A pause, and he nods. His eyes glitter with an unnatural light.
I lay my hand against his cheek before turning to watch the fight begin.
As Nash approaches, the bruin hunches his back and growls. Nash doesn't blink, nodding at Parker before entering the ring.
"You know the rules. No animals. As long as you're on your feet, you fight," Parker announces.
The bruin and the soldier face off, circling each other. Compared to his opponent, Nash is lithe and lean, tall but not towering. The bruin dances forward, fists snapping out, and Nash dodges them easily, moving just as much as he has to and not an inch more. His golden gaze never leaves his opponent's face.
"He's never lost a fight. Never goes more than three rounds, and never lets the lion out," Declan breathes without taking his eyes from the fight. "Perfect control."
"No," Laurie twitches. "He's holding on as long as he can. When his lion does get out, everyone around him will die."
I shiver and press closer to Sam.
The bruin gets tired of circling and blusters forward, fists swinging. Nash steps out of the way, but as the bruin turns to charge again, the soldier plants his feet and drives his fist into the bruin's scarred face. The bruin staggers back. The crowd surges to its feet, screaming.
The bear shifter staggers to the edge of the ring, shaking his head. Facing Nash, he roars, showing long, yellow teeth.
"Oh my God," I gasp as the bruin bowls forward again, driving Nash back. "He's shifting."
Sam's arms squeeze me tighter. "Not yet."
Nash dodges all the bruin's swings, his face blank in contrast to Bruiser's contorted snarl. The bear shifter's punches go wide, sloppy, and Nash steps forward, planting his feet, and hits him with a haymaker that drives the bruin half across the ring.
"Yeah!" Declan cheers.
My heart pounds as Nash goes on the offensive, raining blow after blow on the bruin. His opponent gets a few hits in and Nash absorbs them like he's made of concrete. Around the ring, the faces in the audience contort, shouts turning to snarls. Inside the ring, blood flows. The bruin slips on the red-slicked floor.
The two fighters fall back from each other. Nash has taken a hit-a bit of bruising and a trickle of red on his face. Meanwhile, the bruin is hunched over and breathing hard.
"All hail the King of the Beasts," someone shrieks. The sound is high pitched, female. Nash turns his head.
The bruin strikes, plowing forward. One arm extends, half covered in fur. Nash snaps back and hits him in the face. A bear bursts out of Bruiser, a massive grizzly with paws the size of my head. Its four legs hit the ground and shake the ring.
"No," I cry, jerking up. Sam holds me tight.
"Forfeit, forfeit," Parker shouts, but the announcement is drowned out by the shouting crowd. Nash faces the giant animal, his strong body impossibly dwarfed by the bruin.
I bite back a scream. The bruin charges. Nash stands his ground, whipping aside at the last minute, grabbing the arm of the grizzly as it goes by. The limb breaks with a sickening crunch. The bruin ends up on its back where Nash smashes its head into the concrete floor.
It happens so fast I could've blinked and missed it. The fight's over. The bruin lies limp. The crowd screams, stomps, hoots. Parker cries victory into the microphone. Declan is beside himself. Even Laurie claps.
Nash props one foot on the bruin's chest, throws back his head, and roars. The sound swells, filling the space. Every hair on my body stands up. People are standing, pulling up the bleachers and smashing them. Suddenly, Sam jerks. "Hold her," he orders Laurie, and thrusts me into the tall man's arms. He heads for Parker, who is mobbed, trying to shout announcements into a megaphone that the crowd can't hear.
Sam grips Parker and swings him around. "Nash! I need to talk to Nash."
The ring is empty but the unconscious bruin. Nash is already gone, pushing through the wild crowd towards the back door.
"Wait," Sam shouts, trying to follow, but Nash is long gone.
I try to reach Sam and a body hits me, making me stagger into a group of leather jacket clad bikers.
"Sorry-"
"Human," the blond guy in front of me snarls, his eyes lighting up an eerie green.
"I didn't mean to-" I jump back as the guy growls at me, showing long canines.
Out of nowhere, Sam reappears, and his fingers snap around the blond guy's throat. There's a scuffle almost too fast for me to track and the guy's up against the wall, Sam shoving his body weight into him.
Arms close around me and I shriek.
"Easy, lass, 'tis only me." Declan steadies me as he draws me back. Another giant guy bowls into the bikers and a second fight breaks out.
"We gotta get out of here," Declan mutters, hauling me to the door.
"Not without Sam."
"Laurie will grab him. Let me give the signal."
"The signal?"
"They're after me lucky charms!" Declan shouts, and drags me past brawling shifters to the wall, where he kicks open a hidden door and tosses me into the sunlight.
~.~
Sam
AS SOON AS I see Layne is safely out, I dodge a punch and release the asshole who snarled at her. I'm not an alpha-not like Jackson or Garrett, but fuck if my wolf isn't game to take down any animal who threatens my mate. But now that I know she's safe, the urgency to catch Nash returns. I run for the door I saw him disappear through, where I find Parker, counting his money.
"I needed to speak to him."
Parker shrugs.
"Sam, we have to go," Laurie appears at my elbow.
"Is Layne safe?"
"Yeah. She's with Declan. Come on," Laurie urges.
I grab Parker's arm.
"Watch it, wolf," he snarls at me, and I ignore the threat.
"I challenge Nash to a fight."
"You?" Parker stares as if I've sprouted a second head. I get it. I'm not even beta wolf material.