by Jennie Dah
I let go when he goes still and get off the ground. I turn around in a circle and as the crowd stands to their feet cheering in excitement and chanting for more. I look up at Celia and she looking back at me proudly a bright smile on her enchanting face.
I thump my chest with a growl, the gesture challenging anyone who dares to go against me to step forward. I roar when no one makes any attempt to move and step over the mangled body of that idiot and head back into the crowd to Celia.
I lift her off her feet and kiss her fiercely, grunting when she melts into me. Adrenaline from the fight is still pumping through my veins, every cell in my body vibrating with pent up energy with no way to release it and I squeeze her tight around her waist.
I pull away from her and set her back on her feet and she smiles goofily up at me. Michael comes over to congratulate me and the others take turns too. Robbie wouldn’t meet my eyes, same with Logan and Charlie and I look to Michael in confusion not understanding their sudden coolness towards me.
‘Later,’ Michael’s voice washes through my head.
Being a telepath, he can easily speak to anyone he isn’t bonded too. I nod to let him know I heard him. I say hello to the other women at Celia’s urging and we all settle back in our seat for the actual show.
Celia has saved a seat for me next to her and she rubs my arm gently before resting her head on it not even once cringing at the sweat on my skin. She then moves and gets back to talking with the others. I look at her in wonder not understanding how she came to be here and why she would choose me out of all this men.
She turns back to me as if feeling my eyes on hers and shoots me a wink and a smile before turning back to her conversation with Stella. My heart feels really light and warm, I’m afraid it’ll fly out of my chest. My fight with that mutt isn’t exactly protocol but no one says anything and almost everyone knows by now that he started it.
He should be better within a few weeks anyway. Quickly the body is dragged out of the ring and the floor cleaned before the MC guy announce the start of the fight. Immediately Agnes, the chick that serves me coffee in the coffee shop next to work volunteers to start.
She must really have it in for someone real bad if she’s volunteering to go first and not waiting for the shuffle. She challenges some woman I’ve seen around quite a few times and then the fight starts.
They’re both really good fighters but about halfway in, the other woman strikes Agnes with a bolt of lightning and she shrieks her face tightening in anger. Then things get interesting when Agnes growls and throw her around the ring and slams her down on the floor several times with her telekinesis.
Celia is bouncing in her seat with excitement and I relax glad she’s not freaking out at what’s going on. She asks questions here and there but she seems fine with everything that going on. I watch the fight with only half my attention not wanting to draw suspicion to myself in case the person following me is somewhere around.
But why would someone be following me? What if they come after Celia toon Something Griff said last night flashes through my head but I snap to attention when the crowd cheers loudly and whatever it was floats out of my mind.
Oh, Agnes won the fight. She steps out of the ring and the her contender is carried out and the floors cleaned again. I tune out everything trying to figure out why someone would be after me.
“Celia!” the blood in my veins chill at the voice that says her name with the smug undertone. Apparently, Arabella has stepped inside the ring and is choosing to challenge Celia.
“No!!” I growl getting out of my seat.
“Sorry cowboy, you know the rules,” Arabella shrugs nonchalantly her face twisted into an ugly smile. “I don’t make them.”
“Nick, what’s wrong?” Celia asks tugging on my hand and I finally turn to look at her but my mouth refuses to form any words.
“She’s challenging you,” Dani gasps her eyes rounding.
“She wants to fight me?” Celia asks slowly looking at me with a finger pointed at hr chest.
“You don’t have to do this, say the words and I’ll take you out of here right now,” I tell her my voice low for her ears only.
“You can’t do that, Nicholas and you know that man,” Michael says looking at me worriedly. “I’ll do it.”
“What happens if he takes me out of here?” Celia asks quietly looking between us.
“Nothing, don’t worry about it,” I wave off her question.
“What happens?” she asks more forcefully this time pining me with a glare.
“He spends a day in the underground dungeons without any food or water while being tortured,” Michael finally speaks when I don’t say anything. “Which is why I’ll be the one dragging you out of here.”
She makes her way past us down the aisle before Michael can even finish speaking and panic seizes my body. My hand reaches up but just before I can grab her and get her the hell out of here she speaks stopping me in my tracks.
“Don’t you dare,” she says her voice hard. “She wants a fight, she’s got one.”
“Celia you can’t fight. You don’t know how to,” I say pleadingly not caring how I might look right now.
“Yeah, Celia please don’t do this. We’ll get you out of here, consequences be damned,” Stella says desperately taking her hand. Celia gently pulls her hand away smiling at her softly.
“Don’t worry guys, I’ll be fine. She’s had it out for me longer before I even met her so….” she gestures down to the ring with a nod.
“You don’t know how to fight,” Stella reasons and she laughs her des dancing with amusement.
“Who said this girl can’t fight?” she raises her brows with a smug smile before walking away.
I blanched at her words and watch as she strolls over to the ring area as if all is right in the world while I’m having heart palpitations over here. She steps into the ring and I wait for the bell to signal the start of the fight.
“Arabella, what is this?” I look in the direction the voice came from and of course it’s Owen. I roll my eyes towards the sky sighing dramatically.
