Wild cheering suddenly drowns out the lingering boos. Some of the spectators start to shout “El-pis! El-pis!” and I doubt they have any idea what they’re really saying, but it catches on and sticks until our name is thundering around the arena.
Sure, now they like us. Violence. Sex. Satisfied.
Ugh.
“Youare putting on a show,” I say when Griffin eventually releases my mouth. I sound breathless.
He smiles. It’s a devastating flash of teeth under a delectably hawkish nose. One of his eyes is blackening, making him look even more dangerous and piratical. “I am a crowd-pleaser.”
Heat whips through me, singeing me all the way to my toes. “And a merciless teaser.”
He lifts dark eyebrows. “So youcanrhyme.”
My mouth drops open. Griffin takes advantage by invading it all over again.
“What are you doing?” I squeak, feeling my face flame kalaberry-red. “There are thousands of people watching.”
“Showing the world we’re the Alpha couple. We work together. We don’t indiscriminately kill.” He sets me back upright, and I hold on to him for balance, light-headed from the way my heart is bouncing against my ribs. “And I also had a burning desire to kiss my amazing wife.”
My flush spreads. “You’re right, I am amazing. And terrifying. And smart. And fierce. And—”
“Extremely modest, as usual.”
I grin. “I know! Thatisone of my better qualities.”
Griffin laughs, his face lighting up.
A dozen Gameskeepers jog out and begin gathering our opponents, going to the more seriously injured first. The other team’s healer lays his hands on the man Carver ran through as soon as he’s off the sand. I hear the swordsman’s pained grunt as they disappear into the tunnels below the arena.
The Fisan whose brain I accidentally squashed moans, causing us both to look over.Oh, good. Not dead.
“What happened there?” Griffin asks, tilting his head toward the Magoi being lifted up and carried away.
“I gave him a mental flick when he tried to get his spiders back.”
“A flick?”
I nod.
“Good thing it wasn’t a shove.”
“True. I need practice.”
He grips my hips, drawing me in close. “How does one practice that kind of thing?”
Uncaring that our team is gathering behind us, I fit myself against him, curves to planes, muscle to muscle. “Preferably without exploding anyone’s brain.”
Griffin laughs again, and I decide it’s my favorite sound in the world. I could listen to it all day.
“I’m glad I’m immune,” he says.
“I wouldn’t practice onyou,” I huff, curling my hands around his neck. “Weren’t you worried about me?”
“I’m always worried about you. But you have more tricks up your sleeve than the Kobaloi, and you’re far too stubborn to let anyone knock you down and keep you there.” He squeezes my waist. “Even with spiders.”
I grin. “Look at that. You’ve finally learned how to sweet-talk me,” I tease.
One side of Griffin’s mouth kicks up higher than the other, but his eyes spark with something hotter than humor. His voice lowers, for my ears only. “I know you inside and out,agapi mou, and it’s not sweet you want.”
