Freda Pov
The circle was wide but the air felt thin. Viktor was a mountain of tan fur and muscle, his paws digging into the floorboards like he wanted to tear the wood apart. Urdon stood opposite him. My heart was hitting my ribs so hard it hurt. Urdon looked small compared to Viktor. His fur was dull from the famine and his ribs showed every time he took a breath. But he was standing. He wasn't shaking.
"Stay back," Rex said. He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the edge of the circle.
"He's too weak, Rex," I said.
"This is an Alpha fight, Freda," Rex said. He didn't look at me. He was watching Viktor's front paws. "If we jump in, the whole region will hunt us down for breaking the code. Let him do this."
"He's going to die," I said.
"Maybe," Rex said.
