Page 66 of The Hero Within
What did it mean? Eden took a step closer to Colton, reaching for his sleeve.
Nnedi's lips thinned. "The woman is human."
"Fine." The alpha looked seriously pissed as his attention returned to Colton. "Your woman has guest right. She will be safe, regardless of the outcome of this fight. But you are an untried warg walking into my home, without having proven your mettle. You have drawn the blood of one of mine. You will fight and you will show us you are not one of the monsters. Or you will die."
"So all Ihave to do is prove I can hold this form?" Johnny said, remembering what Nnedi had told him in the canyon.
"And survive," Nnedi replied, gesturing the circle of women around them closer. "Prepare him."
Survival might be the more difficult task. He'd caught a glimpse of his opponent, and while Johnny knew he was good, he hadn't been able to test the mettle of the other wargs here yet. Lincoln was an unknown, and he didn't like the unknown. He'd had a gun the last time he took Lincoln down, which made the odds uneven. This time it would be body against body. No weapons.
"What sort of man challenges someone who's been recently wounded?" Eden snarled. Strands of her curly brown hair had managed to escape from her ponytail, and despite the fact she was only human, she stepped right up into Nnedi's face, her hands on her hips.
"A warg who cannot heal himself is weak," Nnedi replied flatly. "A warg who cannot control himself is weak. A warg who cannot fight to protect himself is—"
"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Eden replied.
"It doesn't matter whether he is healed or not," Nnedi muttered, her lips pressing thinly together as she shot Arik a hard look. "The alpha has decreed your man shall fight for his right to survive, and so it shall be."
Tension existed there, if Johnny wasn't mistaken. Could he use that to help them get free of this place? "Is this going to cause problems between you and your alpha?"
"He is my chosen," Nnedi said, with a shrug. "Eight years ago we stood before the pack and pledged ourselves to each other, and he placed the claw at my throat to show our bond. However, he has displeased me. I shall not put the claw back on until he apologizes and proves he is a man I can give myself to."
Oh, shit. Not just the leader and his second, but a man and wife.
"I'm sorry," Johnny murmured. "We didn't mean to—"
"Arik makes his own choices." Nnedi sounded completely assured. "You did not force his hand. And as he likes to say—it is up to each of us to prove ourselves worthy. So let him prove himself to me."
Someone started tugging his shirt buttons undone. Another woman began on his belt.
"Whoa." He grabbed her hand.
"You can keep the jeans on," Nnedi said, "but a belt gives your opponent leverage."
He slowly released the belt. Good point. Heat still flushed through his cheeks though, as they stripped his shirt off him. Eden gave him a faintly amused look, her gaze lingering on his bare chest.
Focus, he told himself sharply.
Johnny took in the circle of wargs and the way several of them were dipping their hands into a clay bowl and pressing powdered handprints to Lincoln's chest. Drums sounded as wargs packed the cliff shelves and gallery, looking down at the sandy floor as they hooted.
It wasn't the first time he'd been forced to fight for entertainment reasons, but as Johnny glanced toward the alpha, he saw something reflected in the man's dark eyes. This wasn't just for laughs.
"What happens if I kill him?" he asked.
Eden paled.
"I would advise not killing him. Lincoln is Arik's younger brother."
"So all I need to do is force him to submit or cry mercy?"
"It is a fight until you cannot keep fighting anymore," Nnedi replied steadily, using a pestle to grind something to dust in her clay mortar. "This ends when one of you is no longer able to get up."
"And what about Colton? Is Lincoln going to pull his blows?" Eden demanded. "Or is he going to try and kill him?"
Nnedi's expression said it all.
"This is bullshit," Eden exploded, her vehemence startling him. "You said we were guests. Is this how you treat your guests?"
