Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
ARES
T he look on Maya’s face is what makes this worth it.
I know I’ll be carrying my own ass in a sling if Logan finds out where I’ve taken her, but that look of wide-eyed astonishment is a small price to pay.
She had raised her eyebrows when I brought her to the nondescript warehouse in a seedy part of town. But she had still trotted inside after me, trusting me to protect her.
Inside the warehouse, the unmistakable sounds of combat echo through the space. Grunts, the slap of flesh on flesh, the occasional cheer from a small but enthusiastic crowd. Maya freezes just past the threshold, her mouth falling open wide enough that I could fit my whole dick inside.
Two women circle each other in a makeshift ring formed by ropes strung between metal posts.
One woman, tall with muscles rippling beneath dark skin, feints left before landing a solid right hook to her opponent’s jaw.
The shorter woman staggers but recovers quickly, dropping low to sweep the taller fighter’s legs out from under her.
“They’re actually fighting,” Maya whispers, her voice barely audible over the crowd. “But they’re women.”
There are a handful of men crowded around the ring, a mix of Alphas and betas, but they’re attention is respectful. Everyone here is a fighter before they’re anything else.
I lean against a support beam, crossing my arms. “Anyone who wants to train here can. Man, woman, whatever dynamic. The only thing that matters in this ring is skill.”
She shoots me an incredulous look. “Omegas come here?”
“A few, maybe. This isn’t the sort of place where people ask a lot of questions.”
Maya watches, transfixed, as the shorter woman pins her opponent, forcing a tap-out. “Wow.”
“They host underground tournaments a few times per month. Some of the best fighters I’ve ever seen come through here.”
Before Maya can respond, a mountain of a woman approaches us. Dani stands at least six-foot-four, with shoulders broader than mine and biceps that could crush a man’s skull. Her presence alone commands attention, radiating Alpha energy that makes even me straighten up.
“Ares,” she nods, her voice deep and rich. “Been a while. This must be the royal pack princess I’ve heard so much about.”
Maya opens her mouth, and I can practically see the impertinent question forming on her lips, but Dani cuts her off with a raised hand.
“No questions here, little one. That’s the first rule.
Nobody asks who you are, where you came from, or what you do outside these walls.
Makes things simpler. But I’ll assuage some of your curiosity…
yes, I’m an Alpha and female. No, I have no idea how many of us there are, but it’s probably more than you think.
And finally, yes, I’ve taken Ares here in a fight, but it was long enough ago I’m not willing to risk a rematch. ”
Maya’s mouth snaps shut.
“Maya, this is Dani. We’ve known each other since we were kids,” I add with a chuckle.
“Since this one was a scrawny runt getting his ass kicked for show,” Dani replies, her eyes darkening. “He trained here so his beta parents could use him like a fighting dog for money in the underground circuit.”
I feel Maya’s eyes on me but keep my gaze locked on the fighters selecting new opponents in the ring.
None of it is really a secret, but that doesn’t mean I want to dredge up the past for Maya to hear. Trust Dani to run her mouth as fast as she does her fists.
“They’d bet against me,” I say flatly, at Maya’s questioning look. “Because I was always so big, the odds were always good, and they made more money when I lost by betting against me. So, I learned to lose convincingly.”
“Until he didn’t,” Dani says with a grim smile. “Broke a man’s neck when he was fourteen. His parents sold him to the royal guard the next day. Now, I only get visits from him on special occasions.”
Maya’s gaze on me has turned speculative, though I don’t want to look deeply enough to know if it’s pity I see in her eyes or something else.
“Since you’ve got some natural aptitude, I thought you might want a lesson,” I tell her. “Dani would be more than happy to give you a few pointers.”
“You want to try?” Dani asks Maya, nodding toward the ring. “We’ve had more than one Omega who can drop an Alpha with the right technique.”
Maya’s eyes light up for the briefest moment, but I don’t miss the internal war she has with herself. The desire to say yes fighting against how much she thinks she should say no. Good Omegas don’t join underground boxing gyms or enjoy getting the chance to punch another woman in the face.
She finally gestures down at herself, at the dress that likely costs more than all the dues this club collects for a month. “I can’t do much of anything in this.”
Dani jerks her chin at the nearby locker room. “We’ve got some spare gym clothes in the back. Help yourself.”
Maya hesitates for another millisecond, looks from the expectant expression on my face to the amused one on Dani’s, then scurries toward the locker room so fast that her skirt tangles around her ankles.
