Once the doors closed, I turned my attention back to the nine males. The one still in chains moved to sit beside the shifter who was like me. With a silent breath, he rested his head against the bars much likeshehad, and tears fell free from his eyes, also.
“What happened?” the bear asked, keeping his voice low, quiet enough so the guards stationed around the exterior walls couldn’t hear.
“They took me to see Dante,” the male replied just as quietly, voice trembling.
“Did he say anything about Adrian?” one of the other males asked, moving to the blonde one’s side. “What happened?”
The chained male shook his head, though I watched as he turned towards her cage. “She was unconscious on a bed when I was dragged in. Dante was…doing something to her. I couldn’t do anything. The guard who took me, the one that wasdifferent,he shifted and slaughtered the others.”
A chill rolled down my spine, gaze flickering to the creature’s cage. He remained unconscious, unmoving. Now, I knew why he was here.
“Dante stopped him, and I was knocked out. I think…I think she’s pregnant.” The chained one shook his head, dropping his head in his hands. “He was doing something to her. But I never got a chance?—”
“Shit,” the second male said, also turning to stare into her cage. He drew in a deep breath before shuddering. “I smell it. But it must have been hidden before.”
“Sable,” another one of the males growled. “She’s the only one who would have known to do that.”
“Yes, and now he’s done something to Ivy. And he’s done something to Adrian. I think…I think he’s the father, and that’s why Dante wanted me there to see it.” The chained one sat back. In the darkness, I watched him close his eyes.
Silence fell over the males, tension thickening the air. Looks were shared, looks I couldn’t understand. They were not the same as the looks guards would pass one another before deciding the fate of a beast, but I knew they were coming to some kind of understanding.
Especially when their eyes landed on the female.
I allowed my beast a chance to take her in again. She curled in on herself, arms wrapped protectively around her middle. The two scents that intermingled with her own gradually grew stronger. The chained one said he knew who fathered her child, but there were two.
Two scents from two sources.
The darkness didn’tlast long.
White, blinding light lit up the prison, coating the cages and cavernous walls, cutting through the once thick darkness with ease. From the platform leading into the prison came shouts and cheers as the beasts and prisoners were startled out of their rest.
I remained still as the female prisoner shot up, covering her face with her hand. She made a strangled sound in the back of her throat as she tried to move, but she tensed when she took in the guards gathered above us.
The other world beast also woke, growling low in his throat as he moved to a seated position in his cage. For a moment, there was a feral look in his eyes, a darkness that had my beast’s fur rising. The other world beast locked eyes on the female prisoner and stilled, staring at her until she finally noticed him.
The female sucked in a breath and moved to the bars closest to him. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but she quickly closed her mouth. Perhaps she remembered the warnings of the soldier who threatened the beasts with punishment if she disobeyed.
“Beasts!” Watcher shouted, his voice carrying out around the prison. A different kind of tension arose at his appearance.
Beside him was the winged male from the other world, the one the female prisoner seemed to hate. She stilled at the appearance of Watcher and the male.
On Watcher’s other side was another face I familiarised myself with. He only appeared with the winged one, but I recognised him from before. From the boat.
“Our King has made great progress on the war! And today, he wants to celebrate!” There were no sounds from the beasts, but the guards who flooded the prison cheered. They descended into the prison, and from the corner of my eye, I watched the doors to the elevator open and more enter.
A chill rolled down my spine at the sight of chains. Chains that were used against the female.
“The Pit will be open for battle!” Wolves, feral and lost to the influence of the king, howled. Above, the cages of flying beasts rattled as they flung themselves at their bars.
The Pit was fortheiramusement.
And now, they were picking their competitors.
My stomach sank with Watcher’s next words. “All will fight. Except for our special guest, the bitch Queen. But she’ll watch.” From the corner of my eye, the female prisoner shuddered. “To start, there will be ten rounds in the lead up to the best fight I think we’ll ever have! This one will be evenly matched: no chance Thor will destroy his opponent!”
My ears picked up at the sound of my name. The femalelooked over her shoulder at me, eyes swimming with…guilt, sadness perhaps.
“Tonight, Thor will go against a creature he’s only fought once. A creature not from our world.” Attention turned to the cage behind the female’s. The beast from the other world finally stopped staring at the female to look up at Watcher. The feral glint in his eyes faded into something else. “Xerxes, beast of the Old World, versus our very own, Thor!”
