Page 137 of Wolf Blood

Another one appeared on the left side.

Their movements were casual, but the ease with which they fell into position told me that this wasn't new for them.

Almost all of them had been soldiers in the war. I'd known that, even if I hadn't seen evidence of it before.

Here was my evidence.

"The Wilder Pack is siding with you in the vampire situation," the challenger growled at Rhone.

It wasn't a question.

Rhone answered it anyway. "Yup."

"Are they going to kill everyone who challenges him?"

"You know Zane as well as I do, Josh. What do you think?"

Josh cursed.

"Either withdraw or get away from my mate and Mav's," Rhone said flatly, ignoring the question altogether. "You're lucky we haven't already killed you for your stupid fucking prejudice."

"Fine. I withdraw my challenge, and wish both of you and your mates well," he gritted out.

"Your withdrawal is accepted."

A few of the enforcers who had been around us followed Josh out of the clearing and toward the parking lot.

The remaining enforcers disappeared. The one Bloom had been talking to returned to their conversation like nothing was wrong.

Rhone lifted me off of Bloom and sat back down like nothing had happened at all. The hand he slid beneath the hem of my shirt was more visible when he held me that time, though.

The third fightwas even bloodier than the second.

The Wilder wolves were making the challenger suffer. My fangs throbbed through the entire long, drawn-out torture session.

I was both starving and queasy when it finally ended, and the final Wilder wolf challenged the guy.

We all knew how that fight was going to end.

"Why doesn't he withdraw?" Bloom whispered to Rhone, as a grimacing Maverick talked with the challenger.

"He knows they'll kill him anyway. His pride won't let him go out without a fight, either."

"But this is awful." Bloom looked significantly more nauseous than I felt.

"He knew there was a chance Mav would end him when he made the challenge. This is what he asked for," Rhone pointed out.

"Maverick wouldn't have done it like this."

"No. But he could, if he wanted to." Rhone glanced over at a group of five of the other challengers who were walking toward us together.

He set me back down on Bloom's chair with her.

The enforcers closed around us, blocking us from the men again as they approached.

One by one, they all withdrew too. They didn't question Rhone. Just backed out, and walked away.

Over the next hour,there was a constant flow of challengers doing the same. Some came over to argue with Rhone for a few minutes first. He was an extremely unreceptive person to argue with. I had to bite back a laugh on multiple occasions.