Chapter 16: A Rematch

"Kian," Eros managed to say, his voice so dangerously close to a moan that I felt my knees weakening.

Whatever intent I had when I came here, it faded under the feel of his skin, his essence, the feel of his lips.

I pressed a little harder, my lips parting against his, taking him as much as I could. You most definitely do not realize how starved you are until you get to eat, and I was finding that out the hard way.

He leaned a little closer in a slow, subtle movement, like he couldn't let himself believe that he was standing here kissing everything he hated. His lips slowly parted, and just as I let my lips close around his partly open ones, he pushed me away.

It was sudden, and I fell back against the wall, my hands pressing on it to stop me from falling. I looked up to him, and my heart skipped a beat.

His eyes were wide, his lips still slightly parted. He looked like he would cover the distance to me and kiss me till I passed out from lack of breath, and he looked like he would stab me through the chest a million times.

"Alpha," I said, my voice shaky, uncertain, my chest heaving.

Without letting me talk, he turned and briskly left the library, his essence lingering on the shelves and on my lips, and my knees gave way under me.

I fell to the floor, my eyes blinking hard, tears filling them. My heart was beating wildly, my wolf growling crazily inside me, but there wasn't much I could do to help any of them.

Why did you do that, Skylar? Why did you kiss him? Why didn't you keep your distance?

I cursed under my breath, my knees moving towards me as I wrapped my hand around them. I was screwed. I was totally screwed.

"You have ten seconds to make it to the duelling grounds, or you will face the calypso!"

I woke up with a start at the dreadfully familiar announcement. I turned to the door. Of course, Knox wouldn't come here. He didn't even know I was here.

I cursed under my breath and stood up, making sure my wig and contacts were on tight as I ran down with most of the other students.

I couldn't see Knox anywhere, and I proceeded to make it to the duelling grounds. I struggled through the door, and I could tell something was happening just from how silent it became once we entered.

I made my way through the crowds, and that was when I saw it.

A man whose face I couldn't recognize was on the floor, his hair everywhere. Alpha Eros was above him, his hair falling in wet strands across his forehead, his teeth gritted.

He was serving punch after punch, even though the man beneath him wasn't responsive at all.

The silence was deafening, and the sound of his grunts filled the entire hall with both horror and dread. I stood frozen to my spot, my eyes fixed on the monster of a man I was mated to, as he went again and again at the helpless man. I knew this wasn't what happened with Valerian, judging from how he had looked when he was buried, but hell, I wondered if it was close. If it was this merciless.

"Alpha," the instructor said, but Alpha Eros just kept going, like the man wasn't saying anything.

"Alpha!" The man said again, and this time, Alpha Eros let go of the man's hair, letting his hair fall back to the floor.

"Are you okay?" The instructor asked, grabbing a bottle of water to give to Alpha Eros as he slowly straightened.

He pushed the water away, then stood up, and his eyes immediately met mine.

He was drenched in sweat, his gloves stained with blood, his eyes thin.

He broke into a humourless laugh, and his eyes slowly fell to the floor, like he was daring me to look at it.

Wait. Knox?

I looked down, dread filling me up as two other men came to take the fallen man away on a stretcher. To my relief, it wasn't Knox.

I started to let out a sigh of relief when they carried the man, and I saw it. Eugene. It was Eugene Sanders.

I gasped, at the same time as most of the other students, and turned back to Alpha Eros. He was still watching me, his eyes thin, his breaths ragged as he wiped the sweat off him.

Why Eugene? It couldn't possibly be because of yesterday, could it? It couldn't possibly be because of me, could it?

"We are going to do a practice session with someone else now. We will randomly choose a student to come forth while we go over the skills we have learned," the instructor said, and Alpha Eros tore his gaze away from me.

He turned to the instructor and whispered something to him before turning away to us.

"Knox River. Please come forth."

My heart sank, and I turned to the seats of students. It took a few seconds, but Knox slowly stood up. He looked almost tiny next to Alpha Eros, and I knew Knox would end up just like Eugene if he walked into that ring.

"Knox River!" The instructor said again. "Come forward. Now."

I turned to Alpha Eros. He had murderous intent in his eyes, his head tilted upwards with pride.

Knox slowly walked forward, his functional hand clenched into a fist. His eyes were solemn. He was brave, but not enough for Eros. Not even close.

"Are you scared?" Alpha Eros suddenly said, his eyes focused on Knox as he wore a glove.

Knox swallowed hard. "I will be fine."

Eros smiled, his eyes falling on me. For a second, I saw something pass in his eyes. Something tender, something less dangerous.

"You should be," he said simply before he got ready to defend.

I stood there, unable to move, my heart beating wildly in my chest.

"Now for attack. Knox. Attack."

Knox looked up at the instructor, then nodded.

I watched as Knox attacked, and Eros almost seamlessly moved out of the way, letting Knox fall to the floor.

I gasped, tears filling my eyes. Eros still did not attack, and Knox stood up, his chest heaving..

"Why aren't you defending?"

Eros shrugged. Knox attacked again, and Eros moved out of the way. Knox stopped himself just in time, but Eros grabbed him by the hair, punching his face so hard that he fell to the side of the hall away from the ring.

Tears immediately filled my eyes, and I hated how nonchalantly the instructor proceeded to explain the defence move, like Knox wasn't just lying on the floor, his body limp.

Knox stood up again, straightening, his hand clenching into a fist again. I saw the look in Eros's eyes. I knew that look. Knox was in danger.

I swallowed hard as Alpha Eros gestured to Knox, and Knox tried to attack yet again. I couldn't watch it again. I couldn't bring myself to.

"Eros!" I screamed, my eyes wide, tears slightly blurring my vision.

Alpha Eros thankfully stopped, his fingers wrapped around strands of Knox's hair.

He met my eyes, and all I could see was that kiss from last night. That kiss that had messed with everything I was supposed to do.

He let go of Knox to the floor, his eyes meeting mine. "What? Did you get cocky because you won last time?"

I bit down on my lips. "You want a rematch, then?"

The instructor stepped forward. "Take a seat, and wait, new student. Do not..."

"Let him," Alpha Eros said, stepping forward. "I have always wanted to beat the fuck out of him."