Page 4 of Wilder Obsessions

“Black, it’s about time I see you around here again,” the older gentleman behind the table announces, making several people turn in my direction.My reputation precedes me everywhere I go.

“Well, you can thank Kody.”I slap him on the back, making him cough.We may be close to the same height but he doesn’t refine his power like I do.Day after day, I retreat to my home gym, where I beat the shit out of the dummies I had specially made.They are on a constant shipping schedule to my penthouse because of how fast I tear through them.

“You’re up after one of those kids gets knocked out.”He gestures to the two behind us.

“They seem to be getting younger and younger,” I muse.

“Well, they all want to beat the notorious Black.”He chuckles, throwing me a towel.

“There’s only room for one of us.”I wink, turning on my heels to the changing rooms.

“You’re incorrigible,” Kody jokes, shooting me a look.

“As advertised,” I taunt.

“For fuck’s sake.Why does my friend have to be a lunatic?”

“You’re the one that wouldn’t leave me alone, if I remember correctly?”I laugh.

Kody rolls his eyes.“Going to grab a drink.Your usual?”I nod as he leaves me to change into my shorts, so I don’t tear through my suit.

My human tailor is already terrified of me.If she wasn’t the number-one around, I would find someone new.Unfortunately, she’s the best of the best, but I don’t think she appreciates it when I bring her the scraps of designer suits I’ve destroyed.I chuckle, thinking of her horrified expression the last time I met with her.Poor little thing genuinely didn’t know I was a shifter and I’ve never seen someone as pale as her in my life.

The crowd hushes as the announcer calls my name, “Wilder Black is in the house tonight!”Cheers boom around me and my heart races with palpable energy.I step into the ring, the spotlight pouring down on me, and in the opposite corner, Draken stands, a cocky grin plastered on his face.The fucker doesn’t truly believe he signed his death sentence.

I feel alive, electric energy coursing through me as the crowd surges with fervor.They are the shifters—creatures who bear the likeness of their animal kin, and tonight they cheer for both blood and glory.The weight of their eyes presses down on my shoulders, igniting a fire within me that demands to be unchained.

“What’s up, Wilder?Finally decided to join the big leagues?”he taunts, flexing as he prances around the ring.Dumb coyote thinks he’s cool shit when in reality he’s about to be no better than roadkill.

“Sure, if the big leagues mean hand-delivering your wildly unfounded ass-whooping, then absolutely,” I retort, rolling my shoulders as I prepare for combat.A flicker of fear flashes through his eyes but he schools his features quickly.

“Surrender, pup.”I taunt, basking in the cheers around me.“Then maybe I’ll make your death quick.”

“Enough talk!”the announcer bellows toward us.Then he pulls the microphone back to his mouth.“The rules of tonight’s fight are as follows: tap-outs aren’t allowed.This is a fight to the death in shifter form.”The audience cheers, the noise almost deafening.They don’t get this kind of fight all the time.Tap-outs are the usual around here but that’s not my style.

“Black, Sonner, shift!”he roars over the speakers.Immediately, my muscles tense, rippling beneath my skin as I feel the change coming.It starts deep within, a primal call I can no longer resist.My breath quickens, eyes flickering from human to intense, inky black as my vision sharpens.My bones begin to shift, elongating and realigning with a series of cracks that echo around me.I bite back a growl, pain giving way to raw power.My skin darkens, sprouting sleek, midnight fur that shimmers under the dim lights.Each heartbeat pounds louder, a drumbeat in sync with the earth’s pulse.As my fingers retract into formidable claws, my face elongates into a proud, fierce muzzle.With a final, guttural snarl, my transition is complete.

Standing there on all fours, I wait for my opponent’s shift completion as raw, untamed power flows through me.My senses are heightened, every sound, scent, and movement acutely clear to me.Draken stands in his coyote form, his amber eyes gleaming with cunning and malice.

My puma’s spirit surges forward, needing blood.The boundaries blur, it’s not just a fight—it’s a liberation.I’m a ruthless killer and only a deranged fighter would dare get in the ring with me.That’s why my fights have become far and few between.I’m undefeated and tonight won’t be any different.It’s a pity I don’t have more adversaries, forcing my beast to remain shackled most of the time.

“Fight!”the announcer shouts.We circle each other, my muscles coiled and ready to fight.Draken’s lips curl back in a snarl, revealing sharp fangs as he lunges forward, and like an electrical current coursing through my body, I charge like I’m on a speeding motorcycle.

He’s swift, darting around like the coyote he is, but every glance I take sears an image of his form in my mind’s eye.I won’t let him evade my blows for long.

Our bodies collide with a force that sends reverberations through the ground beneath us.My claws rake across Draken’s flank, leaving deep gashes that begin oozing blood.He howls in pain but quickly recovers, snapping his jaw at my hind leg.He manages to clamp down but I twist my body, dislodging the coyote and retaliating with a swipe of my paw that sends Draken sprawling.

Each jab, each dodge sharpens my senses, a dance of fluid aggression.I can feel the eyes of the crowd, the shifters living vicariously through our bout.

Panting heavily, he scrambles to his feet, his eyes narrowing as he calculates his next move.Stupid coyote feints to the left, then darts to the right trying to get my vulnerable underbelly.But I already anticipated his move, leaping over Draken with a grace that belies my size.I land behind him, sinking my teeth into his shoulder and shaking him violently.

Draken yelps, writhing under my grasp.Desperation lends him strength and he manages to twist free, delivering a vicious bite to my ear.I roar in pain as my blood splatters to the ground.Now we are locked in a deadly dance, our growls and snarls echoing through the room.

With a final powerful swipe, I knock Draken off his feet, making him land hard.He’s dazed and disoriented which I use to my advantage as I pounce on my fallen opponent, pinning him to the ground.My jaws close around Draken’s throat, a low growl rumbling from deep within my chest.

Draken’s struggles grow weaker until he finally lays still, defeated.I release my grip, standing over my vanquished foe.The sound of my ragged breathing fills my ears until the crowd erupts into a frenzy of chaos.People are yelling about bets won and some small fights break out over salty losers.

“The Notorious Black is still undefeated!”the announcer yells through the intercom, making my beast roar.I feel the familiar searing heat spreading through my body, signaling the change back to my human form.Every muscle screams in protest as my bones begin to contract and shift, the powerful form of the puma giving way to my human shape.The sleek black fur retracts, leaving me bare.My vision blurs, transitioning from the sharp, predatory clarity to the more familiar, less acute human sight.The pain is excruciating but familiar, an inevitable part of my dual nature.My chest heaves and my limbs tremble with exhaustion, but the adrenaline of the win flows through my blood.

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