Chapter 24 Fighting
She quickly scrambled to her feet. That winning smile she had on earlier? Where has it gone?
Her breath came in shallow, sharp pulls now; the arena lights caught the sweat at her temple and made her eyes look smaller. That easy, confident curve of her mouth had folded into a line of concentration and cold intent.
She charged at me, her left fist cocked back before she swung again, forcing me to dodge it. An embarrassing miss on her part, she decided to use her other assists, her legs. Her left foot rose, aiming for my face before I dropped down, using my legs to kick her one and only weak one right from under her.
She hit the ground hard. The impact forcing her to grab her back in pain as she released a wail of agony.
Dust puffed up around her like a small cloud, and for a second the noise of the crowd blurred into a distant thunder. Her fingers dug into the dirt as if collecting herself together but she failed.
She looked at me. Fury clearly taking over as darkness clouded over her eyes.
"What's wrong?" I poked my lip out teasingly.
"AGAIN!" Alpha yelled.
She stood up in to fighting position again. She was clearly ready to fight with anger rather than sense now. It was one thing I learned from my father before dying. He told me never to attack with anger.
She swung, allowing me to block with my arms. She swung again, this time I grabbed her arm, twisting it around her back and putting my other arm around her neck. I faced her toward her Alpha, allowing him to see what he had gotten her into.
My grip was precise not cruel, but sufficient. Her skin warmed under my hold, her breath rattling as she shifted fully and looked at Alpha.
I watched his eyes grow darker with displeasure as he watched his hopes come crumbling down with his best fighter. I shoved her to the ground. The crowd of hyped up wolves seemed to roar out in excitement, clapping and applauding.
They were all shocked.
And then my eyes flicked to him again, Kael, standing with that infuriating, confident tilt of his head, his gaze lingering for the briefest moment on Renee. I tried to collect myself in my head, but my blood boiled as I watched Rinna’s perfectly poised face next to him. That infuriating, flawless woman, standing there like she belonged.
Every time he glanced her way, I felt my teeth clench. My hands itched to strike, not her, but something in me that wanted to warn him that his attention was misplaced. She was a threat, a shadow looming over what was mine, and yet, I couldn’t tear my eyes from him either. Despite the heat, despite the betrayal, the wolf inside me still growled for him, aching for what was taken.
"BRIDGET, KERA!!" The names called for two female wolves were to enter the arena. Bridget, a brunette-haired girl, stepped out. Kera, a black-haired girl, stepped forward. They were the same females who were cheering on their defeated friend.
"So you want me to fight them next, Alpha?" I questioned him. My voice carried clearly across the arena, laced with disbelief and challenge. I wanted him to see that I was not afraid, that I was daring him to take the next step.
That devious grin on his face somewhat answered my question. And yes, he glanced at Rinna again, just for a fraction of a second, her presence right beside him making the pit in my stomach twist tighter. I could feel my pulse spike with annoyance, my focus tearing between the fight in front of me and the betrayal standing beside him.
"No, I want you to fight all three of them.... together." The once excited, roaring onlookers soon went quiet as they stared at us in shock. Some seemed a little angry about his choice. Even his loyal packmates exchanged uneasy glances, their excitement curdling into discomfort.
I shot him a venomous glare, my eyes flicking back to Renee, who met my gaze briefly with a polite, knowing smile. My hands curled into fists. This idiotic bitch really wanted to do this?
He liked watching me suffer.
He didn’t need to say it. It was written in the lazy tilt of his head, in the spark of enjoyment in his gaze. Pain was his entertainment; my endurance was his game. And there she was, standing there, as if to remind me of how cursed I was to be fated to Kael.
Okay. Fine. I breathed in once, steady and deep, and gave the smallest nod. Acceptance, not submission. My body stilled, my heartbeat slowed. I’d survived worse.
"Okay, start."
The three girls began to spread out, surrounding me like a pack of hungry wolves. Ironic? I stood there patiently, waiting for someone to make the first move. My heart began to race, clouding out the roaring crowd and replacing it with the sound of beating drums.
They kept on moving in circles, closing in as dust lifted under their feet. Three predators circling their prey, and yet... I wasn’t the one trembling.
"Let your wolf lead you," my mother used to tell me that in our previous pack.
My heart beats slowed and my breaths regulated just in time to catch wind of an attacker. As expected, Jackie made the first move as she ran at me frantically. Her guard and defenses down, she only gave me the opportunity to send a powerful blow toward her exposed neck. She dropped to her knees, her hands gripping her neck as she strived for her next big breath.
The sound of her labored breathing filled the space around us, drowning out even the faint hum of the crowd. Her pride shattered faster than her balance.
Bridget and Kera exchanged a quick glance, one filled with panic, the other with fury. The hesitation was brief, a flicker of uncertainty before instinct kicked back in. They lunged forward together, one from the left, one from the right, a coordinated attack born from years of training under the same merciless Alpha.
I ducked low, feeling the rush of Kera’s leg slice through the air above my head. Bridget came at me with speed, her fist grazing my shoulder. The sting flared, but it was shallow, more insult than injury. I used the momentum of my turn to grab her wrist, pulling her toward me and driving my elbow into her stomach. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs; she folded with a broken sound and stumbled back.
Kera didn’t pause. She snarled, the sound more beast than woman, and spun, aiming a roundhouse kick for my ribs. I raised my arm to block, the shock reverberating up my bone. The pain bit deep, but it also sharpened my focus. She was fast, stronger than the first, but reckless in her rage.
Her eyes met mine for half a second, a flash of frustration in them before I caught her leg mid-swing. I twisted sharply, sending her body off balance, then shoved her backward into the dirt. Her grunt echoed as she landed hard beside Jackie, who was still struggling to stand.
The crowd’s reaction was immediate, a mixture of disbelief and awe. Some howled in excitement; others whispered to each other in tones that betrayed unease.
For a moment, it felt like control had shifted. Three against one, and I was the one standing tall.
Everything was fine not until I saw them talk to themselves.
The fight wasn’t yet over. And still, I felt my gaze pulled back to him, to Renee, and that familiar, sickening twist of betrayal rolled over me again.