McCoy (5)

I knew the drill by now. We were in the fighting circle, sizing each other up. Max may want me to take the beta position, but that didn't mean his wolf would let him go down easy. I was bone tired, and my wolf was antsy again. You would think the annoying beast would also be weary after all this. Still, the second Darrel approached us, he got a burst of energy. I shouldn't complain since I need that energy to fight.

Max studies me and my movements. He had to figure out my weaknesses all day, but he still took his time raking over every move I made. Unfortunately, I have been changing my fighting styles all day. I was slow and calculated with the master of arms, playful and quick with the master of the hunt, and solid and steady with the master tracker. Still, there are some things you can't conceal or change about your style, so I had to be aware he might know.

"tired yet, McCoy," Max says out of nowhere. No one has talked during a fight yet. "If you are tired, you can just show your neck and let this be done," my head snapped to him, and that is when he attacked. he likes to distract his opponents. I responded just in time to intercept the hit but still stumbled back.

I tried to make my walk look like I was hiding a limp on my good leg to distract him. His eye snapped right to my leg. "do you need a time-out? I heard that your original pack wasn't much for fair fights since they had to surprise attack a bunch of nymphs and still lost."

he tried to swipe that leg out from under me, but I hooked his leg and spun him around. "We aren't dancing," Max laughed. "Is that what you will offer one day when your mate is in trouble..." Max never finished that sentence.

My wolf snapped that tether that I had on him. We weren't allowed to shift yet, and I did manage to keep my fur from coming out, but the compromise was that my animal nature took over.

I don't remember what happened, but when my wolf released control, alpha Baxter and two other warriors held me on the ground. At the same time, Darrel and the medical team peeled the bloodied-up body of Max off the floor. My stomach dropped. My father always warned me about this, and now I had shown it in front of my old pack and new. Taylor was staring at me like a stranger to him, and my old packmates had disappeared into the crowd with the memory of the last time I lost control. I don't even know why my wolf exploded this time.