ENA

as

t goes de

my arms stan

smell of pine needles and river water, a rank, stench slices throu

dropping instantly into a fighter's

's hand tightens o

in the damn

nty feet upst

a dead sprint. Its coat is mangy and scarred, its eyes bloodshot

y-not with Bass right behind me

and step forward

to the shallow stones of the creek bank. I roll with the impact the way I

again, jaws snapp

e slipping a wide right hook in the ring pivot on my left heel, and

old voice rings horribly true in my head: A boxer fig

ch. Before I can reset my guard, the rogue swings its massive fro

ps clean out of my lungs, and I hit the

ers its bloody snout and charge

ts crunch on the stones and a t

Bass

rns my bl

mming it across the rogue's skull with a deafening clang. T

am, trying to forc

he rogue bowls straight into his chest, knocking him flat onto the rocks, and rakes its claw

's b

, and every ounce of boxer's discipl

es. There is only the boy I have loved si

aunch myself across the gravel, slamming onto the rogue's back, hook my left arm under its jaw, and wrench its head back

s once and collaps

y ears, the red haze blinding me to everything except the screaming insti

mble on the r

bling shoulders from behind, tryin

, stop, it's ov

. My wolf only feels hands grabbing m

e se

takes to destr

irl around with

attacker back against

fangs deep into the warm,

p breaks aga

Instead, familiar, trembling fingers slide up into my hair, holding

ren

ices straight thr

h a strangled cry, stumbling away on the wet

ne hand pressed over his torn throat and

like a fist to the ribs. I didn't jus

s an inch from his neck in the dim light, the to

y sealing i