Page 26 of Sweethearts and Savages
She just grinned up at me. “Like the finest chocolate. But seriously, bring her around. If you guys are going to date in the same family like some hillbilly commune, may as well indoctrinate them into the craziness before they drop your useless asses.”
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her. I leaned down so I was sure only her ears would hear my next words. “I see how you look at the wolf Alpha. If we’re starting a hillbilly commune, you’ll be joining us.” She pulled away and death glared me. I just mouthed, “One of us, one of us,” until she jabbed her fingers beneath my sternum and I wheezed out a breath, pain spasming through my gut. Fucking MC Princess. They’d taught her to kill before they even taught her to drive.
“You’re lucky you’re pretty, Dee, otherwise your Omega would dump you for someone who isn’t blind and actually has a sense of humor.”
I gave her a mock pout, but then Micah was listing the rules. You had to wear protective gear. You went until someone tapped out. If you didn’t stop, Micah would shift to Lycan and make you stop permanently. Whether he would or not, wasn’t a theory I wanted to test.
“Okay, first contenders, step up,” Micah barked and Christopher stepped forward.
Great.
“Well, here’s a goddamn surprise,” Micah said drolly. “Ok, who are you challenging today?”
My whole body tensed, though I didn’t expect anything else but the next words that came out of Christopher’s mouth.
“Bohdie, the lion Alpha.”
Micah rolled his eyes. “Shocker. Do you accept?”
There was no way I couldn’t accept. I would lose face, lose my standing among the shifters of the Academy. Plus I really wanted to pummel the shit out of his smug fucking face.
“Yes,” I said, purposefully not looking at Enit. She’d be disappointed, but this was Alpha stuff. I could be a placid kitten for her, but out here, I needed everyone to know their place—including her dick of a brother.
Micah was saying something but I was just holding Christopher’s eyes. I knew the rules. I stripped off my shirt and stepped into the ring, putting on the headgear and gloves that would barely soften our blows.
“Alright. Fight,” Micah called, and I stepped into Christopher’s guard. I took the blow to the ribs, but I was close enough to deliver a punishing headbutt. I’d spent my teenage years brawling with bears. They taught me that it was better to go hard, then go home for a nap.
Christopher was fast. He danced out of my way, and my headbutt only crunched his nose a bit. What a pity.
I might fight like a bear, but I wasn’t one. I was a goddamn lion, so he wasn’t the only agile one. I dodged his blow, but it still glanced across my ribs.
“I know you’re fucking her, you fucking asshole,” Christopher growled, spitting on the dirt.
I snarled, curling my lip up over my teeth. I wished I was in my shifter form. I would crush this annoying chihuahua in a second. “It’s none of your goddamn business.” I caught him in the gut again, and he oofed out a grunt.
“She is mine to protect. You are just another in a long line of fucking Alphas who think you own her because she’s an Omega. She won’t be owned.”
He danced out of reach of my fists, and I shook out my hand. “Except by you? Fuck off, you sanctimonious douche. She doesn’t need you.”
He roared, moving so fucking fast I could barely follow him with my eyes, but I felt the damn uppercut to my jaw. I skidded across the dirt, my vision spotty. He was on me in an instant, pummelling my face.
“She’ll never be used by another fucking Alpha. I will beat you every fucking day until you leave.”
I growled then, pushing him off me and scrambling to my feet. “She’s worth it, fucker.” Then I tackled his middle and brought him back down to the ground again, getting another shot to his nose and hearing it crack properly this time.
He was a wily bastard, and was soon back on top of me, pounding into my guard. I bucked my hips, throwing him off and grappling back on top of him. I laid my fist into his face a few times, the roar of the crowd burning my ears. Until Micah was there, shouting “I said enough” in our faces and yanking me off by my hair.
“Fists won’t work, so I suggest you try words,” Micah yelled, standing between us. “Or you will both lose her and you’ll have nothing but your stupid machismo to blame,” he said, a little more quietly. I looked over and saw Enit in the arms of the new Ifrit kid. He grinned at me, holding her tightly to his chest, his eyes challenging. I prowled toward him, and Christopher growled, close on my heels. I was limping a bit from a kick that Christopher got to my knee, so he overtook me easily.
He was before Enit, reaching for her, when she slapped him. Hard. My beautiful, peace-loving Enit just whacked him one. I couldn’t help but grin smugly at him. It was his fault, after all.
Then she whirled on me and my breath caught in my throat at the look in her eyes. It was like she was looking at a stranger.
“Baby…”
She held up a hand. “I am not a bone to be fought over. Get the hell over yourselves.”
She stormed away, and I moved to follow her, but Cara was there, giving me an equally disappointed look. She stared pure venom at Christopher, following my girl—my princess—into the darkness.
