Page 117 of Rot In Knotty Pieces

There’s always a moment before they come at me, where they stare at the idiot who challenged me, and they wonder if it’s worth it. Can they take me? They weigh it up. Some might think they can’t, but when they are in a group, they always think they can. Always.

A thin beta throws a punch that I catch. I kick him in the ribs and send him flying at the building.

“Oh, wow,” Raven says. “Oh, you have been holding out on us, King.”

I spare a moment to wink at her and then break someone’s nose.

I am a flurry of movement, vicious, elegant, an artist.

“Do you need a hand?” Rolly asks.

“Do you want to die?”

Rolly laughs, but then out of the corner of my eye, I see the rest of the pack. I see the way Blaze licks his lips and steps forward, the way Sage analyzes my movements, and the way Roseland and Pix get wary.

I continue hitting them until they stop moving. Until they stop coming. Until my chest is heaving, and I’m coated in sweat. I scrape my blue hair out of my eyes, glancing at the tattoos I’ve been studiously ignoring.

“King?” Rolly purrs. “Your reward.”

I look up and smile, wild, and with the part of myself that relishes bloodshed.

When I turn, Merle is watching me. She moves towards me, hesitating and uneasy. I didn’t want to scare her. There’s a deep moment of regret, and then she’s wrapped her arms around me.

I cradle her gently, holding her while my mind races to catch up.

She doesn’t hate me.

I huff out a breath, struggling to control my emotions. She isn’t scared of me.

I pull back so she can see me, and I can see her.

“I thought you would hate this.” I wave a hand at the unconscious bodies.

She shakes her head.

“Merle, are you sure?”

She frowns and crooks her finger. I lean down towards her. She flicks me in the forehead—hard.

“Ow.”

“I’m translating her!” Rolly shouts. “Don’t be a fucking idiot, King.”

Merle smiles at Rolly and nods, looking back at me with a smug expression. She points at Rolly and then bounces into me, hugging me. Merle doesn’t care about the blood or sweat. She is just happy and in my arms.

I don’t think she can get more perfect than she is right now.

Then a dark shape lunges towards us.

Raptor

The guy lunges up out of nowhere. This moron, who wants to die today, has the skills that the others lack. In fact, in the three seconds it takes to see him, I notice he’s not dressed like the others either. He looks nothing like them. No tattoos, no thick, heavy rings, no blunt force weapons. His clothes are expensive but have no identifying features, and they are dark to blend in. This is one of the Flock.

And he’s not looking at King or Rolly.

He’s focused on me.

I rip myself free of King, use his own weight to spin him out of the way, and brace myself for the impact that I know is coming.