“Well, you’re not totally stupid,” the old lady muttered. “You’re here because I teleported you here. And in case you were wondering, the rest of your annoying pack is back in your woods, well away from my house.” She dared turn her back on him and pointed to Eric. “You, Prime, come here.”
Will tried to jump past Nev, eager to sink his teeth into anyone not deserving of the title.
To Nev’s amazement, without looking behind her, the old lady held up her hand. Will froze in the air, unable to move.
“And you wondered why she scares me,” Eric’s female murmured to Dom.
Dom grinned, and the sight of his smile turned Nev inside out. Hurt, rage, and confusion made it hard to think straight.
“Poor bastard.” The old woman clucked. “Blondie, up and at ‘em.”
Dom kissed the human on her forehead before joining Eric. The pair stood next to each other, not three feet from Nev. This close, he could sense their strong bond, as well as a strong human scent smearing the familiarity of what should have been Ravager guer.
“I’m Gran, not ‘old woman.’” The old lady interrupted his musings. “Have your piece, do what you need to do, but make it good. Chen’s only paying for the concessions because I promised him a show.”
Nev glared at Tommy Chen, sitting so calmly by Eric’s female and another Ravager scowling his way, the Ravager’s arm possessively around her. Had to be the third in Eric’s new pack. Malcolm. A handsome bastard. No wonder Will had been impressed with him.
Unfortunately, he didn’t see Diana anywhere.
“She’s on the other side of the stands with the rest of the Savage clan,” Gran said.
“How did you know—”
“And that ‘human bitch’ you keep thinking about is my great-granddaughter. She’s your queen, you stupid ass. Pay her some respect.”
Nev’s jaw dropped open. “We have no queen.”
“We haven’t until now,” Dom answered, his familiar voice a balm to Nev’s loneliness and a scoring pain against the memories he tried to forget.
“But—”
“Could we please get on to the fight? I have things to do tonight,” Chen yelled. Several around him tittered while others laughed.
Nev stared hard at Dom and horrified himself by asking, “Why did you leave?”
“You left me long before I left you,” Dom answered in a sad but firm voice. “You had a chance to be so much more than your father. Instead, you took the easy way out. Eric rescued me. He saved me from you.”
Nev slashed out with his claws but missed Eric completely. Savage had gotten faster over the years, damn his guer to the Void. “Dom was mine. My pet. He loved me.”
Eric’s eyes flashed. “You abused him; you nearly killed him. Why would he love you for that?”
“I didn’t hurt him.”
“You had him beaten every day,” Eric growled.
“Not me, my father,” Nev said, willing Dom to believe him. “I couldn’t help his brutality.”
Dom looked at him with disgust, his loyalty obviously with Eric. “He was a monster, but so were you. You encouraged him because it made you look strong in his eyes to belittle your poor servant. You blamed me for any and all mistakes you made. Instead of standing strong, together, you used me as a scapegoat. A true prime takes responsibility for his actions. A real friend would never have allowed anyone to treat me the way your father did.”
Nev allowed that it had been weak to sacrifice Dom the way he had, but he’d needed his father’s approval. If Dom had cared about him at all, he would have understood. “Will never complains. None of my clan do. They’re all better than any of you Savages.”
Turning his attention to Eric, Nev sneered. “And you, what the hell are you?” Nev glared at Vicki, who to his surprise, glared back with a wave of hostile aggression so forceful it was palpable. Shaken, he tried to ignore it. “You take a feeble human as queen? Do you really think she can give you the cubs you so desperately crave? She’s a mongrel bitch no better than a whore.”
“No, Gran,” Vicki shouted. “Let this play out.”
The old lady grumbled under her breath and stepped away from them. She must have teleported next to her great-granddaughter, because she disappeared from the field and reappeared in the stands in seconds. She waved at Will, who dropped to the grass, gasping.
“You want a challenge? Bring it,” Eric dared. He and Dom stood side by side. Malcolm vaulted over the rail to join them.
“Fine. My pack against yours.” Nev called the men still with him—Will and the dozen Ravagers he commanded.
“Typical.” Eric sneered. “Can’t face me one-on-one. No matter. We’ll kill the rest, then I’ll deal with you.”
Nev didn’t like the surety in Eric’s ice-blue eyes. The fucker might very well beat him, especially with Dom and that brute by his side. But Nev couldn’t say no, now, could he?
“So, Chen,” he yelled, looking for a way out. “I see you’ve switched sides.”
Chen shrugged and waved down a Voider carrying a tray of popcorn. “I never take sides. I just like a good fight.” He glanced at Vicki and smiled. To Nev’s great satisfaction, she didn’t look so brave now. “I’ll get what’s coming to me. Of that I have no doubt.”
Gran chuckled. “Chen’s a keeper. Funniest Voider I’ve ever met. And speaking of funny, there’s Sean.” She waved and murmured something else to Vicki.
“Enough chatter. Let’s get to it.” Eric lashed out and connected with Nev’s cheek.
Somehow, Savage had gone from clothed and in a man’s form into his guer in a second. But Nev didn’t care how he’d done it. It was time for Eric Savage to die. “Don’t kill the blond,” he yelled to his men. “He’s mine.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Vicki didn’t like being on the receiving end of Tommy Chen’s full attention. He sparkled with energy, uncomfortable shocks that pricked at her, as if daring her to tangle her energy with his. Full of masculine vitality and stubborn sense, he threatened her on another level entirely. Eric, Dom, and Malcolm tempted her. Chen scared her, though she’d be damned if she’d admit it out loud.
She wanted to concentrate on her pack, currently kicking Lawless ass, but Chen scooted nearer on the hard, aluminum bench. Seated a row above him, she should have felt safer than she did, even when he closed the distance between them. And she would have, if Gran hadn’t chosen that moment to go get a hotdog.
“Ah, Gran?” she called after the woman.
“Bah, he’s not your worry. Mind me, leave off the red sauce. Give you heartburn.”
Sometimes her Gran made no sense at all.
“So, Vicki,” Chen murmured her name, as if savoring it. “I loved watching you fight. Much more entertaining and graceful than Ravagers. They’re all brawn, little brain.” He raised his glasses to the top of his head, treating her to the dark swirls of energy deep in his pupils.
“Gee, thanks. Nice to know how you feel about my pack.” She felt the insult as her own. Eric and the others were just as smart as Chen. So what if they happened to be big and hairy as well? “How’s Mei Lin, by the way?”