When I got back to the little locker room, Cassianandthe wolf followed me inside.
I set the blade in the corner and sat down on the bench, my bleeding arm throbbing as the pain radiated up to my shoulder.
“I… that… no words,” Cassian said, looking at the sword, and then from the white wolf and back to me.
The wolf glanced at the sword as well, then back at me reluctantly. He padded over to me, and I growled.
“Stay away from me.” My arm was broken because of him; he’d gone too far. None of the other contestants’ wolves seemed to bite them that hard. He nearly snapped my arm right off!
‘I can’t heal you with my mind,’he countered, and then began to shift.
One second, I was looking at the white fur of his wolf, and the next, it smoothed to tan skin, arms emerged, then legs, then his face. His obsidian-black hair reminded me of a midnight sky. It spilled down his shoulders in damp waves. A few strands clung tohis sharp cheekbones, framing eyes so intensely green they made my breath catch. Not soft green—no, these were feral, vivid, the kind of green that warned predators not to come closer, even as they pulled you in.
I was surprised to see that he was fully clothed in gray breeches and a tan tunic, with leather strips at his wrists. I knew the wolfkin had human forms, but I hadn’t known they could look this good.
He was the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on.
And I hated him.
“Don’t touch me,” I snarled as he moved closer.
He tossed a glance at Cassian. “I have healer magic.”
Cassian raised an eyebrow. “Really? That’s rare for a wolfkin.”
The guy with the dark hair looked annoyed. “Yes, really. But I need her to stay still. Will you help me pin her down?”
Jumping up from the seat and grabbing my sword, I pointed it right at him.
“Pin me down and lose your balls,” I spat.
Cassian grinned, and the wolfkin’s eyes flashed yellow, though he looked impressed.
“One cut from that blade and more than my balls would be gone,” he assured me. “Do you even knowhow to use it? What it does? No? I do. So we’re going to work together. And you can’t win this thing with a broken arm.”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, I know, becauseyoubroke it!” I snapped.
Cassian cleared his throat. “I’m going to go get a healer friend of mine. You two need to work out your differences, because you’re supposed to be a team.”
“I’d rather be teammates with a rabid raccoon,” I stated as Cassian slipped out of the room, leaving me with the handsome jerk who was looking at me like I was a stain on his shoe.
“I want that weapon, so I’m going to help you win,” the wolfkin stated.
I rolled my eyes, pointing the tip of the weapon at the X mark peeking out from under his tunic. “Says the man wearing a traitor mark.”
Anger lit up his face, and he moved forward, pressing the sword into his skin so that I had to retract my hand or cut him. “Don’t speak of things you know nothing about,” he barely managed through clenched teeth.
There was something under the anger.Hurt. I swallowed my retort.
“You chose me, pal. Last time I checked, you were supposed to protect me.”
He reeled back as if I’d slapped him.
I lowered the sword, wincing at the pain in my arm, which was becoming too much, and the wolfkin sighed.
“Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here. Let’s start over. I’m Kaelric, your sworn protector.” He held out his hand as if to shake mine.
I wasn’t dropping this sword in his presence, nor was I giving him my injured arm.
