Chapter 12 Nova #2
I was too busy gloating to notice young Benny boy had gotten up and was now coming at me by faking a left hook while switching to a right kick. As soon as my back bent to dodge the kick, he was on me, using his body weight to take me down. It was inevitable.
So, instead of fighting it, I went with it, going down but throwing my left arm behind his neck, looping it back beneath his chin with a firm grip, and throwing my body weight to that side so I landed on my knees with him secured in the headlock.
Circling my right arm around to my left wrist, I pulled with my right to choke him out harder. As a vampire, he couldn’t die from asphyxiation, but it was still unpleasant and frightening to feel like you were choking to death.
He gave it his best shot, wiggling around, trying to throw his body left and right, but all he did was put more strain on his neck, which equaled more pain. I hunkered down, keeping my center of gravity planted, and watched his face turn blue.
Clawing at my arms, trying to kick me or punch me didn't work, and he ended up tiring himself out. When he finally tapped out, I let go and stood up with my hands high. The crowd went wild.
Roars of cheers filled the space. It's not that I took a lot of pleasure in taking down a young buck like this, but there was always going to be one like this in the new recruits, and I liked to establish dominance early. They needed to know I was confident I could beat them all. If they didn’t, they would smell blood in the water and think they could come for me.
There was always someone who thought they could steal the top-dog spot with just brawn on their side.
I looked down at the mat to see Benson gasping for air like a fish out of water, crawling, his fingers gripping the mat. Defeat and disappointment clouded his eyes, so I crouched down.
“Hey. Know that when you come at me fast, I can feel the wind shift, so save those quick punches for up-close shots—stuff the others can’t get away from. When you want to be sneaky, go slow. Catch them off guard by doing the opposite of what they think you’ll do. Kay?”
I watched the depression in his eyes melt, a renewed sense of vigor taking over. Biting his lip, he nodded his head. Giving him my hand, I hoisted him back up and shook it before turning to the rest.
“Anyone else?”
Most of the ones chomping at the bit sealed their lips and looked away, suddenly hoping I didn’t remember how eager they’d been to take me on earlier.
“I will.”
My smile froze as I looked into a set of sharp golden eyes glinting beneath the lights. His lips were pressed into a frown.
Nick. The turned wolf I’d bet on.
Heat flared across my wrist, a dangerous pulse I ignored as I straightened, watching that large frame stalk toward me.
My eyes devoured him before I could stop myself, tracing the shift of his shirt over the grooves of his stomach.
I didn’t need to touch him to know those abs would be hard enough to dig my fingers into.
Nova, girl, keep your shit together. Be strong. He means nothing.
My wolf stirred restlessly in my chest, bringing with it unease, confusion, and hunger. She wrestled with the emotions as I shoved them down, locking them up tight. At least until I was done wiping the mat with him.
Schooling my features, I let a cocky grin curl across my face as I cocked my hip. “Come on up, then. I’ve always got time to show you all who’s the boss and why.”
He prowled forward, golden eyes locked on mine, and warmth spread from my left arm through the rest of my body. My breathing turned shallow, betraying me, as he opened the cage door and stepped inside.
“Do we just start whenever?” His voice was a low growl, threaded with anger.
I arched a brow. What the hell did I do to piss him off? I’d helped him get here, fought for him, even. Hime never would’ve given a turned wolf a chance like this without me pushing for it. He fucking owed me.
The more that thought circled, the hotter my blood ran, rage burning away those flickers of attraction. This wasn’t flirtation. This was war.
“Go whenever you feel like it, pumpkin. It’s no swe—”
His fist flew, a solid right hook, but I slid aside with ease, my counter kick snapping into his side.
He absorbed the blow and shook it off without dropping his guard. I bounced on my toes, circling, while his golden eyes scanned every twitch of my muscles, calculating. I wasn’t about to let it be that easy.
I baited him with a few backward steps, letting him think he had me retreating, then I dropped, palms catching the floor as I kicked out at his legs with both of mine for maximum damage.
He barely saved himself, managing to jump in just the nick of time, but my heel still clipped the top of his foot, rocking his balance.
He stumbled on the mat, and that was all I needed.
I launched myself toward him at full force. Midair, my bones cracked, fur tearing through my skin, letting my wolf explode into the space between us. His eyes widened as he raised his forearm, saving his throat from my fangs at the last second.
