Juniper
Linnea tried to get me to eat that night and the next morning, but I was too nervous. My stomach twisted into knots every few seconds, and nausea roiled in my gut. Even drinking water was difficult. Sleep had been impossible to come by as the looming fight pushed away any possibility of resting.
Once I’d been told about the time of the fight, the hours started ticking by like seconds. The speed made me dizzy. Nothing I did managed to slow it down.
Too worried to do chores, too stressed to continue training, I spent most of the day closed up in my room.
I needed the time and silence to mentally prepare myself, and I didn’t want to face Eugenia or Levi—Eugenia because I was sure she’d do or say something to intimidate me even more; Levi, because I was worried he’d talk me out of this.
With my anxiety so amped up, I truly feared I’d buckle and allow him to take this burden from my shoulders.
Early in the afternoon, the sound of hollow, heavy boot thuds were in the hall outside my door. By the heaviness of the steps, there was only one person it could be. Levi. I stared at the door, waiting for him to knock. Part of me hoping he would, and another part desperately praying he wouldn’t.
Then, as though coming to a decision, he walked away without knocking.
The emotions warring inside me were various degrees of sadness, relief, happiness, anger, and acceptance.
It wasn’t until an hour later that I realized I might never see Levi again.
If I died in the fight, then we wouldn’t be able to tell each other anything again.
That revelation sent me rushing from my room.
As angry as I was with him, I couldn’t allow that fight to be the last thing we said to one another.
Sprinting to his cabin, I tried to think of the words I’d say. Would I say goodbye? Would I try to get him to apologize to me? Would I apologize to him? Even as I pounded on his door, I still wasn’t sure.
When it swung inward, I sighed in disappointment. Rainier stood at the entrance instead of Levi.
“June, what’s wrong?” he asked, frowning at me. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready? The challenge is supposed to start in a half hour.”
Nodding frantically, I stood on my tiptoes trying to see into the cabin behind him. “Yeah, but I wanted to talk to Levi before I go.”
His face went slack. “June…uh, he’s not here. He went for a run to burn off some energy.”
“Oh,” I said. “Uhm, did he say when he’d be back?”
Wincing, Rainier shook his head. “He’s not allowed to be in attendance, so I have no idea when he’ll be back. I’m sorry.”
I took a single step back, nodding absently. “Okay. Sure. Got it.”
“Hey, you’re gonna do great,” Rainier said, and I could hear the lie as he spoke it. He was trying to make me feel better, but he didn’t believe I had a chance at winning either.
“Sure,” I muttered. “I guess I’ll go get ready.”
Without another word, I turned and walked away from the cabin.
As I went back to my room, I shot a few glances at the forest, wondering where Levi might be, cursing myself and him at the same time.
I shouldn’t have been so angry with him, but he shouldn’t have done what he did in the first place.
Now, I might die and never be able to see or talk to him again.
He just up and left? He couldn’t be bothered to stick around and see me one last time?
I was on the verge of tears when I stepped back into my room to find Linnea waiting for me.
She jumped up from my bed. “Where were you? I thought you…” she trailed off when she saw my face. “Oh, sweetie, what’s wrong?”
Sobbing, I told her what I’d been thinking and feeling, and about Levi being gone. Linnea hugged me until I was done, then held me at arm’s length.
“You’re gonna do great, you hear me? That bitch doesn’t know what’s coming for her.”
Snorting, I wiped my face with my sleeve. “I guess we’ll see.” I glanced out the window. The sun was slipping low toward the horizon. “Is it time?”
Linnea shrugged a shoulder. “Looks like it. A bunch of the women headed into the woods a little while ago. The fight’s gonna be in a clearing about a hundred yards from town. Far enough away that none of the men will be able to see what’s happening.”
Sniffling, I bent to retie my shoes, tightening them to get ready to fight and run. “Aren’t we worried about the Red Maw?”
“Trust me,” Linnea said. “If those assholes are anywhere around, they won’t want anything to do with a bunch of female wolves who are all hyped up to watch a fight. Two to three scouts won’t be anything compared to a hundred female shifters.”
“Fair point,” I said, straightening. “All right. Screw it. Let’s get this over with.”
Linnea took my arm and led me outside. In the distance, I could see a small train of stragglers heading into the forest. Women and girls who didn’t want to be late to the fight.