Once Maya disappears into the locker room, Dani turns to me with a smirk that’s too damn knowing for my comfort.
“You could teach her a few moves yourself, big guy.” She crosses her arms, biceps bulging impressively. “Why bring her to me?”
I shrug, keeping my eyes on the ring where two new fighters are circling each other. “She needed a break from the palace. This was the safest place I could think of.”
“Safest for who?” Dani laughs, deep and throaty. “Afraid you wouldn’t be able to keep your dick to yourself if you got too close during training?”
I hate how easily she reads me. Always has, ever since we were kids scrapping in these same rings.
“That too,” I admit.
“I knew you hadn’t fucked her yet!” Dani’s voice booms through the warehouse, drawing a few curious glances.
“Keep your voice down,” I hiss, glancing toward the locker room to make sure Maya hasn’t emerged. “It’s not like that.”
Dani leans against the wall beside me, shoulder brushing mine. “What’s not like what? You brought the pretty little Omega that belongs to your pack to my gym instead of taking her somewhere private. What are you waiting for?”
“It’s complicated.”
“What’s complicated about it?” Dani’s eyebrows shoot up. “I see the way she looks at you, and she belongs to your pack. Where’s the complication?”
I struggle to find words that don’t make me sound pathetic. “Her bond with Logan is new. It’s still messy.”
“Since when has making a mess ever stopped any of you?” Dani scoffs. “I’ve known you since you were a skinny kid getting your ass handed to you in this very ring. You’ve never hesitated to take what you want.”
“She’s different,” I mutter, hating how the words sound coming out of my mouth.
Dani’s eyes widen with genuine surprise. “Holy shit, Ares. You actually care about this one.”
I don’t answer, which is answer enough.
“You’ve never cared if a woman liked you before,” Dani says, her voice softer now, almost gentle. It’s unsettling coming from her. “You’ve always been content to just take what’s offered and move on.”
I shift uncomfortably. “Like I said, it’s complicated.”
“No, it’s simple. You’re falling for her.” Dani punches my arm, hard enough that I’ll have a bruise tomorrow. “The mighty Ares, brought low by a purple-haired princess.”
Before I can respond, the locker room door swings open and Maya steps out in borrowed sweats and a tank top that’s too big for her small frame. She’s tied her hair back, revealing the delicate curve of her neck, and her eyes are bright with anticipation.
The sight of her makes me want to take her to the mats and let her win every single round, audience be damned.
“Ready to learn how to throw a proper punch?” Dani calls out to her, mercifully dropping our conversation.
Maya nods eagerly, practically bouncing on her toes as she approaches the ring.
Complicated doesn’t even begin to cover it.
I watch Maya dance around Dani in the ring, learning how to throw a proper punch. Dani’s hands are on Maya’s hips, adjusting her stance, then sliding up to position her arms correctly. Every touch makes something twist in my gut even though I know there’s nothing sexual about it.
“Widen your feet,” Dani instructs, tapping Maya’s ankles with her foot. “Good. Now rotate your hips when you punch—that’s where the power comes from.”
Maya follows the instruction, her small body pivoting with surprising grace as she throws a jab at the padded mitts Dani holds up. The sound of impact echoes through the warehouse, and Maya’s face lights up with a grin that’s almost feral.
“Again,” Dani commands, and Maya complies, throwing another punch with more confidence.
I turn away, unable to watch anymore. It’s not that I don’t want Maya to learn to defend herself—quite the opposite. But watching another Alpha’s hands on her, even in this completely innocent context, is making my skin crawl.
I stalk across the warehouse floor to the makeshift bar set up against the far wall. It’s little more than a few crates stacked together with bottles of cheap liquor arranged haphazardly on top, but it’ll do.
“Beer,” I grunt to the old man behind the bar, sliding onto a rickety stool.
He nods and pops the cap off a bottle, sliding it across to me. His weathered face is a map of scars and wrinkles, telling stories of fights long past.
“Ain’t seen you around in a while,” he comments, dealing out a hand of cards on the bar top. “Solitaire keeps me company most days.”
I take a long pull from the bottle. “Been busy.”
“Royal duties, I expect.” He nods toward Maya in the ring. “That your Omega?”
“Not just mine,” I correct automatically, then grimace. If this old-timer doesn’t recognize the girl whose face has been splashed all over holovids for the last few weeks, I’m not going to change that. “She’s part of my pack.”
“Pack,” the old man snorts, turning over cards with practiced flicks of his wrist. “Wasn’t no packs back in my day.”