Page 63 of Urban Gladiator

“Protect her with your life.”

“On my honor,” Simon swore.

“Bixby, you know what needs to be done. Get the word out. Let’s go.”

I shifted but didn’t wait for Bixby’s response. He would do what I had entrusted him with. I sprinted alongside Simon through the castle. Maids and guards moved aside. A few screamed, not expecting the two of us to come barreling down the hall. But I couldn’t worry about them. My only thoughts were reaching Ember in time.

We left the castle through the front door. The streets were full of celebration. It was the same every time there was a bloodletting. And for the first time in two centuries, I saw the revelry through new eyes. It was a vile tradition steeped in lies. One whose time had come to an end.

I heard the chants. “Bleed her,” as we neared the arena. And my blood turned to ice. My father would pay for what he’d done to my mate. It was time for his rule to end.

We entered the packed arena. I spotted Ember on the altar. Blood dripped from her wounds. I roared. My fury knew no bounds. Swinging my head around, I located my father. The one behind all the horrors in our world.

Simon reached Ember. He eliminated the necromancer and guards who approached. I trusted him to get her to safety. And with that, I dashed through the arena, then leapt onto my father’s box. His eyes widened because he’d thought he was untouchable, that no one would dare. But I did, and I went for his jugular.

But at the last minute, the bastard shifted. His fur was completely gray. He snarled as I landed and wrestled him to the ground.

But even as we fought, I knew I would win. Because it was the only way to protect my mate. And I would tear down all of Avalon to ensure her survival.

27

My life force waned. Icy fingers of death’s frigid embrace gripped my soul. I knew my life was over. I no longer had the energy for tears. Weakness crept into my limbs, and a lethargy settled over me. I knew it was the loss of blood. My ears were assaulted by jeers from the crowd.

“Bleed her! Bleed her!” It chilled me to the bone that those would be the last words I would hear.

I never should have trusted him. I never should have fallen for the enemy. I knew he was my enemy, yet I’d allowed him to work his hoodoo dick magic on me.

Screams erupted in the crowd that sounded different. But I was so weak I could barely lift my head. And what I saw didn’t compute. I must be dreaming. Because there was no way he was here, that I was looking at the black wolf with ice-blue eyes enter the arena like a knight in shining armor. His head swung in my direction, and he howled his fury when he spied me.

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes. If it was a mirage, I never wanted it to end. Because he was acting like he cared, like he hadn’t betrayed me and sent me to my doom.

But I couldn’t keep my head up for long as my strength diminished.

I blinked up at a vampire with glowing red eyes. He broke the necromancer’s neck. I heard the snapping crunch of bone. And he was eliminating the guards that approached us one by one.

Sharp screams rent the air. And then my bleary gaze noticed why. Rowan was fighting another wolf, and it was intense. He went after the gray wolf like he was rabid.

But then the vampire who seemed familiar blocked my view as he bent over me, undoing the manacles imprisoning me against the altar.

“Who?” My voice was thready and barely above a whisper.

“Simon. I’m a friend of your mate’s. He’s tasked me with freeing you and getting you out of the arena.” Simon leaned in close. His eyes turned black as he sniffed my wounds. His fangs elongated. And faster than I could blink, his tongue shot out and lapped at the blood dripping from my arm.

Oh goddess! I remembered him. Was I being thrown from the pan into the fire? Would Simon drain the rest of my blood?

His nostrils flared, and he breathed out a single word that sounded as if there were layers of voices on top of voices. “Mate.”

“No. I’m not your mate.”

His gaze tracked to me. “Sister.”

And then I was airborne. His arms held me as we raced from the arena. My last glimpse of Rowan scared me worse than anything else I’d experienced. The gray wolf had him pinned on the ground. Its mouth was open, going for Rowan’s jugular.

Rowan

“You will not take my throne. I will kill you before I allow it,” my father sneered with such hatred in his eyes.

How had I never seen the monster inside him? He’d hidden it well behind an altruistic veneer. But it had been a sham, just like the war and everything else he had done.

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