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Hope that I carefully extinguished. Hope had never got me even a stick of gum. Plans, on the other hand, had kept me alive for years.
My plan for the night before had been solid. Tonight’s was less so. I just prayed Glen or Brand or someone actually showed up—or one of the Alphas.
Fucking Finnick. This could have all been over if he had done what he’d said and signed me up to fight a no-name wolf. It had been sort of fun to hand him his ass again, though. I’d be sure to tell him that, if I lived long enough to see him.
The fighters for the evening were gathered in the roped-in corral, and they’d shoved their chairs into piles on the side so they could have more room to stretch. I saw Joaquin, Patrick, and the others immediately. I was scanning the group, thinking about the best way to cross unseen to the corral and wondering who I would be fighting tonight, when I saw a wolf I hadn’t expected.
Trevor. Of course, he was one of the only Southern fighters to make it into the semi-finals. Maybe the presence of the other wolves would keep him from trying anything.
Maybe Christmas would come early, and I’d get that fifty-pound wheel of cheddar cheese I’d always wanted.
The announcer’s voice rose over the crowd, calling out names I didn’t know, announcing the first match of the night. I hadn’t missed my fight then.
Making sure not to stare into the lit areas and lose my night vision, I prepared to make a break for the corral, when I heard a voice. “Who’s that? Show yourself.”
Shit.
A Southern Enforcer I’d seen before—although I’d never interacted with him—started striding across the open space between me and the corral. I got ready to sprint, but a familiar voice called out. Luke.
“Enforcer Victor, they’ve seen a suspicious female in the inner circle!”
The Enforcer motioned to the shadows hiding me. “I saw someone here.”
“Go. I’ll check on this one,” Luke told him. “I have to stay by the fighters—Alpha’s orders.”
With that, the guard left, and Luke jogged over. “Stand up and walk casually,” he said from the corner of his mouth.
I pinched myself, just in case I was imagining him helping me. Maybe he wasn’t. “Walk where? To the cells under the main hall? To the whipping post?”
“Stop talking,” he rasped out. “You’re fighting third tonight.”
“I’m shocked, Luke. I for sure thought you’d turn me in to Alpha Callaway. What if he finds out you helped me?”
His brow furrowed. “He won’t.” I gave him a friendly punch to the side, and he almost collapsed. “Damnit, Flor!”
I smelled copper on the night air. Blood? “Luke, what’s wrong?”
His eyes glittered in the reflected light from the fight ring. “My true mate stabbed me,” he said, each word precise. “I get to heal at human speed.”
A wave of guilt rolled over me. “I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t know you, um, thought we were mates when I did that.” I laid my hand on his arm, feeling that strange shivery feeling move up my arm. “Forgive and forget, etc.?”
One corner of his mouth twitched upward. “If you live through this night, I’ll consider it.”
His low voice sent shivers up my neck. I wanted more of it, more of his buttery, warm scent to surround me. I found myself closing my eyes, luxuriating in the feeling, until the words he was saying sunk in.
“—you’ll be fighting Trevor.”
All the good feelings evaporated. “Trevor? What happened to the guys who said they would fight me in human form? The other fighters and I had a plan,” I explained. My whisper sounded panicked, because of fucking course I was panicking. Trevor’s dad had trained him personally, for years. Trevor was a walking piece of shit, but he and his shitstain of a father could fight better than anyone in our pack.
“Our Alpha overrode the scheduled fight. He asked earlier today if there were complaints with the final lineup. You didn’t speak up?—”
“I was hidin’ in a storm drain!”
“The one by the Pack House. Yeah, I figured that’s where you’d gone.”
“Wait, you knew about that spot?”
I felt fingers, soft on my neck, stroking gently. It felt… glorious. My eyes fluttered shut for an instant. “I know all your hiding spots, Flor. I know you think I didn’t protect you—and I didn’t protect you the way I should have. But I did what I could.”
