The beast in my chest howled, slamming against my self-control, demanding I let him help her.She’s ours.
I gripped the seat harder, staying still. I was here to do a job, not rescue beautiful… I mean, supe females.
I glanced at the man holding her jacket, expecting him to intervene, but he didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Just kept glaring at her like this was all her fault.
Back in the ring, things were shifting in her opponent’s direction fast. She wasn’t going to last long like this. I told the beast she’d brought this on herself, trying to convince him that wolfing out at this moment was not a good idea, then a breeze stirred, and I blinked. Somehow, it took only a split-second for her back legs to become human. She kicked him off, shifting back mid-movement.
The crowd roared, voices calling for her to shift again. The black wolf staggered, eyes fixed on what he’d just seen, giving her time to shift one hand human then slam her fist into his snout.
“Wow!” a young she-wolf in front of me exclaimed, turning to the older male werewolf beside her. “Dad! How do I do that?”
“Nah, baby, that’s her special power,” he replied. “All the Syndicate leaders have special abilities or insane strength. That’s how they run things. Don’t let their smiles fool you. They’re vicious, and they always win. That’s why there’s no betting this round. It’s just for show—hers and ours.”
It was at that moment I realized how little we actually knew about the Syndicate leaders’ powers. We knew their species and had heard vague rumors, but a werewolf who could shift body parts on demand? Dangerous. Impressive.
The beast inside puffed out his chest.Perfect mate.
I told him to shut it. This was a job, not a love story.
Then Nova fully shifted to human and stalked toward the dazed black wolf, naked as the day she was born. My neck grew hot, but my eyes followed her toned, muscular body as she moved with pure confidence, my heart pounding harder than it should.
She glared down at him. “I was trying to go easy on you, but if you wanted hard mode, you could’ve just asked.” Then she kicked him hard enough to rattle his teeth. “Get the fuck up. Let’s finish this. Give me everything you’ve got.” Her golden-pink eyes blazed.
She gave him space. He staggered upright, wounds stitching back together, breathing like a freight train. He nodded. She smiled.
“Go!”
They clashed again. He was fully human now, but she shifted her fingers into wolf claws, moving faster, sharper, bloodier. Her strikes were surgical, relentless. That was when I saw it, the enjoyment in her eyes each time she landed a hit. The crowd fed on it, hungry for more, willing her to tear him apart.
When she slashed deep across his belly, spilling his guts, he dropped to his knees, scrambling to shove them back in before regeneration took over.
The bell rang. She lifted her wolf fists in victory, still naked and mostly human, smiling like this was all casual fun. The crowd went feral, chanting her name as she made a lap around the ring, slapping hands.
Then jacket-man appeared, holding all her clothes, telling her to get out.
Who the hell was he to order her around? The beast inside growled his agreement as she laughed, slipped on her top and bottoms, and waved to the crowd before leavingwith him.
I shoved the thought away, forcing my focus toward the human section.Job, remember?They were filing out a side entrance, separate from the supes. I caught a few familiar faces leaving, young punks with worried mothers waiting at home, and made a mental note.
Hands in my jacket pockets, I climbed down the bleachers and headed back to my truck. I was going to need to write a report tonight and submit it to the captain.
Why were the kids here? Why were any humans here? What could they possibly gain that outweighed the risks?
From what I’d seen tonight, I wasn’t going to get any answers by just sitting in the bleachers. I needed to get involved. Go deep undercover. Maybe I could get some of these humans to stay away if I got in deep.
Even though I tried to think about work, I couldn’t shake the image of her white waves of hair, eyes like pink-gold jewels, those bloody claws, and that savage smile. She was one hell of a female.
* Big Dawgs by Hanumankind &Kalmi
4
NOVA
“Stop sulking,” I growled over my shoulder before driving a spinning back kick into the punching bag. “It makes wrinkles on your forehead.”
Brown-gold hair swung into view first, then those jewel-toned, blue-green eyes found me. They narrowed in my direction, but I kept my gaze locked on the bag. I’d spent years training myself not to fall into those eyes, not to drown there, and I wasn’t about to slip today.
“I’m not sulking.”
