With a surge of power, Brayden shook his head and dislodged Silas’ jaws. Then he reared up on his hindlegs and came down on Silas’ wolf, pinning him underneath him. Brayden tore into his gut like a wild animal. It was horrific. Blood and guts flew around the cage, and before I could process it, Silas was shifting.
“Forfeit!” he yelled, barely able to get the word out before he collapsed.
Brayden grinned, a wolfish sight with blood dripping from his mouth.
The crowd went insane.
“Well, ladies and gentlemen, you saw it here tonight. Brayden’s lucky charm is back, and he is the victor.” Lynette didn’t sound too pleased when she announced that.
The fighting cage descended to the ground at the same time ours did. A group of fae in all-white robes rushed forward, bursting in to hover around Silas. They held out their hands and a golden yellow light flooded from their palms, engulfing his unconscious form.
I was filled with so many emotions: jubilation that Brayden had won, and wonderment at the sight of this healing. I’d never seen anything like it and something about it called to me. My hands felt warm and I ached to lay them on Brayden’s wounds and take all of his pain away.
Our cage lowered to the ground as well; the door clicked open and I ran out, getting closer to where Silas was being healed and Brayden changed into clothes.
Silas’ stomach stitched together like magic as the fae held their hands over him. Leah and I gasped, but no one else seemed shocked.
“What now?” I asked Maddy. I was itching to get to Brayden, get our new pack members, then get the hell out of here.
Maddy looked at Silas. “Loser has to pick one person from his pack to fight with next year. He always picks Evan, his second-in-command and one evil son of a bitch.”
My gaze followed where she was pointing to see a familiar man with a bald head and evil black eyes, the same dude I’d punched at the hotel. He saw me looking and blew me a kiss.
I shivered. When Silas’ pack’s cage hit the ground, the doors opened and then Nora was running.
“Maddy!” She sobbed and my throat tightened with emotion as she ran to her sister. Maddy rushed forward and the two collided. August was right behind her, and the three of them crushed Nora into a sandwich hug.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Brayden and Silas step out of the cage, bloodied and bruised and wearing low-slung sweatpants. Brayden’s neck and arm were weeping blood but it looked to already be healing. Silas was already on the mend, which still shocked the crap out of me. What kind of magic had these healer fae done?
The two butler fae who’d come up to them before removed the rings, and that pressure on my skin ceased.
“I’ve been here before,” Leah suddenly said, looking around the room.
I ignored her and rushed forward, letting Brayden pull me into his arms. His lips brushed over my neck as I clung gently to him.
“Are you okay?” I whimpered.
He nodded, pressing a kiss to my lips. It took everything in me not to burst into tears right here.
“Silas Ashwood, pick your packmate for the next year, the one whom you will draw power from next year,” Lynette said.
Silas looked over at Evan and nodded. “Nora Greywolf,” he announced, and the entire room exploded into shouts.
“Notmy little sister!” Brayden yelled, tearing away from me and getting up in Silas’ face.
Nora burst into sobs as Maddy stood in shock at her side.
“A rule is a rule,” Lora boasted from the stage, looking pleased with Silas’ decision.
It was in that moment that I remembered the note Artemis had handed me.
She won’t last another year with him. He will break her. Another can proxy.
I took one look at the sweet teenager falling to pieces in her elder sister’s arms and the look of absolute horror on Brayden’s face and I didn’t think, I just reacted.
“I volunteer as proxy for Nora!” I yelled, and complete and utter silence encased the room.
Silas broke into a huge grin as Brayden turned slowly to me. His features were marred in absolute shock.
