Freak Show (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #7)(30)

A yelp cut through the myriad of voices. I recognized it as Shaz. My stomach dropped, and I leaned heavily against the wall at my back. My hands hummed with energy. I could stop this. I could do it right now.

The wolves sprang apart. Blood stained the floor. Shaz’s blood. A whimper rose in my throat. My wolf was desperate to fight at his side.

The whiskey burned my throat. I tried to concentrate on the hot sensation as it scorched a path to my stomach. If Shaz came out of this unscathed, I was going to shake him until his teeth rattled. No, when he came out of this. When.

There was a burning hot fury emanating from Shaz when he lunged again at the brown wolf. He was forceful, pinning his opponent against the cage. They struggled there, each seeking to gain the advantage over the other.

I tore my gaze away, staring at my feet but seeing only the outcome I feared most playing out in my mind. Good Lord, why did we come here? I had known there would be trouble. If something happened to Shaz, I would never forgive myself.

“There isn’t a single part of me that doesn’t believe he’ll win this.” Arys’s voice infused me with a sense of calm. Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed his approach. He leaned on the wall next to me and slung an arm around my shoulders. I stood stiffly, unable to relax against him.

“I know I should think that too. Shaz can hold his own. It’s just the ‘what ifs’ that are killing me. I feel like I’m going to throw up. I won’t watch him die, Arys.”

“You won’t have to. That wolf has a lot of rage to get out. There’s no better place for it than here.”

In silence, we stood there, watching the wolves viciously tear into one another. Every blow that the brown wolf landed had me cringing. It took all of my strength to restrain myself. It would be so easy to toss some power into that cage, to separate them or kill the brown wolf.

“Don’t even think it,” Arys said, anticipating my intentions. “Not only would it cause more hassle with Jenner, but it would undermine Shaz as a man. He doesn’t need you to save him.”

I bristled, hating the truth in Arys’s words. It was so crappy of him to play the man card, but I understood. Shaz had to do this, to defend his choice to help me take Harley down. It was his way of showing Jenner and every other vampire in their bloodline that he was an Alpha wolf for a damn good reason. I didn’t have to like it, but I had to stay out of it. Damn, that sucked.

The brown wolf went down beneath Shaz, his legs kicking as he desperately tried to dislodge his attacker. Blood sprayed. He was definitely hurt. Was it enough?

Shaz backed off to assess his opponent’s injuries, a mistake on his part. The brown wolf sprang, sudden and swift. He timed his attack perfectly. Fangs bared, he bit into the side of Shaz’s neck. The snow-white fur quickly became bright scarlet as his blood flowed.

He went down hard, unable to shake the brown wolf’s hold. The audience was on its feet, arms raised. Boos and cheers rang out, as the gamblers shouted for their wolf to win.

I rushed forward, shoving through people to get closer to the ring. A security guard stepped in my path, pushing me back. I tossed him aside, wrapping my fingers around the cold metal of the cage. Power filled me so hard and fast I gasped.

“You really want to make this night of hell never ending, don’t you?” Arys pried my fingers off the cage and pulled me into his arms, easily overpowering me physically.

“We have to help him. Before it’s too late.” I was frantic, struggling to escape. My gaze locked on Shaz. Get up, I willed him. Get up now!

His jade-green eyes found me there, near the ring. He had a hardness that I’d never seen. In a move that astonished me along with most of the crowd, he twisted his body, fast and smooth. The action tossed the brown wolf over him, onto his back. On his feet once again, Shaz struck twice, then a third time, finding that sweet, vulnerable spot. He buried his fangs in the brown wolf’s throat and tore.

There was so much blood. The sticky sweet scent mingled with the booze, sweat and various colognes to make an aroma cocktail that sickened me as it enticed. Both wolves were bleeding but only one was still standing.

I could have cried with relief. Still, Shaz wasn’t out of the woods yet. He was unsteady on his feet and bleeding profusely.

“That’s not much blood,” Arys whispered in my ear. “It’s the white fur. It makes it look worse than it is.”

“Stop doing that. Stay out of my head.” Again, I tried to be free of his hold, but his grip remained firm. The whiskey glass fell from my hand to shatter as it hit the floor.

I waited several heart-stopping moments for a referee to enter the ring and proclaim the brown wolf dead. About half the crowd cheered in victory, having placed their bets on my white wolf. The wolf within me cheered with them though she had more to lose than cold, empty cash.

Only when Shaz exited the fight cage did Arys finally release me. I made my way to him, tossing people out of the way as I went. He padded over to a bench off to the side laden with towels, water and his clothing. The shift back to human tore a shout from him. I fell to my knees before him, reaching to take his face in my hands.

“Let me see,” I said, breathy and scared.

His neck was a raw mess. Several bites marred his body, some mere flesh wounds and others more than a little serious. His face too bore evidence of the fight. Bruises lined his jaw and nose, spreading out beneath his eyes. A cut on his eyebrow dripped steadily.