of him or me was unthinkable. I couldn't kill him, not even to protect my wolf. She whined, but her agreement filtered through me. I wouldn’t kill any of my friends.
Each pair of finalists veered off into their own rings and faced each other. Drake and Shannon. Stone and the woman from the east pack, Owen and Lionel, and Reed and me. I couldn’t look at any of them. Whatever happened here today would change all of our lives.
I looked away, searching the glass-fronted viewing room for Connor.
His gaze was fixed on me, his eyes so blue and full of power, they seemed to glow. Zander stood on his other side, and next to him, Doherty glared down at me. I froze as he mouthed one word. Fire.
He knew!
My stomach flipped, my heart pounding harder and harder.
You’re mine, he mouthed.
Swallowing against my dry throat, I forced myself not to react. Deep breaths didn’t help. I wiped a bead of sweat from my temple. He couldn’t have told the warden, or I was certain I’d have been hauled into that science wing quicker than I could blink. Or maybe he was waiting for proof and he hoped this fight would give it. I just hoped Zander would come through on our agreement before Doherty got to me, and that Reed would do what he needed to do—kill me.
The warden smirked and flicked his wrist.
A horn sounded. We all stiffened—and did nothing.
The crowd howled, their anger a living thing. Bottles, knives, plates, even chairs were thrown down at us to a chorus of: “Fight! Fight! Fight!”
We all straightened our spines and chins and remained still.
“Fight, or I will kill you all.” The warden’s disembodied voice filled the arena, though his lips remained utterly still.
Ice creeped through my flesh and bones. Nothing human or shifter could do such a thing. Fire cringed at the sound of his voice, and my wolf whimpered.
Still, none of us moved.
My heart pounded as I willed Reed to move. I met his eyes and he shook his head, a determined look on his face.
The warden’s voice growled around the arena. “So be it.”
Before I could process what was happening, my collar buzzed and my wolf was forced forward, the skin of my neck blistering. Reed was forced to partially shift, it wasn’t even a half-shift, but he didn’t move. He just stood there, a grotesque statue, as if he was frozen. My claws grew as an outer force, something dark that echoed around my mind, commanded my half-shift. No matter how much I screamed at my wolf to hold back, she couldn’t; harsh, strange words controlled her actions. Trapped inside her, a scream ripped from me as my wolf leaped and slammed her claws into Reed’s chest, tearing at his flesh and bone.
Roars and shouts of disbelief erupted from the other rings. Horror rushed through my body as Reed collapsed against me. I screamed and screamed, the coppery scent of his blood invading my senses as my wolf receded, whimpering and shaking.
The crowd roared in a frenzy of sick glee as blood gushed from Reed’s chest and he collapsed to the mat.
I fell to my knees. “No. No. No. It was meant to be me. I was meant to die,” I said, my voice no more than a broken whisper. Blood gushed between my fingers, my hands slipping as I tried to stop my friend from dying.
His eyes met mine. “It’s okay.” Blood bubbled between his lips, his voice distorted by his wolf. “Not...your fault..Tell Myles...I love...him.…”
“No. No. No. You have to tell him yourself. You can’t go…I didn't mean this…you…”
Reed’s elongated face became lax, his eyes fixed on nothing.
Tears rolled down my cheeks and for once in my life I didn’t care. I had just killed my friend and my heart was breaking. I leaned down and kissed his cooling cheek. “I’m so, so very sorry.” My words fanned his cheek, though he could no longer hear me.
“Bring the girl to me.” Doherty’s voice boomed from the speaker of the viewing room.
Connor’s face was grey as he stared down at Reed’s body. I’m sorry, I mouthed to him, my heart tearing apart at the devastation in his eyes. Tears fell down my cheeks, but he wasn’t looking at me, his gaze was fixed on Reed.
“The rest of you will fight, right now, or I will make you, and I will choose the victor.” The warden’s voice was full of promise, but I couldn’t tear my gaze from