Bloodfire (Blood Destiny) (11 page)

Yeah, you are looking for anyone who’ll
help you force your control over every shifter in the country, I thought
irritably.
 
“I like it here in
Cornwall.”
 
I scratched awkwardly at
my neck, then realised what I was doing and pulled my hand down to my side.

“I can understand that.” She pulled
slightly at her black shirt, smoothing it down.
 
“I think there are a few of your
comrades who want to leave though.
 
Come on, this is going to be fun.”
 
Her eyes gleamed with a spark of gleeful anticipation.

I sighed and stood up too.
 
Better get it out of the way, I
supposed.

*

The whole pack was assembled in the
gymnasium by the time I arrived with Lucy.
 
It was utterly ridiculous that everyone was being made to participate in
the evaluations, like we were some kind of performing seals here just for the
Brethren’s benefit.
 
It was equally galling
to see how excited some of them were with some typical shifter tics manifesting
themselves.
 
Was that Tom actually
pawing the ground?
 
I tried to catch
his eye but he didn’t look up.
 
He
must still be pissed off with me.
 
I
looked up at the gallery and noted Staines, the blonde and the Lord Alpha but
didn’t see any others.
 
They were
huddled together in some kind of confab.
 
Whatever.
 
Lucy noted my
survey and murmured that the
remainder of the visiting
Brethren were
out investigating the area where John had been
killed.
 
As if they’d find anything,
I thought.
 
There were no tracks and
no traces of anything.
 
That didn’t
mean that I wouldn’t still find out myself what it was that had ripped him
apart like that.
 
I wasn’t stupid
enough to not acknowledge that the Brethren would have skills aplenty but I
knew that I was simply more invested in finding his murderer than they were.

I took my place at the side with the rest
of pack whilst Lucy headed up to the gallery.

Staines began to speak, his voice filling
the space.
 
“Tomorrow evening we
will confirm the new alpha of the Cornish pack.
 
In the meantime, in accordance with the
Way, we shall evaluate all members’ skills to help determine who that shall
be.”

I rolled my eyes at the obvious
procrastination.
 
It was still going
to be Julia.
 
The evaluations were just
the Brethren’s way of reminding us that they were in control.

Staines consulted a sheet.
 
“Nina and Betsy, take your places.”

The two girls stepped forward, looking visibly
nervous.
 
“Begin,” said Staines.

They circled each other warily.
 
Neither had weapons, in accordance with
the rules of the evaluations, but they could shift if they wished.
 
I pegged Betsy as the winner.
 
She had more of
a
tenacity
about her than Nina.
 
It was Nina who made the first move though, pouncing towards Betsy with
a feline swipe.
 
She caught her on
the side of the head and Betsy took a staggered step back.
 
Score one to Nina.

I looked up at the gallery again.
 
The blonde was making notes whilst
Staines frowned down at the fight.
 
Lucy
at least looked down more encouragingly.
 
The Lord Alpha was next to them, arms folded.
 
This was the first chance I’d had to
study him properly.
 
His hair was
pure black, as Julia had mentioned, and he retained a golden all over tan that
didn’t look like it came out of a bottle.
 
And, as advertised,
his physique was…impressive
,
I had to admit grudgingly
.
 
He towered over the other two, filling
the space.
 
I could see what Julie
had meant about having those arms wrapped around you and doubted that he ever
had any trouble getting a girlfriend.
 
I was equally sure that if he
was
your enemy
then he’d squash you without breaking a sweat or giving it a second
thought.
 
I wondered what his were
actually was and shivered involuntarily.

On the gym floor, Nina squealed and I
returned my attention to the fight.
 
Betsy had her by the hair and on her knees.
 
I smiled, before remembering that I
shouldn’t know anything about fighting or appreciate a strong display of it in
any way.
 
Meek.
 
Weak.
 
Meek.
 
Weak.
 
Betsy looked up at the gallery for
approval and the Lord Alpha nodded.
 
With that the fight was over.
 
The blonde took a few more notes then the next pairing began.

The evaluations went by with unhappy
swiftness.
 
I could see that
virtually everyone’s techniques lacked flair or skill but couldn’t decide if I
was pleased or disappointed that there was
no-one
to
impress the Brethren.
 
Once
Johannes’
and Fergal’s evaluation was over – Fergal
won as Johannes’ fighting was about as impressive as his cooking –
Staines called me and Theresa and we took to the floor.
 
Our eyes locked briefly.
 
Theresa knew that she would beat me with
ease for the first time in her life but that she also had to make it look a
genuine win, rather than that I was throwing the fight.
 
I wondered if it annoyed her but figured
probably not.
 
She was a
warm-hearted were-squirrel who I was pretty sure was content with her lot in
Cornwall, not least because she had a huge crush on Johannes.
 
Those two were going to be doing some
serious mating before too long.
 
Maybe she’d help him out in the kitchen then and we might get some
edible food.
 
One could always live
in hope.

I didn’t want to draw attention to myself
by too obviously not trying so I took a step forward, making sure that I was
completely open to a counter attack, and swung clumsily at Theresa.
 
I managed a glancing blow off her
shoulder whilst she retaliated with a fist to my face.
 
The fire inside me started to rise but
I
 
managed
to
immediately dampen it down.
 
It
didn’t hurt much but I made a show of wincing dramatically before trying to
feebly kick her off her feet.
 
