Sly as a Fox {Book One}

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

A/N: This chapter may be too graphic for some readers. Violence and some gore ahead. Reader discretion is advised.

Hero

noun

-a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities

-a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent with great strength or ability

Howls rose from the other end of the clearing and I swerved my vision back to Blithe. His mouth was still lodged around his cousin's throat, the tips of all four fangs invisible to me as they submerged themselves below the surface of the gray wolf's pelt.

We all three knew that should Blithe hold his position, Raphael would be out like a light within seconds, but the gray area involved with the rules established at the beginning meant that, with Monroe acting as the referee, Blithe might as well forego the challenge right now. If Blithe were to  defeat Raph after a time-out was called, I was certain that Monroe would manipulate the situation to his advantage.

We'd come too far for Blithe to give into his instincts now.

As Raphael struggled against the choke hold with claws lashing out at Blithe, I screamed at Blithe through the mind-link, "Let him go! You can't win like this!" My claws were aching to pull Blithe off from Raphael myself if I had to.

Raphael's movements were erratic as he fought for any amount of leverage he could manage. Raphael sputtered as his oxygen was cut off and without any sound able to be heard from his throat, he used the mind-link to taunt his cousin. "Better listen to your bitch." His voice was garbled as he lost the focus needed to make the signal clear.

Blithe growled at the insult, tearing his maw back and forth to dig in deeper, effectively silencing his opponent.

The howls continued as they grew closer. "Blithe! Please!"

With the Alpha Guard just yards away from where we stood, Blithe retched his head back and let go of Raphael with a noise akin to a roar. Raphael all but collapsed to the ground as the paramedics rushed to where Brian lay, but I was more concerned with making sure Blithe wasn't tempted to finish what he had started. Blood dripped from his muzzle and onto the gathering snow as I ran to him. Large puffs of vapor escaped his nose, matching the rhythm that he paced with.

"What...what do we do?" I was reluctant to ask the question, but with our best fighter out of the battle, it came down to Blithe and I to oppose an Orso and an angry - if not slightly lame - Lupo.

With the darkness of his fur, I couldn't tell the true extent of his injuries, but I could smell the blood he was drenched in - largely in part not his own. He was teetering on the edge of a bloodlust, I could see it in the way his eyes blazed with every shift of his gaze, but with what needed to be done, I wasn't entirely convinced that it was bad thing. "I don't know! I don't have a plan B!" He shook his head as a growl boomed out from his chest. "I mean what the hell just happened out there?!" He screamed through the mind-link. "Brian's the strongest Orso I've ever known! He used to be a damn linebacker for stars' sake, but she just threw him down like he was a ragdoll!" His eyes moved to where his best friend was haphazardly loaded onto a stretcher - a feat not made any easier with the gargantuan size of his bear form.

The vociferous cries of the crowd didn't meet us as I focused solely on my mate. He clenched his jaws and gulped a mouthful of air in a pointless attempt to calm himself. "I have a plan, but I need for you to not be a hero this round. Don't try to-"