Page 69 of The Hero Within
He kissed me.
Shit.
"He can fight." Adam had told her of the arenas of Rust City, where both he and Colton had been forced to fight for their lives for the enjoyment of the slavers who ran the town. She’d refused to listen to the story once she knew Colton was involved, but she’d heard enough hints of what Adam went through to know Colton had to be good if he’d survived that.
"Challenge has been made," Arik called, holding his hands up for silence. "Shadow Rock belongs to the mighty."Hoo-ra, bellowed the wargs. "It belongs to those who control the darkness."Hoo-ra. "And now, if our guest wishes to keep his head he must prove he is mighty enough—controlled enough—to have a claim on it."
Eden's fingers dug into her palm. Colton rolled his shoulders and windmilled his arms, looking calm and at ease as Lincoln preened with his arms wide as he turned in slow circles.
She'd brought Colton into this.
The past no longer mattered. His debt to her was gone.
If he died, she'd never forgive herself.
"Come on," she whispered to herself. "Kick his ass."
Colton's gaze lifted to hers as if he'd heard her, the faint edge of a smile haunting his lips, and then he and Lincoln began circling each other.
"Fight!" shouted a fierce, bearded warg with hair the color of fire.
Lincoln charged forward, the movement sharp and sudden. Eden’s fists curled into hard knots as she bounced forward on the balls of her toes. The crowd pressed closer to see, and she could barely make out what was happening over their heads.
A loud "ooh" echoed through the cavern and the sound of fist hitting flesh echoed. Blood spattered across the crowd.
"Damn it." She couldn't see. Shoving past the man next to her—Jesus, it was the alpha—Eden scrambled up onto the lip of a rock, where she could finally make out the action.
Lincoln wiped his mouth, his hand coming away bloody as Colton merely held his fingers out and gestured at the bigger warg.Come at me, said those taunting fingers, and relief flooded through her. Not Colton's blood.
Not yet.
"Get 'im, Linc!" someone screamed.
Colton’s knees flexed, and then he met Lincoln’s charge, driving forward and slamming a shoulder into the younger man’s midriff. Lincoln flew up over his shoulder, his eyes widening.
"Hoo-ra!" came the echoing cry through the canyon as Lincoln slammed into the dirt.
A shiver of relief flooded through her.
Too soon, perhaps. Lincoln flipped up onto his feet, and this time his eyes were wary.
They slammed together, again and again, grappling, their feet straining in the sand, flexing to get a better grip. Colton moved like a lithe snake, changing grip, forcing Lincoln to halt his attacks and concentrate on defensive moves.
Something was happening to both of them. The veins in Colton's throat throbbed, and Lincoln's eyes held the silver sheen that betrayed a warg.
"He's turning," Eden whispered, swallowing hard.
"It's the kaga," Nnedi muttered. "It's difficult enough to hold the transformation back when sober, let alone with kaga in your blood."
Eden paced along the shelf, trying to see better, butterflies darting in her stomach. "Hold it. Come on, you can do it."
Lincoln threw his head back and roared, his teeth elongating. He lashed out with his hand and claws gleamed on the end of his fingers. Slash marks appeared across Colton's chest.
Slamming against each other again, they fought and twisted for position. Colton went down with a twist as Lincoln kicked his knee from the side. A punishing punch followed it, and his head snapped to the side. Eden's stomach knotted up.Get up. Come on, get up.
But Lincoln wasn't having any of that.
Their freedom hinged on the outcome of this fight.
