Page 50 of Rejected Mate

And Ares? What about him?

Dammit, I was back in my head, worrying instead of doing what had to be done.

There was no other option. I closed my eyes and found the magic untangling it in my mind as I was taught to do when I wanted to change back.

My body shifted again, fur disappearing, limbs shrinking, until, finally, I stood on the platform. Completely naked.

Someone down below whistled. I gave them the finger, then grabbed the rope, wrapped both hands around it, and jumped off the platform.

The swing was exhilarating, even if I was bare assed in front of everyone, and there was, indeed, a breeze chilling my ovaries.

Maybe they’ll blur me out.I could hope they didn’t want to traumatize the children.

My feet hit the other side, a hard thud on the wood, and I lurched forward, grabbing a pillar to stop myself from toppling over the other side. I took a moment to breathe and check on my opponents. As I’d thought, Laurel had no problem switching back to her human form and was primping her hair to make sure the curl had survived the transition.

Her fake eyelashes, though? Those were long gone.

With that smug bit of satisfaction, I glanced out to plan my next move.

There was a ladder down—one I’d have to climb using my human form—and, far below, a bit of ground that led to a huge vertical, slick-looking wall that someone would either have to scale or dig under.

Dig. That was my plan. It might not be glamorous or sexy, but I knew I would win.

Trying to hide my embarrassment, I climbed down the ladder as fast as my naked ass could go. As soon as my feet were on the ground, I shifted again, feeling the ecstasy of my wolf form ripple over me once more.

Damn, it feels good to be lupine.

I readied my claws and began to dig at the base of the wall.

Dirt flew everywhere, coating my fur, but I didn’t stop. This contest was not about glamor, that was clear. It was about strength, speed, and cunning. So I dug with abandon, not worrying about how I would look afterward, something I was pretty sure Laurel would have a hard time with.

Take that, prissy bitch.

I was making good progress too until something huge and hairy landed on my back.

What the hell?

A dark brown wolf pinned me to the ground. She’d used the element of surprise to knock me flat and get her jaws around my neck before I even knew what hit me.

Stupid,I thought. I’d been so engrossed in my task I hadn’t watched my back. I started to struggle, but the wolf was using all her strength to keep me pinned. Why would someone stop competing and take the time to stop me? Wouldn’t they want to win?

“Ah, Wren, stuck are you? Too bad.” Laurel, in her human form, leaned over me, her blond hair framing her bitch face as she peered into the one eye that wasn’t smashed into the dirt. “And just when you made such a nice hole. I guess I’ll have to use it.”

I growled and kicked my paws, but the wolf above me clamped down harder on my neck, squeezing my windpipe until I couldn’t breathe.

“Good girl, Violet,” Laurel said. “Keep her pinned until everyone else is through.”

Violet? The audacity. I wouldn’t think little Violet could keep me pinned, but in her wolf form, she was incredibly strong.

The wolf above me whined, but Laurel gave her a dirty look. “Shut up, bitch. You’ll do what I say if you know what’s good for you. I can make your pack’s life a living hell.”

I hadn’t recognized Violet in her wolf form, but things were starting to make sense. Laurel was threatening Violet and her pack. Had that been why she’d betrayed me? I wanted to look her in the eyes, but that was hard to do with her teeth around my throat.

I heard Laurel begin to dig and finish what I’d started. With her distracted, I knew I had one chance to convince Violet to leave the dark side. It was dangerous, but I knew it was my only shot. I needed to talk to her. I could try to communicate telepathically in my wolf form, but something told me speaking to her as the human friend she knew would have more impact.

I began to shift out of my wolf form.

Violet’s teeth loosened, and she took a step back as my body came back into being.

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