27. ~Ronan~
Chapter 27
~Ronan~
“I’m so nervous,” said Celine, pressing her palms to her cheeks in the cutest way, her eyes lit with excitement.
“Don’t be nervous, baby.” I held her close, pressing my forehead to hers. “We’re going to win every match tonight. I promise you that.”
“I know you are.” She hugged me tight. “You’re the best fighter in the whole world.”
I laughed because I knew she was telling me the most supportive things possible to make up for last time. I wasn’t the best fighter in the whole world. But hearing her say it boosted my confidence even higher.
“Let’s not go crazy yet.” I lowered my mouth to her ear. “But I’m your fighter, and I can’t lose tonight. Not with my girl here rooting me on.”
“I’m here.” She beamed up at me. “I’ll always be here. ”
“Ronan!” Ty called from across the locker room near the door to the hallway where Bowie and Zack were walking through. “Time to go!”
“You hurry and get to your seat.” I pecked her lips and swatted her ass.
She laughed and took off in front of me. Diego was in the hall.
“Good luck, guys. Go kill ’em.” Then he and Celine hurried ahead of us.
Zack was bouncing on his toes, left to right, like always.
“I noticed our Instagram following passed the Iron Claws this weekend.” He grinned.
“No shit,” I said, liking that a whole fucking lot.
Bowie and Ty laughed. We were loose and warmed up, fists wrapped, and ready to go, wearing the trunks and the new short robes Uncle Shane had bought for us, making the Blood Moon Body Shop our official sponsor. They were the same deep red as the trunks with our logo, the howling wolf, finely stitched on the backs.
Eminem’s “Lose Yourself ” blared in the arena as we marched out, and thousands of fans jumped to their feet, roaring and cheering to the rafters. Zack slid a grin sideways to me as we strode out together toward our bench. The Iron Claws had already made their grand entrance, now mean-mugging us from their bench on the other side of the cage.
I actually laughed. They were obviously so fucking pissed the crowd they’d once owned seemed to be on their feet for us more than them. We raised our hands, waving and riling the throng up even louder. The place was wild and roaring .
When we made our way to our bench, the music subsided and the referee blew a whistle to call up the first fighters. The roster had Zack against Carter first, that fucker who’d knocked me out last match. He called over to me as he stepped into the cage with Zack.
“How’s that jaw feeling, Reed?”
I didn’t respond, entirely unaffected. They had no idea the strength that was in me tonight. Nothing they could say or do would penetrate the shield I’d formed around myself. I was stronger than I’d ever been and tough as fuck.
“Come on, Zack!” yelled Bowie.
None of us were sitting, all standing on our side of the cage as the ref went over the rules as required. I glanced to the sponsor’s bench, finding the healer sitting there as well as the judges at their table, and the handler with the tranquilizer should things get out of control. Uncle Shane was also there too, now that he was our official sponsor, alongside Rhett. And Baron’s father, a hard-looking man with a barrel chest and a head of gray-speckled black hair. His beady eyes glared daggers at me. It didn’t bother me one bit.
As soon as the referee whistled for the fight to begin, all eyes swiveled to the ring, and Carter immediately started his shit.
“So are you a top or bottom? I bet Bowie is the top. You seem like a bottom.”
He’d resorted to slinging bigoted slurs about gays at Zack, thinking that would bother him.
Ty growled next to me. When I glanced at him, his eyes were wolf-green. I’d never seen his wolf come out.
“Don’t let that bother you. Fuck him, Ty.”
“Are you kidding me? I’d never fuck that dirty bastard. ”
I laughed as he played it off.
Then we were both watching as Zack swung and caught Carter in the jaw, then quickly dodged under his retaliating swing.
“Nah, man.” Zack grinned. “I’m more into juicy cougars. Your mom said I was a good fuck last night.”
Carter’s face flushed red as he charged Zack, swinging wildly and landing only a glance off his shoulder. Zack was fast, dodging and laughing. He jogged around the ring, smiling at us as he passed.
“He’s too easy.”
We clapped and hollered like the rest of the fans. I wished I hadn’t let Carter get me off balance that last fight. But if anything, it only taught me a lesson I wouldn’t ever let happen again. I always learned from my mistakes.
Zack’s bout went three rounds before Carter became winded chasing Zack around the ring. We should’ve known Zack would be a perfect match for the giant werewolf. Zack had stamina well beyond the big fighter.
By the fifth round, Zack was ready to make his move. He swept Carter to the floor and pummeled him in the face until the ref called him off.
“TKO!” we yelled on the sidelines in unison, laughing at Zack’s fantastic first win.
Zack knocking their biggest fighter to the ground and coming out unscathed was a serious improvement for him.
Next up was Ty with that dick, Nate. The match didn’t make it more than thirty seconds before Ty grappled him to the ground.
Again, the three of us on the sidelines yelled together, “TKOOOOOOO! ”
We were high on life by the time Bowie went into the cage with Adam. It was in the third round that Bowie knocked him out cold.
The arena went insane as Bowie stood over him and stared down Baron, Nate, and Carter like a warrior. It was the coolest fucking thing I’d ever seen.
Finally, it was my turn. I was well aware what was riding on this last match between me and Baron. Technically, we’d already won. But Baron was undefeated, and I wasn’t. There was a chance the WFC wouldn’t let me move up at the state level if I didn’t beat him.
