a's

e me up b

f my borrowed shirt, and hauling me from the thin mattress into the chill of pre-mo

hadn't learned because they hadn't deemed me worthy of a conversation. Dante stoo

them, Ti

k as shadow with eyes that looked like molten gold. He shifted slowly, bones cra

nts,his bare chest streaked with scars both old and new

voice echoing through the space . "Either you earn you

. Not wide. Not deep. Jus

in

No threats.

. Win.

. Fal

er than the steadily rising sun. No jeers. No ta

shaking legs. Garric

," he sneered at me. "But I

pen in these past few brutal weeks. Garrick had height, weight and strength...a

unger and something colder all fused together beneath my skin. A refusal to d

ng me sideways. I tasted copper in the blood

et

d

s. My ribs screamed in protest. I staggered, bent by

et

ga

while Garrick continued to deliver blow after blow without holding back. My wolf whimpered deep inside me, ca

t dead.

it, but I held onto it, and while twisting fast, drove my knee up into his sid

hat I could hit back where

hit the ground, there was an audible crack.

t.

. I didn't know where half the wounds cam

ide scream

ck's heel. I would not die nam

ere. N

n the watching wolves shifted. A ri

still s

n faltered. Hi

lute brute strength. But I'd learned from Dante. Fro

sidestepped his punch which made him stumbl

elbow into the

, but enough for him to fina

ift rippled beneath his skin, claws lengthen

e stop

th and cla

I couldn't. But I

d the desperatio

nee with every ounce of weight I had. I heard him curse as

pportunity and struck his th

ehind it. O

or hard, but a

ence spread acro

with eyes like the end of

down at me where I stood, panting, blee

've learned

e. Not kin

tradict his words and judgement. But none did. They couldn't, not even Garrick, who

re?" Tion asked, loud

nted to

your we

n't he

grave meant for me. Stone by stone. Soil by soil. Until it vanished, the only te

d, I didn't ask

ready

a strip of cloth.

r wounds,

thy. But a miniscul

he continued to watch me as I stood t

," he said. "But you'

that weighed me differently now. Calculating,

rs left the clearing. "Rest," he said. "

Too tired

His voice caught me before

he girl who be

n't loo

rises in

ht, I did

e inside, my

e yet. N

wat

iti

arn