by K. D. Jones
He walked up quietly behind the woman. She never saw him coming. He wrapped his arm around her middle from behind and clamped his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming as he dragged her into the dark alley. She struggled, but he liked that. It focused his rage on dominating her.
He shoved her up against the brick building and turned her around. Her eyes weren’t the same as Alona’s. Alona had the purest blue eyes he had ever seen. This female’s blue eyes were dull and couldn’t compare. It didn’t matter, though, as his anger took over. He would use this woman to release the anger he had. Then he would head back to the lab for his treatment.
Soon, he would be free of the doctor, his treatments, and Maxim, and he would have the real Alona and the life he deserved. He just needed to survive this long enough. No one would keep him from getting what he wanted. Not some psychotic doctor, not the GCFA, and certainly not some weak halfsie droid. He would show them all who was the better man.
Chapter 11
The next day Alona stretched out luxuriously in her bed. They had come back to her suite and made love the rest of the night. She was getting addicted to his touch. He was surprisingly gentle with her. There were quite a few surprises with him. She wished he hadn’t had an early practice this morning. They could have lazed around in bed all day touching and tasting one another. But he had a fight later that night he needed to get ready for. Her phone rang and she sighed as she reached for it.
“Hello?”
“Alona, you need to come down for training,” Zara told her.
“What? I don’t have a fight tonight.”
“You do now. Just come down to the training center. Nigel is here and he’ll explain.” Zara didn’t wait for her to respond before she hung up.
“Damn it. So much for lazing around.” Alona threw the covers off and got up. She went to take a quick shower, then dressed in her training gear and headed out of her suite.
After taking the elevator down to the training level, she got out feeling a sense of foreboding. Something was up. Nigel normally didn’t come down to training to make last-minute changes to the show.
She walked into the training center and her suspicions were confirmed. Nigel and his assistant Amelia were there, along with Zara, Rage, and Maxim. Maxim did not look happy.
“What’s going on?” Alona asked Nigel. She didn’t dare glance at Maxim. Just being near him had her heart racing. No one else knew that they were actually having a real affair behind the disguise of a fake one. She wasn’t sure he was ready to come out publicly with it yet. They still had things they needed to discuss first.
Nigel stepped forward to greet her. “Thanks for coming. I had the training center cleared so that we could discuss things without witnesses.”
“I don’t understand.”
“There has been a change in tonight’s pairs event. Instead of Maxim and Ronin partnering tonight, it will be you and Maxim instead.”
“Okay. What’s the problem?”
Amelia spoke up. “This is the first female/male pair match that Maxim has been in. He is hesitant about it.”
Maxim growled. “Is it not enough that we have to perform public dates?”
“Could you have a talk with him?” Nigel asked. “Zara and Rage are here to help you two work together in the cage. They have had the most experience with female/male pair matches.” He motioned for everyone else to leave the training center. Alona waited until they were out of earshot.
“Alright, Maxim, what’s the problem here? We’re both fighters and we’ve both done pair matches before.”
“I have not done one with a woman and I have especially not done one with a woman that I am sleeping with.”
She frowned. She had never realized their personal life could affect their professional one. Truth was, she had never dated other fighters in the GCFA, so this problem had never come up before. She sighed with frustration.
“It’s no big deal. Just treat me like one of the guys.”
Maxim moved so fast she didn’t see him coming at her until he had her wrapped in his arms. “You are not one of the guys. The thought of you being hurt even for a moment drives me crazy with the need to protect you.” He kissed her with enough passion to take her breath away.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. She could never refuse him, he was just too arousing. Her body felt like it had imprinted on his. They melded together as if they were made for one another. She pulled back from his kisses with reluctance. She had to make sure that he respected her as his partner in their professional lives as well as in their personal one.
“Baby, this is part of our jobs, it’s what we do. We both have to work together to make this succeed.”
He stroked her cheek gently. “This is the first show we’ve had since we started dating. I just don’t think I can stand by and watch someone attack you without trying to help.”
“Hopefully I will be fighting back.” She saw him look even more hesitant. “You have to learn to trust me to take care of myself. We will train for this with Rage and Zara. It will be alright.”
He crossed his arms over his chest stubbornly. She did the same and stared him down. She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her into backing down. This was her career. It may not seem appropriate to her parents, but it was her choice. She loved her job. She used her popularity to help her charities and to help other women with fewer opportunities. This was important to her.
“Fine. I know these feelings I have are irrational. Maybe if we train well, these feelings of worry will lessen.” Maxim gave in reluctantly.
She smiled at him. “It will be fun. The crowd will go crazy for us, the new couple fighting side by side.” She looked up to see Amelia peeking in. She nodded to the woman letting her know that things were fine. A few seconds later Nigel, Rage, and Zara came back.
“What’s first?” she asked.
“You two will go up against me and Zara outside the cage first. Then we will practice inside.” Rage took off his shirt and tossed it to the floor.