“What do you mean?” Arabella frowns looking at Owen.
“She’s a newborn that just got out of the hospital a few days ago,” he says emphatically. “I’m pretty sure that makes her an exception to the rules at least for the next few months until she learns our way of life.”
God why does he have to be so smart? Maybe if I read the rule book I’d have known that too. A murmur of agreement goes through the crowd and at this point I don’t care what he says, I just want an end to this fight before it even begins.
Arabella looks around uncertainly and then finally throws her hands up in resignation and I breathe loudly in relief a laugh leaving me. Michael grabs my shoulder and grips it relief obvious on his face too.
“No. It’s fine,” Celia’s voice rings through the arena clearly making everyone look at her in confusion. My heart drops to my feet at her words and Griff stirs in my chest rising to the surface, a wave of primal protectiveness surging through me.
What is she doing?
“What are you doing?” Owen voices the question circling in my head.
“She has a problem with me apparently,” she says looking at Arabella dismissively. “And I’ve got much more important things to think about than her problem with me. So I’m giving her the chance to let it all out here and now because the next time she tries something like this, it won’t end well for her. I’ll deal with her my way.” She says her voice angry as she stands toe to toe with her.
No. No. No.
'What are you doing?’ I growl making her feel my growing anger.
'I seriously have no clue,’ her voice is shaking slightly and I feel the panic rolling inside.
‘Then get out of there,’ I grunt, dread twisting my insides. 'NOW!'
‘Okay.’
“Fine,” Arabella says through gritted teeth both women still glaring at each other.
Arabella finally steps aw
ay from Celia and move over to the other side of the ring. I look at Celia all calm and collected, looking nothing like the chaos inside her.
Owen steps closer to her and whispers something in her ear making me growl louder when he hands comes up to rest on her shoulder, a familiarity in the way he’s touching her.
It’s like he’s been doing that for a while now which is impossible because she hasn’t spent much time with him since waking up. Or anyone else for that matter, I realize. I have been hogging her.
What if she doesn’t want to be around me anymore because she starts to feel suffocated? No. No.
But I don’t want her to spend time with anyone else but me. Griff comes to the surface and I can feel him better this time.
The smell of the surrounding areas hit me and even though it’s faint, it’s progress but I can’t really be happy not with what I’m about to do. Maybe it’s time I give her some time to be around other people to so she can decide for herself what she wants.
I can already feel my heart breaking but I have to do this. For us. But if that fucker doesn’t get his hand of what’s mine right now, I’ll go down there and rip it off myself.
“Man, tone it down a little, will you?” Michael whispers close to my ear his voice strained.
It’s like he’s speaking through gritted teeth. I look at him in confusion and he’s teeth is gritted much like everyone within a mile radius of me.
What the hell is wrong with them?
“Man seriously, I can barely breathe,” he rasps his voice hoarse.
“What do you want me to do about that? Want me to breathe for you?” I blanch at the bland monotone my voice comes in.
Oh. Griff. I breathe deeply and push him back but he rears back again when I look back down at the ring and Owen has moved much closer to Celia. What is she doing? Why isn’t she moving away from him?
‘Celia?’
'Nick? I think something is wrong,’ she says nervously.
‘What?’
‘I can’t move,’ she says slightly panicked. ‘And can you please get this guy away from me? I don’t like the way he touching me right now.’
'Don’t worry, I’m coming down but just step away from him.’
‘You don’t understand. I can’t move,’ her panic seeps into my mind and I freeze. ‘It’s like my feet are glued to the floor and my body’s turned to wax.’
‘Celia, don’t freak out ok? I want to try something.’
'Do it, just get me away from this guy, he’s creeping me out now.’
My mind brushes softly against hers and I feel her surprise but I don’t let that stop me. Slowly, I slip into her mind and I’m taken aback by the chaos. I see the smoke screen that almost killed me the last time and I step away from it.
I squint trying to see behind it but nothing. Focus. And then I feel it. Her body is now just a block of wax kind of like a museum exhibit.
What the hell? Owen.
Slowly I slip deeper into her and then I see through her eyes. I look at around but I can’t move my neck.
So that’s why the fucker is touching her. Gently I slip out of her mind but it clings to mine and I force my mind away from hers hissing in pain. I make it into the ring and get in, pushing by Owen effectively pushing him away from her I take her hand and feel her soften and then her whole body jerks and I steady her.
When she can stand on her on again, I whip around so fast with my hand balled into a fist and pop the asshole in the mouth. The gush of blood that floods from his mouth makes me happy but not enough. I step into his space while glaring at him.
“Fucking touch her again and I’ll break your arm,” I growl at him.
“She’s not yours for you make that statement,” he says challengingly wiping the blood from his mouth
“She’s my mate,” I hiss at him. “She. Is. Mine.”
“She didn’t agree to be your mate,” he looks wide eyed between us.
“Actually, I did,” Celia steps in front of me pressing her back to my front and then leans close to him as she whispers conspiratorially. “The other night while we were in bed together.”
Owens eyes go wide before an emotion flashes in his eyes. Betrayal. Why the hell would he feel betrayed?
