Stolen Relics

by Karina Espinosa

  His chocolate eyes turned irritated. “Because it’s about to get really violent in a couple minutes, and the Lycans in here may lose control.”

  I scanned the crowd of Lycans and saw what Jackson was talking about. The wall of testosterone was fused with building energy, and the looks on their faces said they were ready for a fight. I’d only been gone a couple hours that morning; I couldn’t have missed that much. What happened?

  I found Ollie standing on the other side of the living room by the French doors that led to the back yard. “Ollie!” I yelled over the crowd. I tore myself from Jackson’s grasp and went to my brother, pushing past everyone in my way.

  “Kenzie, what are you doing here?” he said as he took hold of me. “They took all the women away. You can’t be here—”

  I smiled. He still wasn’t used to calling them Lunas. He was still so human. “I just got here. Have you seen Bash? Alexander?”

  “I think they’re in his office.” He put an arm around me as some wolves started pushing and bumping into others in the surrounding area.

  I looked outside through the glass of the French doors and saw Sterling in the backyard with Mohammad beside her, as if coaching her. I darted around Ollie and reached for the door handle and pushed it open, stepping outside.

  “Sterling!” I yelled, catching her attention as I walked toward her and Mohammad.

  “Kenz!” she beamed and met me halfway. “I’m so glad you’re here!”

  “What’s happening?” I quirked a brow as my gaze traveled from her to Mohammad and back.

  “Didn’t Sebastian tell you?” She frowned. “I’m fighting for the position of Captain today.”

  Well, that explained a lot. No wonder the Pack was amped up with so much adrenaline. They were about to witness a bloodbath. But why weren’t Lunas allowed to watch? A damn Luna was fighting! They should be able to witness history in the making.

  “Why aren’t the Lunas allowed to watch?” I asked, a little angrier than expected. I wasn’t upset with Sterling. I shouldn’t take it out on her.

  “They are.” Mohammad was the one to respond. He pointed up at the Compound behind me.

  I turned around and looked at the second and third floors of the Compound, seeing Lunas with their faces plastered against the glass in all the windows that covered the back of the building, watching the backyard.

  “The Lunas cannot be down here because the wolves are unpredictable, and we cannot protect them all if the wolves lose control. They are safer upstairs,” Mohammad explained in his monotone voice. I looked into his dead eyes and a chill scampered down my spine. “You should make yourself scarce, Mackenzie. I can protect Sterling.”

  “No!” Sterling exclaimed. “I want her here!”

  I smiled at her. “I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere.” I turned to the scary Captain. “I can handle myself just fine. Thank you, though.”

  “Great!” Sterling clapped her hands. “I’ll be fighting Marshall first. He’s very big and—”

  “What have I told you about big men?” Mohammad cut her off.

  “They’re the weakest,” she sighed. “I know, I know. But he’s still intimidating,” she muttered.

  I watched them interact and wondered if I made the right choice by agreeing to have Mohammad train Sterling. Not that it was my choice, but maybe I could have fought a little harder for her. I guessed I would find out during this first fight how well he’d prepared her.

  Sterling was an excellent fighter when she trained with me. She was five feet, eleven inches tall and extremely muscular for a woman, which intimidated all the male wolves in the Pack, but made me love her even more. I wouldn’t lie, I had a little girl crush on Sterling Rose. She was badass. And with Mohammad as her mentor, she could be unstoppable.

  “How nice of you to join us,” Bash said from behind me. I turned around to face him as he walked out of the Compound to the backyard where we stood. He was followed by Jackson and Ollie.

  “You could have told me, you know.”

  “I would have, if you hadn’t disappeared this morning,” he said with a knowing look that told me we’d be discussing this later when we didn’t have an audience. “Your father and Ranulf are back at home waiting for you, and I told them you’d be there once this is over.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled and leaned up to Bash, giving him a peck on the cheek.

  “Are you sure you want her around, boss? She can watch with Amy from my room,” Jackson suggested, to which I responded with the stink eye.