Alona watched, amazed at how big Rage was. She had seen him shirtless for fights many times, but it was still an awesome sight to see his large Beastial build, even if he wasn’t in a rage. It was very impressive. She must have been staring too long at Rage because suddenly Maxim growled right in her ear before whispering to her.
“Please do not look at another man like that. It’s making me feel a little crazy.”
She turned to look up at him. He was jealous. It made her feel excited at first to realize this new power she had, but then she felt worried. He looked unsure of himself. Usually Maxim was very confident in his abilities. She didn’t want him to think that her feelings were so easily swayed. She touched his cheek gently.
“You have nothing to worry about. You are the only man I want.”
His eyes flickered with desire. “Good, because I would kill any man that touched you.” He kissed her palm and walked away.
Damn, he meant that too. It should have scared her, but she found his protectiveness kind of sweet. As long as he didn’t think it meant he could boss her around. She wouldn’t stand for that.
“Can we start now? I have plans with my mate later and we have a babysitter. Zen volunteered,” Zara grumped. Rage growled at that comment and Alona smiled to herself, knowing exactly why Zen had offered.
“Let’s get started then,” Maxim agreed.
*****
Amelia followed Nigel out of the training center. As soon as they were in the hallway he turned to look at her.
“You were right.”
She looked shocked. Nigel never told her she was right, even when she was. “Right about what?”
“They are a real couple. I thought it was all for show, but the way Maxim is so protective of her and the way that Alona touches him, it’s clear this is not a fake relationship anymore.”
Amelia nodded her head. “I suspected it was real after seeing the pictures of them dancing and kissing. Bu
t I knew it for sure at the picnic.”
“How did you know?”
“No woman responds to a man like that unless she’s turned on.”
“You’re an expert, are you?” His eyes narrowed at her, making her blush.
“Yes, I’m a woman. I know how one would react to a man she was attracted to.” She turned to walk quickly up the hall, putting some distance between her and Nigel. For some reason, this conversation was making her feel very uncomfortable.
“Wait, Amelia, I want to ask you more,” Nigel called.
No way. Amelia refused to continue talking about this. “I have to give the change in event to the press. I’ll see you at the GCFA meeting this afternoon.” She glanced back once quickly and found him still watching her. That man was intense, too intense at times. And fucking hot!
*****
Later that evening
Alona and Maxim sat in the waiting area with the other fighters who would go on that night. Their training session earlier that day had been worrisome. Every time Zara hit Alona, Maxim growled and made a move towards the tall Amazon.
This was a problem that needed to be addressed. Alona had fought many matches. She wasn’t a newbie. After an almost disastrous practice, she could only imagine what the real match would be like. She was tempted to call Nigel and beg him to cancel their match tonight, but she fought that urge. Maxim was the one with the problem. He needed to get over it.
She sat in her chair watching the current match. It was pretty good, between Zen the Sin, a Felon halfsie, and a full Felon. Both moved with smooth, quick movements. It was like watching two panthers circling, parrying and taking swipes at one another. Zen took some hard hits, but he was persistent and won his match.
“We’re up.” Maxim stood waiting for her by the door.
She tried to reassure him. “Just think of it like any other match. Pretend I’m one of the guys.”
He looked her from head to toe. She was wearing one of the GCFA uniforms. The women’s uniform consisted of two tiny pieces of stretchy material similar to a bathing suit. It barely covered her breasts and ass. He growled at her.
“You look nothing like one of the guys.”
She walked past him shaking her hips. She couldn’t help but tease him. She was sure he would make her regret it later. But right now, she was taking pleasure in it.
*****
“Welcome back to the Galactic Cage Fighter Association Event. It is a very exciting evening so far. Our lineup so far has been spectacular and it’s only going to get better. Don’t you think so, Johann?”
“Absolutely, Poland. The Felon match alone was worth the trip out. But I’m looking forward to the pair match coming up. We have Alona the Beautiful and Maxim the Cyborg. Not only are these two as different as you can get, but they are newly dating. Who are they up against?”
“Their opponents are a Sorian and a Beastial. That is going to be something to watch. But Johann, this new couple has made quite a stir among the GCFA fans. Their chemistry is off the chain, but there has been some tension regarding another man.”
“Yes, rumor has it that Alona had been seeing two men at the same time. When Maxim found out, he hit the roof. Some say he destroyed his suite. But it looks like they are on the mend.”
“Let’s see if they are able to get past all their personal drama and perform together.”
“This should be interesting.”
*****
Alona tried to block out the roar of the crowd as she and Maxim entered the huge arena. She smiled and waved at the cameras, blowing kisses and winking at the fans, most of them were men. She glanced over at Maxim and found him frowning at her.
“What?”
“I don’t like you flirting with other men.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “It’s part of the job, Maxim. You have to accept it and get used to it.”
