Could he break free? The guards had better hope not.
Unfazed, Bosse paused to glance over, grin, and wink at what was thought to be a black rhino shifter.
Beast went berserk, uttering crazy snorting sounds.
Everyone called this shifter Beast because even in his semi-human form, he was a creature from night terrors. Coarse dark hair with white tips sprang from his head like curly serpents. Patches of gray-brown dense fur covered most of the shifter’s ruddy skin. Thick bands of slick black carapace had formed over parts of his back.
Bosse was nothing special to look at either, but he’d never spent so much time in animal form that he’d lost his humanity as Beast had. When this one shifted fully into his rhino form, it looked nothing like the natural animal except for sharp hooves. The twisted part-human-and-part-rhino head had wide jaws filled with fangs. Shaggy black fur streamed down from next to indestructible black plates covering its upper body.
Human eyes the color of a ripe pumpkin always stared back.
When would Krol toss that monster into the arena with Bosse?
Not until the castle king believed his favorite beast could win.
That time had to be coming soon. Krol hated watching Bosse and Titan win. The only reason he hadn’t outright killed Bosse by now was because Krol wanted to enjoy watching him die from the safety of his throne.
Plus, he would not lower himself to get dirty or risk losing.
Beast raged and made hoarse honking noises that Bosse interpreted as bloody threats.
“Stop bothering Beast,” the guard who had escorted him ordered.
Turning slowly, Bosse stared the guard into silence. “I can’t help that the smell of fresh blood sets him off.”
Beast quieted at that, an ominous change in lower sounds from him.
Whoever used magic, power, or both to alter that shifter’s animal shape would have laughed at the suggestion this abomination got upset at the smell of blood. He lived for it. Who had remade a shifter into this creature?
Bosse’s bet? This thing had been the result of a Black River Pack experiment.
He shuddered at the thought of being captured by that sick group.
Beast slammed the cage, and the steel-plated floor welded to the bars rocked.
The guard following Bosse with a crossbow said, “You know the drill. Stop two steps past the door to your cage.”
Once Bosse had complied, the guard opened the door to his cage, acting as if standing behind the open door would protect him.
Bosse entered, hesitant to lie on his still unhealed back and glad he had no mirror to assess the damage. He had to sit or stretch out soon to offer his body a better chance of healing. He decided to do a psych-out and stiffened his body before falling forward with his arms bent. His hands landed first. Like shock absorbers, his elbows took the brunt of his fall.
Titan’s displeasure rumbled.
Bosse sent back,Sorry. Best way to get down on the floor without more damage to our back or exposing a weakness. He did ten pushups for show, then rolled over on his side with his back facing the cage exit. He forced his sigh to come out under his breath.
No one could sneak in to catch Bosse with his back to the cage without him hearing them. More than that, none of this group wanted any part of him and kept their distance.
After a few minutes, he heard two guards straining to walk and cursing with each step. His taunt about Beast not liking the smell of fresh blood may have paid off, but he tensed. The result of his goading would hurt like a mother.
He told Titan,Brace for the cold bath. He got no answer, but muscles in his back and chest tightened.
When the splash of ice water mixed with salt, as per Krol’s instructions, hit Bosse straight into the open wounds, he fisted his hands rock hard but kept his mouth clamped tight.
Heaving shallow breaths to hide his reaction, he slowly opened his fists. With the initial shock and acidic scald passing, Bosse smiled at smelling somewhat cleaner. Krol must not realize that salt aided the wound in healing. Even if it was a brutal method, that worthless lion shifter would not aid Bosse in any way.
Exhaustion swept over him. Sleep dragged him under. Titan had gone quiet, doing his part to first repair major damage and then work on smaller injuries.
The deep voice of an angry guard woke him. “Who sent healers at this hour? You know what? I don’t care. Just get it done.”
