Page 24 of Awakened and Betrayed
“This little Vixen and I went head to head in the ring a couple weeks back. She ended my undefeated winning streak by almost ripping my face in half.” Torrez explains. He chuckles like the lunatic he is and rubs his jaw for good measure. “I just started eating solids less than a week ago,” he tells me.
I dismiss his play for sympathy and stick out my lower lip in an exaggerated faux pout. I bring my hands up in front of me and mime playing a tiny violin. “Them’s the breaks wolf-man. I did warn you about your imminent loss. It’s not my fault you didn’t listen.”
Torrez lets out a roar of laughter, and Alpha Silas looks me over with renewed interest.
Questions and mumbles of disbelief sound off around us, and I look at Torrez confused.
“Did you not tell anyone that you had your ass handed to you by a female?”
“I did, but I can’t help it if they chose not to believe me.” He gives me a wink and turns to the group surrounding the Alpha. “This little spitfire walked right into the ring and said,I’m going to fuck up your undefeated record.I thought for sure one of you fuckers was playing a prank on me.” He slaps the chest of the shifter standing next to him and gestures to the rest of them with his other hand. “I couldn’t scent any trace of lies in the air. There wasn’t even a hint of fear or hesitation. I didn’t know what to think.” He looks from the amused faces of the big male shifters around us, back to mine. “I want a rematch, Witch.”
“Anytime. Anyplace. Wolf-man,” I say, with a sweet smile as I pat his cheek.
His eyes heat up at my declaration, and I have to admit the thought of fighting him again excites me.
“Vinna, I’d like to invite you to run with the pack tonight.” Alpha Silas announces.
Heads snap to him in shock. The conversation around us dies like someone went and turned the volume off at this party. Alpha Silas looks nonplussed by the reaction of his pack.
“We don’t typically welcome outsiders, but something tells me you’ll be able to keep up.”
I get the sense that what he’s offering is a big deal, but I’m not sure what to think about it. I feel a squeezing pressure at my elbow, and I look over to find a rigid-looking Pebble. I’d completely forgotten he was even here.
“I don’t think this is a good idea,” he admonishes.
He’s not looking at me when he says this. Instead, he looks past me to the Alpha and the shifters that surround us. That alone helps me make up my mind.
“Well, it’s too bad no one asked your opinion then, isn’t it, Pebble?” I pull my eyes from where he’s gripping my elbow and meet his aggravated stare.
“This isn’t a good idea, and I’m sure the elders would agree,” he grits through his teeth.
“The thing is, I don’t really care what they would and wouldn’t agree with. If the elders have a problem withmychoices, they can fuck off, and if you don’t let go of my arm in sixty seconds, I’m going to give you and this group a demonstration of how I fucked up one of their Betas.”
Pebble huffs out a sigh. “This isn’t about the elders Vinna; this is about your safety.”
“I can take care of myself.” I remind him again, yanking my arm out of his grasp.
He takes a step towards me, and a chain reaction of deep menacing growls begins to rumble all around us. Pebble’s eyes shoot daggers at the surrounding shifters, and his body language tells me that he’s getting ready to square off with them.
“Think about what you’re doing. You’re on their land and outnumbered. You can either start some shit you don’t have a chance of winning, or you can step off and go back to babysitting me like you’ve been ordered... your call.”
He looks past me again and then at me. I plead with my eyes for him not to do anything stupid. I won’t be able to just sit by and watch him get torn to shreds by shifters, and I sure as fuck don’t want to die that way.
“Magic cross,” Mave throws out nonchalantly.
I have to fight my smile at her veiled threat, but it breaks free when Pebble finally relaxes and steps away from me. Someone steps up directly behind me, and I feel the vibration of a growl radiate from them as their chest skims my back. I turn to find Torrez towering over me. I stare at him until he drops his eyes from Pebble’s to mine.
“You of all people should know I can handle myself,” I remind him.
“Oh, I know. Doesn’t mean you should have to.”
I expected a snarky comment or some other kind of teasing, witty, retort since that’s kind of been our dynamic up to this point when communicating with each other. So his declaration and the fierce look in his eyes when he says it throws me a bit.
“Mave. Mateo. Make sure our guest is well taken care of.” Alpha Silas nods at them, then at me, before he moves away from us disappearing smoothly into the crowd of shifters.
14
Iquickly toss back the shot of moonshine that was just handed to me. I expected it to taste like battery acid, but the taste of gummy bears coats my tongue, and I let out a surprised squeak as I swallow it down. Mave hands me another shot right away, and we clink glasses and throw them back. Holy shit, this stuff must be lethal. It tastes like candy and kicks like a mule. Torrez tries to hand me another shot, and I glare at it like the sneaky fiend it is.
