Chapter 34
thirty-four
Jo
“Again.” Declan’s voice is hard. My chest is heaving as I look up at him, the lights on the ceiling of the training room casting a sort of halo effect on him.
Like an angel of death.
My chest heaves, my back slick with sweat as I catch my breath on the mats.
“Dec,” my voice comes out a whine, “come on. I can beat everyone else. I can take Aidan, Rory, and Nolan.” I sit up, wincing at the way my shirt sticks to my back. “Isn’t that good enough?”
“Defeating my pack brothers is not what we agreed upon.” He reaches a hand out to help me up, and I take it with a huff. “I said that when you can resist my bark and beat me in a match, that’s when I would feel comfortable with you enacting this revenge scheme on your own.”
“I can resist your bark just fine.” I mutter, stretching my arms above me. “And don’t belittle it to a revenge scheme, you know it’s more than that.”
“I know.” He crosses his arms. “I want to help you get Mabel back. You know that I could just send someone to do this for you though, right? I have plenty of men who could get admitted as a patient at Thornfield and track down Mabel.”
I shake my head. “She wouldn’t go with anyone but me. She’ll be too scared.”
“Then you know what you have to do, princess.” His nickname for me pulls at my heartstrings, reminding me of why I’m doing this. Mabel. Mabel needs me, and nobody else will be able to save her.
Taking a deep breath, I nod. “Again, then.”
For Mabel.
Hayden looks at me with wide eyes as I hand him the syringe.
“I need you to hold onto this for me while I fight, and give it back to me right after. But…sneakily.” The syringe is filled with a clear liquid, the cap firmly in place so nobody gets pricked by accident.
I had Helaena give me a scent suppressing shot too, since I don’t know if I’ll sweat off all the cream later.
I had originally planned on having Turnip hold the syringe for me, but I haven’t seen her since mine and the guys’ craft-room-threesome a few nights ago. I’m starting to get worried.
My Fire Demon looks around the room before stuffing it in his pocket.
We’re in the back corner of the gym, barely out of view of the orderlies, where I’m supposed to wait until it’s my turn to fight.
Kole disappeared somewhere a minute ago when I started stretching, and I decided to entrust the drug to Hayden while he’s gone.
Kole will demand immediate answers, and I need him to at least wait until I have Banesworth subdued before he shows up.
“Do I want to know what you need that for?” His usually light-hearted tone is tinged with worry, and I feel a little bad. I’m sure I haven’t been doing a great job of blocking all my emotions through the bond.
“Maybe. If you do…” I bite my lip, making a last minute decision, “then come to the abandoned wing about thirty minutes after they pull me out of here. If you don’t want to know, I won’t blame you. I promise I have it handled either way.”
Hayden gives a stiff nod before his hands grip the bare skin of my waist. I stand on my tiptoes to meet his lips with a kiss.
My alpha melts into me, his shoulders relaxing as his hands trail goosebumps along the skin of my back.
Turns out when a female is fighting in these matches, she gets supplied with a sports bra and a pair of leggings.
Can’t have the perverted doctors looking at a female fighting in a shapeless jumpsuit, can we?
“Mmm, it’s gonna be so hot watching you kicking all their asses,” Hayden groans into my mouth. “See if you can keep this outfit. I’d love for you to manhandle me in it. Like some kind of sexy MMA fighter.”
I smile, nipping at his lip. “You gonna be my ring-boy?”
“I’ll be your knot-boy.”
“You already are my knot-boy, Darlin’.”
That’s the exact moment Kole reappears, looking annoyed with Sam trailing behind him. I gave them the barest details of all that happened between Sam and I last night, and neither of them miss the glare I shoot him. Kole pulls a roll of white tape out of his pocket and starts wrapping my hands.
“What are you doin’, Sugar Bear?” I roll my eyes as he holds my hand still, wrapping the tape around my knuckles.
“I don’t want you getting bloody knuckles,” he says bluntly.
Sam scoffs. “You realize she’s going to be fighting other alphas, right? The last thing she needs to be worried about is her knuckles.”
