Chapter 19 #4
“I don’t see any emblem.” Stigr finally let go of me, turning fully to Onyx, scoffing at the dirty tunic and trousers he was wearing.
“And what you never grasped: the uniform is not what makes you a Night Hunter.” Onyx peered down his nose, violence bubbling between them. “All you want is to peacock around, pretending to be important.”
“Faen ta deg!” Stigr lurched to Onyx, getting into his face. His companions grabbed for Stigr, holding him back. The sounds of the fight from the ring permeated the room, but more and more people were turning to us.
“Your friends are wiser than you.” Onyx reached for me, his hand threading through mine, extracting me from the men, his eyes never leaving Stigr. “You even look in her direction, and I will pull out your heart with my bare hands. You understand?”
Not giving him time to respond, Onyx’s hand went to my lower back, curving away from the group.
“That Day pussy must be spectacular,” Stigr taunted. “Can’t wait to make it bleed. Hear her really scream.”
Onyx stopped, his muscles rippling under his skin.
“No—” The word barely left my mouth before he turned around, swinging for Stigr.
The crunch of bone and flesh ricocheted off the walls with a clap. Stigr stumbled back, only held up by his companions. His hand went to his face, blood trickling from his nose, fury radiating in his eyes as everyone around us gasped, getting out of the way as the two men dove for each other again.
“Whoa! Whoa!” Bj?rn was there, darting in front of Onyx, shuffling him back. Onyx’s attention was locked on Stigr, his body heaving with anger. “Sjef, calm down.”
Brynn came up on his other side, her nose curling with disgust at the man opposing us.
“Brynn . . .” Stigr oozed. “Good to see you, beautiful.”
“Can’t say the same,” she retorted.
Another figure came up beside Onyx, pulling Stigr’s attention. superior smile played on his mouth. I glanced over to see Sven placing himself with his troop, rolling back his shoulders.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the newest baby recruit.” Stigr wiped at his nose, his tone condescending. “The king’s own nephew. I wonder how you got that position?”
My head swung back to Sven. He was the king’s nephew? The ruthless, barbaric leader who had me kidnapped? And Sven was his family? Sven seemed so sweet, eager to impress his hersir and fellow hunters, and he’d been nothing but polite to me.
“Even know how to use your dick yet?” Stigr mocked.
“I can show you how I use one of these.” Sven reached for the bow and arrow on his back.
“Oooooh.” Stigr laughed when Brynn stopped him, her head shaking. “Mommy said no.”
“I’d shut the fuck up, Stigr.” Another voice came up, turning our heads.
Bloody, sweaty, and with a swollen eye, Renyx hobbled up, directing my gaze back to the ring, where the champion lay on the ground, unconscious.
The entire room was now encircling us, their attention on the strain throbbing between the groups.
“He may be young, but he can put that arrow straight into your brain through your eye socket . . . if you have a brain in there to hit.” Even beat-up and exhausted, Renyx stood with them, ready to brawl.
“No fighting outside the ring!” The announcer came up between the men. “In the ring or get out.”
Onyx’s jaw clenched, but he stepped back, his hand going to my back again, leading me away, the rest of the Night Hunters following suit.
“What’s wrong, Onyx?” Stigr bellowed out. “Your little Day whore has your dick soft and trained now?”
“Fuck.” I heard Bj?rn sigh right as Onyx whirled around, his teeth baring, leaping back for Stigr.
“In the ring!” the announcer demanded, holding up his arms between them.
“After you.” Stigr gestured to the spot, everything about him challenging Onyx.
Onyx strode for the ring, fury straining his body. The crowd chanting and cheering, adrenaline pumping in the air as we all followed him back.
He ripped off his shirt, tossing it to the side, his muscles flexing.
I fully took in his toned physique under the blazing torches.
I had seen him without a shirt the night he marked me, but the room had been dark, not allowing me to appreciate every detail.
His body was a weapon. Muscles corded down his arms, his pecs sculpted, his torso rippling with the years of conditioning.
A tattoo covered one shoulder in rune symbols, going down to his hand where the matching one of mine was.
And what I thought was tattoos over the rest of him .
. . in the light I could see they were scars.
Slashing over his arms, stomach, and back.
Ones old enough to turn to white lines, and others that appeared newer.
