Astaroth couldn’t believe this. “You’ve fought werewolves before,” he said slowly. “And you think it’s admirable they’re willing to punch you?”
She shrugged. “Think of it like sparring in martial arts. If your opponent is capable, why not treat them that way?”
And yes, all right, Astaroth understood that line of thinking and had dueled a few lady pirates back in the day, but this was different. This was Calladia, and no matter how strong she was, all mortals were breakable. “They could hurt you.”
“A little pain spices things up, don’t you think?” As if that sentence wasn’t enough to play havoc with the pleasure centers of Astaroth’s brain, Calladia followed it up with a wink.
“Guh,” was all he managed to say.
Fresh cacophony sounded from the entrance to the Red Deer.
“What now?” Astaroth asked, resenting this interruption even more than the first. To his horror, a second rugby team was jumping and shouting and smacking one another’s bums in the lobby, these ones dressed in blue jerseys proclaiming Soundview Shifters. “More werewolves?”
Bronwyn passed by the table, menus in hand. “They’re a mix of shifters, not werewolves.” She pointed at the tallest man, who had a bushy brown beard and a bun. “The captain is Ranulf, a bear-shifter, and his second, Cooper, is a corgi-shifter.”
Astaroth eyed the shorter man next to Ranulf. He looked buff, but still. “A corgi-shifter?” he asked skeptically.
“Have you ever seen a corgi at the dog park?” Bronwyn asked. “They give zero fucks.” She smiled, then hurried away to greet the newcomers.
“This is exciting,” Calladia said. “A rival team?”
He did not like the way she was ogling those shifters. “So, about the quest,” he said in an attempt to distract her. “Should we—”
“Ranulf!” Kai shouted the name and launched out of his chair. “I’m amazed you have the courage to show up here after the beating we just delivered on the pitch. Eager for more?”
“Yes,” Calladia hissed, doing a fist pump. “Rivals!”
Astaroth had no idea what she was excited about. All he knew was that there were thirty very large and very attractive wolves and shifters in the dining room, which was about thirty too many. In normal times he would have welcomed an overabundance of attractive people, but his thoughts had become obsessively fixed on one specific attractive person, and he urgently needed to hustle her out of here before any of the overgrown furballs propositioned her again.
“Come on,” he said, standing up. “Let’s retrieve Bronwyn and discuss next steps.”
The dryad was nowhere to be seen though, and a rolling metal door had been pulled down to block the space above the bar. The door to the kitchen was barricaded with a table.
Ranulf sauntered into the middle of the room. “You might have won this match,” the bear-shifter said, “but we still have the most wins in the league.”
All the rugby players were standing now. Some were stretching, others punching their palms. One grabbed a pool cue and snapped it over his knee.
“Calladia,” Astaroth said, gripping her elbow to help her out of her chair, “it isn’t safe.”
“Season isn’t over,” Kai said. “Next match, we’re going to wipe the field with you again.”
“How?” Ranulf shot back. “You incompetent degenerates can barely wipe your own asses.”
The insult elicited a burst of outraged grumbling. “Calladia,” Astaroth repeated more urgently, tugging at her arm. She didn’t move, her attention fixed on the rapidly devolving scene.
“You’re a hoity-toity jackass with an overinflated ego,” Kai said.
“And you’re a bum with mommy issues whose closest relationship is with your right hand,” Ranulf snapped.
Kai’s eyes looked about to bug out. “Your man bun is tasteless, and your beard smells like stale chips and defeat,” he nearly screamed.
With a roar, Ranulf rushed forward and tackled Kai into a table, which broke under their weight. Instantly, the rest of the men sprang into action, pummeling one another with fists, pool cues, even chairs. Cooper the corgi-shifter headbutted a green-kitted wolf, and blood sprayed.
Definitely time to leave. Astaroth reached for Calladia again—
Only to realize she was no longer at his side.
He looked around frantically and caught a glimpse of a swinging blond braid. Then a swinging fist.