Chapter 48: 49

"Louve, I would never have thought in a million years that you are the sort of person who likes taking part in gaming competitions because of the way you play video games. The crowd now has a better view of the finish line, which is continuing to come into focus. Please go in the SUV so that I may have a brief conversation with Elda about the situation. I'll be right back. I ask that you kindly be patient with me.

It was almost easy to pick up on Louve chuckling in the tone of his voice. The speaker made a statement along the lines of "Based on what I've heard, it looks as though you honestly believe that I would," and I can only guess that this is what they meant by it.

The speaker said, "We will be able to get out of all of this difficulty if you come right now," and the audience enthusiastically agreed.

You may respond by saying something like, "I'd rather lie beneath an elephant as it's spewing out with my mouth wide open than do that." This could be an example of a possible reaction. To provide just one example, one may say, "I'd rather sleep beneath an elephant as it's spewing up with my mouth wide open."

"You are not in the least bit oblivious to the results that are going to materialize as a direct consequence of the acts that you have been doing up to this point. It is not impossible that Elda will be one of the people who finishes up suffering as a direct result of this situation. The likelihood of this happening is high. Do you really want it to be something that preoccupies your thoughts and keeps you up at night?"

Since I have not authorized you to do so, you are not permitted to hold it against me as a result. I'm sorry, but things just work out that way. If someone is hurt today as a direct result of your unwillingness to let go of something that was never rightfully yours to begin with, then it will be because you are unable to let go of something that was never rightfully yours to begin with. She was prepared to bet that, if Aura had been within reach, she would have given her a slap for it, and she was betting that she would have done so. If Aura had been within reach, she would have given her a smack for it. If Aura had been in close proximity, she would have smacked her across the face for doing that.

"Don't be staring at Louve, look at me." The manner in which Lupa spoke commanded attention. "I'm the one about whom you should be most concerned."

Aura speculated that Elda must have a morbid fascination with her own demise. "This is the only thing that comes to me that might possibly explain why you would abduct my partner," the speaker said.

With a grin on her face, Lupa said, "Kidnap your partner." "I believe that you will discover that Louve is mine."

"My imprint is on her body."

"Not a mark, but a wound," she said, "one that I disguised very neatly with a mark of my own."

Aura said with a sneer, "She's mine."

Disagreement rumbled from the mouths of the seven guys who were gathered around her at that moment. Louve couldn't help but observe that in contrast, despite Aura having a sizable crew, they didn't seem to be standing with him. This was something that Louve couldn't help but notice. There was no one encircling him or sizing up the rest of Lupa's pack in order to choose a combat partner of their choosing in the event that the situation escalated into an all-out brawl. They were merely...present in the space.

"Well, here's the situation, Aura. I have Louve as my mate, and I would murder anybody who attempts to take her away from me. I have already claimed her as mine. If you are able to acknowledge that fact, you will be able to live your life and leave this location without further incident. If you can't, then then, I guess you just don't care about living."

"So it seems that we will have to fight it out."

Louve gaped. "Are you kidding? I can't believe you just said that. Why make the effort, if you ask me? You can't possibly tell me that you're so fixated on the concept of shattering my spirit till I'm some kind of slave, because I just won't believe you.

"Is that what he had in mind all along?" Lupa's wolf pounced on him in an attempt to seize control and devour him.

Aura gave a casual shrug. "What man wouldn't want to be able to take a fiercely independent woman like Louve and mold her into a stunningly obedient slave?"

According to Louve, "Well, they Would Be the Sane Males."

"Step back, darling," Lupa said as he took off his t-shirt and then worked on the fly of his pants. "I'll get it," he said. You must have heard him. He is determined to go to war with it.

If she hadn't learned from previous encounters that when two powerful male wolves decided to fight, it was a sign that the situation had already beyond the point of no return, she could have made an effort to diffuse the tension. She was overcome with an odd desire to kiss Lupa, but she was aware that this would make him seem weaker than he already was.

Lupa's tone was calm but frigid as she addressed Aura's challenge with the phrase "to the death." "We fight to the point of death." After hearing what Aura had planned for Louve, Lupa's wolf was determined to have Louve's throat ripped out before he could consider himself satisfied. Lupa would not be able to prevent him from becoming wild in any manner.

Aura, who was now nude, gave a little nod. "Till death do us part." In a matter of seconds, he had transformed into a big sand-colored wolf with a growling grin on his face. Suddenly, his bones began to crack and he began to experience other physical changes.

But Lupa was bigger, as Louve quickly discovered when she witnessed him transform into a stunning silvery grey wolf measuring roughly seven feet in length and standing around thirty-two inches tall. Because of his massive frame, highly muscled neck, and muscular limbs, he seemed to be every bit as scary and overawing in wolf form as he was in human form. His ears were perked up, his lips were curved back, displaying his fangs and gums, and his hackles were elevated, indicating that he was enraged. His angry eyes were piercing into Aura. The roar that was coming from him was more like the sound of a boat engine.

The sandy wolf sprung up quickly from his crouching posture and charged straight towards the gray wolf, but he was only able to reach close enough to the other animal to clench his fangs. The grey wolf did not make a single move and just remained there looking intimidating. He was emphasizing the fact that he was the more powerful animal in this scenario by not moving a muscle. The sandy wolf made a gradual turn back, but immediately thereafter rushed forward angrily and snapped at the other animal.

It would seem that the grey wolf then came to the conclusion that the other wolf had already had his opportunity to retreat, and that he was not going to remain still any longer. He started to circle the sandy wolf while growling at it. The sandy wolf imitated his movement, and soon the two of them were surrounding each other. The sandy wolf barked at Louve, either due to the fact that he was foolish or possibly due to the fact that he was suicidal. It was the moment when her partner became wild.

The grey wolf made an aggressive move at the other wolf, and the two of them came together in a struggle that included their claws and fangs. It was like viewing a video in fast-forward action since shifters had better speed and strength. While each wolf struggled to hold the other to the ground, there was snarling, body slamming, clawing, biting, and side swipes. All of these actions occurred simultaneously.

As the grey wolf bit down firmly on the other wolf's rear leg and caused him to howl loudly, Louve grimaced in pain. The yelping eventually turned into whimpering, and then the grey wolf pulled the sandy wolf's leg so forcefully with his enormous teeth that it snapped. Oh wow, it had to sting a little bit. As the wolf that had been hurt attempted to get himself up off the ground, the other wolf pounced on him and knocked him over onto his back. The grey wolf then executed a standard wolf shifter killing maneuver by slashing open his opponent's abdomen with his claws while simultaneously closing his jaws around his opponent's neck and choking him to death. It just took him one swift pull to rip the challenger's neck out of his body.

When it was finally done, it felt like it had lasted an eternity, but in reality, it couldn't have been more than a minute until the feral wolf gained the upper hand and defeated the sandy wolf. The phrase "overpowered" doesn't do it justice. As all hell broke loose, the grey wolf seized the dead corpse of the other wolf by the neck and was shaking it like a rag doll while loudly roaring.

The grey wolf continued to assault the corpse for many more minutes, displaying no symptoms of being fatigued or calm, as well as no indication that it was eager to give up its pursuit of the meal. It was very evident that he was not going to emerge from his wild condition in the near future.

Louve said that "one of us is going to have to do something" in response to the situation.

Ziva shrugged. When he is in this state, you have no choice but to let him work himself to exhaustion on his own.

Trick nodded. "At least he didn't try to attack any of us this time," someone said.