And he wanted the same thing, not even appearing cautious from the show I had put on with Elder Venclaire and King Zeller. Instead, he seemed damn invigorated by the thought of facing off against me. And, I couldn’t say the same. Not right now. Not when I was about to drop magically, and now physically, as my body compensated for the muscle, my Core, that needed the energy, sapping my body’s strength.
“You’re looking a little pale, Ms. Jules. I hope this isn’t too easy.” Elder Merrick’s lips curved cruelly, standing a few feet from me. “Too bad there’s no dirt to bury you in after I lay you out.”
I didn’t waste the energy it took to fake a smile or a laugh. “Fuck off.”
Black slashes of eyebrows rose as he inhaled heavily. “You really are exhausted.” He stretched his arms over his head, and I quickly averted my gaze when his shirt pulled up to show his lean waist, a rippling stomach muscle, his navel, and a thin line of black hair over olive skin sliding beneath his black gym shorts. “Wish you were feeling better to make this more of a challenge, but I’m still going to enjoy hurting you.”
I blinked slowly, sighing in aggravation, and glanced to Queen Ruckler. “Would you mind starting this?”
King Collins placed a hand on Queen Ruckler’s shoulder, stopping her, his blue brows together. “Actually, this may not be the best of ideas. It’s no secret you both despise each other. And I don’t want either one of you getting permanently hurt during this if your emotions override sensible judgment.”
Elder Merrick’s voice was snarling and incredulous. “Are you fucking shitting me?”
I waved a hand, a bit surprised by this myself. “If we planned to kill each other, we would have done so by now.” A roll of my finger. “Let’s just get this going.”
King Collins still appeared apprehensive, but stated, “Go ahead, Queen Ruckler.” Brown eyes flayed Elder Merrick. “Keep it clean.”
Well…that didn’t bode well…especially, when a tiny grin graced Elder Merrick’s pouty lips.
I instantly started moving across the mats as Queen Ruckler started counting down…only to have Elder Merrick follow unhurriedly. I paused, glaring over my shoulder, and saw his lips curve a bit more, eyes beginning to glow as he stalked me. I picked up my pace as he acted like the damn dog—wolf—he was, on a hunt. It freaked me a bit, but also fueled my anger to a nice simmering point, giving me energy I so desperately needed.
“Please…run,” Elder Merrick purred softly. “I love when prey does that.”
I didn’t fall for the trick. I kept moving at a fast pace, but altered, jumping to walk backward, glowering, facing him full on as the countdown ticked away. Onlookers watched with barely masked apprehension, and even a little excitement I could tell they were trying to hide, apparently, all of them enjoying a good blood shedding. I put as much distance as I could between us, barely formulating a plan as my Core opened, the countdown…finished.
Instantly, I jumped backward off the side of the mat, blasting its edge hard with a pulse wave violently enough to shake the floor as Elder Merrick threw his arm out, his wolf growling loudly, a furious blast of his power heating the air, coming right toward me. I knew I couldn’t disappear again to the Temple without finishing what I was doing, but it meant I was going to get hit hard. I grunted, throwing my arms up in a flurry, the mat’s edges flying up into the air, landing over him, twisting from the pulse I yanked back in my direction.
Just as his power rammed into me.
I dropped. Instantly. And hard. Groaning in shivering pain as wild animal’s fury wrapped around me, not the chaotically beautiful power I was used to at all from him, hearing him snarl in fury.
Choking in air, I reached out a shaky hand, and sent another pulse wave as fast as I could, even as his power ate at me from the outside in, crawling over me like biting teeth. The mat rolled. I hit it again as tears fell from my eyes, this powered pain unlike anything I had ever felt before from magic, the feeling of bits of me grinding under gnashing teeth. Again, I hit the mat as his wolf snarled in fury, trapped within the depths, a Shifter’s worst nightmare.
Inhaling heavily, choking on bile, I rose on shaking knees, pulling the stars power into my palms, willing it for unmentionable pain.
And shot it at the mat.
Elder Merrick grunted.
Choked.
A growl reverberated inside the room.
I sucked in a breath, pushing off the floor to stand on wobbling legs, moving through the dissipating magic when a portion of the mat altered where he was, and then there was a deafening snarl. Shredding noises came next as I blasted the mat repeatedly. Howls coming from inside. Again, and again, I hit it with my weakening power, and frame, stumbling with the motion, fury rippling through me.
It wasn’t enough.
Fifteen seconds later…the scariest, deadliest wolf I had ever seen tore through the binding.
My breath caught.
Fear arced through me, the wolf as tall as my chest, his black fur slightly curled, instead of straight like a normal wolf. He shook his fur once as if brushing off the trapping he had been in. Paws as big as my damn head. Claws scratching on the rough, gray flooring now under us without the mat. Teeth…fucking long as my hand. White, shiny, and sharp bared at me. And navy blue eyes, glowing and brilliant and deadly, stared back as he hunched, a growl reverberating from deep within his chest, the slow, menacing type anyone would hate to hear behind them in the middle of the night, flaying me as I hurried to scramble back.
“Holy. Shit,” Queen Cooper muttered, oddly her voice carrying. “He’s bigger than Brann.”
Elder Zeller hummed. “And he’s pissed.”
The wolf’s back feet pattered as he prepared to launch.
Elder Farrar murmured, “King Collins, maybe you should end this—”
I screeched, cutting off anything else he was going to say as Elder Merrick flew through the air with his Shifter strength. I dropped, rolled, and landed on my knees, white stars fire flaming from my palms. It hit his furry flank, a baying howl echoing loudly until he hit the ground, rolling, jumping easily to his paws. And, it had only pissed him off further as I jumped to my feet, scrambling back.
Flying on instinct, I opened my Core, ready to access the Temple again…until a blast of furious wild animalistic magic slammed right through my chest. Shoulders heaving, I screamed in agony as those fucking gnashing teeth seemed to attack my Core, dropping to my knees. Instant tears welled and flooded down my cheeks as a straight shot of relentless power aimed through me, consuming me in horrendous, unyielding agony.
He stalked toward me, unfeeling, uncaring, growling low until he was towering above my kneeling position, my screams becoming hoarse.
Lids dipping over soaked cheeks, knowing it was done, unable to access my powers, my Core churning, ripping, I choked, “Fuck you.”
He lifted a paw, snarling in my face, and shoved my shoulder brutally.