“But I don’t have to like it,” he growled at her.
Maxim climbed into the cage first and then turned to help her inside. She kept hold of his hand and raised their arms up in the air. The crowd went crazy for their show of unity.
“Smile, Maxim, let them see some of your human side.”
Maxim smiled and winked at the VIP section where the front row was filled with mostly women. She tried to let go of his hand but he kept hold and pulled her into his arms.
“What are you doing?” she gasped.
“Letting them see my human side.” Then he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her. It didn’t last long but when he finally released her she was breathing heavily. The crowd loved it. She wasn’t thrilled with him, though. It felt like he was trying to show everyone she belonged to him. She might as well let him piss on her to mark his territory. She shook her head. She needed to keep her wits about her, but it was going to be hard now to concentrate on the fight with her body suddenly craving him.
“You could have done that after the fight,” she hissed at him through her practiced smile. “Stop the macho shit, Maxim. I won’t put up with that.”
He looked at her worriedly. “I didn’t mean to let these possessive feelings get the better of me. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.”
She walked up and pointed her finger at him. “Keep your hands and your lips to yourself. We need to concentrate on this fight.” The music signaled the entrance of their opponents.
The Sorian and Beastial entered the cage. The Sorian played the crowd, raising her hands up and down in the air, while the Beastial growled at Maxim. Then the man looked Alona up and down and licked his lips.
“Little Alona, I hear that you are looking for a man. Perhaps the tin can over there can’t satisfy you. I could show you what you need.”
Maxim did not even realize what he was going to do before he suddenly lunged at the Beastial. Alona tried to pull Maxim back as the Sorian pulled at the Beastial. They weren’t having much luck getting the men to separate. Then security for the GCFA came into the cage and pulled them apart.
Alona stood in front of Maxim, trying to break his gaze away from the Beastial. “Calm down, Maxim. Come on, save this energy for the actual match.”
“No one talks to you that way without me beating the shit out of them.”
“I’m flattered, babe, but he’s just talking trash to get us off our game. You need to push those emotions to the side and focus. Can you do that?”
Maxim checked his IO chip and everything was functioning. His breathing was erratic. He breathed in and out slowly, forcing his body to calm down. The security guy approached him slowly.
“Are you okay to go on with the match?”
Maxim nodded. “Yes. Let’s get this over with.”
Chapter 12
The bell rang for the start of round one. The female fighters would be starting in the first round, and then in round two, the men would fight. During round three, they would fight simultaneously. All they had to do was pin or knock out one of their opponents and the match would be won.
Alona walked forward towards the center of the cage. The Sorian woman was crouched close by. She thought about all the things she needed to remember about Sorians. They were supposed to be fast, super fast. So fast that they can cause wind tunnels around their opponents. Zara was part Sorian and Alona had practiced with her quite a few times, but full Sorians were supposed to be much faster. She soon found this out firsthand.
One second the Sorian was crouched in place, the next she was running towards Alona and circling her, forcing her to spin. Alona tried for a kick but missed. The Sorian came at her again, fast, throwing punches and a few elbows at Alona’s face. Alona kicked out again, and this time she caught the Sorian in the side, slowing her down and knocking her off balance. Alona took the Sorian to the mat. The Sorian moved quickly to get back up on the fence. Alona jumped up after her and then they were locked in a clinch hold. The bell rang, ending round one. Alona didn’t realize she was bleeding until she walked back over to Maxim and he reached out to turn her face to
the side.
“Keep pressure here by your temple. It is not a major cut,” he told her with concern.
She shrugged away from him and wiped the blood off. “It’s all part of the my job, Maxim. We get hurt all the time.”
“I know that, but now that you’re mine, I can’t stand to sit by while you get hurt needlessly.”
“It’s my job, I’m not giving it up. Deal with it.” She was putting her foot down with him. She had worked too long and too hard to have him come in and try to rule her on this. No way in hell was she letting that happen.
Maxim looked like he wanted to say more but the bell rang for round two. If he could take down the Beastial, it would save Alona from having to continue to fight. He turned to face the full Beastial. Beastials were the second largest species that Maxim had met so far. The current GCFA male champion, Rage, was a Beastial halfise. Beastials were known for being extremely aggressive. Not only were they really strong, but their bodies also grew larger in size when they were angry or turned on. Maxim was up against a very tough opponent, but he would take him down. For Alona.
*****
This round was fast paced. The crowd got into it, cheering and booing. There were many of Maxim’s fans cheering for him, but Maxim wasn’t paying any attention to the crowd. He concentrated on his opponent. The Beastial hadn’t used any of his Beastial strength yet. He had practiced quite a bit with Rage so he knew this tactic. The goal was to tire out their opponent by regular means, then use the Beastial strength to come in for the knockout. Good thing Maxim was expecting this. He limited his own hits, prolonging the match the way Rage and Hammer had been trying to teach him.