Page 1 of Challenged
One
Anna
The air is thick with the scent of sweat and blood, making my stomach churn as I stand with Rion, Aksel, Griffyn, and Felix in a dimly lit warehouse. My eyes fixate on the makeshift boxing ring in the center, where Blaze battles his opponent. The atmosphere is suffocating, and my senses feel overwhelmed.
“Come on, Blaze!” Rion shouts, his Irish accent laced with concern. All of us watch intensely as Blaze unleashes his dragon claws and fire, fighting aggressively against the dark fae who fights back with tendrils of pure darkness. Their supernatural powers clash and illuminate the surroundings, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
“Damn, he’s going all out,” Felix murmurs, hazel-green eyes wide with admiration and worry. He fidgets, clearly itching to jump into the fray and help Blaze, but we all know that’s not an option.
Griffyn chuckles darkly beside me, his smoke-gray eyes gleaming with excitement. “He’s trying to make up for missing his scheduled time. He’s trying to be captivating.”
“Captivating or dangerous?” Aksel retorts, his eyes narrowing as he assesses the situation.
“Both,” I reply, my heart pounding in my chest as Blaze dodges another wave of darkness.
My fists clench as I watch Blaze fight, the heat of his fire and fury warming my cold skin. I can’t hold back the anger that simmers inside me, even though we all agreed this was the best thing to do.
“Come on, Blaze,” Felix mutters under his breath, his eyes glued to the fight.
Blaze’s opponent lunges forward with unnatural speed. But Blaze is faster and more brutal. He dodges the attack and counters with a vicious swipe of his claws.
As the dark fae staggers, Blaze takes the opportunity to strike with a powerful combination of fire and dragon strength. The force sends the dark fae crashing to the ground, defeated and battered.
“Finally!” Griffyn exclaims, but there’s no triumph in his voice, only relief.
My heart races as I watch Blaze loom over the dark fae’s body, blood dripping from his fists. He’s victorious but far from triumphant.
I can’t help but wonder if this was really the best course of action.
We all agreed that it’s better for Blaze to be here than hunted down by goons for missing a fight, but at what cost?
“Anna,” Aksel murmurs, placing a hand on my shoulder, his touch surprisingly gentle. “We had no other choice. We’re doing everything we can to protect Blaze and each other.”
I lean into Aksel, my body shaking with a mix of fury and anxiety as I watch Blaze’s collapsed opponent in the ring. “Was this really a good idea?” I whisper, my voice barely audible above the jeers and cheers of the spectators.
“It was the best plan we had,” Aksel says softly, his heterochromatic eyes meeting mine with intensity.
My mind drifts back to a few hours earlier, the memory searing like a fresh wound.
I was ready to march into that house and rip into those men with my fangs but Aksel’s common sense held me back.
“Anna, they’ll only send more people after us if we kill these men. We need to be smart about this so we can destroy them,” Aksel says.
Felix looks up at Blaze and the rest of us follow his gaze. “You’re not going in there, so what is the next best option?”
Blaze contemplates his answer before grinding his jaw. “I could go to the ring and fight. They’ll still be upset that I didn’t come when called, but they want the entertainment and money more than anything.”
“If we play along with their game they won’t suspect us. That gives us time to get prepared.” Aksel glares at the house.
“Great. Let’s go,” Griffyn says.
Blaze glares at him. “No. You’re not coming. I’m going in alone.”
“We are not going over this again. We are a team and none of us are going to let you handle this alone,” I say.
Now, as I stand here watching Blaze fight I can’t help but question the wisdom of our decision. The air in the warehouse is thick with sweat and smoke. The energy feeds off of violence and pain.
“Whatever the consequences,” I murmur, my heart hammering in my chest. “We’ll face them together.”
