“Good. You’ll have two minutes to choose your leaders, and then we will begin. There will be six rounds, and the matchups will be chosen at random. The fight will end when one can no longer carry on.” Thane takes his seat and nods. “Time starts now.”
The leaders separate and immediately begin selecting their fighters while both groups toss hostile glances at one another, sizing each other up.
“How about we make this interesting, Grey?” I hesitantly turn around to find Thane leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. “Let’s make a bet.”
“What kind of bet?” I ask, not sure I even want to know the answer.
“Pick a side: vampires or werewolves. If they win, you get a reward.”
“And if they lose?”
“Then I get a reward,” he says with a sinister look that makes me shudder.
“Not interested,” I dismiss, turning back around.
“It’s not optional,” he warns, pulling the chain leash so that I’m forced to face him again.
“Fine,” I huff. “I choose vampires.”
“Are you sure about that?” He arches a brow, but I won’t let him get in my head. Werewolves may appear more terrifying, and if it weren’t one-on-one, I’d probably choose them, but the vamp speed is too much of an advantage to ignore.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“Alright,” he accepts, leaning back in his chair. “I look forward to collecting my reward later.”
I snort a laugh, dismissing his remark with amusement, knowing it’ll piss him off. “What happens if there’s a tie?
“Then each side will choose one fighter to represent their species in a sudden-death round.”
“Like actual death?” I question, swallowing hard at the thought.
Thane simply answers with a shrug before calling time on the selection process. Six leaders from each side step forward, and a guard holds out a bag that they each pick a number out of, deciding the order in which they will fight. I can’t help but notice that Kole is one of the six vampires chosen. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, given that he’s Thane’s half-brother and all. It’s probably in their blood to assert dominance every chance they get.
The two fighters who pulled the number one from the bag step to the middle of the room while the others create a circle around them, leaving enough space for Thane to watch from his Alpha throne. The woman shifts into her wolf form while the man flexes his fangs at her with a hiss.
The guard who passed out the numbers takes a spot next to them and raises his right hand. “Round one, begin!”
He quickly steps out of the way, and the two fighters begin to circle one another. Looking at the sheer size of the wolf almost makes me regret my decision choosing the vampires. She bares her teeth with a snarl as saliva drips from her mouth, but the vampire doesn’t even flinch. In fact, he starts to dart from side to side in a crouch, almost as if he’s toying with her.
It's hard to pull my eyes from the two of them, but I have bigger plans for tonight that need my attention.
“I’m thirsty,” I say to Thane, tugging on the chain leash. “A little water would be nice.”
He nods to someone behind me, and they come sprinting up the steps, waiting for his order. A couple of minutes later, I’m delivered a dog bowl of water. I pick it up with both hands and begin drinking from the side.
“Put it on the ground.” I hear Thane’s order and turn to glare at him. “Like a dog,” he adds with a nod to the bowl.
If it were any other day, I would just refrain from drinking the water altogether, but if I’m going to pee on him, I need to hydrate. I lower my face to the water and begin lapping it up with my tongue. Of course, human tongues weren’t meant to drink water this way, so it’s going to take a while for me to finish it all.
With each flick of my tongue the fire in me grows hotter. I use the time to imagine the look on his face once he realizes what I’ve done. I know there will be a punishment for it, but I don’t care. I refuse to sit back and let him make a slave out of me. I welcomed death when he attacked me in the woods, and I’ll welcome it again if that’s what it comes to.
I’m so caught up in my revenge plot that I hardly notice when the first fight is called. It’s not until I register the pairsof eyes on me and the fingers pointing that I stop drinking and focus my attention back to the middle of the room. The vampire is laid out in a pool of his own blood. It’s hard for me to see from here, but I’m sure his wounds are already beginning to heal. The woman has shifted back to her human skin, and I watch as her arm begins to twist in unnatural ways, repairing itself. Both fighters look like they’ve been through hell, but there’s a cocky smile plastered on the wolf’s face as she’s declared the winner.
Fuck.
“Regretting your choice already?” Thane snickers.
“Don’t get too excited,” I warn. “There’s a lot of fighting left to go.”
