Lillith is having the time of her life as Matuk's right hook busts her lip open. He winces, looking apologetic, but she takes advantage of the hesitation and tackles him to the ground. After a few minutes of wrestling, he taps, and Lillith charges around the perimeter of the ring with her fists in the air, screeching about being the champion.
Taryn finally has to pull her aside and make her drink something, but she’s bouncing on her feet waiting for the next match to start.
Ronan and Daiwyn fight, although it’s more instructional than an actual battle. He barely breaks a sweat, but when Daiwyn snares his neck with one of her tails, he preens like a proud father and declares her the winner. She blushes, but her shoulders are thrown back when she walks over to Samuel and tucks herself into his arms.
Elas bounds into the ring, and Ronan and Lillith both jump in and volunteer to fight, but they’re stopped by a quiet voice.
Aryn saunters past us and into the clearing. “I’ve got this one, if that’s okay.”
He yanks his shirt over his head and flings it straight at Cato without so much as a glance. The fabric smacks Cato in the chest before he fumbles to catch it, jaw hanging open.
Aryn prowls into the ring, sinewy muscles flexing as he rolls his shoulders.
He steps closer to Elas as he pulls his hair into a ponytail, and Elas flashes him a smirk.
Aryn is around the same height as August and Cameron, and built with lean muscles under his red skin. He carries himself with quiet confidence as he circles Elas, and his tail that's normally draped over his neck swishes behind him, fully alert.
“Have you ever seen him fight?” Bash asks.
I shake my head as I watch the two of them size each other up. Elas tears his shirt off and tosses it aside, too, and Cameron whoops as Ronan glares at him.
“This is what I’m here for!” Sprocket shouts.
Ego claps beside her with a cheer. “Show me them tiddies, boys!”
I grin at the chaos, trying to focus on Bash’s question. “I’ve never seen Aryn do much besides work, and Elas has a hundred pounds on him.”
Aryn and Elas talk so quietly I can’t hear them from here, and after some back and forth they shake hands and separate. Both of them nod at Cameron, who calls the start of the match.
Elas comes out of the gate swinging, but Aryn dodges him easily. Where Elas is pure brute strength, Aryn is strategy, and the fight drags on for several minutes with neither of them gaining a clear advantage over the other.
Elas charges, and it looks like the round might be over on impact, but Aryn avoids the blow and swoops at Elas’s leg, knocking him to the ground with a grunt. Elas is shocked, but grins wider as he launches himself to his feet.
Aryn is toppled by Elas’s longer reach once but rolls out of the way before he can get pinned, and everyone is silent as they watch them fight.
They’re both panting and filthy from rolling in the dirt when Aryn is dropped to his back. But when Elas jumps over him, Aryn uses his leverage to flip them until he’s straddling Elas’s chest with those two-inch-long fangs on his jugular.
“Holy shit,” Elas wheezes, completely stunned as he taps.
Aryn grins as he climbs to his feet. “That was fucking brutal, man,” he says as he reaches to help Elas stand. “Good fight.”
They shake hands as Lillith charges into the ring, searching for her next opponent. Aryn saunters our way, his long ponytail dusty and frizzy as his breath comes heavy. Sweat drips down his chest as he stops in front of Cato.
“How’s that for taking my head out of my ass?” he purrs, then tears his shirt from Cato’s grip. He strolls back toward the trees, leaving Cato dumbfounded.
I meet eyes with Bash and mouth, “What the fuck?”
Bash shakes his head, just as bewildered as me.
I grab his arm and steer him away from the others. “Where the fuck did that come from? I know the guy is old, but I’m used to seeing him do science experiments, not taking down a beefcake like Elas.”
“Yeah, no kidding.” Bash snorts as he nods towards Cato. “Poor guy looks like his world has been rocked.”
“Serves him right,” I mutter, and Bash rolls his eyes. “Oh, come on. You can’t tell me that Cato isn’t one of those douchebags who think size is everything. He probably thoughthe could kick Aryn’s ass, and now his entire reality has been challenged.”
“You just want another reason to dislike him,” he accuses, which,fair, but that isn’t the point.
I stick my lip out in a pout. “You can’t take his side. It isn’t allowed…especiallynot when I have a present for you.”
