Big Bear Trouble: BBW Werebear Shapeshifter Romance (Sweetwater Brides) by Anya Nowlan, Rory Dale Page B

starting to trickle down Evan’s shoulder as he trashed around, trying to shake Alex off.
    Something is definitely wrong with this fight , Karen thought, her stomach knotting.
    It looked like Alex was determined to take Evan out by any means necessary, rules be damned. The referee kept either favoring Alex or turning a blind eye.
    Evan fell back, crushing Alex under him.
    Now the referee intervened, pulling Evan to his feet and off Alex. The wolf looked like he wouldn’t be able to take much more punishment. He crawled to his feet, cradling his right side. His face was stained crimson, his blood mixed with Evan’s.
    Evan said something to Alex, stretching out his arms in a peaceful gesture. The man spat something back angrily, shaking his head. Karen strained her ears but couldn’t make anything out.
    The wolf limped towards Evan, trying for an elbow jab to the face, but he blocked it effortlessly, countering with a kick to Alex’s ribs. The man doubled over in pain. Evan looked at the ref, angrily raising a brow. How far was he going to let it go?
    Karen got up, not knowing what to do. The referee seemed to think it was a fight to the death.
    She started scanning the room for Tom. Maybe he could put a stop to this? In the middle of the jostling mass, a still figure caught her eye. He seemed to be looking right at her. When he noticed Karen staring, he blew her a kiss.
    Kyle . Son of a bitch.
    What the hell was he doing there? Hoping to have another go at her while Evan was busy fighting someone else?
    Karen grabbed Everett’s arm, yanking him down to her level.
    “Kyle is here,” she said, raising her voice.
    “Your crazy ex-boyfriend Kyle?” Everett asked, his eyes widening.
    “The one and only,” Karen replied sourly.
    “I’m sorry to say, I think we have bigger problems,” Everett pointed, gesturing to the cage.
    Evan was leaning on the chain link wall of the cage, bleeding from his chest. Alex’s eyes were tinted yellow, his fists somewhere between hands and paws, black curved claws erupting from his fingers. The referee finally rushed over, saying something to Alex and grabbing his arm. Alex turned around, slashing the ref’s face and kneeing him in the ribs. The man fell and started crawling out of the cage.
    Alex let out a bloodcurdling howl. The crowd started backing away from the cage in confusion and fear.
    “Okay, that’s it,” Everett roared, pushing through the mob of people to get to the ring.
    “This shit show has gone on long enough.”
    Karen tried to follow him but was swept away in the sea of people. Someone grabbed her arm, pulling her inside the mayhem of bodies making their way to the exit. She could already guess who it was.
    “Everett! Everett, over here!” she shouted.
    Everett was still nudging people left and right, determined to reach Evan, who was busy trying to keep Alex’s claws from his face. There was no way he could hear her in the chaos. Karen frantically pulled against Kyle’s grasp but to no end.
    Not again!

Seventeen

Evan
    W ell , this took a fucking turn .
    Evan had grown suspicious when Alex had tried to turn his eyes into mush and the ref did nothing. Did they have some kind of arrangement? But when Alex turned on the ref as well, all bets were off. Guess whatever his deal was, he wasn’t about to stand idle while someone broke the most important rule of all – no shifting in the cage.
    Evan had tried talking to Alex to find out why he was acting the way he was. The wolf only said that he didn’t have a choice and continued playing dirty. Now he had seemingly lost his wits altogether and was shifting in the middle of a fight.
    Alex wasn’t a wolf yet, but he was channeling his animal side for extra strength. Evan knew he would be giving Alex the upper hand if he didn’t do the same. He also knew that shifting so soon after being injured would tear his old wounds.
    The crowd was split. Some were cheering even louder, enjoying the extreme turn the fight