  Bash shook his head. “She’ll be fine. I’ll be by her side, and Mackenzie isn’t exactly helpless. You should know that by now.”

  I could kiss him right now. I gave Bash a beaming smile that promised oh so many things tonight. I loved when he let me handle myself because I knew it took a lot for him to do it. He had to override every wolf instinct he had.

  “Let’s get this started,” Bash said. “Allow the wolves outside and bring me Marshall.”

  Jackson nodded and jogged to the French doors, whistling to get everyone’s attention. The wolves came outside in droves to the grassy backyard, forming a circle around us. There were roughly fifty wolves present.

  Cutting through the crowd, Jackson appeared with who I assumed was Marshall. Sterling was right, he was a very big man. Standing at the same height as Ollie, he was completely beefed up, like he was on steroids or something. His shirtless torso showcased veins popping out of his muscled arms. He flexed them and growled as he neared Sterling, giving her a feral look. He had stringy black hair that was held back by a tie, but some strands had come loose. Everything about him screamed rabid animal. He would be one heck of a fighter. I couldn’t believe this guy wanted to be a captain.

  As Sebastian spoke with Marshall, I took the opportunity to have a little pep talk with Sterling.

  “You got this, Sterling.” I grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face me. “Strength is not in the size of the arms, but in the size of the brain. Remember that. You can outsmart him. He will fight you with brute strength, and that’s why he’ll lose. You’re stealthier than that. You understand?”

  She nodded and gulped. I saw the fear etched on her face.

  “Fear is in the mind.” I pointed to the side of her head. “We control our minds, which means you control your fears. I’ve never had as much faith in someone as I do you, Sterling Rose.”

  “What if I can’t do it?” she mumbled.

  “With that attitude, you won’t be able to. You can and will become Captain. Say it with me.”

  She looked into my eyes. “I will become Captain.”

  “Good. Now say it like you mean it.”

  “I will become Captain!” she vowed.

  I grinned. “Damn right you will. Now go kick that juice monkey’s ass!”

  She growled and her canines slipped out. Sterling turned to the inner circle where Marshall and Sebastian were waiting for her. She stepped forward, cracking her neck and knuckles.

  “This is not a fight to the death,” Bash said. “No killing blows. If that happens, you’re disqualified and there will be consequences. If you can’t handle it anymore, you tap out. Do I make myself clear?”

  Marshall grunted and Sterling nodded.

  I stepped back and blended with the crowd to give them space. The others did the same until it was only Sterling and Marshall in the middle of the circle. Bash came to stand beside me.

  “Begin!” he shouted, his voice booming across the back yard like a canon.

  The surrounding Lycans started yelling and throwing their fists in the air, cheering Marshall on, who went on the offensive immediately. He charged for Sterling, his tree trunk arms spread out wide with his claws out, but she ducked and easily swerved out of his way, dipping under his arms and around him. She glided like a ninja as she missed every attack aimed her way. But she wouldn’t win if she stayed on the defensive.

  “Come on, Sterling!” I shouted, earning a few growls fro
m the Lycans around me. “Go on the offense!” I crouched, putting my hands on my knees as I watched the fight intently.

  Sterling slid between his legs, popping up behind him and jabbing her elbow into his spine, then she stomped her foot on the back of his knee, making him jerk as if he were about to fall to a knee, but she didn’t hit him hard enough.

  “Climb on his back!” I yelled, pointing to his back as if she could see me. “Headlock!”

  She reacted too slow and he turned and back handed her, knocking her into the unsympathetic crowd, which tossed her back into the circle. Blood dripped from her nose and lip.

  Sterling was a better fighter than this—at least she was when she fought Lunas. I’d never compared her against a male wolf who had been fighting all his life, unlike the Lunas. Hadn’t she fought against Mohammad to prepare for this? I peered over at the Captain who stood stoically, his back ramrod straight and his expression neutral as he watched the fight. He gave nothing away. He must have sensed me looking at him because he turned in my direction and narrowed his eyes, then turned back to the fight.

