The Taste of Home

Chapter 40

While Saguaro Pack had done its best to preserve its traditions, Creosote Pack embraced human influence. It had left much of the amusement park's original infrastructure intact. A massive funhouse that had once housed a mirror maze now served as the pack's nesting area, and the smell of stale popcorn lingered beneath the prey scents wafting from the concession stands.

Even the chupacabras themselves were different. Everything from the piercings studding their faces to their easy, carefree smiles showed how much they had drifted from the old ways. They had not abandoned them completely, as their territory guard and the hunting party carrying in a freshly killed boar could attest, but they had allowed themselves to grow into something new.

Nowhere was this more apparent than the abandoned bumper car ring.

The cars themselves had long since been cleared out, with only the neon sign glowing above the arena revealing its original purpose. A mishmash of spotlights and out-of-season Christmas lights illuminated the arena in a patchy rainbow. Risers ringed the barren concrete on all sides, although only two dozen or so spectators had claimed seats.

Ralph wasn't the only human there.

The others mostly sat with their own kind, but there was no mistaking the ease of their smiles or the few who greeted the chupacabras with far more than just polite waves. It was little wonder Ralph had been so unfazed by Ignacio's boisterous greeting considering how warmly Creosote Pack welcomed humans into their territory.

"Has it always been like this?" Miguel asked as Ralph led him into the stands. "I've never seen so many humans unbothered by chupacabras before."

Their presence made Alejandro's absence that much more noticeable, sending a pang of longing through Miguel's heart. Without his Moonbeam's smile shining on him, the world was a little darker.

"Tonight looks like a slow night, actually, but no, it hasn't always been like this. Hang on," Ralph said as a roar of applause rippled through the crowd, "the first match is about to start!"

A young chupacabra who couldn't be much older than José entered the ring, his spines quivering with anticipation. Oversized, bright red gloves completely covered his hands, hiding his claws.

The human standing across from him was similarly dressed. From his seat beside the ring, Miguel could see every twitch of the man's muscles as he brought up his fists. His grin carried the same ease and confidence as his strut to the center of the ring.

A crooked-jawed chupacabra ushered them into the center of the ring with a flick of her claws. Despite the countless challenge fights etched into her scales by a sea of scars, Valentina stood before her pack with her head held high as she announced the combatants' names.

At least, that's what Miguel thought she said. The instant the pair touched gloves, the crowd roared. Sitting in the middle of the overwhelming noise, Miguel felt as small and lost as a calf that had wandered off the pasture.

A fist collided against scales with a resounding crack. Punches flew in a blur of red as the pair weaved and ducked. Each successful hit summoned a cheer from the crowd, every last member screaming with the same glee as a pack converging on a kill.

All except for Miguel.

He winced as a bruise bloomed beneath the chupacabra's fist. Humans were such fragile creatures. So easy to hurt. Sure this one was putting up a fight, but his opponent was toying with him. How long would it be before he was tackled to the ground, pinned under 200 pounds of pure muscle?

And yet the fight went on, a nimble dance of jabs and dodges until the unthinkable happened. The human hit his opponent's shoulder so hard he slammed the chupacabra against the metal bordering the ring with an echoing clang.

Miguel's spines stood on end. There was no way things wouldn't escalate after a blow like that.

Yet the screams that erupted from the crowd were not those of fear but sheer elation. The human held out a gloved hand, sweat glistening on his face. The chupacabra accepted his help with a broad smile, his sides shaking with laughter. "I'll get you next time!"

"In your dreams!"

A firm hand squeezed Miguel's arm as his breath whooshed in and out of him in shallow gasps. "Too much excitement for you?" Ralph asked with a smirk.

Miguel curled his claws around the bottom of his seat in an attempt to stop his hands from shaking. "What kind of challenge fight was that?"

"Challenge fight? Jesus, Miguel, do you seriously think any human has that much of a death wish? They're just sparring."

"Like hatchlings? But humans and chupacabras fighting like that..." Miguel shook his head. "I've never seen anything like it."

"From what I've heard, this all started with a couple chupacabras from other packs that wanted somewhere to have a good tussle. Then some dumbass college student came here on a dare and had to get a tattoo to hide the scars." Ralph ran a finger over his tiger tattoo, its stripes standing from his skin in twisted ridges. "I'm the reason they started using gloves."

"You fought a chupacabra on purpose?" Miguel's stomach twisted at the memory of the last time he'd seen a human do that. "No wonder Alejandro didn't hesitate to attack Martha. You must have rubbed off on him."

"That was all him." Ralph chuckled. "He doesn't know I do this sort of thing."

"Why haven't you told him?" Considering how much time they already spent around chupacabras, Miguel seriously doubted Alejandro would mind Ralph hanging out with Creosote Pack, especially since he had friends there.

"I'd rather not have him freaking out over all the bruises and shit." Ralph gestured to the fading purples and greens scattered across his arms. The tapestry of injuries stood out against his pale skin not as blemishes but as something as natural as the muscles underneath. "So don't tell him what I do here, alright?"

"I don't think he'd believe me if I did, but sure." Miguel could scarcely believe his own eyes as pair after pair of combatants sparred with each other. Inside the ring, nobody cared whether anybody had scales or fangs. All that mattered was whether they could take a punch.

"Hopefully Valentina won't mind me calling in a favor," Ralph said. "We don't exactly have as much time to chat now that she's leading the pack."

"Is that why we came here?" Miguel asked. With how close they already were to humans, Creosote Pack would be the perfect candidates to help The Crimson Goat bridge the gap between the two species. "I bet she could help us spread the word to the other leaders!"

"That's part of why I was going to come talk to her sooner or later, but I figured you needed to see something. Look at those two." Ralph gestured to the first match's fighters, now sitting side by side and laughing as they tended to their injuries. "These fights always end like that, with everyone doing alright. Wiped out and sore, but alright, just like you and Alejandro will be."

"Stars, I hope so. If he doesn't think humans and chupacabras should have a future together..."

"I've seen how he looks at you if you so much as sneeze in his general direction. Trust me, he knows you belong together." Ralph gave his shoulder a tight squeeze that felt for all the world like a hug. "He just needs time to get the worry out of his system. He'll come around."

Miguel wanted to believe him. Needed to believe him. But these fights were fake. The danger he and The Crimson Goat faced was very real. Would Alejandro truly choose to fight for a better future with him, or would he let them lose the one place where people knew their relationship was as natural and beautiful as the stars themselves?