We nodded our acceptance of the rules.
“Very well. This fight doesnothave to be to the death,” she said, giving each of us a stern look. “I repeat, this fight doesnothave to be to the death, but if death should occur, the winner will not be held responsible, as both have entered into this challenge as consenting and understanding adults. Correct?”
She pointed an ancient, but steady finger at me. I nodded slightly. This was really happening. Terror and fear warred within me, and I had to clench my hands into fists to keep them from shaking.
“Let’s get on with this,” Eugenia called out.
Claudette bowed her head and backed away, joining the circle of women. “Very well. You may begin.”
Linnea left my side, melting into the crowd. Her absence felt like losing a parachute mid-fall. The air suddenly seemed colder, more abrasive, as the wind blew across my skin. Grinning, Eugenia paced back and forth, keeping her eyes on me.
“So? Still can’t shift?” she asked, holding her arms out on other sides, open as if waiting for an embrace. “Still only half a shifter?”
Taking a step forward, I swallowed, willing myself to stay as calm as possible. “Are you going to keep flapping that jaw, or are we going to fight? Or are you too scared to lose?”
For about one half second, I was inordinately proud of that statement, of how brave I sounded. That pride vanished an instant later when Eugenia unleashed a growl and shifted.
Eyes wide, I took in her form. Light gray fur with black streaks, sharp pointed teeth. My feet were bolted in place by shock and fear. It wasn’t until Eugenia leaped forward, flying through the air with her teeth aimed at my throat, that I managed to leap aside, rolling out of the way.
Eugenia nearly collided with the crowd. The women behind me leapt back, gasping as Eugenia slid to a stop and turned to attack again. Scrambling to my feet, I backed away as she snapped at my feet, jaws clicking together with brutal speed. Her teeth caught one of my shoelaces, and I fell back, crashing to the ground.
There wasn’t even time for me to catch my breath before she was on me. Her huge wolf head filled my field of vision, yellow eyes glaring balefully down at me. An instant before she could lunge forward and tear my face off, I shoved her neck, pushing her away. She was so fucking strong, though.
Saliva dripped onto my cheeks as her teeth snapped together, over and over, each time growing closer. Hot breath cascaded across my face, and I winced in pain as her claws dug at my chest, drawing lines of heat down my breasts as she attemptedto slice me open. The muscles in my forearms and shoulders screamed and shook. I was losing. In the background, I could hear voices. Women calling out to us, cheering us on? Begging us to stop? I didn’t know. All Ididknow was that if I didn’t do something quick, I was gonna die.
Finally, as the last of my strength gave out, I grabbed a handful of her fur and yanked her closer as I swung my head out of the way. Her muzzle slammed into the hard, frozen dirt, and she let out an ear-piercing squeal.
Gasping for breath, I rolled away as she writhed on the ground. Once I was a few feet away, I stumbled to my feet. I ran at her, kicking her in the stomach. My foot connected with her soft underbelly, sending her tumbling over with another yelp. I couldn’t help it. I was smiling like a madwoman. I’dhurther. Maybe I did have a chance here.
“Hurry, June,” Linnea screamed, cupping her hands around her mouth to shout at me. “Before she gets back up.”
Taking her words to heart, I rushed over, ready to start stomping on Eugenia, to hurt her enough to get her to yield. When I lifted my right foot, I was surprised when she thrashed her back legs around, slamming her rear paws into my left foot.
I fell so fast I didn’t even register going down. One minute I was standing, the next I was on the ground, my breath exploding from my lungs. Chest on fire, I clawed at the ground, trying to suck in a breath. Eugenia lunged at me, ivory teeth yawning wide. At the last possible second, I jerked my head back. The infinity necklace Levi had given me swung forward, and thankfully, that was all Eugenia’s teeth managed to clamp onto. The fine silver chain snapped and fell to the dirt.
Still barely able to pull in a breath, I scooted back, crab-walking as fast as I could away from Eugenia. She stalked forward, looking more furious by the second. All traces of humanity were gone from her eyes now. She’d given herself fullyto the wolf and was about to pounce. I kicked out weakly, trying to hit her nose, but she was faster than I was. Her teeth snapped shut on my ankle. I screamed as blood oozed up through the broken skin. Eugenia pulled me, walking backward while she dragged me to the center of the circle. I clawed at the ground, trying to stop my momentum, dirt packing painfully under my fingernails.
Her teeth dug into the thin flesh at my ankle, tearing and grinding against the bone beneath. It was over. There was no way I could beat her like this. Not in just my human form.
Please!I screamed, the word echoing through my mind and soul.Please let me shift!
My prayers were for nothing. I felt no connection, no sudden presence in my mind, no low, angry growl emanating from my subconscious.
Eugenia released my leg, then jumped at me, claws outstretched and mouth wide. She was going to rip my face off. I did the only thing I could do—I swung my fist out as hard as I could, hoping to make contact with her, one final blow to ensure she’d remember how it had felt when she’d fought with me.
My aim was true, but the angle was off. Instead of hitting her in the mouth, my knuckles grazed her teeth as my fist slid into her mouth. For once, Eugenia’s big mouth was good for something.
When my hand hit the back of her throat, her eyes went wide with shock, and before she could pull away, I realized I had a chance. I grabbed onto the back of her tongue, right where it connected with her throat, and dug my nails in deep, holding as tight as I could.
Eugenia tried to yank her head away, but she couldn’t tear free of my grip. A strange gagging cough burst from her and more saliva coated my hand and wrist. Adrenaline and fearmade me dig my fingers in tighter. This was my only chance, and if I let go, it was all over.
She wheezed and weakly clawed at me, her nails digging a bloody groove on my thigh, but I held. Even when she tried to bite down, I wouldn’t relent. Her jaw was forced open at such an angle that she couldn’t get any weight behind the bite. All she was doing was tiring herself out.
Using my leverage, I shoved her back until she flipped, ramming her shoulders to the ground and pinning her front paws with my knees. She couldn’t go anywhere, and the fear in her eyes filled me with jubilation.
With every ounce of strength I had left, I pushed my hand deeper into the back of her throat, cutting off all her oxygen. Eugenia’s eyes bulged, and her back legs kicked frantically.
“Do you yield?” I screamed into her face, sweat dripping from my nose onto her. “Do you?”
