Page 85 of Big Bad Bully
Now that I think of it, shifter rugby and human rugby have nothing in common. There are a lot more fights, a lot more biting. And howling.
Our game on the beach is pretty tame. Until my skin prickles, and I realize that someone is watching us. I turn and spot the culprit. The fancy spa Madi took her bridesmaids to overlooks this stretch of the beach. Aubrey’s there, watching me from the pool. With her braids piled on her head, she looks like a queen.
My chest swells. Time to put on a show. I huddle up with Vance and Sully, facing Brick and the others. We sign our plans to each other and then break apart.
I do the kickoff, and immediately start running. Sully races to catch the ball, narrowly missing Nickel and Jake, who dive to stop him. Vance hollers and Sully passes the ball back to him. It’s tricky because Brick is barreling down on them both.
But then I tackle Brick. I aim for center mass and slam into him, driving us both into the surf. We fall into the water.
The next thing I know, he’s trying to drown me. He’s got some new moves–he slipped my hold using a technique his werebear sparring buddy must have taught him. “Submit,” he growls.
Normally I’d give in, but Aubrey’s watching. “Never,” I shout, and dive at his legs. I get a kick in the head and a mouthful of seawater, but Brick goes crashing into the water again.
“Are you kidding me?” Brick roars. It comes out garbled because I splash him when his mouth is open, and he swallows seawater.
“Smile.” I splash him again. “We’re on candid camera.” I turn and wave to Aubrey. Madi has joined her on the edge of the pool, and they’re both waving and laughing.
Brick grumbles but waves, and his face brightens when Madi blows him a kiss.
“Did we win?” I ask Vance, who’s watching us from the beach, covered in sand.
“Yeah. Nickel and Jake tackled me, but Sully got the ball to their goal when we all stopped to watch you guys wrestle.”
I pump my fist into the air. Our distraction tactic worked this time. It won’t work again, but winning once feels nice.
“Dumbass,” Jake signs at me, and we start insulting each other again in ASL.
A scent on the breeze alerts us that we have company. We turn as one to face the group of shifters walking up the beach towards us.
Jake signs in ASL, “Who are they?”
Shifters have a heightened sense of hearing. Knowing sign language gives our pack an edge when we don’t want to be overheard.
“King of Monaco and the top wolves in his pack,” Sully answers. “We sent word that we’d be here. As a courtesy.”
“Let’s say hello,” Brick says out loud in English, and we follow him up the beach, arranging ourselves in a loose formation with Brick at the head and me by his right hand.
The wolves facing us are big and burly. In the human world, they’d be clocked as body builders. The leader has a dark beard and a wild tangle of hair down his back. With his deeply tanned skin, he looks like a pirate. Sully gave Brick and I a dossier on him and his pack, so I know his family were shipping tycoons.
“Luka Atlantea,” Brick greets him. “Wolf King of Monaco.”
“Blackthroat.” Luka’s voice is deep and resonant. “The Wall Street Wonder. Welcome to my kingdom. We’re honored by your visit.”
“We’re the ones who are honored,” Brick must have dug deep to find some respect for King Luka because his words ring true.
“You are here to celebrate your upcoming nuptials, no?” Luka looks around as if searching for Brick’s mate.
“Yes. My bride is here with her friends.” Brick sweeps a hand out, indicating Madi and Aubrey at the spa. I tense slightly. My wolf doesn’t like calling attention to Aubrey. We don’t know these wolves.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sully shifting on either foot. He’s our security. He probably has wolves stationed all around the spa.
The thought makes me relax.
“We’re celebrating with a bachelor and bachelorette party,” Brick says. “It’s a human tradition.”
“Ah,” King Luka says. I don’t know what he’s thinking. His scent is overpowered by a thick cologne. His face is shadowed as he looks up at the human women.
I’m on edge. Brick being mated to a human is still a shock to other wolves. Human shifter pairings aren’t unheard of, but an alpha of a pack as large as ours would normally stick to tradition and find a strong shifter mate to keep the pack strong. At least, that’s the older way of thinking.
