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Iris was ready.

Still, as I watched her, my female, my whole heart. As she walked out into that clearing, my gut twisted in fucking knots.

Her family had been right. The male she was up against was from one of the losing covens that had competed in last year’s official trials. He’d been given a chance to redeem himself—a second chance to reclaim the mother’s gifts that had been taken from his coven. For one night only, the mother had given him back the power he’d lost to fight my mate. Something that never happened, apparently, but of course, these were special circumstances.

I curled my fingers into tight fists and growled as her opponent jerked his head from side to side and jumped on the spot, like a fighter about to engage in a heavyweight boxing match.

My nerves shot higher.

He may have lost his last battle, but the male they’d pitted against my mate was fucking huge. No, fuck this. I started forward but hit the fucking ward surrounding them, locking them in—and me out.

I cursed. I couldn’t get to her.

“She’s got this,” Warrick said beside me.

How the fuck could he be so calm? “The guy’s a fucking giant, and he’s hungry to win. He’s got nothing to lose, that makes him even more dangerous.”

The clearing at Blood Hill Grove was surrounded by witches. Iris’s family watched on, her mom gripping Else’s hand. Some of the other members of the coven were here as well, and seeing their worry only made mine worse.

“Come on!” The big male taunted Iris. “I thought coven Thornheart was a big deal. You think you can take me, little girl?”

Iris had her eyes on the male, but she was focused inward on her magic, calling it forward. I had no idea what she was going to do. She’d worked on different options with Willow, depending on who her opponent turned out to be.

“She’s got this,” Willow said as well. “This guy is your typical bully. He uses his size to intimidate because his magic is lacking, and deep down, he’s scared shitless.” A small smile curled her lips. “And how do you fight a bully?”

You stood up to them.

“You think you have what it takes to best me?” he yelled at Iris, and held out his hands, fingers outstretched. “I’m going to crush you. I will fucking annihilate you.” Rocks the size of his head exploded out of the ground.

“Fuck,” I bit out, my wolf clawing to get to Iris.

The other witch fired a rock through the air, and Iris dove to the side before rolling back to her feet. I growled, desperate to get in there. Another rock flew straight for her. Again, Iris leaped out of the way.

He kept firing them, and Iris kept dodging, and each time she got closer and closer to him.

Willow snorted. “Fucking one-trick pony.”

Iris’s opponent was puffing and sweaty, and yelled as he threw another rock at my mate.

She dove once more, and as she rolled to her feet—she went animal.

Iris had called on one that she’d struggled with but had obviously been working on with her sister because her magic was strong, so strong I felt the power of it through the ward.

The male trapped in with her cried out, high-pitched and full of terror, and stumbled back.

Iris roared, loud and fierce, and started toward him, the lioness she’d become not backing down to the bully. He tripped and fell on the ground, and she stalked him. Weapons weren’t allowed here—no knives, swords, guns—but smaller things that could be used for spelling were okay. I could barely see her now, the lioness growing more solid, but I knew she’d be taking the pin from wherever she had it in her clothes, like Willow had taught her, so she could prick her finger and draw blood. Her opponent tried to scramble back.

Iris closed the space between them. Her lioness had startled him long enough for her to make her final move. She slapped her hand to his forehead and muttered the spell to freeze him in place. The male stared up at her in horror.

The barrier dropped instantly, the mother’s way of letting Iris know she’d won.

Iris released her animal form and spun to me, a huge smile on her face.

I ran to her and scooped her into my arms.

She laughed. “I did it!”

“Fuck, yeah, you did. You kicked his ass, petal.”