pairing as I was. She took a single step forward. I frowned. She’d left herself entirely vulnerable. I wondered whether she was trying to make a point – that even with poor defence, she could still best any of her peers. The thought didn’t sit right with me. She struck first, awkwardly punching Theresa’s shoulder. When she received a fist to her face in return, I hissed involuntarily.
Staines leaned towards me. ‘She doesn’t look that impressive.’
I didn’t comment, keeping my attention trained on her. From this angle, her face was clearer and I noted a flash of anger pass across her eyes. It was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared, however. She retaliated with a kick, but it barely scraped past Theresa’s calves. Two seconds later, she was flat on her back, allowing a weak side blow to flip her over. It didn’t make any sense. Then I realised she’d thrown the fight. A twist of anger wrenched my stomach. I could understand that she had close ties to this part of the world and didn’t want to leave. But holding back and allowing yourself to be beaten was weak. I’d completely over-estimated her. She got to her feet, shrugging as if vaguely embarrassed. I had no choice but to give the win to Theresa.
The remaining fights improved, with greater skill and dexterity than the others had shown. I still felt furious, however. Staines and Mel were sensible enough not to comment further on my apparent lack of insight but it still grated. It wasn’t until Anton, the impressively strong werebear, finally bested Mack’s little werewolf buddy that I began to really take notice again.
‘The bear told me he wasn’t interested in leaving,’ Mel commented. ‘But even though he lost, the werewolf has potential.’
‘I want a re-match.’
All three of them turned to me in surprise. ‘My Lord Alpha?’ asked Lucy.
‘Mack and Anton.’
Mel blinked. ‘But he’s the strongest shifter they have. He’ll crucify her.’
‘Mel’s right,’ Staines added, with a troubled furrow. ‘This is a bad idea.’
‘Actually, I disagree,’ said Lucy. ‘I was speaking to your Mack at breakfast. There’s definitely more to her than meets the eye.’
‘She’s not “my Mack”,’ I said, although I was secretly relieved that I probably hadn’t been hallucinating the scenes at the beach last night after all.
‘I think this is a mistake,’ Staines muttered. He wouldn’t gainsay his alpha, however. He took a deep breath and addressed the gathering again. ‘Thank you for your efforts. We applaud the pack of Cornwall for their skills. To complete the evaluations, there will be a re-match. Fighting again will be Anton and Mackenzie.’
Since she’d returned to her original standing position, I’d not been able to see her expression. I still noticed Mack’s shoulders stiffening, however. She was very, very unhappy. I smiled humourlessly. Good. She deserved it. And as she returned to the circle, I was pleased to note that she didn’t look afraid. When I flicked a glance at Anton, however, as he circled round, I realised he was grinning in anticipation. Abruptly, my stomach dropped. Shit. There was something going on here. I wondered if I’d just made a terrible mistake. He undressed, making it clear he was about to shift. I leaned forward. Would Mack do the same?
‘Let’s do this,’ she said, her voice ringing out. There was an edge of challenge to her words and I had the feeling it wasn’t intended for the bear. My unorthodox demand had pissed her off. My eyes trailed down her slim body, from her straight shoulders to the curve of her hips. She wasn’t what anyone would call classically beautiful but I could still feel an odd stirring of lust. Pretty wasn’t an appropriate adjective either. Arresting, I decided. Mack was arresting.
Then Anton shifted. In bare seconds, he thundered towards her, muscles rippling underneath his dark fur. Mack didn’t move – just stood there as if she was playing chicken. I stopped breathing. He swiped out with one huge paw and knocked her into the air. Her body spun, twisting and landing with a hard smack onto the floor. Then he came at her again, jaws opening wide so he could sink his teeth into her waist. I winced as her features contorted in pain.
‘Lord Corrigan,’ Staines said urgently, ‘it’s not too late to stop this.’
Anton lifted Mack up in his mouth, shook her violently, and threw her to the side as if she were nothing more than a doll. Other than the sounds of her