“She’s mine,” I growl baring my teeth at him. Celia turns in my arms and lift up to press a kiss to my chin in front of everyone. By the time we leave this place everyone will know and by tomorrow morning the news would have travelled far across the island. Looking down at her, at the beautiful smile, my life has never seen more light. I bend to kiss her lips softly before stepping back.
“Ok, I have a fight to get back to so…” she waves her hand shooing us away.
“Celia you don’t have to do this,” I plead again trying to talk some sense into her but she sets her chin stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’ll be fine but I need you to trust me, okay?”
“But I can’t just sit back and watch anyone hurt you,” I whisper painfully.
“Please.”
“She hurts you,” I poke a finger in her chest relenting with a drawn out sigh. “I’ll kill her.”
“Okay,” she shrugs.
“Hey!” Arabella says indignantly.
“Shut up,” Celia snaps glaring at her and she huffs.
“Let’s do this,” Celia says waving me out of the ring.
She doesn’t even look back at Owen who still looks like she kicked his puppy. I teleport back to my seat and the guys squeeze my shoulder in support.
I don’t know what to feel in this moment. Whether to be happy for our upcoming mating ceremony or panicked that my mate to be is about to probably get her ass kicked.
I look to Michael but he’s already staring at me strangely his brows knitted. What? He must have read my face because he answers me in my head.
‘Something is wrong.’
‘What?’
‘I don’t feel right,’ he rasps squeezing his nape.
Just then the bell rings signaling the start of the fight. I look to the front and meet Celia’s eyes. She smiles and winks before turning back to face Arabella.
Chapter 13
MAKAFUI
I breathe in deeply through my nose, discreetly letting it out of my mouth. I don’t want to show any sign of the complete terror threatening to send me to my knees. If Nick were to see it, he’d drag me out of here I’m sure and he’ll end up having to spend a day locked away.
From how Michael said it, I didn’t need him to tell me that it’s bad for a shifter to be locked up.
Why did I say I could fight? I’ve never been in a fight in my life well except for the times when I was a child and I used to hang with the other children in the compound. But those petty squabbles were child’s play compared to the beating I’m about to get right now, I’m sure. My heart thumps rapidly in my chest when she walks slowly towards me but I make sure to keep my face a blank mask.
Why the hell didn’t I take the out that the doctor guy offered me? Maybe because of the way he was looking at me and her when he said it.
It’s like he was warning her against something but it sure as hell wasn’t about beating the shit out of me.
Something is going on and I really meant what I said earlier. I’m sick and tired if people behaving passive aggressively with me.
Back home when you had a problem with someone you made sure they knew it, you don’t take jabs at them. Now I give her the chance to vent out her frustration with me because the next time she does something like this, I’ll drown her in a pool of chili pepper.
When she finally makes it to me, I look at her in boredom and she snarls at me. I sigh but inside it’s like I’m going to pass out any second now.
“Think you’re so tough, huh?” She snarls at me and I blink.
“Ugh, there’s this thing called a toothbrush,” I turn my face away from hers in disgust. “It has a twin, it’s called a toothpaste.”
“You fucking bitch,” she breat
hes angrily.
“No, no, no. That’d be you honey,” I smile sweetly and she growls her hands clenching into fists.
I step away from her. I wonder why she can’t hear the mad beat of my heart. Probably too focused on her anger. She circles around me and I stay perfectly still my grandmother’s words echoing in my head.
Your fear is like the stench of weeks old carcass that attract your enemies just like vultures. You let them see it, then there’s no hope for you.
When she comes back around she looks madder than she did before. She goes to open her mouth and then it’s like I lose control of my body. My fist snaps up popping her in the mouth. Her eyes widen as blood trickle from the cut on her lips.
“Enough of the chit chat,” I say frustrated. “Let’s just finish this already.”
If I thought my heart was beating wildly before it’s nothing compared to how it’s pumping now. I’m afraid it’ll explode out of my chest. A shot of adrenaline hits my system and my body vibrates with the need to expel the excess energy.
Arabella growls and comes at me with her fist raised. I look at her in confusion and sidestep her while taking a hold of her arm and slam her on the ground. I get up and step away from her. What the hell is happening to me? I look down at my hands with my heart in my throat.
‘Hey get in here,’ I whisper frantically and then snarl when she doesn’t immediately show. ‘You better hurry your fucking ass up!’
‘Umm…yes?’
‘Start explaining. What the fuck is happening to my body?’
‘So there’s umm…you… then…’
‘Quit that shit and tell me already. How am I doing this?’ I ask and jump away as Arabella kicks out her leg.
My fist meets the soft flesh of her stomach and she doubles over but before I can even feel anything about it, my knee flies up and a resounding crack fills the air as it connects with her jaw and she sails through the air and land a few feet away from me.
Oh my God, how am I doing this? I breathe heavily and watch as she rolls off the floor with a pained groan. I tune out the roar of the crowd and focus on her.
‘Hey don’t even think about it,’ I snap when I feel her trying to slip from my mind. ‘You’re going to explain things to me today whether you like it or not.’