Page 39 of A Wolf's Heart

“No.” I frowned. “It’s what has to happen.”

“Damn right, it does,” Kage snapped. “Look around. This isn’t some sort of game. You accepted a challenge from a wolf that has been trained his entire life to fight for this pack. If either of these two stop the challenge, you will have no place in this pack.”

I pressed my lips together. I had assumed the challenge they warned about would be against the bond, not of my place in the pack. “If I lose the challenge?”

“You die.” Kage stepped closer to me. “Welcome to the Cridhe Pack, we fight until death.”

“He won’t make it that far,” Weylin promised. “I’m going in with her.”

“Fine. Rain, you’re staying out with me.” Kage looked back at me, his blue eyes narrowed with disappointment. “If you lose, a good soldier dies. If you win, he still dies. No matter what, his blood will be on your hands.Thisis a prime example of why you will never be claimed.”

12

LILA

Kage’s comment never should’ve hurt as deeply as it did. I didn’t want them to claim me, even though I could only assume what that meant. So, why did my heart bleed when he told me they wouldn’t?

We went down to the fourth floor. There was a viewing room with a window that Kage and Rainor went into. To Kage’s disgust, I left Max with Rainor, hoping he would ensure his safety.

Weylin and I went through a different door, one that led into an arena the size of multiple football fields. How big, exactly, I couldn’t see, due to the design of the space. Rocks, grass, a pond, and trees filled the arena, giving it a very natural look, if not for the fluorescent lights in the high ceilings.

I followed Weylin along the wall and through a locker room door. There were a few people—shifters—undressing and getting ready to go into the arena. No one blinked at the nakedness of one another; it was as normal as wearing clothes.

“You can put your clothes in the locker here.” He pointed to an empty locker. “Same with your phone and devices. In the future, you’re welcome to bring a lock, but no one is going to search through your belongings here.”

I nodded and began to undress, taking my blazer off and folding it before placing it into the locker. Weylin followed my lead, taking off his suit jacket.

“Do you know him?” I asked. “I mean, I know he’s your teammate, but do youknowhim?”

“You don’t want to know that.” He began unbuttoning his shirt.

“Why?”

“Because if you humanize the wolf…” He took a breath, clearly uncomfortable. “If you see him as a person, it makes it more difficult to kill him.” He took his shirt off, revealing the scar that took up half of his chest.

I frowned, my fingertips reaching for the mess of half-healed tissue. “What happened?”

Seeing my hesitation, Weylin took my hand in his and placed it over his heart. “I was given a choice—kill another or put myself in harm's way.”

“Did you kill him?”

“No. I wasn’t raised like the others in this pack. I came from nothing, and yet, at times, I felt as if I had more than them.”

“Why didn’t you kill him? It looks like he nearly killed you.” I flattened my palm to his mutilated pectoral muscle. I swore I could feel his heart as if it were closer to the skin because of the wound.

He looked down at my hand before smiling and glancing back up to me. “I don’t know. I held the gun, loaded with silver, in my hand. Finger on the trigger, safety off, and still, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. A moment of weakness, if you will.”

“Everything is ready,” someone called into the locker room.

I pulled my hand away from his chest and started undressing again until I stood before Weylin, naked. He grabbed my hand once more before I could turn away. “I can’t stop the fight, the challenge, but I won’t let him kill you. This is something youagreed to, something you asked for. If I don’t allow it, they will see you as a weak member of the pack. Weak members do not get treated well—do you understand?”

I nodded, though I didn’t really understand. “I received combat training at the academy, though this will be my first fight in wolf form.”

Weylin cursed before taking off his pants. I smiled, taking him in, hard cock and all. Weylin was very well endowed.

“So, what was your count today?” I asked.

He took me by the hand and led me outside. “One.”

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