Page 122 of Fangs and Fudge

“Won’t people see?” I asked.

“It’s owned by a pack member,” Doc said. “They have an old pole barn that has plenty of space for all of us.”

“Do we have to be aware of anything?” I asked.

“Just stay by me, and you’ll be fine.”

That was easy enough to do, but Doc’s rigid shoulders didn’t calm my anxiety.

Vena was on her phone, texting Miles. I read over her shoulder for something to do.

Vena: Heard you were moved somewhere else.

Miles: Yeah. I’m with some old guy who likes to play chess. It’s not the worst. Heard you’re off to have some fun.

Vena: I’d like to deny it, but watching someone I don’t like get his ass handed to him is definitely going to be the highlight of my week.

Miles: Glad you’re not staying home and missing the excitement. Tell me about it later.

His texts were just like the old Miles I knew. I hoped that meant he wasn’t too far gone like Sierra had been.

The rest of the ride was quiet. Even Vena was lost in her own thoughts as she looked out at the darkness that surrounded us. The farther we drove from the city, the darker the roads became until it was only the headlights of the car that navigated our way. Paved roads became gravel, and gravel became dirt.

Just when I thought we couldn’t possibly go farther, Doc parked behind a row of cars alongside the road. Up ahead, there was a faint light coming from the farm.

“We’ll have to walk the rest of the way,” he said. “It’s not far. Remember, stay with me. If we get separated, just call my name. I’ll come to you. Got it?”

Vena and I nodded and got out of the car as more vehicles parked behind us. We followed the string of people who funneled toward the farm.

There was movement out in the darkness, away from the road.

“Doc, someone is out there,” I said.

“They’re placing wards to keep humans away.”

As we walked, the faint light grew brighter until we came up to a security point. When it was our turn to cross through, we were patted down. They found my charm, but I was allowed to keep it. However, they took Vena’s knife and said she could claim it after the event.

Doc escorted us to the giant pole barn. Light spilled from the open doors, making it easier to navigate. Even though the structure was enormous, the sounds of people talking over one another grated at my already frayed nerves.

Inside, we went to where the D.C. pack was congregating. Sierra was among them.

“Why’s she here?” Vena asked.

“No one to keep an eye on her back home.”

We moved closer to the center of the D.C. crowd, and Vena and I looked around as we waited for the challenge to begin.

The L.A. pack was on the other side of the open shed along with a lot of people I didn’t recognize.

“Who are they?” I asked Doc.

“Delegates and neighboring packs.”

The one thing that stood out to me was how much bigger the D.C. pack was compared to the L.A. pack. That made me feel slightly better.

I scanned for any sign of Shepard, but I couldn’t see him anywhere in the shed. Was he waiting to enter until everyone was here? Waiting was torture, and I couldn’t imagine what he was going through, knowing that someone wanted to take his place and his ring.

The sudden hush was a relief until I realized Shepard and MC had both walked in.

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