Kole glares at him, an alpha growl rattling in his chest. If this is how he reacts to a man that he doesn’t hate—who also happens to be my possible scent match—hurting my feelings, I’m especially glad I didn’t tell him about Banesworth yet.
“If you think she has anything to worry about other than keeping her hands from getting injured while she destroys the pathetic excuses for betas and alphas in this institution, then you do not know her at all.” His words are full of warning, and I see the barest ounce of regret from Sam before he shakes his head.
“Look. I came over to warn you. Brooks…since Kole dropped out, he’s been secretly offering some patients extra privileges if they volunteer to fight and win against Jo. And Whitmore is here.”
“And you waited until right before the fight to tell us?” Hayden snaps, his face hard as his bond rides him, his alpha clearly rebelling at the thought of me getting hurt. Though maybe it also has something to do with the elusive Doctor Whitmore being here.
“I just found out.” Sam sighs, running a hand over his short hair. “I overheard some of the alphas talking about it. Looks like they want to make an example.”
“Well, they can try all they like.” I shrug as Kole finishes wrapping my hands and puts the roll back in his pocket. “But they don’t call me ‘Jo, Destroyer of Alphas’ for nothin’.”
Kole frowns. “Lisichka, who calls you that?”
“Nobody yet.” I grin, planting a kiss on his lips in thanks. “Well, actually, I like to think that’s how my victims refer to me down in hell, but I imagine the name will be all over the papers by mornin’.”
“What papers?” Hayden asks in confusion.
I wave him off. “All the newspapers. You know. The news.”
“My point,” Sam butts in rudely, “is that there are some guys ready to fight you and win, Jo. Maybe you should back out now while you still can.”
I turn to him with a sneer. “Oh? I thought maybe if I took a few beatin’s I’d stop makin’ trouble.” Sam blanches as I throw his initial response finding out I’d be fighting back at him.
Kole and Hayden stifle their growls. Yeah, I forgot I didn’t tell them about that.
“Jo—” He tries to placate me, but I cut him off.
“Listen, Sammy-boy.” I jam a finger in his chest. “If you think my skills reach their end at slammin’ bitch’s faces into tables, you are sorely mistaken. Do not forget that I have thirteen alphas on my rap sheet, and I’m one hundred percent responsible for all of ‘em.”
Sam doesn’t have a chance to answer before Banesworth approaches.
He eyes my guys with disdain before grabbing my arm. “Come on, Kitten. It’s time for them to rip out your claws.”
Before any of them can do anything, I shoot them all a look, and luckily they stand down.
I follow Banesworth’s lead, and my fellow inmates erupt into applause when I pass the bleachers.
At least, I’d like to believe that it’s applause.
It’s entirely possible that there are boos and cheers and insults all mixed in together.
All of it fades to the back of my mind as Banesworth leans in close, his hot, disgusting breath in my ear.
“Find me in the abandoned wing when you’re done.
” My stomach turns at his words, and he does nothing to hide his eyes roaming up and down my body.
At least him having me meet him in the abandoned wing means I won’t have to move his body when I’m done with him.
“Start when the airhorn goes, and don’t stop until you hear it again.
You don’t want to know what the consequences will be if you don’t.
You’ve made Brooks and Whitmore very unhappy. ”
Then I’m being shoved toward the ring, my arm red from where the asshole had been gripping it too hard.
Glaring at him, I brush myself off before climbing into the ring, only to come face to face with a beta I don’t recognize.
His hair is buzzed, and he gives me a malicious smile as I approach. I don’t dare look at the stands.
Rule one in Jo’s Super-Amazing-Destroy-Everyone-They-Put-In-My-Path plan?
Don’t get distracted.
Rule two?
Don’t show weakness.
Rule three?
Don’t back down.
The air is charged with electricity as the beta sizes me up. He looks a little familiar, now that I’m staring at him. He might be in my circle time group.
I shoot him a wink that has him blinking in surprise, and in the next second, the airhorn goes off.