What is he doing? He’s a champion, of course what he’s doing is deliberate, but what is it?
I can’t anticipate his moves because I don’t know any, but I can try to convince him not to do whatever it is.
“Um . . . my name’s Jay. You’re . . . Jones?”
No response.
I try again. “I—I don’t want to fight you.”
He growls and drops his stance. I mimic him, and his upper lip quivers at my motion.
He must be trying to work an angle.
“Maybe we could—”
He strikes me square in the jaw, and my head jerks backward. I clasp my hands over my nose.
The crowd erupts and roars at my injury.
Wiggling it, I don’t think it’s broken. I shake my head and recover, getting back in a stance, circling him again. But I’m rocked to my core. The moment he hit me told me that this isreal.
“Look if we just—”
“Stop talking to me,” Jones snaps.
The bell rings and Jones ceases his prowl, returning to his corner. The announcer returns to the center and addresses the crowd.
Master pulls me aside. “You’re embarrassing me out there, Bait. What’re you doing?”
Bait. Not “kid” like he usually calls me. Shame fills my soul.
“I told you, I don’t wanna fight him. I don’t know how.”
“Well, you better figure it out quick. I’ve got a lot of money riding on this fight tonight, and Idon’tlike losing. In the next round, you can shift. Now get out there and win.”
I’m shoved forward, back into the center. I hesitate, hanging my head and staring at the ground as I walk up to Jones and the announcer.
“Alright. The second bell is going to go off. To ensure there’s no cheating, all opponents are to make their decision about whether they’re going to shift into their wolf prior to the start of the second round. What’ll it be?” The announcer shoves the microphone into Jones’s face.
“Human form,” he says confidently.
The crowd breaks into murmurs, while others bark their approval. Why would anyone choose their human form in this situation?
When someone thinks they have it in the bag,my wolf says.
That doesn’t seem right, but it also doesn’t seem like she’s wrong, either. I don’t have a chance.
“And for you, what’ll it be? Wolf or human form?”
The mic is shoved into my face.
Let me help you,my wolf urges.
I can’t do this to another person...Tears roll down my cheeks.
You don’t have to do it alone,she says.We’ll do it together. It’ll go quicker that way.
“I choose... my wolf,” I echo into the mic.
