CHAPTER FIVE
Typhon
Ipulled into the parking lot of my gym, parking next to a sleek Buell. I was more of a Harley guy myself, but the matte black bike was hot. The blacked-out look and A-line framing was beautiful. It looked expensive too, with additional mods for speed and elegance. Had to be a chick’s bike for sure. The thought had me curious to find its owner. Weeknights were usually pretty relaxed around here, so I was certain I could pick out a new member. I swung my gym bag across my back and walked into the gym, heading straight for the back office.
Radnor’s Gym was more than just a fitness center. When I bought the place three years ago, I added a boxing ring, CrossFit equipment, and a few gymnastics pieces like a balance beam and uneven bars. I wanted this to be a place where anyone could come, leave behind thoughts of the outside world, and get their adrenaline pumping. I offered deals to the young kids looking to get off the streets. I wanted Radnor’s to be a place where people felt safe, something I never had when I was younger.
Of course, I also used the basement for Obscuritas meetings, but the general public didn’t know about that. And it technically wasn’t Obscuritas. When our fathers did what they did to us eight years ago, my brothers and I vowed to find a way to fight against them. We started small and only began actively recruiting others in the last three years. We call it Umbra Noctis. We were the Shadows of Night, always watching, waiting for our time to strike. We played our roles for The Obscuritas leaders—our fathers—and followed orders, all while gathering dissenters, readying for the moment we would finally take control.
My brothers and I couldn’t live like this, not for much longer. The daemon inside me writhed, feeding on my anger. I shoved the fucker down, but until I had full control, I was a slave to The Obscuritas and the daemon within.
Inside my office, I dropped my gym bag to the floor, and James jumped out of my seat, smiling broadly.
“Hey boss.” He nodded, taking a seat on the small couch in the corner instead. He propped his feet up on the coffee table and continued typing out a text. “Meeting is all set for later this week. About thirty potential recruits.”
I grunted in approval. James was twenty-seven, roughly two years older than me, and three inches shorter. He was a CrossFit junkie and ripped after years of training. He was also my eyes and ears at the gym and my Number Two within Umbra Noctis. His bright-green tank stood out against his midnight toned skin, and I grunted a hello as he continued to text.
“Writing a novel over there?” I smirked, sitting behind my desk and switching on my laptop. I rarely used the thing, preferring to keep my personal emails on my private cell. Overlord Laszlo gave us cell phones, but we avoided using them, knowing he was always tracking our conversations. I didn’t trust him not to hack into my network at the gym either.
“Just managing the bets.” James grinned again, glancing at the security camera screens behind me and quickly typing again.
“Bets on what?” I arched an eyebrow, turning around to the screens. I scanned the different monitors until my eyes locked on the boxing ring. There was a curvy, fit-as-fuck woman boxing with Dominic, another Umbra Noctis recruit. “Who the fuck is that?”
“The girl?”
“Obviously, fuckface.”
James laughed, unafraid. He wasn’t affected by my generally threatening personality like most people. “Sara Braun. She’s been a regular for about a month.”
I squinted at the screen. She was kicking Dominic’s ass in the ring. She landed a kick to his stomach, and my dick twitched happily. Her toned legs were on full display in tiny shorts, and her tits bounced in a tight, red sports bra
“I’ve never seen her here before.”
James shrugged. “Comes in randomly. Jade says she works at some club, which I definitely plan to visit once I find out where it is.”
A possessive growl built in the back of my throat. Why do I care? “She’s a fighter?”
James nodded, watching her intently on the screen. “She’s an athlete. Messes around on the beam, deadlifts more than her own body weight. And tosses the guys around in the ring like a champ. Kicked my ass once.”
I snorted, giving him a wink. “Not difficult.”
I turned to see Dominic drop to the floor. Sara immediately straddled his waist and began pummeling his face. Fuck, watching her shot blood straight to my dick. Who was this girl? Dominic tapped her leg, and she stopped, offering to help him up. He grinned as he panted, his nose bloodied.
“Damn that’s hot.” James whistled, standing up and texting again. “I’m headed out to collect my winnings. Night boss.”
“See you later, J.”
After James left, I watched him come into view on the camera. He said something to Sara, making her laugh, and my nostrils flared with annoyance. Why am I annoyed?