She
sidestepped me neatly and launched out her arm.
 
It wasn’t a great shot I but let it flip
me onto my back and lay there for a second, giving her the win.
 
Fast and painless.
 
I peeked at the rest of the pack who had
been following the fight closely.
 
Anton had a smirk on his face but the rest kept their expressions
clear.
 
Good.
 
  
I was pretty sure there was a glint
of approval in Julia’s eyes as well.

Theresa was looking up at the Brethren for
confirmation so I followed her gaze.
 
The Lord Alpha looked irritated so I aimed for embarrassment and
shrugged as if there was nothing I could have done.
 
The blonde murmured something to him and
he nodded briefly at Theresa. She extended me her hand and pulled me up to my
feet.

On our way back to the sidelines, with our
backs to the gallery, I mouthed thanks at her.
 
She grinned at me and I exhaled
softly.
 
With the evaluation done
there was just the interview to get through and then it would almost be
over.
 

Anton leaned over to me when I re-took my
place, “Watch me make your boyfriend howl in agony.”
 
He swaggered towards Tom in the middle
of the floor.

I counted to ten and gritted my
teeth.
 
It didn’t work so instead I
envisaged breaking his nose with my fist.
 
That was better.

Tom had already shifted into his wolf form
by the time that Anton reached him.
 
I could feel the rest of the pack murmuring around me.
 
He was the first one to make such a
blatant show of intention about doing well in front of the Brethren.
 
Anton grinned ferally but stayed
human.
 
By not shifting he was also
signaling that he was more powerful than Tom and didn’t need any supernatural
aid to win.
 
For the first time in
my life I found myself hoping the arrogant prick would be successful.
 
Tom snarled at him and they began.

Anton danced around Tom’s shape with light
steps, teasing him by bluffing forward then stepping back.
 
Even as a wolf I could sense Tom’s
frustration.
 
He snapped his teeth a
few times but didn’t connect.
  
Without warning, and in a blur of motion, Anton karate-chopped Tom’s
back and then danced away again.
 
Tom didn’t go down but he was clearly winded.
 
He snapped again at Anton and launched
himself at him so that they both ended up in a tussle on the floor.
 
Anton managed a few jabs at Tom’s
underbelly but it seemed as if Tom was gaining the
upper-hand
because all of a sudden he drew blood from Anton’s arm.
 
I cursed silently.
 
I’d expected more from Anton.
 
Tom could have ended it there and then
but he pulled back and Anton bounced back to his feet.
 
They eyed each other up.
 
Tom’s body tensed and I could tell he
was going to go for Anton’s left.
 
Unfortunately for Tom, so did Anton.
 
As soon as he made his move, Anton spun
round and scissor kicked.
 
Tom
collapsed and it was over.
 
Anton
swept a mocking bow in front of the crowd and despite my relief that Tom had lost
I still wanted to knock that smile off his face.
 
Meek.
 
Weak.
 
Meek. Weak.
 
I continued to recite in my head.

The remaining evaluations passed without
incident.
 
Julia beat her opponent
with ease and, whilst other than Anton’s performance,
no-one
appeared particularly skillful, I felt proud that my pack had acquitted
themselves without any real disasters.
 
The few bites I’d had for breakfast had done little to fill my appetite
and I was actually starting to look forward to some lunch.
 
Because of the evaluations and his own
forced participation, Johannes had ordered in some outside catering.
 
Excellent.

I started to move towards the door but
Theresa caught my hand and shook her head warningly.
 
Oh right.
 
We hadn’t been ‘dismissed’ yet.
 
It was as if we were bloody kids in a
kindergarten.
 
Staines’ head was
bowed as the alpha spoke to him.
 
He
looked puzzled but nodded anyway and took a step forward.

“Thank you for your efforts.
 
We applaud the pack of Cornwall for
their skills.
 
To complete the
evaluations, there will be a re-match.
 
Fighting again will be Anton and,” he looked over his shoulder at the
blonde’s notes, “Mackenzie.”

Bugger.
 
Bugger.
 
Shit.
 
Bugger.
 
Why make us perform twice? I’d given
them no cause to do this.
 
The
assembled pack on the gym floor murmured uncomfortably.
 
Walking back to the centre of the gym
floor, and trying not to look too pissed off, I decided that the Brethren just
wanted to see the ‘weakest’ pack member humiliated further.
 
Well, fine.
 
I’d let them humiliate me by allowing
Anton to beat me and then I could pretend to slink away and lick my
wounds.
 
The wankers.

The pack members around me were clearly
concerned and tense but I smiled graciously as if this had been expected and
stepped forward to the marked out circle.
 
Anton did the same.
 
He
licked his lips in anticipation.
 
Yeah, suck it up, fuckwit because you’d never beat me under any real
terms.

Mackenzie…
Julia sounded worried.

Don’t
worry,
I’ll deal with this.

Anton pulled off his shirt and raised his
eyebrows at me before undoing the drawstring of his trousers.
 
I was taken aback for a second.
 
He was actually going to shift.
 
He opened his hands out to me invitingly
as if asking me to shift also. This time it wasn’t about an acknowledgement of
power: he was trying to force the Brethren to realise what I was. Bastard.
 
I smiled calmly back at him and shook my
head.
 
God alone knew what the
Brethren thought about my actions after my dismal performance earlier.
 
I’d have to think of a reason for not
shifting later on.