Chapter 7

The next day was bat-shit crazy.

Late afternoon we were called outside to their festival grounds, which was really just a large, wide-open clearing in the middle of the forest. Right next to it, a tall, carved stone structure stood, the arena where the final alpha challenge would take place. Colorful banners fluttered in the breeze, the scent of grilled meats wafting through the air.

Rows of makeshift stalls littered the pathways, offering an array of goods. I saw everything from potions, herbal remedies, and special clothing custom-designed to shift with you. An image of panther-Callan wearing a suit had me doubled over in laughter, just the thought of the little tie he"d have to wear around his neck sending me into a fit.

We passed tons of artwork, sculptures of different animals, and moon motifs on almost everything. One booth we passed had a small rabbit"s foot hanging on a keychain that I immediately smelled as a real rabbit, and Callan had to hold me back as I aggressively lunged at the shopkeeper.

In the center of the festival grounds stood a large sparring ring, its perimeter marked by sturdy wooden posts. Two animals circled each other inside, watching each other warily. A sleek tiger, bold stripes and amber eyes prowled along one edge, confidence in the tight muscles of his thighs. Across from the tiger was a large wolf, sleek gray fur and sharp blue eyes. He waited, standing his ground with quiet intensity, but muscles tensed and ready. We moved closer, giving the ring a few feet of breadth. If push came to shove, the shifter would win over the fence and we did not want to get caught in the crosshairs. Everywhere we went, shifters moved, making room for Wolfe, like he was a celebrity.

A sudden growl pulled my attention to the fight, the wolf"s hackles rising. His eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the tiger pace. With a sudden, powerful roar, the tiger lunged forward, claws extended and jaw hinged wide in a menacing display of sharp teeth. The wolf met his charge head-on, clashing tooth and claw as they collided in a flurry of fangs.

They grappled fiercely, bodies entwined in a primal dance as they fought for dominance. Snarls and growls filled the air, punctuating the crowd"s cheers as they each drew blood. "How long do they fight for?" I asked Wolfe, not able to take my eyes off the spectacle.

"Until one of them submits," he said with a shrug. "Sometimes they don"t."

"They don"t?"

"Shifters are a stubborn type, and my father fosters brutality. Sometimes they just kill each other." His expression was blank, his eyes staring darkly at the fight that raged on. I sighed, taking a self-protective step back from the fight.

The more I learned about the Nexus pack, the more I wanted to leave.

A gasp rose from the crowd as the wolf snapped his jaw tightly, fangs sinking into the tiger"s throat. The tiger"s eyes widened for just a moment, limbs flailing as they tried to strike the wolf, but it was too late. With a muffled growl, the wolf jerked its head, tearing the tiger"s throat open, blood splashing onto the ground like a waterfall.

"Oh my god," I gasped, looking away. My head bumped into a solid shoulder, and Callan"s arm quickly snaked around my waist, hugging me closer to his body.

"It"s barbaric," Lily spat, hatred burning on her face.

The tiger shifter slumped to the ground, his body slowly morphing into a thin, red-headed man, his eyes frozen open in terror. Where I expected horror, the audience merely looked on, grinning and jeering at the carnage in front of them. The wolf returned to his human form, a sturdy, tanned man with thighs the size of tree trunks and biceps to match. And that was not the only thing on his body I could compare to a tree trunk.

"Let"s go," Nia ordered, grabbing Lily"s hand and steering her away, the rest of us following in line. Finn and Oliver were locked in a debate about whether air magic or fire magic would win in a duel, and I wished it had been the first time I"d heard it. Both fae royals were much too proud to admit they may lose in a fight. But my money was on Oliver anyway.

We meandered through the forest until we came upon a couple standing near a vendor"s stall, looking at a set of intricate knives decorated with little crescent moons on the hilt. Lily stopped short and pivoted quickly, trying to drag Nia back the way we came, but it was too late.

"Lily?" a woman"s voice asked, and when she turned to face us better, I almost gasped at the resemblance.

She was beautiful, just like Lily, with short dark hair, her big dark eyes and thick brows the focal point of her face. If you had told me she was a supermodel, I would have believed you.

"Lily!" she exclaimed, brightening immediately as recognition hit her. "Why didn"t you tell me you were coming?" she accused as she took Lily in her arms, giving her a tight hug. She had just the faintest hint of an Indian accent.

The willowy man next to her turned, a grin breaking across his bearded mouth as he joined the hug, effectively squishing Lily between them. She laughed, a light, melodic tone that made everyone else in our group smile. "Hi, mama, hi, papa."

Parents? I looked at them with more scrutiny. At first glance they didn"t look much older than Lily, but if I squinted, I could see it. It was in the slight wrinkles at the corners of their eyes, the lines barely beginning to form on their foreheads and mouths. Even then, they looked more like Lily"s siblings than her parents.

"Who are your new friends?" Lily"s mom asked, taking in our ragtag group, hesitating on Nia"s and Finn"s strange hair colors. Warmth radiated from her as she nodded to Wolfe and very briefly to Callan.

Her nose twitched as she scented us, and I wondered if she was a wolf like Lily, or something else entirely. "Fae?" she asked, surprised. Word had gotten out at supersonic speed when we"d shown up. Rumors were already running rampant, the existence of the fae shocking everyone.

"Yes," Lily said carefully. She seemed almost antsy around them, like she was teetering on an edge where one wrong word would send her careening over the side. She introduced us all, pointing us out one by one as we went around.

"I wasn"t sure I really believed it but . . . " she trailed off, her eyes wide as she took us in with renewed perspective.

"Well," Lily"s dad picked up, "You must stop by for dinner sometime. We"d love to learn more about... well, about everything, really," he said with a slight chuckle, his beard bobbing with the movement. "Fascinating stuff."

"Sure. Once this is all over," Lily said with a tight smile, her eyes darting over to where Nia stood and back to her parents. "We"d better head back, lots of preparations to do!" She took a step back for emphasis.

"Good luck, son," Lily"s dad patted Wolfe"s shoulder, his firm hand giving a tight squeeze. It was clear from his expression he thought he was never seeing Wolfe alive again. Wolfe"s jaw hardened, his eyes narrowing as the older man gave him a wink.

Lily grabbed my arm, dragging me away and with it the rest of our group, her parents watching our retreating forms for a few seconds before they turned away, returning to the shopping we had interrupted. "Lily!" I cried, trying to twist my arm out of her vice-like grip. "Relax. They were perfectly nice!"

"Yeah, now," she huffed, finally releasing her grip as we melted back into the hustle and bustle of the fairground activity. "I think it"s better if they just never find out. Nia can"t be my mate anyway, so it doesn"t even matter if they know."

"What?" I stopped short, almost slamming headfirst into the back of some unsuspecting shifter. "Why would you say that?"

She looked behind us, making sure the rest of the group was trailing behind us far enough that they would have a hard time hearing over the loud voices of the fairgoers. "Same-sex mates aren"t a thing. Sure, we all fuck around, but at the end of the day, it"s all about survival. Fertility. I'll have to mate with a man eventually."

"That"s bullshit," I told her, following as she steered us around a group of children slapping at each other with blow-up swords. "You don"t know that."

"You"re lucky," she said, a dark look brewing before she shook her head, waving it away. "You love your mate."

"And you will too," I told her confidently, pretending not to see the way she rolled her eyes as we kept moving on.