s fist connected with Quinn’s face. The force of the blow had the male staggering backward, but Asher didn’t relent. His face was the picture of fury, and as he lumbered toward Quinn, I wondered if the shifter was regretting saying something so vile.
Losak hissed with anger, and Cassar launched at Asher. Turning to his side, Asher kicked Cassar in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.
“Stop this,” Losak shouted, but neither Asher nor Losak’s companions were listening. Asher continued to throw punches at Quinn, while Cassar went on all fours.
I watched in horror as Cassar’s skin began to change and shift, and an animalistic grunting sound came from his throat. In a matter of moments, Cassar had transformed into a giant boar with an enormous snout and massive tusks that were like small spears jutting from his mouth.
Oh shit.
“You’d best stay back,” Darian said to me as he finished rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. Then he cracked his neck and stepped into the path of the giant boar.
Losak, who had initially tried to diffuse the fight, had managed to fight Asher away from Quinn. The pink-eyed shifter remained prone on the floor, blood oozing from his face. Asher and Losak stalked in a circle, both eyeing the other with hatred.
“You’ll pay for what you’ve done to my second,” Losak hissed, and then his body was shifting, rippling, and changing. Glossy black scales sprouted over his skin, and his body grew taller as it continued to morph.
Fuck.My gaze slid to where Darian was facing off against the huge boar. A crowd of monsters circled us now, all of them watching with interest. Cassar’s boar charged forward, his massive hooves tapping on the marble floor as he picked up speed. Darian dodged to the side before the beast’s tusks could connect with his chest, but instead of skidding to a halt, the beast continued charging right into the monsters on the other side of the circle.
