Chapter Fifty-one — Trinity
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
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TRINITY
Bastian chose my hand chains.
Delicate silver ones with a row of marquise-shaped crystals along the back of my hand. He wove the tiny silver locks into them and made sure they were secure. I loved the little ritual. It was grounding and intimate and brought us back to a place of refreshed understanding.
“I won’t see you until later,” he said. “I have to go to the arena to weigh in and get checked by the doctors. Brooks will be with me. It’s easier to stay there, so the others will bring you.”
“Okay.”
He stroked his fingers through my hair. He’d done that last night too. I loved the way it felt. The way Bastian tilted his head, I knew he was finding the words for something.
“What is it?”
“Feel like being obedient?”
My whole body flushed. “That depends on what it is.”
My Alpha’s chuckle was dark. Like he knew it was what I would say, and had prepared for it. “Three things. You don’t have to obey, but it will make things harder for you if you don’t.”
I narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“First, wear shoes you can move in. No high heels or sandals. Second, I want you to wear a skirt. Or a dress. No pants or leggings. And lastly,” he tucked one last strand of hair behind my ear as he leaned in to whisper, “only wear things you’re okay with being ruined.”
My breath caught. What did he…
Don’t run if you don’t want me to chase you.
Mouth dry, I tried to swallow. “I don’t run, remember?”
Bastian smirked. “We’ll see about that. But don’t worry. There’s plenty of room for sneaking.”
“I’ll remember to paint myself in camouflage.”
He laughed softly and leaned in once more, kissing my temple. A single, low word breathed against my skin. “Behave.”
Then he was gone, and I was left panting. Practically sweating. I grabbed my phone. My training waited, but I needed advice, and Isolde was the person to give it.
Trinity
So I think Bastian might chase me tonight.
I mean, I’ve been telling him I don’t run, I only sneak, but I think it’s going to be something like that.
Isolde
Ooh, how fun! Where?
Trinity
No idea. He’s fighting tonight, and he says afterwards. He wants me to wear shoes to move in and stuff.
Any advice?
Isolde
Don’t hold back. It’s going to raise both your instincts to an insane level. Lean into it. You might be surprised about what you can do with adrenaline and survival instinct.
Trinity
Survival? He’s not going to murder me.
Isolde
Just your pussy.
Kidding.
But seriously, just have fun. You have your safe words, right?
Trinity
Yeah.
Isolde
Then you’ll be fine.
And I expect the details when it’s over.
Trinity
You know it.
Isolde
Logan slipped into my room after my training was complete. “Ready for tonight?”
“Considering I’m not exactly sure what to expect watching Bastian fight or what he has planned for after, I’m not sure. Thankfully, I have some work to distract me.”
I went to the office yesterday so I could focus on my research and pitch to Edgar, but he was still fine with me working from home.
The skirt I chose was short and flouncy, one piece with shorts underneath. Paired with sneakers and a t-shirt I didn’t care about being ruined, I was cute and casual. Plus, I liked the way it made Logan stare at my ass.
“I have something for you to do, but only if you get your actual work done.”
“Oh?”
He handed me a tablet opened to the Nestled website. I’d been there a few times, the last time with Ocean while she furnished her nest. “I heard you’ve been stealing our clothes.”
“Sorry.”
“I’m not. I love it. But we want you to make the nest yours with more than just our clothes.
It’s logged in to our account. Put whatever you want into the cart and we’ll make it happen.
On that note, I have a call out to a service that will help us get your apartment cleaned up and the rest of your stuff out of there. ”
I frowned. “I can do it.”
“You can. But there are more fun things to do.”
Taking the tablet slowly, I glanced at him. “I still want to go to the store. It’s like an Omega candy store.”
“We will absolutely take you there and set you loose. Do you want to do it all that way?”
I took the time to think about it. I’d been to Nestled enough times that I knew the stock pretty well. I wanted to go with them, but I was fine picking things and having them delivered. “No, I think ordering some is good.”
“Let me know when you’re finished picking. I want you to eat some protein before we go, and we have to leave at five.”
“Okay.”
He took a step like he meant to leave and turned back and crashed his lips to mine. “On any other day, I would drag you into my room and have my way with you, work be damned.”
“Not today?” My words were breathless.
“Not today.” He winked. “You need your strength for later.”
“What’s the plan?”
Walking backward out of my room, he put a finger to his lips in the hushing motion. He wasn’t going to say anything.
“Damn Alphas,” I muttered under my breath.
“I heard that!”
Fuck me. How was I going to focus on work?
I balanced the tablet on my lap while the crowd hummed in anticipation.
The Nestled cart was far too full. Of cushion covers, blankets, pillows, and even a set of soft lights that were shaped like leaves.
Since everything I was choosing was in shades of green and purple, I thought they would fit in perfectly.
One second I was reaching to tap the screen and the next the tablet was tumbling out of my lap.
Theo caught it before it hit the ground and placed it back in my lap.
Frustration burned in my chest. It was closer to the surface because because of the mug last night, but I still didn’t fully understand why it always seemed to happen.
“I’m done for now,” I said, handing the tablet to Theo. “And I don’t want to drop it again.”
He slung one arm around my waist and tugged me closer, kissing my hair. “I hope you bought everything.”
“Not everything.”
Brooks was down by the giant octagonal ring. There were big panels surrounding the fighting area that looked like they were chain-link fence.
