Jessie drove into the tournament grounds. He heard the buzz of racers already practicing on the track. He parked his truck near the starting gate where the other racers were preparing for their turn. He spotted Brandon Updike in his red uniform. Jessie wore yellow to match his bike.

He got out to unhitch his bike and backed it off the truck, down the ramp, and onto the ground. He rode to the starting gate and received his number for the race. Jessie had been riding motocross most of his life. But he had chosen to stay home on Fate Mountain rather than riding professionally like he had shortly before the war. The monthly motocross races at the track on Fate Mountain were his best outlet. The track had always been the place where he could be himself.

The Updikes had always been a thorn in his side. They ran disruptive and aggressive races, more interested in making other players lose than in winning themselves. He felt it ruined the sport. But sports weren't on his mind today as he pulled his helmet down over his head and gripped the handlebars of his Kawasaki FX. Blood pumped through his veins as he readied himself for a practice round.

He pulled up behind the next set of riders and waited his turn. The smell of gasoline and gravel filled his nose as the roar of the crowd filled his ears. He looked up at the bleachers around the track and spotted his brother Leland's cowboy hat. His family had come after all.

He gritted his teeth as he joined the next group of riders before the starting gate. The whistle blew and he drove out onto the track with the other riders, charging up steep inclines and jumping over ditches to land precariously in motion. Jessie’s mind moved in slow motion as he drove around the practice track, getting his bearings for the race. He didn't even know why he was racing today. He should be down at the police station forcing them to complete the investigation and exonerate Dana.

He finished the practice round and joined the riders for the first race. They were five meets and whoever won each meet raced in the final match. Each meet was a five-round pass on the track. Whoever had the best time won.

Jessie got into place, seeing that Brandon Updike was in a different meet than him. He wanted to have it out with him now. His grizzly agreed and it took a great deal of self-control to keep him from grabbing Brandon and demanding answers. He turned his attention to the race as he tore out onto the track. He drove like a madman, his mind almost not there, his sense of safety and security gone. All he felt was his bike under him and the track flying by.

Everything was for Dana. His heart, his mind, his soul, his body. Even his need for this rush. He had searched all this life for something that could make him feel half as good as when she was in his arms. The thought of Dana stirring in his mind, urged him forward. It wasn't recklessness; it was pure focus. He drove up and over hills and down into deep valleys, flying and hurtling himself onward. There was a moment of pure silence as he passed the finish line, nearly a lap ahead of the other riders.

He drove out of the gate and into the waiting pen, pulling off his helmet. He looked up and saw his brother Cyrus circling around to the orange plastic fence. Cyrus’s mate Daisy was holding his hand and bouncing along behind him. Her golden curls tumbled down around her frilly pink dress.

"What are you doing here?" Jessie asked, his mood no lighter than when he’d left the ranch.

"Leland told you we were coming," Cyrus said.

"We just wanted to congratulate you on your win and wish you good luck on your final meet," Daisy said cheerfully, between sips of milkshake from a straw.

"Thank you, Daisy," he said.

It was hard to stay mad at Cyrus or his mate. Cyrus might have been gone for a long time, leaving Buck in charge while Leland was in Texas, but Jessie understood why Cyrus had taken to the woods. He was glad he found his mate, Daisy. They were perfect for each other, no matter how odd a couple they were. Cyrus still had a full beard and long hair, but he’d toned down the mountain man look and was integrating back into society, with Daisy's help.

"Leland's got the money for bail," Cyrus said.

"That's not enough for me," Jessie said. "Dana needs to be exonerated."

"One step at a time, brother," Cyrus said. "Be careful out there."

"Thanks," Jessie said.

Cyrus took Daisy's hand and walked away, leaving Jessie alone. Brandon Updike rode past and the hyena shifter turned to stare at Jessie. Brandon’s shifter sparked through his eyes and the look on his face sent a shiver down Jessie's spine.

Jessie could feel waves of dominance rolling off the hyena. Chuck was gone and now Brandon was the prime alpha of the hyena pack. Jessie gritted his teeth and snarled, revving his engine. He pulled his helmet down over his head and sped across the waiting pen. The final riders all took their positions, Brandon Updike at the other end of the line from Jessie. They looked at each other through the shields on their helmets.

Energy bristled through the riders as they waited for the starting gun. It blew and the riders zoomed out onto the track. Brandon immediately veered toward Jessie, who had taken an early lead. Jessie braked and pulled back, letting Brandon waste his energy going across the track. Jessie sped forward and veered around Brandon. These were Brandon and Chuck’s same old tactics. Except there used to be two of them; now there was only one. One was still too many.

Jessie hit the throttle and charged forward. Brandon was left in his wake but soon caught up. He looked Jessie straight in the eye and tilted his handlebars to smash into Jessie again. In that moment, Jessie decided to beat him at his own game. He pulled back just enough so that Brandon's back tire tipped off his front tire, sending the hyena into a tailspin. Jessie pulled himself from the momentum and continued riding, only missing a few beats with the rest of the riders.

Brandon smashed into a meridian and lost his momentum. He was left behind as he corrected himself and charged back on the track, losing important seconds on the clock.

The hyena would not be outdone, and as they came around for the final lap, Brandon had already caught back up to Jessie. As he charged toward Jessie, he looked at him and drove in close. Jessie could see his eyes blazing red in his skull.

"I took him out, and I can take you out too," he yelled.

It was loud, but Jessie was sure what he’d heard. It was like the words reverberated inside his mind. He knew, right then, that Brandon had killed Chuck. That realization drove him forward, and even as Brandon was trying to smash him off the track, he pushed his throttle and sped forward, crossing the finish line as Brandon tried to interrupt his win instead of trying to win himself.

The crowd cheered and the riders closed in around him, congratulating him. The judges came out with a trophy and a garland of flowers that they put around his neck. Winning this race was a rush. He won plenty of meets on Fate Mountain, but not all of them. Each one was special, but today was the most special of all, because today was the day he would set his mate free.