When Ashared’s growl turned into a sharp bark, Amaruk broke the kiss. “I thought you were a cold woman, Lannahi,” he said. He was breathing heavily. “Good that you put me right.”
He loosened his grip, letting her go, and stepped back. His gaze stopped on the brown wolf beside her, its hackles raised. “Take it easy. You aren’t the only one who has trouble controlling his female.”
Lannahi, who tried to calm her heart and breathing, lost her tongue for a moment, but hearing the laughter of the crowd again, she clenched her fists. “You talked about two conditions,” she said with cold fury. “What is the second?”
Amaruk smiled. “Ashared has to win a duel against me.”
Taken by surprise again, Lannahi opened her eyes wider. “Ashared isn’t a citizen—” she started but a growl interrupted her.
Gladly.
Amaruk’s smile became predatory, and Lannahi suddenly realized that he’d wanted to challenge Ashared all along. This was no longer about trade negotiations but about male egos.
Lannahi glared at Amaruk, but the man didn’t see it, focused on the wolf behind her back.
“Are you ready to fight now or do you need time to prepare?” he asked, making no attempt to hide the derision in his voice.
Now, Ashared growled.
The wolves gathered in the hall began howling and barking in excitement.
Amaruk raised his voice to shout above the noise. “Outside.” He stripped off his shirt.
Before Lannahi had time to react, Ashared jumped off the dais.
“Ashared, you don’t have to—” she began, but the sight of the fury in his eyes stopped her.
The wolf turned its head and moved to follow Amaruk, who had already removed the rest of his clothing and shifted into his animal form.
Sensing movement behind her, Lannahi turned and looked at Lizaar, who was slowly rising from her knees as she had before. For the first time since they met, they didn’t need words to communicate.
Men could be truly annoying.
Chapter 29
Lannahi had seen many duels and bloody wounds in her life, but the brutality of the fight shocked her. The blows of powerful paws that would have crushed her in an instant, the claws and fangs ripping into flesh… Naked fists and blades now seemed merciful in comparison.
When the black wolf bit into the brown wolf’s leg and started shaking his head as if he was tearing into a piece of meat, Lannahi struggled not to look away. She owed Ashared that much. He fought on her behalf. For her city…
Hercity.
The brown wolf smacked the black one with his paw. He managed to free his leg from Amaruk’s jaws, but Amaruk rushed at him, knocking him to the ground.
Lannahi clenched her fists. This should be her fight. She should be the one to suffer, not Ashared.
She’d barely taken two steps forward when someone grabbed her arm. She looked up at Lizaar’s pale face.
“If you interfere, you will humiliate Ashared,” the landshaper said quietly.
The black wolf bit the brown wolf’s paw and jumped away when the latter kicked. Moments later, they both fell on each other, turning into a furious flurry of limbs and claws.
“This is not his fight,” Lannahi said, barely controlling her voice.
Lizaar leaned in and whispered, “Amaruk negotiates with you, but he won’t challenge you to a duel because you are a female. He must think you and Ashared are… In his eyes, he is the…”
“The leader of the pack?” Lannahi finished when the woman hesitated.
Lizaar nodded with a face expressing the same resentment that Lannahi felt. “This is the wolves’ way of thinking. You don’t have to agree with it, but if you try to intervene now, Amaruk will lose respect for you and Ashared. He won’t cooperate with someone he considers to be cowards and weaklings.”
