I didn’t want to draw attention to myself by too obviously not trying so I took a step forward, making sure that I was completely open to a counter attack, and swung clumsily at Theresa. I managed a glancing blow off her shoulder whilst she retaliated with a fist to my face. The fire inside me started to rise but I managed to immediately dampen it down. It didn’t hurt much but I made a show of wincing dramatically before trying to feebly kick her off her feet. She sidestepped me neatly and launched out her arm. It wasn’t a great shot I but let it flip me onto my back and lay there for a second, giving her the win. Fast and painless. I peeked at the rest of the pack who had been following the fight closely. Anton had a smirk on his face but the rest kept their expressions clear. Good. I was pretty sure there was a glint of approval in Julia’s eyes as well.

Theresa was looking up at the Brethren for confirmation so I followed her gaze. The Lord Alpha looked irritated so I aimed for embarrassment and shrugged as if there was nothing I could have done. The blonde murmured something to him and he nodded briefly at Theresa. She extended me her hand and pulled me up to my feet.

On our way back to the sidelines, with our backs to the gallery, I mouthed thanks at her. She grinned at me and I exhaled softly. With the evaluation done there was just the interview to get through and then it would almost be over.

Anton leaned over to me when I re-took my place, “Watch me make your boyfriend howl in agony.” He swaggered towards Tom in the middle of the floor.

I counted to ten and gritted my teeth. It didn’t work so instead I envisaged breaking his nose with my fist. That was better.

Tom had already shifted into his wolf form by the time that Anton reached him. I could feel the rest of the pack murmuring around me. He was the first one to make such a blatant show of intention about doing well in front of the Brethren. Anton grinned ferally but stayed human. By not shifting he was also signaling that he was more powerful than Tom and didn’t need any supernatural aid to win. For the first time in my life I found myself hoping the arrogant prick would be successful. Tom snarled at him and they began.

Anton danced around Tom’s shape with light steps, teasing him by bluffing forward then stepping back. Even as a wolf I could sense Tom’s frustration. He snapped his teeth a few times but didn’t connect. Without warning, and in a blur of motion, Anton karate-chopped Tom’s back and then danced away again. Tom didn’t go down but he was clearly winded. He snapped again at Anton and launched himself at him so that they both ended up in a tussle on the floor. Anton managed a few jabs at Tom’s underbelly but it seemed as if Tom was gaining the upper-hand because all of a sudden he drew blood from Anton’s arm. I cursed silently. I’d expected more from Anton. Tom could have ended it there and then but he pulled back and Anton bounced back to his feet. They eyed each other up. Tom’s body tensed and I could tell he was going to go for Anton’s left. Unfortunately for Tom, so did Anton. As soon as he made his move, Anton spun round and scissor kicked. Tom collapsed and it was over. Anton swept a mocking bow in front of the crowd and despite my relief that Tom had lost I still wanted to knock that smile off his face. Meek. Weak. Meek. Weak. I continued to recite in my head.

The remaining evaluations passed without incident. Julia beat her opponent with ease and, whilst other than Anton’s performance, no-one appeared particularly skillful, I felt proud that my pack had acquitted themselves without any real disasters. The few bites I’d had for breakfast had done little to fill my appetite and I was actually starting to look forward to some lunch. Because of the evaluations and his own forced participation, Johannes had ordered in some outside catering. Excellent.

I started to move towards the door but Theresa caught my hand and shook her head warningly. Oh right. We hadn’t been ‘dismissed’ yet. It was as if we were bloody kids in a kindergarten. Staines’ head was bowed as the alpha spoke to him. He looked puzzled but nodded anyway and took a step forward.

“Thank you for your efforts. We applaud the pack of Cornwall for their skills. To complete the evaluations, there will be a re-match. Fighting again will be Anton and,” he looked over his shoulder at the blonde’s notes, “Mackenzie.”

Bugger. Bugger. Shit. Bugger. Why make us perform twice? I’d given them no cause to do this. The assembled pack on the gym floor murmured uncomfortably. Walking back to the centre of the gym floor, and trying not to look too pissed off, I decided that the Brethren just wanted to see the ‘weakest’ pack member humiliated further. Well, fine. I’d let them humiliate me by allowing Anton to beat me and then I could pretend to slink away and lick my wounds. The wankers.

The pack members around me were clearly concerned and tense but I smiled graciously as if this had been expected and stepped forward to the marked out circle. Anton did the same. He licked his lips in anticipation. Yeah, suck it up, fuckwit because you’d never beat me under any real terms.

Mackenzie…Julia sounded worried.