I couldn’t blame them. This was probably more excitement than they ever got.
Regardless of how this turned out, they’d have a new woman running the pack alongside Levi.
Either one he wanted, or one he didn’t. I had no clue what Levi would do if—when?
—Eugenia won. It was obvious he wanted nothing to do with her romantically, but he loved the pack and his people too much to allow them to split.
Truly the only way this didn’t turn out poorly was if I won.
So…no pressure at all, I thought to myself, bitter sarcasm lacing the words.
When we stepped out into the clearing, Eugenia stood at the opposite side, looking calm and relaxed.
It was cold, but she was dressed in nothing but shorts and T-shirt, showing off her muscular legs and arms, flat stomach, and lean body.
If she was trying to intimidate me with her physical form, she was doing a damn good job.
“Are you ready, June?” She had a cocky smile on her lips. Her face was pink, and it looked like she’d been warming up. I felt even more stupid for having done nothing all day but wallow in my room.
“Yeah,” I said, disconcerted at how weak and small my voice sounded.
The circle of women looked on, eyes darting between me and Eugenia.
Few looked happy about what was about to happen.
Most look worried or nervous. The only ones who looked eager were the ten women in Eugenia’s main friend circle.
None of them appeared to be worried in the slightest about their friend’s ability to win the fight.
An old woman, the oldest in town, stepped forward.
Frail but still sure-footed, she walked to the center of the circle.
Her solid white hair was cut close to her scalp.
Her skin, deeply wrinkled, was still a beautiful, deep umber.
She rarely left her cabin due to age, but I’d seen her a few times.
Her name was Claudette, and she was one of the first people Levi had rescued.
Hidden Grove didn’t have the typical elder group who helped run things, but many considered Claudette to be the elder of the pack, and since this was a challenge between women, she would initiate the proceedings.
“Good evening, ladies,” she said, her voice surprisingly strong and resonant. “Are you both in agreement to this challenge?”
She glanced at Eugenia, who gave a short nod, never taking her angry glare from my eyes. When the old woman looked at me, I nodded, hoping it looked half as confident as Eugenia’s.
“Very well,” Claudette said. “As with any challenge, the winner will have the chance to either banish the loser from the pack or allow them to remain. If the loser should remain, they acquiesce to the winner. Any attempt to undermine the winner later on will be seen as breaking the agreement, and the entire pack will then banish that person. Is that understood?”
We nodded our acceptance of the rules.
“Very well. This fight does not have to be to the death,” she said, giving each of us a stern look.
“I repeat, this fight does not have to be to the death, but if death should occur, the winner will not be held responsible, as both have entered into this challenge as consenting and understanding adults. Correct?”
She pointed an ancient, but steady finger at me. I nodded slightly. This was really happening. Terror and fear warred within me, and I had to clench my hands into fists to keep them from shaking.
“Let’s get on with this,” Eugenia called out.
Claudette bowed her head and backed away, joining the circle of women. “Very well. You may begin.”
Linnea left my side, melting into the crowd. Her absence felt like losing a parachute mid-fall. The air suddenly seemed colder, more abrasive, as the wind blew across my skin. Grinning, Eugenia paced back and forth, keeping her eyes on me.
“So? Still can’t shift?” she asked, holding her arms out on other sides, open as if waiting for an embrace. “Still only half a shifter?”
Taking a step forward, I swallowed, willing myself to stay as calm as possible. “Are you going to keep flapping that jaw, or are we going to fight? Or are you too scared to lose?”
For about one half second, I was inordinately proud of that statement, of how brave I sounded. That pride vanished an instant later when Eugenia unleashed a growl and shifted.
Eyes wide, I took in her form. Light gray fur with black streaks, sharp pointed teeth. My feet were bolted in place by shock and fear. It wasn’t until Eugenia leaped forward, flying through the air with her teeth aimed at my throat, that I managed to leap aside, rolling out of the way.
Eugenia nearly collided with the crowd. The women behind me leapt back, gasping as Eugenia slid to a stop and turned to attack again.
Scrambling to my feet, I backed away as she snapped at my feet, jaws clicking together with brutal speed.
Her teeth caught one of my shoelaces, and I fell back, crashing to the ground.