“Fuck this.” I shoved out of the chair, determined to meet this fighter chick and get it over with. She was just another girl, who gave a shit if J flirted with her?
I pulled off my hoodie and dropped it on my chair, heading onto the floor in my black tank and gray sweatpants. My workout for the evening could wait now that someone too interesting to ignore was currently boxing in my gym. I pulled my hair into a bun on top of my head, absently wondering if she was attracted to guys with longer hair, then instantly rolling my eyes. Fuck off, Ty, you idiot.
I rearranged my face into a disinterested scowl and approached the ring. Dominic was leaning against a corner post, angled toward Sara. The security cameras did not do this girl justice. She was easily a foot shorter than me, maybe 5’3” at most, and her curvy waist was toned and glistening with sweat. My stomach dropped, and I bit my lip hard enough to bleed. I wanted to taste the adrenaline pulsing in her blood. She had long, icy blue hair, braided back with strands falling around her face. Dark lashes framed her dark-brown eyes, and she had full pink lips I wanted to ravage.
She smiled at something Dominic was saying, and I instantly wanted to throttle him. Her eyes slid to mine suddenly, and my dick nearly stood at attention just from her piercing gaze. Heat rose in my body as she continued to watch me. My breathing became shallow, and I forced my face to remain calm as her dark eyes pierced my fucking soul. Holy fucking shit. The daemon inside me groaned with lust.
Dominic turned to see who caught Sara’s eye, and his smile faltered. “Oh hey, boss.”
I nodded, my eyes locked on Sara’s. “Dom.”
He straightened off the ropes awkwardly, and backed away from her. “Uh, this is Sara. She’s a hell of a fighter.”
“I’ve heard.” I slid my eyes down her body as she laughed huskily, sending another pulse of blood to my dick.
“You boys talking about me? Never had a girl kick your ass in the ring before?” Sara tossed the braid off her shoulder and curled her wrapped fists on her hips.
Dom grinned at her. “None as good as you, babe.”
I frowned at the little pet name, a growl building in my chest. My daemon wanted to rip out Dom’s fucking tongue. This one was mine. I cleared my throat, stepping into the ring and towering over them both. Dom was fit, but not nearly as broad as me, and several inches shorter. He stepped back, wisely, sensing my mood. The girl, however, did not. Sara cocked her hip and continued to look up at me, unaffected. I wanted to wrap my fingers around her throat and show her exactly how terrifying I could be.
Her petite stature was dwarfed by my shadow as I stepped closer to her. “I’m Ty Radnor.”
Sara smirked. “I’ve heard.”
My dick twitched at her attitude. This girl needed to get her ass kicked. “Interested in another round? Since this is my place and all, let’s see what you got, little girl.” I grinned menacingly, and Sara’s eyes narrowed. Oh boy, was she a fighter. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I thought of her struggling beneath me, bruised and bloodied.
“Dude, you’re easily over twice her size in height and weight,” Dominic scoffed. “She has no chance.”
I started to respond, but Sara cut me off. “I’ve fought bigger guys.”
She was taunting me, and I let the daemon smile behind my eyes. Hell yeah, babygirl. It’s on.
Dominic’s eyes darted between us, and I grunted at him to get lost. He stepped out of the ring in a hurry and nodded at Sara. “See you around, babe.”
I growled possessively, and he quickly exited the room without looking back.
Sara snorted a laugh. “What are you, some kind of animal?”
I turned toward her, leaning down close to her ear. “Yeah, babygirl. And my bite is even worse than my bark.”
Sara pulled back, her eyes locking with mine in a challenge. “Bring it on then, monster man.”
I quickly wrapped and taped my hands and got into position, stalking her slowly around the ring. I let the monster inside me loose, just enough for her to see the danger lurking behind my eyes. I was the predator, and she was the prey. There was nowhere for her to go, but instead of cowering, she glared back at me. Her eyes were fierce, and her full pink lips were set in a determined grimace.
“Your angry face is cute, pet,” I taunted, stopping short to circle in the opposite direction.
She matched my pace, her eyes staying locked with mine even as her body responded to the change in direction.
Sara smirked. “And yours is hardly intimidating. J and Dom are far scarier.”
I snarled at the challenge, unable to resist, and she laughed. “Careful, pet. You’re asking for it.”
