22. The Games #4
Once Damien saluted the king and the queen, still in his wolf form, he began to prowl in my direction. He only paused briefly as he passed before my spot, and his golden eyes stared deeply into mine, gleaming with predatory intent. I felt my mating mark pulsate in excitement and ... lust.
“I would like to claim my prize now, my mate.” I heard his voice vibrating in my head.
Damien’s Diary Entry, Day 22
July 5, First Quarter,
Something magical happened today during my last match in The Games.
It was the first day of The Games, and I was a man on a mission: to win all three games so I could finally claim my prize, which Fenris had promised me when I almost died from a poisoned arrow.
I hadn’t been able to see Fenris much during the past four days, and it was driving me nuts.
Lovel was following me everywhere, making it really hard to meet Fenris without my mother getting a whiff of it.
She has already begun to suspect us since the assassination attempt.
I had to keep her appeased for as long as I could.
I finally got a chance to let him sniff me yesterday during the training, to ease his Lovelorn symptoms, but it wasn’t nearly enough for both of us.
The first two fights were a piece of cake for me. Fenris also did very well in his two matches. I guess celibacy did wonders for us … all that cooped-up energy unleashed on our opponents like a goddamn hurricane.
My last fight, though, became a little (a lot, if I’m being honest) trickier.
Ser Garran was a formidable warrior. He even trained Valerian and me when we were younger.
I remember Johnathan saw the schedule and freaked out a little.
He told me someone had changed it, because he surely didn’t put me anywhere close to Ser Garran.
(I asked Johnathan: Wasn’t the pairing supposed to be random?
He told me that as the Master of The Games, he had the privilege of interfering to a certain degree.
For example, if he saw any fighter he knew being loyal to Valerian or Cassandra, he’d make sure I shouldn’t be facing them in the first round of elimination games.
I might still fight them, but definitely shouldn’t be on the first day.
I told him that wasn’t random at all, and I didn’t appreciate his low confidence in my skills. John gave me a big eyeroll.)
Ser Garran was steady. Too steady. I couldn’t find any opening, no matter what trick I played. He slowly wore me down. I could feel exhaustion creeping up on me. And that was when he began to strike.
The first time I began to believe that he wanted me dead was when I narrowly escaped a blow that could have smashed my head like a melon. To be honest, I was a little hurt. Even though not for long, he was my teacher for a few months, and I had admired him since I was a little boy.
Ser Garran was Valerian’s knight … had my brother truly instructed him to execute me publicly in The Games? Wasn’t it too obvious? Was it possible that it was a misunderstanding?
I knew how slim the possibility was, and I needed to win this fight, not just to get out of it alive. For the first time that day, I shifted into my wolf form.
Ser Garran shifted too. His wolf form was even bigger than mine, and I knew it would get bloody and nasty very soon.
I charged at him, letting my rage in my wild shape consume me.
I bit, I mauled, I did everything I could to gain an advantage.
But wolf form consumed my strength even faster than my already exhausted human form, and I knew I couldn’t keep this up for long. And when my strength ran out …
Just then, I felt something stir within me.
A surge of energy suddenly gushed through my veins, and strength swelled in my muscles.
I could see everything, as though time had slowed down, and I watched Ser Garran’s movements with stark clarity.
At the same time, I got a vague image of observing the fight from another angle, a view from the grandstand …
Fenris … he was using our mate bond to help me!
The very realization rejuvenated every single element within me, and I felt … strong. Invincible, even. I pounced on Ser Garran with so much power and confidence as though the Great Wolf himself had descended into me.
I had heard that a successful mate bond could make the alpha stronger, because the omega or beta could lend their strength to their alpha. But this felt … so much more than what people had described to me. It was almost like we were fighting side by side, together, as one. It was downright divine.
When I won the fight, it took all my self-restraint to keep from lunging onto the grandstand and taking Fenris away from everyone, so that I could kiss him and love him and possess him and take him in all the ways we desire.
My mate finally accepted our bond!
But I must wait for now … wait until everyone falls asleep, and I will go to the storage room and claim my prize. I will bring him so much pleasure that he’ll never forget tonight. That he will feel me whenever he sits or rides horses for the next two days.
And I probably should also tell him about Eric … I need to warn him of all the firestorms and death traps that could come with loving me …