“Has Liam filled you in on what we’re offering?” Frank’s white hair frizzed around his leathery face like ahalo.
I gave a sharpnod.
Eric frowned at me, light pinging off his bald head. “It’s a great sacrifice he’s making to save yourlife.”
“Do you forfeit, Ness?” Frankasked.
The cement floor shifted, yet everyone remained upright. The strips of lights on the ceiling droned like wasps. Mouths moved, but voices didn’t reach my throbbing eardrums. I wanted to screamyes,I forfeit, but the words on my phone seared mycorneas.
I. See.You.
Julian wasn’there.
Unless he was seeing me through a surveillancecamera.
I swallowed, choking on my saliva. Icoughed.
Liam stepped in front of me, face tipped down toward mine. “Ness?”
“No.” The world lurched out of me like a bullet. “I don’tforfeit.”
Liam’s gaze cut through me like a knife. “What are youdoing?”
“But I want to fight in wolf form because I don’t stand a chance in human form.” I prayed Evelyn’s captor wouldn’t figure out the true reason I wanted to fight in wolfform.
“You’re a cheat, Ness,” Lucas hissed. He stood next to Matt. Matt who’d once looked at me with kindness. There was no more kindness in his green eyes. “If you win this, I will never answer toyou.”
Matt lowered his gaze and then he turned and stalked away, his big body graying in the shadows of thewarehouse.
Frank glanced around him. After the other elders nodded, he said, “We agree to yourterms.”
“I don’t agree to them,” Liam blurtedout.
“You’d rather fight in skin than fur?” I askedhim.
His temper flared. “I’m not fightingyou.”
“Please.”
“Please?” He scraped his hands over his face. “What’s wrong withyou?”
“Nothing’s wrong with me. But something’s obviously wrong with you if you don’t fight for what youwant.”
“Iamfighting for what Iwant.”
That splintered my heart. My lids fluttered closed a moment.Be strong. Be strong. When I opened them, my resolve was back. “Should we shift, Mr.McNamara?”
“You may proceed. But remember, conceding will no longer be allowed afterthis.”
I nodded, then kicked off my shoes and yanked off my tanktop.
Liam stepped in front of me, blocking the sight of my body with his. He radiated anger. His taut muscles pulsed with it. “Ness, this iscrazy.”
I unbuttoned my shorts and let them fall to the floor. I didn’t bother taking off my bra or underwear. I’d never get them backanyway.
The dead had no use for undergarments. Or any garments for thatmatter.
Before my teeth turned into fangs, I whispered, “Don’t make me wait toolong.”