“Come and get it then.” She bared her teeth like a feral kitten, and I launched at her, feigning right, but she was quick.
Sara danced out of my reach, landing a quick punch to my ribs. I spun, throwing a punch to her left shoulder, but it glanced off as she jumped away, wobbling slightly from the force of my hit. I wasn’t putting my full strength into it. At least not yet. She came at me like a wild cat, throwing quick punches and ducking and dancing around my own. My breaths became shallow, even as hers remained even. She moved like a panther on the hunt. Her muscles loose and her dark eyes hungry for violence. I was instantly curious where she learned to fight with such finesse. And why? What did this strange, beautiful girl have to fear, other than the monster in me now hungering for her destruction? Her gaze narrowed with suspicion as if she could hear my thoughts, and I grinned.
“Eager for my death, pet?” I licked my lips as her chest began to heave with labored breaths.
Blood rushed to my dick when she shot out a quick punch to my face, causing me to groan loudly. I felt her hand connect with my bottom lip and tasted blood. I grinned, letting it drip down my chin like a maniac. Most men pissed themselves when I let my daemon show like this, but Sara tracked the blood as it dripped from my mouth, biting down on her full bottom lip.
“Red looks good on you, monster man. Is that all you’ve got for me?”
I smirked. You asked for it, little girl. I came at her quickly, throwing punches I knew she could deflect. I kicked out once and, as she spun away, slipped my hand in my pocket and whipped out a small knife. As she turned back, I slipped behind her and brought the knife to her neck. She stilled, and my dick twitched as her ass pressed against my thigh.
“A knife? Really?” She panted, her eyes looking up into mine. Fuck, I liked this look on her.
I brought my bloodied mouth down to her ear. “This is the real world. You’ve gotta fight dirty to win.”
Before I could move, Sara brought her elbow back into my gut and shoved away from me. The knife sliced into her neck as she darted away, and she hissed in pain. I watched the blood drip from the shallow cut even as her eyes lit up with lust. My little pet liked the fight as much as I did.
“I like watching you bleed for me, pet.” I chuckled.
She let out a little growl that had me close to coming in my fucking sweatpants. I brought the knife to my mouth and licked the edge, tasting her blood as her eyebrows shot up. The taste was like sin and made my own blood sizzle. The daemon inside me begged to be let out to play. Who was this girl?
She jumped toward me, but the movement was lazy, and I wrapped my hand around her throat and tossed her to the floor of the ring. Her back crashed into it, and she let out a woosh of breath. Sara wrapped her hands around my arm, but it was no use. I straddled her waist, my fingers tightening slightly.
I grinned and leaned in close, my blood dripping on her chest. “You lose, pet.”
Sara went limp and smirked up at me. She wriggled her hips into mine, and I groaned at the friction against my fucking hard-on. I moved to adjust our position, and she immediately brought her knee up to my groin. Pain shot through me as she rolled us over, and suddenly I was beneath her, my knife in her hand and pressed under my chin. Her legs straddled my bruised balls, and my dick twitched with a mixture of pain and pleasure as she ground her body against mine.
She leaned down, her chest brushing mine, and I grabbed her waist. She dug the knife into my skin, and I grinned, catching her gaze. Her pupils dilated with desire, reflecting how I felt even as she pressed the tip of the knife into my skin. I tilted my head back, giving her further access to my throat.
“You lose,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“Finish me off then,” I whispered.
She leaned down, and I slid my hands to her ass, squeezing it. She squirmed against my dick, making me groan even as the knife tore at my skin.
Sara sucked in a breath, her pupils fully blown as she watched me bleed. “Are you so eager to die?”
I gave her ass another squeeze. “Like this? With pleasure, pet. I’d steal a kiss as you cut open my throat, dying with the taste of you on my tongue.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Sara laughed, her face a mask. She sat up, flipping the blade closed and tossing it to the ground.
Before I could move, she punched me hard in the stomach and I flinched, releasing her. She stood smoothly and ducked out of the ring.
“Thanks for the dance, monster man.”
I stood slowly, adjusting my sore and very blue balls. “Looking forward to the next one, Sara Braun.”
She flipped me off, and I watched her ass hungrily as she sauntered to the women’s locker room. I would have that woman screaming my name very soon.