Page 49 of With Fangs and Claws (The Wolf Queen 1)

This was the man’s first mistake. He could’ve said so many other things and it would’ve all gone so much better for him, but he hadn’t, so I got to my feet.

“I need that pot,” he hissed. “Keep your prince down and things will go that much better for all of us. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to do what I have to, to make him stay there.”

I watched his lips move, saw his fists rise, his body shifting restlessly, and I observed him like a naturalist would a new species of bird. I saw his fractious energy, his desperate desire, almost able to taste it on my tongue, right up until such a point as I decided to change that.

“Kneel,” I said, as Axe sucked a breath in, then jerked up and into a seated position. The other fighter looked stunned, then uncomfortable, his brows pulling down as the crowd turned against him. His focus zeroed in on Axe, which of course, was his second mistake. “Kneel,” I repeated, the word growing in size and power the moment it escaped my lips. The masses howled, their jeers rising, becoming more and more animalistic as the fervour peaked, pushing back against my will, but it was no threat to me. Whatever alien consciousness had hijacked my body, it knew exactly what to do to get what it needed.

“KNEEL.”

My voice was sonorous as a worship day bell, ringing out through the space to alert the faithful and not so faithful that the time for obeisance was now. The boxer looked down in alarm as his knees buckled under him, hitting the canvas and then, just as the crowd began to hoot, so did theirs.

As silence fell over the room, as Axe scrambled to his feet in front of me, as I felt a heavy hand, three heavy hands, land on my shoulder, I knew the rest of my pack stood behind me as Axe scratched his head.

“Did he—?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dane said in a low voice. “Nothing else matters but Darcy now.” His cool focus shifted to the boxing match organiser, the hatful of money still clasped to his chest. My slip of paper fell fluttering from my fingertips.

“Keep our coin for your troubles, but return everyone else’s bets,” Dane advised. “You can stage another bout, but not with my brother. My apologies for interrupting your entertainment, but we need to get our mate home now.”

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