are you doing?”
She put her mouth to my ear. “We’re not in a position to make demands here, Sabina. They don’t want you to sic him on anyone if you lose.”
I glanced at Giguhl. He shrugged. “It’s fine with me. Just don’t get yourself killed, okay?”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“I’m here to help.”
“Behave yourself while I’m gone, please.”
He tried to look innocent. “Who, me?”
Other than the altercation in Central Park with the Lone Wolves, I’d never fought a werewolf. Rhea, however, knew a thing or two and used the few minutes before the fight to give me some pointers. She led me to a small room, which looked like a locker room of sorts.
She held up a square package and a bottle of glue. “Silverleaf for your fangs.”
I frowned. “My fangs?”
She nodded. “Some vamps use silver caps against weres, but the leaf is better. When you break the skin, it flakes off and gets into their bloodstream.”
“Will it kill him?”
“No, it takes a major dose of silver directly to the heart to kill a were. But this will hurt like hell and slow him down.”
“Is all this really necessary?”
She shot me a look. “The full moon is a week or so away, so he won’t be in full were form, but even so he’ll be incredibly strong. Plus, he’s pissed you harmed members of his pack. You’ll need every advantage you can get.”
Sighing, I took the supplies from her. I wiped a finger across my teeth to dry them. Then I brushed some of the adhesive on both fangs. The fumes made my eyes water. Rhea helped me press the thin sheets of silver on the enamel. “Keep your mouth open for a sec so the glue can dry.”
While I stood there with my mouth open, she busied herself covering my chest, arms, and neck with more of the leaf. By the time he was done, I felt like the Tin Man. I finally closed my mouth. The glue tasted like ass, and the silverleaf had flaked off on my tongue. I choked as a few flecks tickled the back of my throat.
“It’s best if you can bite a vein, but just breaking the skin will help.”
I looked at myself in the mirror. With my new blinged-out fangs and metallic skin, I hardly recognized myself.
“I thought you were all about nonaggression,” I said.
She shrugged. “Normally, I am. But sometimes aggression is warranted, especially when it’s in self-defense. If you didn’t fight the Alpha tonight, his pack would hunt you down. At least this way, you have a fighting chance.”
I nodded at her practical approach. “What else do I need to know?”
“The fight is to the surrender. Since he’s the leader of his pack, surrender will mean he’s dishonored and they’ll kill him anyway. So for him it’s a fight to the death. He’ll be out for blood from the word go.”
“That’s comforting. What happens if I kill him?”
She frowned. “All his property will pass to you. But I would recommend you avoid killing him at all costs. This is about settling a debt, not murder.”
I ignored that. I’d do what I had to do to win, no matter what the consequences. “Are weapons allowed?”
She shook her head. “No, that’d be too easy. This is hand-to-hand all the way.”
I nodded, digesting that. Hand-to-hand I could definitely handle.
“I don’t think I have to remind you to be careful.”
I shot her a look. “It’s not like I want to be injured, Rhea.”
“I know. It’s just your sister would be devastated if something happens. As would I. If this wasn’t such a complicated situation, Maisie never would have allowed you to fight.”
My eyes narrowed. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to survive so your plans for me won’t get screwed up.”
“Sabina, I’m not talking about the prophecy.” Rhea sent me a sad look. “Is it really so hard to believe someone would be worried about you just because we care?”
Yeah, it was actually, but I didn’t want to argue with her. Instead, I took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
11
R hea
She put her mouth to my ear. “We’re not in a position to make demands here, Sabina. They don’t want you to sic him on anyone if you lose.”
I glanced at Giguhl. He shrugged. “It’s fine with me. Just don’t get yourself killed, okay?”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“I’m here to help.”
“Behave yourself while I’m gone, please.”
He tried to look innocent. “Who, me?”
Other than the altercation in Central Park with the Lone Wolves, I’d never fought a werewolf. Rhea, however, knew a thing or two and used the few minutes before the fight to give me some pointers. She led me to a small room, which looked like a locker room of sorts.
She held up a square package and a bottle of glue. “Silverleaf for your fangs.”
I frowned. “My fangs?”
She nodded. “Some vamps use silver caps against weres, but the leaf is better. When you break the skin, it flakes off and gets into their bloodstream.”
“Will it kill him?”
“No, it takes a major dose of silver directly to the heart to kill a were. But this will hurt like hell and slow him down.”
“Is all this really necessary?”
She shot me a look. “The full moon is a week or so away, so he won’t be in full were form, but even so he’ll be incredibly strong. Plus, he’s pissed you harmed members of his pack. You’ll need every advantage you can get.”
Sighing, I took the supplies from her. I wiped a finger across my teeth to dry them. Then I brushed some of the adhesive on both fangs. The fumes made my eyes water. Rhea helped me press the thin sheets of silver on the enamel. “Keep your mouth open for a sec so the glue can dry.”
While I stood there with my mouth open, she busied herself covering my chest, arms, and neck with more of the leaf. By the time he was done, I felt like the Tin Man. I finally closed my mouth. The glue tasted like ass, and the silverleaf had flaked off on my tongue. I choked as a few flecks tickled the back of my throat.
“It’s best if you can bite a vein, but just breaking the skin will help.”
I looked at myself in the mirror. With my new blinged-out fangs and metallic skin, I hardly recognized myself.
“I thought you were all about nonaggression,” I said.
She shrugged. “Normally, I am. But sometimes aggression is warranted, especially when it’s in self-defense. If you didn’t fight the Alpha tonight, his pack would hunt you down. At least this way, you have a fighting chance.”
I nodded at her practical approach. “What else do I need to know?”
“The fight is to the surrender. Since he’s the leader of his pack, surrender will mean he’s dishonored and they’ll kill him anyway. So for him it’s a fight to the death. He’ll be out for blood from the word go.”
“That’s comforting. What happens if I kill him?”
She frowned. “All his property will pass to you. But I would recommend you avoid killing him at all costs. This is about settling a debt, not murder.”
I ignored that. I’d do what I had to do to win, no matter what the consequences. “Are weapons allowed?”
She shook her head. “No, that’d be too easy. This is hand-to-hand all the way.”
I nodded, digesting that. Hand-to-hand I could definitely handle.
“I don’t think I have to remind you to be careful.”
I shot her a look. “It’s not like I want to be injured, Rhea.”
“I know. It’s just your sister would be devastated if something happens. As would I. If this wasn’t such a complicated situation, Maisie never would have allowed you to fight.”
My eyes narrowed. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to survive so your plans for me won’t get screwed up.”
“Sabina, I’m not talking about the prophecy.” Rhea sent me a sad look. “Is it really so hard to believe someone would be worried about you just because we care?”
Yeah, it was actually, but I didn’t want to argue with her. Instead, I took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
11
R hea
Similar Books
