Some Shifters remembered the first few seconds while others held on for several minutes. I had no idea about this guy. While he pondered killing me, I scanned the room. Staying in the ring was suicide. I needed to get to the second level.
Spectators gripped the ledge and watched on. To them, it looked as if we were facing off. My knuckles pressed against the ground, the tension palpable. Even I couldn’t guess what would transpire in the next few seconds. I peered over my shoulder to see what weapons were within reach. The only thing that caught my eye was an axe.
My hair stood on end when the wolf snarled, and before I could look back, warm liquid splashed all over me. I quickly flipped my wet hair back. Someone had dumped a bucket of blood on us, and it was dripping off the wolf’s snout. Now he had blood in his mouth.
Disastrous.
“Don’t do it,” I whispered, watching him closely. “Don’t do it.”
The wolf’s long tongue stuck out and lapped up the blood on his snout.
“Shit.” I flashed across the room just as he lunged, and the chase was on.
I ran from one side of the room to the next like a metal ball in a pinball machine getting knocked around by the flippers. When he sank his teeth into my arm, I blasted him with energy.
The crowd never cheered. No one chanted for blood or death. Instead, they applauded like civilized people. Was it to conceal their voices, or had they attended these fights so many times that the thrill was gone? I was quickly burning through my energy, searching for a way out. The gate was in a recessed wall, so I couldn’t use it to climb. The torches were at a decent height, but they were all blazing with fire. I could throw up a chain, but what would it attach to?
Not a shred of humanity remained inside the wolf. He didn’t comprehend the watchers above. We danced like two predators in a battle of survival, only my goal was to keep both of us alive. He ripped the bottom of my tank top, trying to get at my belly. I punched him before flashing to the far wall. While he shook his head, I took a second to look around. The chopping block wasn’t tall enough to use as a launching pad. Then I spotted the plastic bag with my clothes. The chain on the wall just behind it birthed an idea. Blasting the wolf repeatedly would bring this fight to a grinding halt. My core light was growing weak from all the flashing, so prolonging the fight was not an option.
I flashed to the bag and dumped out the contents. The wolf pivoted, wrinkles deepening on his snout as he snarled at me. With blinding speed, he used his hind legs to propel forward and take off like a bullet.
There was a collective gasp just seconds before he crashed into me. I wrapped the bag over his head, jumped to my feet, and pulled the chain off the wall. The wolf backed up, unable to see with his eyes covered.
I yanked the chain free and looped it around the wolf’s neck. When I began to tie a knot, I realized there was no way to secure this thing. No hook or latch. But at least I had time to think.
“Calm down, you mangy little mutt. I don’t want to hurt you.”
I caught sight of Audrey by the gate. Instead of disappointment, she flashed a heartfelt smile. It dawned on me why. The other fighters would’ve wanted to win, so the fights probably didn’t last long. The audience expected my victory, but drawing it out heightened the anticipation. To them, I was toying with my opponent, which pleased them. It was obvious by the way their energy pulsed and quavered.
Straddling the wolf, I wrapped my arms around the beast, the chains still firmly in my grasp. Remembering what Audrey had said, I sent a sharp current of energy through the chain. The wolf yelped, but I had to let him know who was in charge. I was the alpha here, and he needed to know that.
“This is hopeless,” I whispered against his fur.
Even if I could jump to the upper level, then what? Take on fifty immortals? If any were Vampires, they would tear me limb from limb. On the other hand, maybe that wasn’t such a bad way