A/N: Big thanks and shout-out to all the readers who checked up on me during my hiatus. I really appreciate all the love y'all gave.
The crowd hushed, picking up the beat again in time to the drums. And the wolves on the field jittered in their lines. Then, as if on a silent command, they started running parallel to the white edges, one pack heading to each corner.
They jogged in tandem, never breaking rank or file. All four groups arrived at their first obstacles at the same time. The group on Jan's upper left encountered a low picket fence, mirroring those on the bottom right.
Without breaking stride or formation, they lopped over the barrier. Meanwhile, the adjacent teams cantered over three parallel balance beams like Olympic gymnasts.
The rearguard for each group cleared their obstacles simultaneously. Then they hurtled on to their next targets in a spiral fashion, working inwards towards the center.
The subsequent challenge for the first pair of opposing teams was rings of barbed wires mounted on short poles with a sliver of space underneath. Without pausing for breath, the wolves lowered to their bellies and crawled beneath them. While their adjacent colleagues leaped over sets of waist-high hurdles.
When the last wolf on each team cleared their challenge, the captive audience heaved a collective sigh of relief.
"Mon Dieu, I was so scared they'll get caught in the wires," Louie gasped, fanning his face with a handkerchief.
"Me, too." Emily concurred, nodding. "This is the first time I'm seeing anyone use barbwires. Snow Pines only uses the padded equipment or bars from the college gyms. This is so scary."
That bit of info had Jan staring at the wolves with renewed appreciation. And as they worked their way over the next task, Jan's breath caught in his throat.
If all four packs kept on their current trajectory, two adjacent teams would run into each other on either side of the field.
They need to slow down! Do they not see that they're going to collide?
The wolves barged onwards, not seeming to share the vampire's concerns. With every gallop, they drew closer, and Jan's throat tightened with worry. He did not even notice his nails pressing into the leather of his chair.
Slow down!
His prayer, if any deity heard, fell on deaf ears.
On either side of the field, the two teams met .... and merged.
In a fantastic show of agility and control, one leader leaped up. At the same time, his opponent scooted under him, their paths crossing each other without colliding. The next rank switched positions; the row from the first group went low, while the other jumped over. And so on they went, alternating until the two groups cleared each other and separated on their individual inner paths.
"Whoa!" Louie exclaimed, eyes wider than saucers.
Nose pressed close to the glass window, Cody fist-pumped in the air. "Yes!"
The audience seemed to have been released from their invisible bonds as they cheered the participants' prowess. But within a few seconds, their fine net of tension gripped them again as they watched all four teams hurtle towards the last challenge: a single ring of fire in the center of the field.
Mounted four feet up, it was at least ten in diameter, but the flaming tongues eagerly lapping up at the edges seemed to shrink it down further.
Brent shook his head, his face littered with lines of worry. "Ohmigod, four at once... There's no way!"
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Blooded Mate
Fantasy[[MATURE CONTENT]] Pack, family, mate. Loyalty, respect, honor. These are the words that form the foundation of the wolf society. At six years old, Ethan had to choose between his Alpha title and his survival on the night of his father's death. As a...
