The men's warm-up area provided blessed relief from the media frenzy. But Adrian's brief moment of calm evaporated the instant he spotted Darius stretched out on a bench, his golden-brown hair catching the fluorescent lights as he performed what appeared to be a casual warm-up routine.
Darius looked up as they entered, and that familiar smirk spread across his face—the same expression that had irritated Adrian since childhood. The bastard looked supremelyconfident, radiating the cocky assurance of someone who believed victory was already assured.
"Well, well," Darius drawled, his green eyes flicking between Adrian and Riley with predatory interest. "Look who decided to show up. I wasn't sure Riley would be able to make it today."
Adrian's vision briefly tinted red at the veiled reference to yesterday's attack. His tiger surged forward, demanding immediate retribution. Only Riley's steadying presence through their bond kept him from shifting right there in the warm-up area.
"Let's get started," Riley said quietly, guiding Adrian toward an empty section of mats.
Adrian followed her lead, though every instinct screamed at him to end this charade and tear Darius apart immediately. He'd been saving every ounce of fury since yesterday's attack, storing it like ammunition for this exact moment. No amount of preparation could change the single-minded focus that had crystallized in his mind: Darius would pay for what he'd done.
Riley began guiding him through his warm-up routine, her voice calm and professional as she called out techniques and combinations. "Quick jabs, then pivot left. Keep your center low but mobile."
Adrian moved through the motions, though his mind was already in the ring. He could feel Darius watching them, studying their interaction with the calculating gaze of a predator. Darius had assumed that injuring Riley would keep her away today and would destabilize Adrian's focus.
Clearly, Darius didn't know Riley or Adrian at all.
When Adrian had suggested she sit with her mother in the front row during the match, Riley's response had been immediate and non-negotiable. "I'm standing in your corner on my crutches the whole match to coach you. That's final."
Adrian had immediately stopped debating the issue. He knew that tone in her voice that meant her mind was made up. His mate's resilience continued to amaze him.
"Remember," Adrian said quietly as they moved through a series of defensive combinations, "we can communicate telepathically now. If you see something during the fight, just think it and I'll hear you."
Riley's eyes brightened with renewed interest.Can you hear this?her voice whispered directly into his mind, clear as if she'd spoken aloud.
You're going to win this fight,she continued through their mental link, her confidence flowing through the bond like warm honey.
Adrian's answering smile was fierce and predatory. The telepathic connection would give them an unprecedented advantage.
Across the warm-up area, Darius finished his routine and stood with fluid grace. He cast one last calculating look in their direction before sauntering toward the exit, no doubt heading off to schmooze with sponsors and media. The arrogance in his stride made Adrian's hands clench into fists.
Soon, Adrian thought.Very soon, that arrogance would be beaten out of him.
"Fighters to the tunnel!" the assistant's voice boomed across the warm-up area minutes later.
Riley gathered her crutches and stood carefully. Adrian's every instinct demanded he carry her, spare her the struggle of navigating on her injured leg. But he forced himself to simply walk beside her as she made her determined way toward the tunnel entrance.
The arena lights dimmed dramatically as they reached the tunnel, and the announcer's voice boomed across the packed stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen, the heavyweight championshipfinal match! Introducing first, Adrian Kael! The rising star of the tournament."
Adrian stepped into the now blazing lights of the arena, the roar of the crowd washing over him like a physical force. But all his focus remained on the man he would soon face in the ring—and the reckoning that was about to begin.
Adrian stepped to the center of the ring, his muscles coiled with controlled tension as he absorbed the electric energy crackling through the packed arena. His eyes remained laser-sharp on the tunnel entrance where his opponent would emerge. His enhanced shifter senses picked up the familiar scent before Darius even appeared—that aggressive musk that had always carried undertones of resentment and barely contained violence.
When Darius finally strode through the tunnel entrance and into the ring, Adrian's jaw tightened imperceptibly. The bastard moved with predatory confidence, his green eyes gleaming with satisfaction. Through his heightened senses, Adrian could feel the intensity of Darius's tiger prowling just beneath the surface—all raw aggression and territorial dominance.
If we could shift right now, Adrian thought grimly,this would be over in minutes.
But human rules meant human limitations, and that reality leveled the playing field in ways that both frustrated and intrigued him.
They faced off at center ring, the referee's voice a distant drone as Adrian studied his opponent. Darius stood barely an inch taller, his build slightly bulkier but less refined. The scar above Darius's right eyebrow—a souvenir from one of their teenage altercations—caught the light as he grinned with predatory anticipation.
"Ready to lose, Adrian?" Darius murmured, his voice pitched low enough that only Adrian's enhanced hearing could catch it. "I'll try to be gentle, but no guarantees."
Adrian's eyes flared gold for a split second, his tiger surging with protective fury. But he forced his expression to remain impassive, denying Darius the satisfaction of a reaction. Through the completed mate bond, he felt Riley's strength flowing into him like molten steel in his veins. Her discipline, her tactical mind, her unwavering determination—all of it merged seamlessly with his own power until he felt truly invincible.
The bell's sharp clang cut through the tension like a blade.
Darius lunged forward with explosive speed, his fist arcing toward Adrian's jaw in a move that telegraphed desperation more than strategy. But Adrian had seen this exact combination before—during a particularly brutal sparring session when they were seventeen, when Darius's jealousy had finally boiled over into violence. Adrian had won that fight decisively, just as he'd won every physical confrontation between them.