Wrestling me on a good day was bad enough. Wrestling me in wolf form was a nightmare.
My jaws clamped tight, tasting the hot bite of his skin. Blood. My wolf screamed at me to release, to spare him, but I shoved her weakness away. He took advantage of the hesitation, hooking my paw with his foot and throwing his weight to the side so we rolled.
Pinned, I shifted back in a blur, escaping his grip on me with my bare fists flying. My knuckles cracked against his jaw. My knee drove into his stomach, his growl vibrating against my skin like a promise.
I caught Zeth’s glare from the corner of my eye, concern tangled with fury. Finish this now, Nova, I told myself. Prove him wrong. Prove them all wrong.
I slammed my head into Nick’s. His pained cry filled the cage as blood gushed from his nose, splattering onto me and the mat. The scent was sharp, coppery, mesmerizing. I slid in it, using the new slickness of my skin to twist free from his grip.
In seconds, I was on his back, arm locked beneath his chin, legs cinched around his waist like I was a psycho spider monkey, hanging on with all my might. I squeezed hard, every muscle straining, to make him break.
Tap out. Tap, damn you. I don’t want to destroy you.
The crowd banged against the cage, savage voices calling for blood. My chest clenched. I hated them for wanting me to rip him apart. I hated myself more for not wanting to.
Having a weakness was death. Rossey bosses didn’t go soft.
Tightening my hold around his neck, I made sure not a puff of air could escape. His legs kicked out, so I wrapped mine around them, too, making it so he was stuck with no outs, no hope, and still, he lasted longer than I thought he would.
It took a good minute or two of strapping him down in this position for that thick head of his to finally realize he wasn't going to win, for that hope to be snuffed out. Those light taps on my thigh came, and my whole body tightened right before I blew out a breath and let my arms drop away.
He didn't gasp for air like the vampire did, no, this man took short, quick, angry breaths, actively trying to calm himself down as I sat up. Blood was streaked everywhere—along the mat, my body. I must’ve looked like a mess.
The crowd erupted, voices crashing against the steel.
“That’s it! That’s our boss right there!”
“You’re no match for her! No one is!”
I got up with raised hands, and the noises grew louder. Respect shined bright in their eyes, and their admiration reminded me. This is why, Nova. You can never lose. Never bleed in front of them. Number one, or nothing. Number one, or you could lose everything.
But after the stick, they needed a little carrot.
Raising my hands to shush the crowd, I let my voice boom through the cage. “Since these two fighters were brave enough to step into the ring with me,” a ripple of chuckles rolled through the arena, “I’m giving both of them tickets to the Grosky versus Banner fight!”
A rumble of shock and disappointment surged. Voices overlapped with some complaining about the insane ticket prices, while others grumbled that they’d have happily taken a beating if they’d known the prize.
Exactly the reaction I wanted. The reward was never about handing out freebies; it was about honoring the ones with the guts to take the risk.
The ones who stared down someone who could kill them yet still chose to step into the cage.
Rewards like this were a way to champion the type of fighters I wanted.
When the cheers dulled, I crouched down. Nick’s bloodied face tilted toward me, eyes still blazing even through the mess. Patting his shoulder, I leaned in so no one heard me. “Not a bad prize, right? You did good. Remember, you deserve this spot.”
His fingers caught mine before I could pull away. My breath caught.
Up close, his eyes swirled, liquid gold, molten, alive. Magic hummed there, something otherworldly, but it wasn’t the power that unstrung me. It was the grin. That crooked, dark, hungry slice against his tan skin and plush lips. A grin that whispered of dark corners and stolen kisses.
His gaze dipped to my lips. Heat scorched my veins. My heart thundered like I’d sprinted across the globe, every instinct urging me to close the distance even though I couldn’t dare.
His hushed voice slid over my skin like a caress. “Not bad. But I’m more looking forward to seeing you in a dress.”
I rose slowly, locking eyes with him, but the tension was thick as smoke, clinging, choking. Heat coiled low in my belly, raw and insistent. Part of me wanted to tackle him right there, tear the shirt from his body, and claim him in front of every gawking face.
How dare he. How dare he leer at me like that, reducing me to a trembling pulse and shaky breath.
And gods help me, how dare it excite me? How dare the first thought in my mind be to buy a new dress just to see lust twist his features when I wore it.