Lukas danced at one end of the mat, his expression pinched and hard. Warwick stood on the other, his body language suggesting he was bored. I knew better. I could feel the fury swirling off him and see the tension in his jaw, the twitch in his hands.
“What the hell is going on?” I yelled, but my voice got lost in the crowd’s enthusiasm. The man next to me answered.
“These two started to go at it in the canteen. Luk challenged him to a fight.”
“Luk challenged him?” My voice rose. Was he nuts? Warwick would slaughter him.
My gaze darted between the two guys. I knew this was about me.
“Warwick...”Standing where I was, my presence was right in front of his face, looking directly into his eyes. This time it felt so strong. I was as real in front of him as I was still standing in the crowd.“Don’t touch him.”
Warwick’s nose flared, his glare dropped to me briefly, his jaw rolling.
“He challengedme, princess,” he muttered for only me to hear, his shoulders rolling back, trying to step around me, though I wasn’t actually there. “Guess your boyfriend didn’t like me fucking you.”
“Oh my gods...”I jumped into his path again.“Stop being an asshole.”
“Too late.” He shoved through me, snapping our link, his massive physique progressing toward Luk.
Lukas pulled his arms up near his face, bouncing nearer to the massive legend. Warwick smirked, letting Luk get closer and get a swing in. Warwick’s gaze darted to me with humored smugness. Lukas was no more than an irritating fly to him.
Glowering at Warwick, my lips rose.
“If you hurt him...”my ghost slunk behind Warwick, my lips brushing his ear.“You deal with me.”
It was enough to distract him for a moment.
Luk’s fist smashed into his face, splattering blood from his nose onto the mat. The crowd roared as Warwick wiped the blood from his face, a deadly grin curling his mouth.
Fuck.
An animalistic noise came up his throat before he lunged for Luk.
My mind didn’t even contemplate what I was doing as I leaped. Using Warwick’s strength and my own, I shoved Luk out of the way. His body flew, landing hard on the end of the mat, rolling off into the crowd. I didn’t give him a second glance. I knew he was fine. If I hadn’t jumped in, he wouldn’t have been.
The group gasped in unison as I took Luk’s spot, facing Warwick on the mat, the legend jerking to a halt at my sudden appearance, his nose flaring.
“X!” Luk scrambled up, trying to get back into the fight.
“No!” I held my hand up to Luk. “This has nothing to do with you.”
“What the fuck are you doing, Kovacs?” Warwick snarled, both of us starting to circle each other.
“Finishing what we started in the Games.” I snarled back. “You angry? Then fight me. It’s what you want anyway.”
He grunted, his head shaking. “You sure about that, princess?”
“Fuck yeah.” I lowered myself into a defensive stance.
His eyes sparkled, his lips twisting with wickedness.
“You think I’ll go easy on you like I did last time?”
“I hope you don’t, because then I won’t have to go easy on you.”
He snorted like it was funny.
My blood burned through my veins; adrenaline and the need to fight clawed at my bones like a fiend. I needed it like air. Craved the high between life and death like a drug. I could taste it on my tongue, sense it calling to me, ready to pull me down into its dark depths.
