Chapter 33 Lycan Tussle
❀ Maeve ❀
Eyes on the three men facing off, I maneuvered my arms behind me, planning to crawl out of their midst to make a swift escape.
No such luck.
“I’ll spar for her,” Bastian said as he grabbed my collar, pulling me up by the nape like a cub.
He pushed me toward Ashar, who grabbed me by the arm. With a nod, Ashar pulled me back until we were at the edge of the circle.
Bastian and Gareth circled each other.
I looked up at Ashar, my tone soft. “I didn’t mean to leave you behind. I hope you were able to return without difficulty?”
He snorted. “Difficulty? I’m a grown wolf. As of last night, you were mortal. So how did you return?”
I hadn’t thought this far in preparation for our confrontation, and I couldn’t exactly tell him how I returned.
I shifted my gaze to the men about to spar, sweat coating my palms. “I thought I had a lead, so I followed it, but I got… captured and returned to the pack. I barely managed to convince them I was the Princess Consort.”
He did not respond.
Gareth led with a jab so heavy the air wrapped around his fist. Bastian sidestepped casually, sending his foot out in a blur.
The kick connected with Gareth's knee, sending him down on the other with a gut wrenching scream.
Before Gareth could recover, Bastian finished him off with a jab to the nose.
The crack reverberated in the clearing.
Blood spurted. Gareth dropped like a sack of bricks.
The others clapped and cheered as Bastian stood in the center, basking in his ridiculously easy victory.
But then, he was a Lycan. His strength was unrivaled. Which is why, when his gaze met mine and he croaked a finger, my heart tripped.
Ashar pushed me into the circle, almost tripping me.
“You said you’d spar for me,” I told Bastian, confused at the development.
“I sparred for a turn with you.”
I swallowed, moving to the left as he stalked me like prey.
“Beating up your mate in front of a crowd isn’t a good look, Bastian.”
“My mate wants to train and get strong enough to defend herself. The crowd knows that. What kind of mate would I be if I didn’t support her interest?” His smirk was sinister.
He feinted left. I dodged by lunging right.
He caught me, his arm wrapping around my neck, my back to his front.
His harsh whisper met my ear. “You’ve got some nerve, kitten. Are you his spy? His whore? You dared to mark me after just petting another?”
“I was threatened!” I hissed back. “If you’d just let me explain.”
“Your lies don’t interest me. You heard what I said earlier. Surrender your leech lover, or suffer my wrath.”
Raising my foot, I slammed it down with all my might.
His bones crunched under my heel. He grunted, but didn’t budge.
We had the crowd’s rapt attention.
Bastian chuckled, the heat of his body searing mine. His scent permeated the smell of sweat and blood, teasing my senses.
The arm around my neck made me tingle in all the right places.
“You attack me, even when in the wrong? Such disrespect to your Prince.”
“We’re sparring, are we not?” I angled my hips for my next move, then stilled, shocked.
He was hard as stone against me, his shaft twitching with every movement between us.
Straining for control, I added, “And there are no princes, nor princesses, in the training yard.”
With a sharp twist, I stabbed my elbow into his side.
He released me with a choked wheeze.
Freed, I jumped and spun in the air, sending my knee towards his face—
He caught my leg just before impact, the force sending us both down.
My spine hit the ground, forcing a sharp yelp from my lips.
Having caught his own weight in time, Bastian knelt between my thighs, his palms on either side of my head.
I caught him scanning my body for injuries, his gaze frantic. But when he looked back up at me, that deadly glare, full of bloodlust, returned.
“Make no mistake. You still breathe because I intend to get to the vampire through you.”
“And I’m telling you I’ll help. You don’t have to threaten or force me. I’m on your side, Bastian.”
“Why claim you?” He demanded, furious above me. An insult?”
“Yes. He sought to provoke you. And he won’t be returning to the fortress, so I'm your only lead.” I confirmed.
My cheeks flamed at my own wild claims.
They thought to steer me around for their own interests like a puppet? Let’s see how they liked it.
He bared his fangs, breath rushing down at me.
When I wriggled, his hand snapped up to collar my throat.
“The bond might be saving you from the worst of my anger, but I promise you, trick me, and I’ll execute you myself.”
“Noted.” I wheezed.
My trap in place, I raised my knees to kick him in the chest with my feet.
Bastian moved forward at the same time.
His hard shaft pressed against my core, perfectly aligned with my throbbing folds.
His eyes shot wide, blues immediately darkening with lust.
Spooked, I kicked upward, hard.
He didn’t budge.
Instead, my efforts rocked us, massaging my bud under the weight of him.
I gasped, my breath shuddering at the pure want in his eyes.
Looking tortured, he eased back with a wary glance at my neck. Seizing the opening, I trapped his head between my legs, twisted my torso and slammed him on the ground beside me.
I quickly followed his momentum, wedging my calf under his chin, pressing his arms down with all my might.
In this position, I could kick his head off at the slightest provocation.
“Surrender!” I yelled, high on the victory of even manipulating him this way.
Ashar laughed from the edge, “Never thought I’d see the day!”
Bastian barely panted underneath me, he seemed relaxed. Already, my limbs throbbed from exertion. Wrangling his Lycan body was proving difficult.
“Three!” Asher started a countdown, “Two!”
Almost there! I kept my muscles engaged, pressing against my mate’s chin in a volatile position—
He moved.
His arms shot up, shaking off my hold like my arms were twigs.
I gasped when he grabbed my ankles and dragged me up his face, planting mine right on his crotch.
I inhaled, and the scent went straight to my head.
A guttural moan tore from me, instincts flaring as I did the first thing that came to mind.
I bit his shaft.
Bastian jerked upright like a strung bow, easily turning me in his arms.
Jaw grinding, body blasting heat like a furnace, he stomped off the grounds with my writhing body in his arms.
Ashar’s laughter rang out behind us.
I groped him, pressing my face into his chest, maddened by the hard planes of muscle just out of reach.
Meeting his heavily lidded gaze, I licked my lips.
Need him.
Want him.
Now.