Without warning, he kissed her, invading her with his tongue and claiming her. It was as if someone flicked on a switch in his brain. Despite his worries about the next day, all he could think about was her. He wanted all of her, every inch. Fighting his frustrations, he prayed to God he didn’t screw up and hurt her.
If he hadn’t already been drowning his sorrows, her kiss would have been enough to leave him drunk.
JACE WALKED INTO K9’s with his head pounding and a constricting pressure in his chest. His stomach rolled as he stared at the already assembled crowd.
Damn, he hated hangovers.
Frankie stayed by his side as they approached the platform, while David followed just behind. The chatter of eager voices echoed through the room. A large, bulky man lingered beside the platform. He crossed his arms over his chest, and his bald head gleamed in the light. His piercing gray gaze fell on Jace.
Frankie nodded to him.
Without any response, the man climbed onto the stage.
Frankie leaned over and spoke into Jace’s ear. “That’s Alexei,” she whispered. “He’s Russian. He’s a shifter—a snow leopard.”
Jace eyed the man. “What’s he doing here?”
She followed Jace’s stare and watched Alexei hush the crowd. “He’s impartial. He’s not a member of our pack, so he’s judging the fight.”
Jace stripped off his coat and handed it to David. “If he’s not a member of the pack, how do you know him?”
Frankie shrugged. “My salsa class. He’s one of my best students.”
David almost laughed. It was the first smile Jace had seen him crack since Allsun went missing. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. That big muscled badass is a dancer? I didn’t realize that Alejandro wasn’t the only male shifter with a feminine side.” David slapped Jace on the back. “Just remember that when you’re kicking Alejandro’s ass, J.” He placed a hand on Jace’s shoulder and squeezed. “You better win this, or I’ll kill you.”
Jace gave him a single nod.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Alexei yelled in his thick Russian accent. “We gather tonight to settle a dispute between your warriors—” cheers sounded from the crowd “—and a werewolf hunter.”
The cheers turned to boos.
“I ask now that one warrior step forward.”
Alejandro stepped onto the platform, his eyes trained on Jace and blazing with an angry fire. He was buck naked and already prepared to shift.
“And now, the hunter.”
Jace inhaled a deep breath. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it to Frankie before he climbed onto the platform.
When he reached the stage, the air filled with palpable tension. The weight of at least two hundred and fifty eyes fell on his shoulders.
Alexei stepped in between them. “Are you prepared to fight to the death?”
Jace’s body went rigid. “What?”
“No!” Frankie yelled. She leapt onto the platform. “No.”
“Stay back,” Alexei growled.
She stared him straight in the eye and returned the aggression. “Stop this.
Alexei shook his head. “The ritual has already begun. I cannot stop it.”
Frankie stepped forward until she was nearly nose-to-nose with the large man. “I’m the leader of this pack, and I say this ends
“I can’t end it, Frankie.” He met her eyes. “Your hunter agreed to this.”
“He didn’t agree on a match to the death.”
“He did, packmaster.” Alejandro straightened from his fighting stance. “Pack rules state that any sanctioned fight between a pack member and a nonmember will be to the death.”
“That was a dirty trick.” The anger that rolled off Frankie aroused all of Jace’s primal instincts. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and he couldn’t believe that goose bumps prickled across his arms. Damn. Princess had
“The Alejandro I
She turned and walked off the platform, disappearing into the crowd.
The whispers erupted again, until Alexei spoke. “Prepare yourselves,” he said.
Alejandro dropped back into a fighting stance, and Jace did the same.
Alexei backed up to the edge of the platform. He crossed his arms over his chest once again and nodded. “Begin.”
Alejandro charged at Jace full speed, hitting him under his arms in an attempt to tackle him. Jace used Alejandro’s own weight against him and sent him stumbling across the stage.
When he regained his balance, Alejandro turned and threw his first punch. Jace dodged, but another punch came toward his face immediately. He blocked Alejandro’s arm and tried to sweep him to the ground, but Alejandro wasn’t having it. He bent under Jace’s weight and dragged Jace down with him.
They rolled on the floor, until Alejandro pinned Jace to the ground. He punched again, this time aiming for Jace’s jaw. Jace twisted his head in time for Alejandro to slam his fist into the platform. The warrior let out a loud yelp.
Grabbing hold of Alejandro’s injured wrist, Jace grasped his fingers and twisted them in the opposite direction. The bastard crumpled and fell, completely under Jace’s control. Jace slipped out from underneath him and pinned the werewolf to the ground.
Alejandro bucked against him, trying to throw him off. “Aren’t you man enough to fight?” he said as he strained against Jace. “Or can you only block my moves?”
Jace ground his weight against his opponent, needing to keep Alejandro pinned down, and let out a low feral growl. “Don’t push me, asshole.”
“Or what? You’ll finally hit me?”
Jace slammed his palm into the bastard’s throat, then held tight, slowly crushing his windpipe. He could feel Alejandro’s veins pulse beneath this hand as the man gasped for air. “Don’t make me do this. Agree to let me go after Allsun and I won’t kill you.”
Alejandro’s face reddened as he fought for air, but he gritted his teeth and shook his head.
“Have it your way, then.” Jace’s hold tightened.
“Don’t! Please!” a woman yelled from the crowd.
Jace looked up, but the voice wasn’t Frankie’s. A petite blonde was running toward the edge of the stage, and that moment of distraction was all it took. Jace glanced back down at Alejandro, only to rear back. Fur had sprouted across Alejandro’s skin, and his face had lengthened into the snout of a wolf.
Jace scrambled off Alejandro just in time for the wolf to flash his fangs.
The wolf rose onto its feet and crouched, ready to spring. Jace backed to the edge of the platform.
“Jace, concentrate.” Frankie’s voice rang in his ears, and a surge of adrenaline shot through him.
The wolf snarled as it bounded toward him. Jace focused on the anger rising up inside him. Alejandro hit him square in the chest and knocked him to the ground. They rolled around on the platform in a snarling heap. Alejandro scratched his paws across Jace’s face. A sting of pain shot through Jace’s cheek, and a warm trickle cued him in: Alejandro had been the first to draw blood.
As far as Jace was concerned, it was practically an invitation. He punched the wolf in the jaw. Yelping, the werewolf reared back. A snarl ripped from its throat. Jace howled in pain as the animal sank its canines into the flesh of his shoulder. Blood poured down Jace’s chest.
The wolf released his shoulder and prepared to strike again, like a venomous snake. Jace shoved against Alejandro’s neck and focused all his energy into shifting as he stared into the wolf’s golden eyes. He felt the beast
