Page 55

“Maybe you can help us,” he says. “These guys could benefit from seeing a vampire fight.”

I turn to Alarick, ready to tell him absolutely not. If she gets hurt, Luna will kill me.

“A battlefield is no place for a female,” Nael snarls. “Besides, I’d hate to forget its practice and take her head off.”

Her laughter has me turning toward her. She’s laughing so hard her face is red.

“Awww, you're cute,” she says. “If you don’t want to get your ass kicked by a woman, pup, just say that.”

The wolves around me snarl. I have to raise a hand and push out my dominance over them to calm them down.

“Maybe you should prove us wrong,” Alarick smirks.

“What the hell are you doing?”I say into his head.

His laughter skates over my thoughts. “Relax, she can handle it. Besides, the kid needs to be humbled.”

The vamp watches me closely. It takes a moment for me to realize what she’s waiting on. She wants my permission. Wait, the grumpy, angry, and insufferable vamp is waiting for my permission to do something.

I dip my chin, giving her the okay.

“Alright,” she says, stepping forward.

The surrounding recruits cheer for Nael.

“Make her bleed,” one wolf says.

“Kick her ass,” another one adds.

I step closer to Alarick. “You sure about this?”

“Definitely,” he says with a wide grin.

The vamp steps forward. She takes a hair tie out of her pocket and pulls her curly mane into a high pony.

“Here are the rules. First to submit the other wins. No bloodshed,” I say to Nael.

He laughs. “I’ll try.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Don’t you want to take that jacket off?” I ask.

Once again, she’s wearing a long sleeve zip up hoodie that’s form fitting.

She shakes her head. “No.”

Nael steps into the middle of the circle that’s being formed around the vamp. I stay close enough so that I can make sure the wolf doesn’t hurt her.

“Pay attention to the way she moves,” Alarick says to the recruits. “Wolves are fast when it comes to endurance, but they aren’t quicker than vampires. You may easily chase a vampire down, but you won’t be able to move out of the way of one.”

Nael circles the vamp. She doesn’t move, just follows him with her eyes.

“I’ll show you a little grace, leech.” Nael taunts. “I won’t even turn into my wolf to make you submit.”

“Are you going to attack? Or are you going to kill me with boredom, pup?”

Nael snarls right before he charges at the vamp’s back. Right before he wraps his arms around her from behind, she steps to the side. He goes past. She sticks out her foot and Nael goes tumbling to the ground.