Nerves danced in my chest. I wasn’t sure I wanted to watch Bastian fight. On the one hand, I did, because I wanted to see him be completely amazing. On the other hand, because I didn’t want him to get hurt.
I understood Brooks better now.
“He’s going to win, right?”
Logan leaned forward on the other side of Theo. “Yeah, he is.”
People around us gave us looks. Maybe they were rooting for the other guy…
Aiden laid his arm across the back of my chair. “Out of curiosity, I looked up some of Bastian’s previous fights, along with his opponent.” Then, lower. “I don’t think he has anything to worry about.”
“Okay.”
Theo took my hand and laced our fingers together. I squeezed his hand harder than I should have.
The absolutely huge arena went dim, music blaring. All around us, the arena went insane. So loud I could barely hear anything. The announcer said something booming, and I didn’t catch it. All I saw was Bastian on the giant screens above us, walking out.
He wore a sleeveless black hoodie, the hood up and shadowing his face. Imposing and menacing. No performing or catering to the crowd, he just walked. His hands were wrapped, and he wore loose blue shorts.
Once he reached Brooks, he paused. They spoke quietly, and Bastian turned and looked in our direction. His gaze found me with the accuracy of a missile. Pointing at me, he blew me a kiss before touching his heart.
All at once spotlights centered on our group, and I saw myself on the screen. Oh, fuck. What did I do?
Theo squeezed my hand, jerking me into action. I blew Bastian a kiss back. When he caught it, the arena erupted.
My face was red and hot by the time the cameras focused elsewhere. Everyone already knew who I was because he’d posted me. But having an entire arena full of people watch me was a different thing. I didn’t like being the center of attention unless it was for a byline.
All at once the music shifted to something raw and thumping. Bastian’s opponent was huge. And he was pumping up the crowd. Hitting his chest and lifting his hands, soaking in the cheers like they fueled him.
“That’s who he’s fighting?”
“Size matters a lot less in the fighting ring than it does in the bedroom,” Aiden whispered. “Being too big can be a disadvantage. But they’re both in the same weight class. Bastian isn’t outmatched.”
“Okay.” My voice was nothing but a squeak. “I think I might vomit.” All three Alphas looked at me with concern. “Probably not. Just a saying.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off Bastian as both fighters got ready and into the ring. This was one hell of a production with lights and sound, but unlike other wrestling, they’d told me, this fighting was real.
Bastian’s opponent still pumped up the crowd, daring to turn his back on my Alpha even inside the ring. Bastian just put the thicker gloves on his hands and inserted his mouthguard. Waited. Focused.
The ref started the fight, and I pulled Theo’s hand into my lap, clinging to it for dear life.
They circled one another, sizing the other up. His opponent moved first. Bastian blocked it. The way he moved was both graceful and lethal. Even knowing nothing about fighting, it was clear Bastian was good.
The pace was slower than I’d thought, both fighters bouncing and testing jabs. A couple of kicks.
I couldn’t remember the big guy’s name and I couldn’t take my eyes off them to look at the board. He lunged, grabbing Bastian around the middle and slamming them both against one of the walls. They grappled, angling for control, but Bastian didn’t seem panicked.
He got free, and they went back to circling each other. At the very end of the round, the big guy—I spared a glance and found the name Hamilton—got in a good hit to Bastian’s face. It split his lip, but he grinned as the air horn sounded.
“One minute break,” Theo said. “Then they go back at it.”
Bastian went to the edge of the ring and spoke to Brooks. A few seconds later, Logan’s phone rang. “Yeah?” Logan tilted his face back and laughed. “Sure.”
He handed me the phone. “It’s for you.”
“Hello?”
“Bastian wants to know if he should knock him out in the next round or if you want him to wait and show off for you more.”
My mouth dropped open. “He can just do that?”
“He’ll try. There’s always a chance he doesn’t.”
“How often does that happen?”
I saw his smirk all the way from the stands. “Like one percent of the time.”
“This is the last fight, right?”
We’d gotten here after there had already been a couple of others. And though I wanted Bastian to enjoy what he was good at, I wanted whatever was happening afterwards more.
“It’s the last fight.”
“Then tell Bastian to do what he wants. If he wants to enjoy the fight, go for it. If he wants to end it so we can get to the after, that’s fine too.”
“You got it.”
I saw him relay the message. Bastian winked in my direction.
It didn’t take long. The buzzer sounded, and they went at each other. Bastian threw himself straight at Hamilton’s stomach, taking him to the ground. He had him pinned in a submission hold in seconds, but it didn’t quite work. They were both back on their feet, and now Bastian smiled.
He dodged one blow and returned with a brutal elbow. Ducked under another and turned, kicking, sweeping the legs out from under Hamilton. The big man dropped like a stone, straight back onto the mat with a thud everyone could hear.
The whole arena roared, and the ref lifted Bastian’s hand in the air. I blinked. “He won?”
“He won,” Theo said.
“Don’t they have to, like… count to ten to see if that guy can get up?”
Aiden shook his head. “That’s boxing. Here the KO is as soon as you can’t properly defend yourself.”
“So he was just toying with him in the first round?”
Logan laughed. “Pretty much.”
People were already streaming out of the arena, trying to beat the traffic. “Where do we go?”
“As soon as everyone’s out, we’ll go hang out near the entrances. But you?” Logan pushed gently on my shoulders so I sat back down. “You stay right here.”