Page 85 of In Prey We Trust

“But she—”

“Delores is committed to three kings, one enforcer, and the child of diplomats—three of which are Khans. Do you want to find out what happens to stupid girls who bad mouth the Khans in public? I’d be happy to let the ones who fight in the clubs know, so it gets back to Bloodstone.”

Holy fuck, Coach Z!

Selene’s face goes white, even under her makeup. “No, I…”

“Mmmhmm. I thought not. Now get back in line and focus on your matches, ladies.”

The bell rings at the entrance and everyone gets ready to run out when their name is called. I give Zhenga a grateful look and she smiles.

I’ll be damned. Maybe we are friends?

I’m up next and Coach Z is still yelling at the last girl who lost. Roswitha is fighting now, and she’s likely going to win. She and Charlotte will be the only two members of Selene’s group to be victorious tonight. Our team is struggling and the rumor that they are field ringers has been proven true without question. Every single competitor has been outrageously huge for their species and fights like mercenaries trained them. The Cappie team isn’t pro-level or anything, but these fuckers could fight people of that caliber.

My bunny is both angry and worried. We don’t like cheaters; we hate being called a slut, and we’re still pissed about the fucking Headmaster’s shit. If it hadn’t been for Farley’s quick thinking, I might have been stuck there getting grilled forever, or worse, suspended until they investigated. We were supposed to clear things off the board by solving mysteries, not by discovering bodies and accepting obvious frame jobs because we don’t like the person being framed.

“And who the hell names their daughter Malevolena, anyway?” I mutter as I search the crowd for my guys again.

They’re waving little pastel rainbow pom-poms on sticks Rufus made to match the jerseys, despite Aubrey turning purple at all the cuteness. Felix’s eyes meet mine, his gaze as steady as if to say he believes in me. Fitz and Chess are sitting on the other side of two of Rufus’ Sphinx twins, and Coco is with the Captain’s crew. Having them close enough to meet their eyes helps a lot. I can’t figure out which of the behemoths on the other sideline is my opponent, but with their support behind me, I’m staying cool.

“Next up, the nubile newcomer, the surprising sophomore, the bad ass bunny of Capital Prep… Deeeeelooooresssssss Dreeeeeeewwwwwww!”

Oh, sweet baby Hermes, that intro is going to get me squashed.

Taking a deep breath, I stride into the ring without looking back at the roaring crowds surrounding us. My gaze focuses on the ref as they call Malevolena up and she stomps over like a goddamn mutant experiment gone wrong. I know her size will be her downfall and I’m fast, but she’s also got tree trunks for arms and legs. As she comes closer, the faint smell of something sickly sweet wafts across the dirt and I frown. I recognize the scent, but I can’t place it. It’s not like the dickface hoods, but it’s something I’ve smelled before. When I look at her face, suddenly I know. Her eyes are filled with malice and a hazy film that reminds me of the rave.

U&M sent this enormous chick out here to fight me high as a kite.

While it’s not a violation at the college level, especially if it’s not steroids or growth hormones, it’s frowned upon. Different species react to various strains of the pred drugs in completely unpredictable ways. This girl is not only large and well trained, she might not be capable of higher brain function decisions. That’s dangerous in so many ways that I—

“Annnnnd fight!”

The ref backs out of the ring, and I drop into a defensive stance on instinct. Our dance begins as we circle one another, watching for weaknesses and targets. Malevolena is moving more quickly than I would have expected, so I note that as I strategize. She’s favoring one side and I don’t know if that’s an injury or just her dominant side. While I’m plotting, the hulking fighter darts across the center, forcing me to scramble backwards along the edge of the ring. I don’t step out, but I come close.

Willing to win dirty—good to know.

“I’m going to clobber you, little rabbit, and then pick my teeth with your bones.”

I snort as I leap past her next volley of fists, giving her a cheeky smirk. “Yes, yes. The big ogre is going to grind my bones if I don’t get out of his swamp.”

“What?” she asks as she lumbers towards me.

“Also not culturally aware, good to know,” I mutter to myself. Using her confusion to land a hard jab to her right ribcage, I grunt at the sting. “And apparently made of fucking adamantium.”

“You babble too much and don’t fight enough.” Ham-sized fists come towards me, and I barely avoid taking the full brunt of them.

I growl softly, shifting my claws and fangs first. Ducking the next swing, I whirl around and kick her hard in the stomach. When she barely moves, my eyes widen. Somehow, I have the Sherman Tank of their team and it doesn’t feel random. I might not be bad, but she’s well over my weight limit. How did she get paired with me? My legs flex as I hop out of range again, my eyes scanning the stadium quickly as I regroup. There has to be an explanation.

Heavy footsteps bring me back to reality, and I see the freight train roaring at me again. I swallow hard, running towards her and at the last second, I dive under her and skid away on my knees. It hurts like a bitch and I’m going to be hobbling all week, but at least I’m not rabbit pate. I get to my feet shakily, panting as I get myself together. A flash catches my eye—I don’t know how in this mess—and I see my old friends, the Heathers, taking pictures from the sideline with satisfied smirks on their faces.

Oh, come on! They fixed my motherfucking Pred Games match?!

Now I can’t lose or it’ll be everywhere. Lucille will freak and I’ll have people up my ass about it despite this girl being out of my league. I don’t think I can win, but if I can fight to a draw, the ref will end it. I square my shoulders, dropping my center of gravity again. Gritting my teeth, I run towards the giant shifter at full speed. “Oi, Macarena! Let’s rumble.”

Her eyes darken and she heads for me, her head down like she’s going to ram me. When we meet in the middle, I throw all of my bunny’s strength and my body weight into her middle while sweeping my legs around hers. The move throws us both off balance and I squirm to make sure she hits the ground first to cushion our fall. Grinning at my clever move, I sit on her as she moans, turning to look at the ref to make sure he’s counting.

And that’s when a skull so hard it could cut diamonds smashes into mine and we both go limp.

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