“You have to promise me you’ll know when to give up,” Loren said. We were only a hundred feet from the door to the locker room. A crowd had formed around it. “Promise me!”
“I do!” I whisper yelled. “Now, let me go. I have to walk in there with my chin held high.”
Loren nodded. She stopped in front of me and put both her hands on my shoulders. She had to reach a bit to get up to me. Her purple eyes were bright with hope. “Zora,” she said, stern. “You are a bad ass bitch. You’ve trained for weeks. I know you can do it. So go in there and kick ass.”
I laughed and covered her hands with my own. I gave her a wink. “You got it, Moonbeam.”
I turned and started to walk towards the locker room. Unfortunately for me, Bella decided she need to tell me something. Just as I saw her swishy black hair creep into my view, eyes piercing me, I heard Loren start screaming behind me.
“BELLA I WILL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH IF YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!”
Bella snarled at me then moved back in line with the rest of the crowd. I gave her a sickly, sweet smile and pushed into the locker room. I replaced my day clothes with tight training clothes that I’d been practicing in for the past week. I curled my hair up into a tight spiral and secured it with pins. Valentin told me the less Kairos could grab, the better.
I splashed water on my face one last time before heaving a heavy sigh. This was it. The moment I’d been pushing myself for. The moment I’d spent weeks training for. I had to prove to Kairos I belonged here. There was so much at risk, the biggest being my secret. If they knew I was the Princess, none of them would ever look at me the same way. That was, until one of them had to marry me…
I blew out a raspberry then shoved the doors to the gym open, welcoming whatever fate had coming my way.
The gym was filled with people.
They were boo-ing me as I made my way to the sparring mats. Most of them had been cleared away from the area, save for one. It was shiny as if someone had just polished it. Standing smack in the middle was none other than Kairos. I walked towards him, chin off my chest and eyes piercing anyone who made contact with me. Several wolves tried to get in my face to scare me, but I didn’t let them. As I got closer to the mat, two people stood up to stand next to Kairos. One was Thorne and one was Maximus.
I knew he didn’t give a shit about us, my inner voice spat.
I don’t know why you even considered it, I threw back. Being fated mates doesn’t mean he has to like me. In fact, being fated to a girl without a wolf probably makes him angrier.
My inner voice scoffed and I ignored her. I didn’t have time for her petulance. I needed to be locked in to the sparring mat. I stepped up to the mat and waited for the crowd to die down. They roared louder until Thorne held up one hand. Immediately, they silence.
“The rules are as follows,” he stated. “Best two out of three fights. Winner will be announced by Maximus.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “How is that fair?”
“Not everything in life is fair, human,” Maximus hissed. There went my hope of having him potentially on my side for this. I rolled my eyes. The crowd was starting to liven up again. Thorne held up his hand again.
“All sparring techniques are for use,” he said. “A knockout results in an automatic win. Fighters, take your positions.”
I walked further into the mat. Maximus and Thorne stepped back into the crowd. I took the stance that Valentin had taught me: right foot in front of left and shoulder, shoulder opponent. The crowd started going again. I looked out into the back of the gym. Loren and Valentin were standing next to one another. Loren was gnawing her nails. Valentin had a frown etched into his lips. He caught my eye and mouthed one word.
Speed.
“Begin!” Thorne called. I snapped my face back to Kairos. He barreled towards me with a yell, fist raised high. I side stepped quickly and dodged out of his way. He blinked once then turned back to me. He threw two quick punches, both of which I blocked. Blocking his strength hurt like hell but it was better than taking a punch to the face.
He wound up for a third punch. He swung and I dipped under it, rolling off my back to stand behind him. I picked up my foot and jammed my heel into the space at the back of his knee. He fell to the floor but wasn’t phased, he swung his opposite leg around in a move that was very similar to the one that Valentin had used to put me on my ass the week before.
I jumped over it and swung my fist into his ribs. He grunted in surprise. Then it turned into a growl.
“Stop dancing, pup,” he snapped. “We’re here to fight.”
“I’m trying to,” I said. I blocked a high kick with my bicep. The smack of skin on skin stung. “But my opponent has more fun playing with his food.”
That earned a snarl from Kairos who took another step back and charged into me. He threw a quick succession of punches my way. I dodged the first three but the fourth caught me in the jaw. I yelped and staggered back with force. The crowd behind Kairos was going mad. Kairos, himself, looked enraged. His dark gold eyes were pulsing with anger. His hair was sticking up all over, arms and legs rippling with muscle. I quickly dropped back into my stance. I tried a combo of jabs that Valentin taught me. Kairos blocked each one of them.
He kneed me in the side, sending me off balance before her took his elbow and jammed it in the back of my neck. I sputtered as I landed on my hands and knees on the ground. I could feel him raise his foot to slam it into my back and quickly rolled away. His foot his the bare mat and I was back on my feet. I could already feel my jaw swelling as all the blood rushed from my head. I wobbled slightly but still was able to avoid another few strikes by Kairos. This time, the third came across the same cheek as my swollen jaw. I staggered again.
Come on! My inner voice screamed. Show him how strong you really are!
The air was coming out of my lips in huffs. I threw another punch then a kick. As my foot was about to come down on Kairos’s thigh, he caught it. He yanked hard and I flew to the ground again. My head bouncing off the mat, causing a ringing in my ears and blurring my vision.
Then he was on top of me. My first thought was to fight. I clawed at the skin on his shoulder. I couldn’t see well but I must’ve drawn blood. Liquid slid down my fingers as Kairos hissed.
“You fucking bitch!” Kairos hissed. He grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me down against the mat, just as he had done when he caught me during shifting class. My vision started going back and forth from black to white to visions of Kairos above me, face red and snarling. I kept digging my nails into his skin. He tried to shake him loose, but I caught him in the face, causing him to swear. He grabbed my wrist and twisted. Hard.
I cried out in pain. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, causing my vision to come back, crystal clear. I looked at my left wrist and found it completely bent at an odd angle. Still, I fought. Ten Kairos grabbed my other wrist and pinned it under me. I was completely helpless.
“GIVE UP!” he yelled. His spit and blood coated my face. “No,” I said, voice barely recognizable. I kept trying to push myself up from underneath him. Then I remembered the last thing Valentin had told me at our final training session yesterday.
When in doubt, use your head.
So I did exactly that.
I used what little strength I had to rear my head back and sail it forward. I made contact with something and heard a sickening crack. Then, I felt nothing.
I woke up choking on my own lungs for air. My throat was dry as hell as I wheezed. It was if not enough air existed in the world. I panted, mind and heart racing a thousand miles a minutes until I felt a hand cover my own. Instantly I was soothed.
I turned and was met with white-gold eyes.
Valentin.
“What – where -” I wheezed.
“Deep breaths,” he instructed. He was still holding my hand tight. “Your body is still coming down from the adrenaline. You may be feeling a bit out of sorts.”
You think? I tried to calm down my breathing but there was only one thing I needed in that moment.
“Did I – win?” I choked out.
The look on Valentin’s face told me everything I needed to know.
I didn’t.
I felt every bone in my body crumble in itself. I didn’t do it. Kairos beat me. I shifted slightly in the bed I was in. I recognized the room immediately as the infirmary. There was a low beeping noise coming from my right. I looked down and saw an IV sticking out of my hand. I frowned. I tried to sit up further, but my brain was pulsing in my skull. I slunk back down and looked at Valentin.
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