My entire career seemed to be leading up to this moment. Me fighting in a legal ring for the chance to prove I was the best. But now I was ready to prove to myself and to the world that I was the real deal. I belonged here and was ready to go to the next level. I was a champion.
Glancing up at the stands, I saw Celine sitting next to her brothers, her mother and father, my uncle as well as Violet and her husband, Nico. They were all screaming and cheering, but it was Celine on her feet, smiling directly at me and yelling, “Go, Ronan!” that put fire in my belly as I launched into the cage.
I also didn’t miss Baron’s father and his cronies in the front row, glaring and fuming at me. Like I gave a fuck.
Baron stood, sneering, while the referee went through the rules as required.
“Just about over,” I told Baron lightly. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it quick.”
He scoffed. “You can’t beat me. We’re still the champs.”
Technically, he was right. Baron was undefeated in the cage. If I didn’t beat him now, then the state decided and they might still choose his team to go to the next level. The only way to ensure our spot at state was for me to beat Baron. Right here, right now.
Then the fight was on. Baron and I circled each other. He liked to wait for his opponent to make the first move. He was best at defensive maneuvers that helped him grapple his opponent into submission and then get him locked into a TKO position.
So I didn’t give him the opportunity. I waited him out, know- ing he’d get frustrated first. We kept circling, neither of us going after the other.
The crowd didn’t like it. Hecklers started yelling. “Come on!” and “Fight, you fuckers!” and “Stop dancing around!”
None of that had ever bothered me, but I could tell it was irritating Baron. He shot a death glare at one guy in the front row when he yelled, “Give me what I paid for!”
Knowing his father ran the operation and, ultimately, was responsible for keeping the customers happy, seemed to get to him like I knew it would.
That’s when Baron launched at me. He swung, but I dodged and planted a hard punch to his jaw. He turned and came again. I let him land a blow so I could get him in close and sweep him to the floor.
His eyes went wide since I was the one who fought best on my feet. My game wasn’t on the floor. That’s why I trained hard as hell the past few weeks to find the best way to get him on the ground. He wouldn’t be expecting it. By the look on his face as he tried to quickly roll over, he hadn’t been.
He never made it the full rotation. I was on him and had his right arm locked in an armbar, slowly putting the pressure to hyperextend it if he tried to get out of my hold .
“Fuck,” he muttered, twisting and writhing, trying to shake me.
“Not gonna happen,” I muttered. “Better tap out or I’m going to fuck up your arm bad.”
I didn’t want to, and I wouldn’t break it, but he had to tap out for this to be a TKO.
He growled, his eyes flashing bright gold, his fangs elongating as he tried to shake me. He wasn’t going anywhere. I only locked on harder, my legs around his waist and thighs, keeping him from maneuvering much at all.
Even when he realized it was useless, he gnashed his teeth, trying to bite me. The referee would’ve blown the whistle, disqualifying him if he was able to reach me with his jaws, but he couldn’t. And I didn’t want to win by a ref call.
I put a little more pressure on that elbow. I wanted Baron tapping out, surrendering. He reached back with his one free hand, able to claw at my outer thigh, only managing to tear through my trunks. I laughed at his useless flailing. He was panicking, trying anything to get out of my hold.
“I’ll break it, Baron,” I whispered as I put on more pressure, my wolf present and strong, growling deep inside my chest.
The crowd yelled and cheered as it was obvious I was about to win. When I thought the ref was about to blow the whistle, Baron tapped his claws on the cage floor.
Rolling away, I launched to my feet, both arms in the air as the entire arena roared to its feet. The ref held my arm and announced, “The winner is Ronan Reeeeeed!”
I could barely breathe as I gulped down air and the reality that I’d done it .
“The new champions of the New Orleans Wolf Fighting Championship are the Blood Moon Crew!”
Ty, Bowie, and Zack were in the ring lifting me in the air onto Bowie’s and Ty’s shoulders. Everything was a blur as I laughed and yelled, “Yes!”
Immediately, I found Celine on her feet, tears running down her face, cheering loud and hard for me. My heart couldn’t handle the joy. It was too much.
Then the guys were setting me on my feet and the ref was wrapping the giant belt with the NOWFC gold buckle around my waist. The team wrapped our arms around each other’s shoulders, huddled, heads together.
“You did it!” screamed Zack.
“We did it!” I yelled. “Thank you,” I added more quietly as the sound of applause and whistles and cheers roared even louder. “I couldn’t be happier or prouder than to have done this with you, brothers.”
There was a moment while we shared that intimate emotion of brotherhood for something we’d done together against all odds. Then familiar voices broke through the roaring cheers.
“Ronan!”
I turned to see Celine and Diego running into the ring. She launched herself into my arms, and I swung her off her feet, kissing the hell out of her in front of everyone. My mate. My beautiful, sweet mate.
She laughed and held me tight, tears streaming down her pink cheeks as she cupped my face. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you, baby.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “Thank you. ”
“I love you,” she whispered low. But I heard her even though the noise was deafening.
And my world was so extraordinarily perfect. It didn’t matter to me if my wolf ever showed up for real. With her in my arms and my life, I was complete and whole.