The shifter knocked out Charlie’s legs from under him, and he went down. The shifter lunged out, locking him into a tight hold Charlie couldn’t escape. I watched Charlie’s skin tinge blue as he struggled to breathe through the shifter’s grasp.
He couldn’t overpower a shifter. They were way too strong. I almost jumped out of my seat, but Marcus held me down. “He’s gotta do it on his own,” he whispered.
The referee stood nearby, almost ready to call the fight. But then… something weird happened. Charlie broke out of the shifter’s hold. He threw the shifter’s arms apart and scrambled out of his hold with so much power that it sent the shifter sprawling backward. The shifter was forced to set him free, as if he couldn’t contain Charlie’s strength. Charlie hopped back onto his feet, and the shifter was left on the ground, wondering what happened.
Charlie wasn’t stronger than that shifter. It wasn’t physically possible. Shifters were as strong as vampires. They could lift things like cars without breaking a sweat. Elementai didn’t have that kind of strength. Charliecouldn’thave overpowered that shifter.
But hedid. And it was that moment I knew something wasn’t right.
The shifter looked pissed that Charlie had gotten out of his hold. With rage, he surged forward, giving a giant yell. He sank his fist into Charlie’s face several times, and I gave a whimper as I watched the skin break above his left eye and under his cheek, sending blood splattering. Charlie got the shifter away from him by kneeing him in the gut, but blood poured down his face and over his eyes.
Charlie’s face was starting to swell. He wiped his lip of the blood that was seeping from his mouth and put his hands up again, clearly not done.
Amazement still shone in the shifter’s eyes, but he snarled as he attacked again. This time, Charlie was waiting for him. The shifter took a careless swing, and Charlie kicked him right in the head.
The shifter went down. His body collapsed to the floor in a clear knockout, and the crowd went nuts. Guards jumped up from their seat as they cheered, and the very floor shook with their cries of victory. The referee raised Charlie’s fist into the air as the shifter struggled to come around. The smile on Charlie’s face was so broad, I was sure it hurt. A light emitted from him through our bond that was warm and full of pride.
How could I take this away from him? Even if he was risking his life? I’d never felt this kind of emotion from him before. He was always so quiet, constantly suppressing his feelings. Fighting made him feel like hemattered.
We all had our chosen addictions here at the Institute. For Ivy, it was nightshade. For Charlie, it was the fight club. It might be bad for him, but he didn’t care.
This was his chosen high.
Charlie hopped out of the ring. I ran to him immediately and sacked against his side. Charlie let out anoofas I wrapped my arms around his middle.
“Did you like it?” Charlie asked. His voice still shook with the thrill.
I swallowed down my anxiety and lied. “It was amazing! You were so great. I didn’t know you could fight like that.”
I yanked a handkerchief out of my pocket, because I knew I’d need it tonight. I started wiping the blood off Charlie’s face, but it was hard, because there was so much of it. It stained my fingertips red.
“Let’s get you fixed up,” I said. “It looks pretty bad.”
“This is nothing. I can’twaitto get back in the ring next week.”
My lips wobbled. “I really hate you.”
Charlie laughed and squeezed me against his side. “I hate you too, pidge.”
Marcus and Kallie joined us. Kallie punched Charlie’s shoulder lightly. “That was some incredible fighting. You’ve really got your own style.”
“Learned it on the streets,” Charlie said proudly, and again, my heart fell.
“You’re crazy, man,” Marcus said, clapping him on the back. “Guess that’s why we keep you around.”
There was a medical area set up a few feet from the ring. Charlie sat on a stool while a guard worked on bandaging his wounds. The shifter he’d fought, Tony, sat on the other side of the tent, getting his own wounds mended. His gaze was resentful as he eyed Charlie up and down.
I turned my back and focused on helping Charlie. The guard was doing a shitty job of bandaging his head, so I took the gauze from him and did it myself. As I wrapped the area above Charlie’s eye, I heard a small voice not too far away whimper, “I don’t want to do it.”
It was Ghost. I didn’t know he was in the fight club— he was kind of small to be a fighter. He trembled as he held his arm, which was in a sling. It looked broken. He must’ve been in one of the earlier fights, before I got here.
A guard sneered as he towered over Ghost. “We had a deal. I didn’t turn you into the Warden when you tried to break out last semester. You still have two more fights left before you’ve settled your debt.”
“But I don’t want to do this anymore!” Ghost protested. He was on the edge of tears. “I’ve lost every fight you’ve put me in!”
“Too bad,” the guard sneered. “So long as the crowd likes watching you get kicked around, I’ll keep putting you in.”
Ghost broke into sobs. I couldn’t handle this. I wouldn’t let Ghost get bullied by some asshole guard.
