He softened, his shoulders slumping. “No, but she’s not trained. Sage would have been a better bet, and all of your powers are tied up in your human form. This could be atotaldisaster.”
I frowned. Was he right? I mean, I could walk through walls, but that wasn’t going to do me any good here. Not to mention it would get my special gifts outed.
Sage gave me a sidelong glance. “Why on earth would you stick up for a Paladin wolf? They are responsible for the constant attacks on Wolf City and my family.”
She didn’t even know about the curse. If she did, she would feel even worse about the Paladins, but I didn’t know those Paladins. I couldn’t lie any longer and I didn’t want to. They had the wrong idea about the Paladins and I wanted to set them straight.
“Because I’m one of them. A Paladin.” I held my chin high as Sage’s eyes went wide and Walsh’s lips turned into a frown of confusion.
Nothing like dropping a truth bomb right before a fight to your death.
“Holy shit, your mom banged a Paladin!”Sage whisper-screamed.
Eww,banged?I didn’t want to think of my mom and that word ever again. Something else to talk to my future therapist about. I quickly caught Walsh and Sage up to speed on everything about my mom’s affair with Run, and Sage was freaking out, while Walsh was eerily calm.
“Walsh. Hehelpedme. That old Paladin man who found me at the base of the mountain. Yousawit.”
He sighed, and the crowd cheered behind us. They must have just announced our fight.
“I don’t know what I saw, okay.” He rubbed his forehead. “Look, we’ll take the wolf and let her go outside of town, but that’s it. She can’t go the entire way to the Witch Lands with us, I won’t allow it.”
I nodded, grateful for anything he would give me.
“And we will be taking the dragon too, right?” Sage gave him puppy dog eyes and popped out her bottom lip.
He smirked. “Not on your life.”
Then he looked back at me. “No offense. But do you even know how to fight as a wolf?”
Ouch. Offense taken but… “Not really.”
‘I’ll rip out all of their throats before they can even blink,’ my wolf, my voice, said in my head, and I turned to her and raised one eyebrow.
Okay… so she was confident.
He gave a longsuffering sigh and pulled off his shirt once more, showcasing his muscles. “If you die, then Sawyer’s going to kill me.”
“Then I won’t die,” I promised him, and my wolf nodded for good measure.
Walsh knelt down and looked my wolf in the eyes before looking back up at me. “When I’m in wolf form, will I be talking to her or you or?”
I chuckled. “Her, but also me. We’re one. Pretty much.” Okay, I think I just confused myself.
Walsh frowned for a moment, but then nodded.
“We’re ready!” Trip called from behind us as the crowd began to gather in a tight circle. There was a giant wad of money in Trip’s hand, colored bills I didn’t recognize, and golden coins.
Walsh gave us his back as he dropped his pants and then his boxers and I looked away to give him privacy, but I noticed Sage’s gaze flick downward for a half second.
I grinned and she turned to face me with red cheeks. “Shut up,” she mouthed.
Walsh was on all fours now, his wolf staring mine down.
‘Demi?’he asked.
My attention went to my wolf and she nodded.
‘I’m ready,’my wolf told him.