  Sterling was getting hit hard. Her face was already bruised and bloody, and her steps were slow. This wasn’t good. If she didn’t gain the upper hand quickly, she’d be tapping out soon.

  Marshall grabbed her by the neck and lifted her off the ground, leaving only her tiptoes grazing the grass. He was choking her, not enough to kill her, but enough for her to tap out.

  She gripped his wrist and her face turned red as she stared at me with wide eyes over his shoulder. Any moment now, she would tap out and it would be over. The wolves around us howled and cheered gleefully. I peered up at the windows of the Compound and saw the distraught faces of the Lunas. They needed this win. So did Sterling.

  What could she do that wouldn’t be considered a killing move? Fuck. I racked my brain and just as I saw her raise her hand, I screamed.

  “My signature move!” I shouted over the noise. I couldn’t step into the circle while the fight was in motion, and Bash’s hand was gripping my arm to hold me back because I was itching to go in. “Do my signature move! You know the one!”

  Her brows furrowed and I nodded at her, giving her a smirk. I saw the moment the light bulb went off in her head and we finally connected. She knew what I meant.

  “What are you ranting about?” Bash whispered in my ear. I ignored him, never taking my eyes off Sterling.

  Her hands went to Marshall’s shoulders and she rammed her knee in his groin — hard. The wolf released her immediately, dropping to the ground as he cupped his crotch.

  “Now, Sterling!” I yelled.

  She gasped, sucking in a lungful of air before stalking toward him and punching him in the throat, then wrapping her thick arm around his neck. Sterling dropped to the ground and tightened her hold, squeezing as he fought, but he was hurt and wasn’t as strong as he once was. They tussled on the ground for a bit, but she wasn’t letting go. When he realized that, his hand tapped her arm and Bash stepped into the circle and raised his hand, ending the fight.

  “Sterling Rose is our victor for round one!” he shouted. Sterling released Marshall as Bash’s voice rang out in the air.

  She fell onto her back, gulping air, and I darted to her side. The assembled Lycans didn’t like that verdict. The growls and snarls were getting louder by the second, and the pushes became shoves as the crowd boiled. It was starting to look like a damn mosh pit.

  “Sterling!” I dropped to my knees beside her. “Are you okay?”

  Her chest rose rapidly. “I just need to … catch my breath.”

  I chuckled. “Take all the time you need. You deserve it.”

  “Thank you.” She turned her head in my direction. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “I didn’t do a thing. It was all you, Sterling. You kicked ass, just like I thought you would.”

  Sterling sat up slowly and I helped her to her feet. The circle was getting smaller by the second as the wolves got rowdier.

  “We better get her out of here,” Mohammad said as he came to her other side. “She needs to get cleaned up for her next fight, and the wolves need time to calm down.”

  I nodded and watched Mohammad carefully lift her into his arms and carry her out of the backyard. He snarled at anyone who got in his way and the wolves parted like the Red Sea for him. I guessed I wasn’t the only one who was nervous around him.

  “It’ll only get harder from here,” Jackson voiced as he came to stand beside me. “She got lucky with Marshall.”

  I ran a hand through my hair. “She’ll get through this. How many more wolves does she have to fight?”

  “Two more,” he said. “And they’ll be tougher on her because she’s a Luna. They want to prove Lunas don’t belong in positions of authority.”

  “Lovely,” I deadpanned. “Sterling is going to be fine.”

  “And if she’s not?”

  I gave him an annoyed look. “It’s my job to be pessimistic. Stop.” I slapped him on the chest.

  He shrugged. “I’m just preparing you for reality. I know she has something to prove and she’s tough as nails, but these wolves are no joke, either. They’re on another level.”

  “Could I fight them?” I peered up at Jackson. “Would I stand a chance against these so-called, other level wolves?”

  He rolled his eyes. “You’re different, Kenz—”

  “No I’m not! This is the problem. You don’t see Lunas as equals—not even to me. Sterling is just like me, probably even stronger. But none of you will give her a chance because of what’s between her legs.”