It made him look feral. A beaten and starved animal ready to kill.
Stigr darted across the white line, not waiting for the announcer, his fist smashing hard into Onyx’s face, stumbling him back.
A yelp tore from me, the crowd responding with a gasp.
“For en kuk!” Bj?rn hissed under his breath. “Only way Stigr can fight him is to catch him off guard.”
Onyx shook it off, bounding back, blood dripping from his split lip.
“Why do they hate each other so much?” I asked Bj?rn as they circled each other, sweat starting to dampen their skin, the torches burning bright around them as the room’s temperature seemed to skyrocket. All eyes were on them, the room walking a tightrope, ready for the first to fall.
“Stigr was a guard for the king, and it was no secret he was vying for a Night Hunter position. But his ego and anger caused a lot of shit. An all-round bad guy. Onyx had him kicked out completely for his behavior.”
“Oh.” I turned my head back to the men, seeing the resentment now in Stigr’s face.
“Never thought you’d be pussy-whipped over a Day Raven.” Stigr curled his lip in disgust over the last part.
I could feel looks cut over to me. My silver hair, pale skin, and light eyes were a scapegoat for their own biases. Revulsion of what I was stabbed through the air, breaking my skin into a sweat.
“She’s a thrall.” A growl rose from Onyx, the muscle in his jaw contracting, punching out for Stigr. “That’s it.”
Ducking out of the way, Stigr laughed. “That’s not what it looked like to me. You normally fight for a thrall like this?” He swung for Onyx and missed. “Tell me, brother, how tasty is that pussy?”
“Oh no,” Brynn muttered. Bj?rn dropped his head, while Renyx pinched his nose, like they all knew what was coming.
A rumble was the only warning he gave, losing whatever mercy he had left. Onyx lunged forward in a blink, his fist slamming into Stigr’s face so hard his head rebounded to the side, his body flying back. Stigr dropped over the chalked line, forcing the crowd to retreat out of the way in a gasp.
Huffing and snarling, Onyx seized Stigr’s legs, dragging him roughly back into the ring. The Northerner’s eyes were pitch black, and I swear I could feel his rage sear through me, burning down my neck and settling on my chest like a heartbeat.
His knuckles struck into Stigr’s face until he went limp, curling up on himself.
“Onyx!” Bj?rn called after him, looking at Brynn and Renyx. “Fuck . . . he’s switching over.”
“Switching over?” I puzzled.
Renyx reacted promptly to Bj?rn’s words, pushing into the circle, grabbing Onyx’s shoulders. “Back off, brother. You’re gonna kill him.”
Onyx reared back at Renyx like he was the threat, his teeth bared, his shoulders rigid, his irises as black as his pupils.
“It’s me.” Renyx put up his hands, skipping back, like he really was stuck in a cage with a wild beast. “Look at me, brother.” Low and stern, he kept space between them.
“Calm down.” It took a few tries before Onyx’s conduct shifted, like he was waking up from a trance.
He took a deep breath, letting Renyx get closer, pulling him away.
Stigr lifted his gory face, his mouth parting, red liquid coating his teeth as he spat onto the floor.
“Maybe you’re the pussy.” He laughed, almost choking on his own blood, getting back up to his feet.
Onyx leaped forward, the crush of his fist into Stigr’s face resounded in the room.
Renyx grabbed Onyx, pulling him away again. “He’s not worth it.”
Onyx took deep inhales, his shoulders still tense, but his eyes flickered with more than rage, like he was coming back to himself.
He swiped up his shirt, wiping the blood and sweat from his face, tossing it to the side.
He strode up to Stigr, gripping Stigr’s tunic tight around his neck, dragging him close to his face.
“Ever call me brother again, I will use your asshole to sharpen my sword.” He bared his teeth.
“And you ever challenge me again. They will not be able to stop me. I. Will. Kill. You.” He let go, his aura rolling with aggression.
He stepped into the crowd, people parting to get out of his way as he stalked to the door, slamming it behind him.
Instinct turned me toward him.
“No.” Bj?rn touched my shoulder. “Better to leave him be when he’s like this.”
“Like this?” I repeated.
“Because.” Bj?rn lifted a bushy brow. “His moniker Onyx isn’t for nothing. It was the name given to him, because of how dark he can go.”