He doesn’t put the power of an Alpha command behind the question so I simply stare at him. Reliving the worst day of my life is not something I care to do, and I don’t owe anyone my past, especially this asshole. If he wants to know that badly, he’ll have tomakeme talk.
After a few seconds of silence when it becomes clear I’m not going to answer, Doyle narrows his eyes and leans back in his seat again. “I suppose it doesn’t matter,” he says. “The punishment for cheating in my casino is the same regardless of whether you’re an official member of the pack or not. But perhaps…” He pauses, letting the tension draw out as his smile grows wider, a predatory glint in his eyes. “Perhaps I can be talked into making a deal?”
Whatever he’s about to offer is going to be complete BS, but I’m sure things can get worse for me if I don’t play along, so I do as he expects and ask, “What kind of deal?”
“Good boy.” He chuckles.
My wolf snarls in my head and my hands curl into fists. I bite back the “fuck you” resting on my tongue and just stare at him, waiting for him to explain this so-called deal.
“I don’t know if you’re aware, but this casino also contains a venue for… entertainment. The shows have been rather lackluster lately, so I’ve been on the lookout for some new talent.”
“And you want that to be me,” I say flatly. “Why?”
“If that little performance on the casino floor was any indication, you seem to like to put on a show.” Doyle chuckles and taps two fingers against the file folder. “And you’re a beta who killed a full-grown alpha shifter when you were a teenager.”
I tense, but don’t bother pointing out the slight inaccuracy in his statement. “And?”
He gives me another one of those predatory grins. “I’m hoping you can bring that kind of underdog energy to the ring, liven things up a little.”
The ring?I probably don’t want to know but…
“And if I’m willing to be this ‘new talent’?” I ask, voice flat. “What’s in it for me?”
He throws his head back and laughs. “That’s exactly the kind of attitude I’m looking for.” His gaze turns calculating again. “The audience is beginning to grow bored with my current champion.If you’re willing to face off with him and you can beat him, I’ll not only pay you handsomely, but I’ll let you go.”
His offer sounds way too good to be true, which means it almost definitely is. Whoever Doyle’s champion is—an alpha wolf most likely—will probably tear me apart. But…
“I’ll do it,” I say. “On one condition.”
Doyle brows shoot up, almost like he’s surprised I’m going along with this so easily.
Well, I am too, buddy, but I have a best friend to look out for, so needs must or whatever.
“What’s your condition?” he asks after a beat.
“Win or lose, if I participate in this fight, you let my friend go.”
“The human?” A sly smile curls at the corners of his mouth.
I nod.
“Fine,” he says. He drops his voice and flashes his teeth at me. “As long as you put on a good show in the ring, the human will go free.”
Three
Neil
Thereturntriptothe holding cell area is a blur, my mind spinning through various options, evaluating and then promptly discarding them one by one. One thing is becoming blatantly clear: As things stand, there’s no way I’m avoiding ending up in the ring. Past that… I have no idea.
The security officer takes me to the end of the hallway, stopping in front of the same door from earlier. He goes through the routine of using his access card to release the lock, pulling open the heavy door, and gesturing for me to go inside. Seeing no use in arguing, I comply, shuffling through the doorway into a room with plain concrete walls, a single recessed light in the ceiling, a cot, a metal toilet, and Raquel.
My friend glances up, her eyes red and hair in disarray. She jumps to her feet and rushes toward the door as I enter, her attention on the shifter still the hallway. “You can’t just leave us here,” she says. “We have rights.”
The security officer chuckles and shakes his head. “Not here, you don’t.”
“I demand a phone call, or lawyer, or something,” she replies, the slight shake in her voice betraying her nerves.
He scoffs. “You’re no position to demand anything,human.” His gaze moves to me. “Get her in line or Alpha Doyle will.”