  “That’s not fair, Kenz. I never said—”

  “You didn’t have to, Jackson,” I sighed. “I know you’re one of the more progressive of the bunch and you don’t mean to, but you’re wired to think Lunas are weak, no matter what. Which is why you won’t even contemplate the possibility that Sterling might actually win this and become your colleague. Just have some hope, Jack. Please.” I reached for his hand and he squeezed it.

  He grinned. “You’re such a pain in my ass, Kenz.”

  “But this pain in the ass is right, ain’t she?” I raised a brow.

  He groaned. “Yes, you’re probably right with your psychoanalysis. Fine. Sterling might have a chance. But she needs to think about her next move faster. She’s lagging during the fight, which is how Marshall got the upper hand so quickly.”

  I nodded. “I agree. I’ll talk to her.”

  I squeezed his hand once more and let him go. I turned to the rowdy crowd of wolves and dove in, pushing my way through them. I was pushed, elbowed, and even dodged a fist. I didn’t understand why they were so amped up, but it would only get worse with two more fights to go.

  “Move!” I yelled as I jabbed my elbow into someone. The wolf tried to backhand me, but I grabbed his wrist before it connected and twisted it in an unnatural way. “Not nice,” I growled.

  “Bitch!” he snarled.

  I twisted even more. “Well, that’s just plain mean.” I kicked him in the gut and he flew into a crowd of wolves that began tossing him around. I cut through the remaining group, evading more fists and the occasional hair pull, and finally made it to the French doors that led inside the Compound.

  I passed through the empty living room and hurried upstairs where I found all the Lunas gathered in the hallway talking excitedly.

  “Oh my gosh, did you see her?”

  “She was amazing!”

  “Sterling’s totally going to win!”

  “Will they allow it? The King is here, you know.”

  “They have to follow the rules!”

  Multiple conversations filtered down the corridor as I tried to find the room Sterling was in. Their excitement was palpable—they had faith in her to win. Even with the minor setback she had, they still had hope. It was the greatest feeling ever, and Sterling needed to know what the Lunas were feeling. It would help her in the upcoming fights.

  I peered thro
ugh multiple doors, scanned empty bedrooms, and was moving on to the third floor where I ran into more Lunas. Amy was at the end of the hallway and I hurried to her side. She was dressed for summertime in cut-off shorts and a tank, her flaming red curls piled into a messy bun, her myriad of tattoos on full display. Her pierced face brightened when she saw me.

  “Kenzie! I thought I saw you down there,” she said as I approached.

  “Yeah, I came by pure coincidence. I didn’t know today was the fight, but I’m glad I’m here. Have you seen Sterling?”

  Amy nodded. “I let her and Mohammad use Jackson’s room to clean up until the next fight.”

  “Perfect.” I gave Amy a kiss on the top of her head. “You’re a saint.”

  She shrugged. “How about you owe me a trip to Gray’s Papaya, and we call it even?”

  I grinned. “Deal.”

  I backtracked to the second floor, leaving Amy behind as I headed to Jackson’s room. The door was locked, so I knocked and waited for someone to open it.

  “It’s Mackenzie,” I said through the door. “Open up!”

  The lock clicked and the door swung open. I hurried in and shut the door, locking it. Sterling was in wolf form, pacing the room like a caged animal.

  I didn’t think Amy really thought this through when she offered up Jackson’s room. I looked around and took in his massive bed with silk sheets, his gaming area with every console you could think of with multiple games lying around, and a gamer chair in front of a huge flat screen TV. Jackson would lose his shit if anything was destroyed.

  “Is she okay?” I asked Mohammad, who stood behind me quietly.

  “She’s healing, but she’s agitated.”

  “She needs to be quicker. Her reaction time is too slow.” I watched her pace the room.

  “I am aware,” he said pensively.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “We?” He came around to stand in front of me and raised a brow. “You helped her in her last fight, but it was a cheap shot—”

  “It’s survival,” I growled. “Don’t minimize her victory because it was a hit to the dick.”

  Nothing I said fazed him.