disappear.
“What the fuck?” I hissed when he was close enough to hear.
He shook his head. “I know, man. But this is the draw. I didn’t have time to track you down once they said who I was fighting tonight.”
I looked over his shoulder into the crowd, spotting Trinity with ease. She stood in the back still, eyes wide and filled with fear. I couldn’t do this to her. I couldn’t hurt her cousin, and yet if I didn’t, he’d end up hurting me. Blood would be spilled on the mat tonight no matter what…mine or her cousin’s. I had no idea what would be worse for her to bear.
“At least it’s not a fight to the death,” Piers mumbled.
I nodded, keeping my eyes on Trinity. “She’s not going to take this well.”
“Understatement. Pretty sure we’re fucked.”
“Sounds about right.”
The bell rang for the fight to begin. I tore my eyes away from my panicked mate, wishing there was something I could do to comfort her. But there was nothing. If I didn’t fight, I’d have to stay longer. If I lost, I’d have to stay longer. If I beat Piers, he’d have to stay longer. It was a complete no-win situation.
Piers and I bounced and circled, neither taking the first swing. The crowd grew quieter, their cheers turning to yelled profanities and calls for blood. Even the handlers and trainers looked ready to blast us for not fighting. But I couldn’t attack him, and he knew my fighting style well enough not to attack me. We were at a crossroads neither of us wanted to take.
Finally, Piers huffed and moved closer. “The bosses are going to make us fight more matches if we don’t give them what they want.”
Two more.
I glanced up at Trinity as we swung around the floor. “I know.”
“So let’s do this…for real.” And then he swung.
14
Trinity
T he crowd erupted as Piers blasted my mate with a punch to the jaw. My stomach twisted at the sight of Cahill’s head spinning to the side. As he wiped the blood from his jaw and zeroed in on Piers, my heart raced and I couldn’t catch my breath. I didn’t even know where to look, which man to focus on. The noise bouncing around the concrete arena only added to my disorientation. My mate and my cousin, in the ring. I was sure Piers had gotten the same message as Cahill—make it bloody, make it last.
I was going to be sick.
“Kill him! Knock his teeth out.”
The humans screamed things made up of my nightmares. I gripped the wall, needing it to stay on my feet. I hated to watch, didn’t want to see, but I couldn’t look away. I hated to even blink. Piers and Cahill were at war, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. Nothing I could do to make it all end.
The fight seemed to last for hours. The humans around me grew louder and more violent as the minutes passed. With every punch, every kick, every speck of blood that flew in the air or dripped down skin, my temperature dropped. I was shaking, shivering from a cold emanating from within. One formed of pure and utter terror.
As the fight went on, the hits grew harder. The sounds louder and more sickening. On a turn around the backside of the ring, Cahill threw a quick jab with his left, then struck hard with his right. Piers stumbled back, spinning face first into the chain link fence caging them in from the force of the brutal hit. Even from where I stood, I saw the striations in his eyes go red, saw the edge of his hairline darken with the shadow of scales. As the crowd screamed, I saw our world begin to crumble.
“No,” I whispered, stepping away from the wall. Not now, not when we were so close to escaping. Not in front of all these humans, for God’s sake, and especially not when he was fighting my mate. But it was too late, the beast within had taken over. Piers roared an almost inhuman sound that reverberated through the arena. The crowd cheered louder, having no idea what was to come. Cahill took a step back, eyes locked on Piers, probably seeing the same changes I did. He was
“What the fuck?” I hissed when he was close enough to hear.
He shook his head. “I know, man. But this is the draw. I didn’t have time to track you down once they said who I was fighting tonight.”
I looked over his shoulder into the crowd, spotting Trinity with ease. She stood in the back still, eyes wide and filled with fear. I couldn’t do this to her. I couldn’t hurt her cousin, and yet if I didn’t, he’d end up hurting me. Blood would be spilled on the mat tonight no matter what…mine or her cousin’s. I had no idea what would be worse for her to bear.
“At least it’s not a fight to the death,” Piers mumbled.
I nodded, keeping my eyes on Trinity. “She’s not going to take this well.”
“Understatement. Pretty sure we’re fucked.”
“Sounds about right.”
The bell rang for the fight to begin. I tore my eyes away from my panicked mate, wishing there was something I could do to comfort her. But there was nothing. If I didn’t fight, I’d have to stay longer. If I lost, I’d have to stay longer. If I beat Piers, he’d have to stay longer. It was a complete no-win situation.
Piers and I bounced and circled, neither taking the first swing. The crowd grew quieter, their cheers turning to yelled profanities and calls for blood. Even the handlers and trainers looked ready to blast us for not fighting. But I couldn’t attack him, and he knew my fighting style well enough not to attack me. We were at a crossroads neither of us wanted to take.
Finally, Piers huffed and moved closer. “The bosses are going to make us fight more matches if we don’t give them what they want.”
Two more.
I glanced up at Trinity as we swung around the floor. “I know.”
“So let’s do this…for real.” And then he swung.
14
Trinity
T he crowd erupted as Piers blasted my mate with a punch to the jaw. My stomach twisted at the sight of Cahill’s head spinning to the side. As he wiped the blood from his jaw and zeroed in on Piers, my heart raced and I couldn’t catch my breath. I didn’t even know where to look, which man to focus on. The noise bouncing around the concrete arena only added to my disorientation. My mate and my cousin, in the ring. I was sure Piers had gotten the same message as Cahill—make it bloody, make it last.
I was going to be sick.
“Kill him! Knock his teeth out.”
The humans screamed things made up of my nightmares. I gripped the wall, needing it to stay on my feet. I hated to watch, didn’t want to see, but I couldn’t look away. I hated to even blink. Piers and Cahill were at war, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. Nothing I could do to make it all end.
The fight seemed to last for hours. The humans around me grew louder and more violent as the minutes passed. With every punch, every kick, every speck of blood that flew in the air or dripped down skin, my temperature dropped. I was shaking, shivering from a cold emanating from within. One formed of pure and utter terror.
As the fight went on, the hits grew harder. The sounds louder and more sickening. On a turn around the backside of the ring, Cahill threw a quick jab with his left, then struck hard with his right. Piers stumbled back, spinning face first into the chain link fence caging them in from the force of the brutal hit. Even from where I stood, I saw the striations in his eyes go red, saw the edge of his hairline darken with the shadow of scales. As the crowd screamed, I saw our world begin to crumble.
“No,” I whispered, stepping away from the wall. Not now, not when we were so close to escaping. Not in front of all these humans, for God’s sake, and especially not when he was fighting my mate. But it was too late, the beast within had taken over. Piers roared an almost inhuman sound that reverberated through the arena. The crowd cheered louder, having no idea what was to come. Cahill took a step back, eyes locked on Piers, probably seeing the same changes I did. He was
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