Chapter 13 Riley #2
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to today's heavyweight division! In the red corner, making his professional debut, weighing in at two hundred and twenty pounds... Adrian Kael!"
The crowd's response was polite but subdued—the kind of lukewarm reception reserved for unknown fighters who hadn't yet proven themselves worthy of attention.
Riley's chest tightened as Adrian emerged from the tunnel, his powerful frame moving with that controlled grace she'd come to recognize.
Even from this distance, she could see the tension in his shoulders and the way his jaw was set with determination.
"And in the blue corner," the announcer continued, "weighing in at two hundred and thirty-five pounds... Kade Simmons!"
Oh no.
Kade was everything she'd hoped Adrian wouldn't face in his first match—aggressive, ruthless, and experienced. The man had built his reputation on dismantling rookie fighters with brutal efficiency, and he strutted into the ring like a predator who'd already tasted blood.
She closed her eyes and tried to push every ounce of support, confidence, and strength she possessed through their bond.
You've got this, she whispered silently. Remember everything I taught you.
The bell rang with a sharp clang that cut through the arena noise, and Riley's stomach dropped as both fighters began to circle each other. Adrian moved with measured control, using the techniques she'd drilled into him—high-scoring combinations, defensive footwork, and strategic positioning.
But Kade... Kade moved with something else entirely. Something that made Riley's newly shifter-attuned instincts scream warnings.
"Is Kade a shifter too?" she whispered under her breath, watching as the man seemed to anticipate Adrian's movements with inhuman precision.
Through their bond, she felt Adrian's adrenaline spike—not with fear, but with recognition.
Her mate had sensed what she had: they weren't watching a human versus human competition anymore.
This was two shifters fighting in human form, bound by human rules but powered by supernatural strength and speed.
Great, Riley thought bitterly. Two tigers throwing each other around, and I have to sit here and watch.
The first round unfolded like a brutal chess match. Adrian landed several clean shots using the combinations she'd taught him, but Kade responded with devastating counters that spoke of years of professional experience. When the bell finally rang, Kade was ahead on points, and Riley's heart sank.
"It's fine," her mother said, patting Riley's knee with gentle reassurance. "It's just the first round. He's learning, getting his bearings."
Riley nodded absently, but her gaze had drifted to the section where Adrian's pride members sat. Their faces, which had been cautiously optimistic before the fight, now showed the first flickers of doubt. Some exchanged glances that spoke volumes about their faith in their acting Alpha's abilities.
Guilt crashed over Riley like a tidal wave.
She should have trained him harder. Should have pushed him through more advanced techniques instead of focusing on basics.
Should have prepared him for the reality of facing experienced fighters who wouldn't give him the courtesy of an easy introduction to professional competition.
But two days wasn't enough time for anyone to properly prepare for this level of competition. Most fighters trained for months, not hours. And yesterday... yesterday she'd been too overwhelmed by the mate bond to give him the focused training he'd needed.
This is my fault, she realized with sick clarity. If he gets hurt out there, it's because I failed him.
The second round bell rang, and Riley forced herself to focus on the present moment. Adrian looked more determined now, his movements sharper and more aggressive than before. She poured every ounce of encouragement she could muster through their bond, and this time he seemed to respond to it.
The round was dramatically different. Adrian landed a series of combinations that had the crowd on its feet, and by the final bell, he'd managed to even the score.
As the fighters returned to their corners for the brief rest period, Riley didn't hesitate.
She stood up and made her way toward the ring, ignoring the curious stares from other spectators.
Let them wonder about her relationship with Adrian—right now, he needed her expertise more than she needed to protect their privacy.
She slipped behind Adrian's corner and leaned close enough that only he could hear her voice. "Kade likes to go low and fade right," she whispered urgently, handing him a towel to make her presence look natural. "It's his signature move."
Adrian nodded, his blue eyes sharp with understanding. "I was starting to pick up on that pattern."
"When he fades right, he sometimes comes back hard left to trick his opponent," Riley continued rapidly. "Stay left and catch his jaw at that point. Use his momentum against him."
The third round bell rang with finality, and Riley returned to her seat with her heart in her throat. This was it—the moment that would determine whether Adrian's first professional fight ended in victory or devastating defeat.
She watched anxiously as the fighters circled each other again, both clearly exhausted but determined. Kade was getting impatient now, his movements becoming more predictable as fatigue set in.
And then it happened, exactly as she'd predicted. Kade went low, faded right, and just as he began his deceptive swing back to the left, Adrian was waiting. His uppercut connected with Kade's jaw with devastating precision, using the man's own momentum to amplify the impact.
Kade dropped like a stone.
The arena erupted in chaos as the referee began his count, but it was clear that Kade wasn't getting back up. The announcer's voice roared through the speakers as he raised Adrian's arm in victory, declaring him the winner by knockout.
Riley leaped to her feet, screaming with joy alongside her mother and watching with fierce pride as Adrian's supporters in the stands rose to applaud their Alpha's first victory.
The skeptical expressions had transformed into something approaching respect, and Riley felt her chest swell with satisfaction.
She didn't wait for the official ceremonies to conclude. The moment Adrian disappeared into the tunnel, she was moving, pushing through crowds and security barriers with single-minded determination.
She found him in the corridor leading back to the locker rooms, still dripping with sweat and clearly exhausted but radiating the kind of satisfaction that came from hard-earned victory. The moment he saw her, his face broke into a grin that made her knees weak.
He swept her up in his arms, lifting her feet clear off the ground as he spun her around and claimed her mouth in a kiss that tasted of triumph and salt and pure masculine dominance. When he finally set her down, she was breathless and dizzy with more than just the spinning.
"Thank you," he said, his voice husky with emotion. "That advice about Kade's pattern—it made all the difference."
Riley basked in the warmth of his gratitude, allowing herself a moment to forget everything else except the pride radiating through their bond.
But then movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention, and she turned to see Darius storming down the tunnel toward his own match, his green eyes blazing with barely controlled fury.
The sight of him brought all her earlier doubts rushing back like a flood.
Did Adrian really lose control that night in her office... or did he mark me on purpose?
The trust issues that had governed her life reared their heads with vicious intensity.
Everyone she'd ever relied on had eventually used her trust against her.
Her father had abandoned them. Trent had tried to reshape her into someone more manageable.
What if Adrian was just more subtle about his manipulation?
She didn't confront him about it—not here, not now, when he was still riding the high of victory and surrounded by potential witnesses. But the doubt had taken root in her chest like a poisonous seed, and she could feel it beginning to grow.
Adrian must have sensed something through their bond because his expression grew concerned. "Everything okay?"
"Fine," she lied smoothly, forcing a smile. "Just thinking about dinner. Let's go find my mom and celebrate your first professional win."