Don’t worry, I’ll deal with this.

Anton pulled off his shirt and raised his eyebrows at me before undoing the drawstring of his trousers. I was taken aback for a second. He was actually going to shift. He opened his hands out to me invitingly as if asking me to shift also. This time it wasn’t about an acknowledgement of power: he was trying to force the Brethren to realise what I was. Bastard. I smiled calmly back at him and shook my head. God alone knew what the Brethren thought about my actions after my dismal performance earlier. I’d have to think of a reason for not shifting later on.

Anton was a black bear, which meant he packed a hell of a wallop in his shifter form. This was going to hurt. And once the Brethren left, I’d make him pay. I straightened my shoulders. “Let’s do this.”

He transformed within a heartbeat and raised up on his hind quarters with a triumphant roar. I took a step back and tried to look scared. Be meek, be weak.

He moved down to all fours and pounded towards me. I stood my ground and waited. He got closer and reached out with one heavy claw. I felt my body spinning through the air and twisted so that the fall wouldn’t hurt me too much. I would have stayed there and hoped that it was enough but he came at me again, teeth sinking into my side, their points piercing through into the soft flesh. The pain was excruciating. He shook me a few times then flung me against the wall, which I hit with a thud. I lurched to my feet.

From across the room I heard Tom’s voice snarl something at Anton. Bloodfire pulsed in my skull, vainly attempting to rise, whilst I could vaguely sense Julia trying to use her Voice on Anton. With her status not yet confirmed as alpha, however, there was nothing she could do to compel him. For some reason, compulsion powers didn’t exist until after the confirmation ceremony.

He came again. I dully wondered again how I was going to explain not shifting and regenerating when he hit me full on, knocking out my breath. He raised a paw and extended his claws and scraped them down my cheek before bringing the same claws to his mouth and sucking off the blood. My blood. I felt the fire coursing through my entire system. Anton’s face looked oddly surprised for a second then he did the same with the other cheek before lifting up his entire paw and preparing to strike. Through the haze of pain, I registered the power that he was preparing to put behind this blow and it occurred to me that this was his plan. He’d kill me with sanction and solve forever the problem of the little human. It hadn’t dawned on him that after I died the Brethren would investigate why I’d not shifted and they’d work out I was human. Then they’d kill everyone.

The rage built up inside me and the flames took over. He was playing with the pack’s lives. I sprang to my feet in one movement, ignoring the sudden streak of dizziness. He was not going to do this. Anger took over me and flooded my system but I knew with cold clarity what to do. The fire won. I sprinted back to the wall, aiming just to the left of his crouched body and ran three steps up before using it as a springboard to spin off. I was too fast and Anton had no time to turn. I put my hands round his thick neck and twisted, snapping it in one movement. My bloodfire roared in approval and he collapsed to the ground.

He was a shifter. He’d recover. I wiped a smear away from my cheek and turned and walked painfully out of the room.

Chapter Seven

I limped towards the stairs. My side, where Anton had bitten me, was seeping with blood and I was pretty sure that I had a couple of cracked ribs. I was hardly aiding my own cause at this particular point in time. I dreaded to think about the state of my face after his claws had drawn blood from my cheeks.

Tom came running up to me. Clearly he’d decided that he was talking to me now. “Shit, Mack, I can’t believe that just happened.” He took my arm. “Let me help you.”

“Fuck off, Tom.”

He reared back, hurt, and I sighed at him exasperation. “I’m meant to be a shifter, remember? I have supernatural strength and healing powers. I don’t need help in getting to my own room.”

“Oh, right. Yeah.” I could see his brain working through the implications of my non-shifter abilities. “What are you going to say to them when you don’t heal?”

“I haven’t worked that out yet.”

Mackenzie, they’re heading your way.

No prizes for guessing who ‘they’ were. I cursed and tried to straighten. Pretty lights danced in front of my eyes for a second and I was filled with nausea. Now would not, however, be a good time to faint. Staines and the alpha came striding out of the gymnasium with the blonde and Lucy tagging behind. I wondered idly if that was because they were female and knew their place. The bloodfire returned momentarily at the thought, allowing me to regain some of my equilibrium.

“Ms Mackenzie,” said Staines. “That was an…interesting fight.”

“I’m thrilled that you found it so entertaining,” I responded drily.

The Lord Alpha stepped forward, golden green eyes intent. “I’m curious as to why you put up such a poor showing in your first bout, given that you were able to dispatch the bear so summarily.” His voice was smooth and deep, faintly accented with an indefinable Celtic burr.