Shit, the guy’s testy. “Don’t you think I know all this?”

“Then you need to start getting here on time, start learning everything you can to make yourself a better Warrior, and assist our young in becoming the best they can be.” The knuckles in his hand cracked when he balled them into fists. He must not have liked me picking that piece of lint off my shirt just then. He growled, further emphasizing his annoyance. “Bren, the Elders don’t approve of your presence. I’m sticking my neck out for you and I expect you to start making an effort!”

“I resent that. I make an effort. Who the hell was pummeling evil back to hell with you just the other week?”

Aric leaned forward. “Engaging in the occasional clash with the dark ones isn’t enough. You need to sharpen your fighting skills as a wolf and as a human. They’re average at best, and we don’t know what shit we’re going to face.” He watched me carefully, trying to gauge my reaction to his tirade. “I can’t drive this into your thick skull enough. You have to be ready and capable of taking on any opponent—whether it’s another preternatural or something that rises from the demon realm.”

I tucked my hands behind my head, seriously not giving a crap. “Aric, you saw me in action last week. My fighting skills are awesome.”

“No, they’re not. You’re a brawler. All those kung-fu movies you’ve claimed to have watched are not enough. You need to study actual technique and form. It’s the only way to ensure your survival and that of the earth’s.”

I’d survived a hell of a lot more than this rich boy and his buddies ever had. The prick was totally asking for it. “I don’t have to do jack. I can kick any one of your Warriors’ asses.”

Aric’s lips curved into a smile. “Really? You’re saying you can take Gemini, Koda, or Liam?”

I leaned forward and grinned back. “Not only them, but you too, pretty boy. Any time and any place.”

Aric stood slowly and walked around the desk. “How about outside, right now?”

I stood to face him and waved an arm out. “After you, sunshine.”

Gemini straightened. “Bren, I don’t think you realize what you’re getting yourself into.”

I followed Aric out, ignoring Gemini and ready to rumble.

We passed Liam and Koda leading their group inside for chow time. Liam’s eyes cut to Aric then me. “What’s going on?”

I puffed out my chest and winked. “Nothing, buddy. I’m just about to pound the shit out of your fearless Leader.”

There was a brief pause before the tap of fingers drummed across cell phones and the stupefied group clamored behind us and hurried to catch up. By the time we crossed the street and onto the large lawn in front of the library, weres were rushing out of buildings and sprinting down the sidewalks from every direction. Students and faculty alike circled around us. It was about forty degrees outside, and the cloudy overcast sky had already begun to drop the first traces of sleet. Aric yanked off his navy University of Colorado sweatshirt and tossed it aside, leaving him only in a black T-shirt. “Okay, the first guy to get pinned loses. Let’s cut to the rules—”

I stripped out of my flannel shirt and tensed my muscles so they bulged. “How ’bout we chuck the rules and say anything goes?” A loud murmur spread around the crowd. “And how about the first one who gets knocked out loses?” Murmurs morphed into excited shouts. Aric just stood grinning like an idiot. Dumb shit didn’t know what he was in for.

“Fine, Bren, we’ll play it your way. Just to make it interesting, the loser—that would be you—has to do anything the winner—me—wants. Are we clear?”

“Damn straight. Ready when you are, hero.”

Aric advanced. “Take your best shot.”

“How about my best kick?” I led with my foot to the outside of Aric’s knee. As he sidestepped away from my fake kick, I caught him with a left cross to the nose. He winced. I winked.

“Damn shame you punch like a girl.” He landed a spinning heel kick to the side of my forehead when I lurched forward.

I staggered back and grunted. “Lucky kick, ass**le.”

We circled each other with our eyes locked, looking for an opening to attack. Around us the young wolves chanted, “fight, fight, fight, fight,” reminding me of the good ole days on the playground.

Aric attacked first with a jab. I blocked it but couldn’t stop his knee from jamming into my ribs or his elbow that slammed into my chin. I went down. Aric followed, but I surprised him with my speed, meeting his jaw with a right cross.

“Oh. I’m sorry, sweet cheeks. Did that hurt?”

Aric responded with a spinning back kick into my solar plexus. I stepped back to catch my breath, but Jet Li continued with a spinning back fist into my temple and followed with a hammer fist to my forehead. For a moment, I thought my brain had actually fallen out of my skull. I shook my head to try to clear it.

Okay . . . that got my attention. When brawn failed, it paid to rely on strategy. Time to get a little dirty. “So, Aric, have you talked to Celia lately?”

A united gasp spread throughout the crowd, followed by a deafening silence. Even the damn birds in the trees stopped chirping.

Aric paused, shooting me a death glare hot enough to singe.

Liam cut through the mob of students. “Bren, I wouldn’t mention her name if I were you.”

Koda clasped Liam’s arm and pulled him back to the edge of the circle. “Let him talk, Liam. We’ll see just how far his mouth gets him.”

My head jerked around, like I had no clue whom Liam meant. “Mention whose name? Oh! Do you mean Celia, his ex-girlfriend who’s now shacking up with a vampire?”

Aric’s deep growl rumbled low into his chest. “I’m warning you, Bren, don’t go there. She’s not here to save your pathetic ass.”

Heh, heh, heh. Am I getting to you, lover boy? “Oh, I know she’s not here, Aric. She’s busy with Misha.”

Aric attempted an uppercut to my chin, but his fury made him sloppy and I drove my knee into his balls. He dropped like a chunk of granite. Heh, heh . . . a snarling chunk of granite.

I stood over him and shook my head. “Sorry, Celia. . . . Well, then again it shouldn’t matter to her, now that she’s got Misha to help her out in that department—”