Page 124 of Fangs and Fudge

A snarl drew my attention to the fight before I could answer.

Shepard had gotten off MC, and as MC did a kip up off the ground. Shepard glanced at me.

“I’m fine,” I said softly, knowing he’d heard Vena’s question.

His gaze immediately returned to MC. So did mine.

MC’s yellow wolf eyes were unmistakable now. He snarled at Shepard and lunged for him again. He was a blur, but so was Shepard. I waited for the sound of their impact, but it never happened. When MC reached where Shepard should have been, he stopped and spun around just in time to greet Shepard’s fist with his face.

Vena’s hand caught mine as I winced at the sound of a crunch and the fresh wash of blood coming from MC’s nose. She didn’t say anything as we both watched.

MC brought his arms up, protecting his face. As he did, I saw hair start to sprout on his forearms. Not a heavy coat like a dog but still thick and a few inches long. With the hair came heavier muscles.

I glanced at Vena. She met my gaze, showing a little of her surprise too. In all of the episodes of The Other House, we’d never seen the werewolf shifting. We just knew he was the werewolf because of his sight, speed, and sense of smell.

“Concede before you’re hurt,” Shepard said.

“You’ve got that backward,” MC snarled.

His hand whipped out, crazy fast, and his newly sprouted dark claws grazed Shepard’s stomach. Red slashes appeared in their wake, and I gripped Vena’s hand hard. Shepard grunted but didn’t step back from MC. Instead, Shepard took advantage of the opening to drive his fist into MC’s ribs again.

I heard the crack from where I stood and winced again.

“Shouldn't be much longer,” Doc said softly beside me.

MC snarled and spun away from Shepard. More hair sprouted on MC’s torso, and his muscles thickened under it. His nose stopped bleeding when it elongated with his mouth into more of a muzzle.

Did changing heal them?

In wolf form, MC still maintained his balance on two feet. He was a huge, muscular beast that didn’t conform to the body shape of the wild wolves in the forest but kept his human structure for the most part. Only larger, furrier, and wolf facial features.

I glanced at Shepard, who still looked very human, including the bleeding gashes on his side.

Why wasn’t he changing?

“You’re going to need to do better than that,” Shepard said as his gashes slowly started to close.

He dove for MC. I heard the hits but didn’t see them happen…only the aftermath.

MC was left standing, panting and spitting out blood due to his newly broken wolf-nose. It did not look like he would be sniffing Vena any time soon.

“Say you’re done,” Shepard growled. “Time to end this.”

“You’re right, we do need to end this,” MC said with a snarl.

He shadowed Shepard’s movement, sidestepping to stay facing Shepard. As MC drew closer to us, Doc put out his arm and pressed Vena and me farther back.

I was grateful. The last thing I wanted was to accidentally get in the way of those two fighting.

My phone buzzed with a message. Not taking my eyes off the fight, I pulled it from my pocket.

“A good leader knows when it’s time to step down,” MC said. “You’ve fucked up D.C. enough. What’s your pack going to think when they find out you’re working with vampires?”

There was a gasp from the women present and growls from the rest.

“See?” MC said with his back almost to us. “They don’t like it. Step down, and let me take care of the vampire problem since you can’t.”

My phone buzzed again, and I finally glanced down.

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