I look back at Captain Brooks, and it’s obvious that he doesn’t even care about following orders and the rules. Shit, isn’t he wanted by Dad? Shouldn’t these shifters be reaching out to Father to turn Captain Brooks in? He’s part of the rebels, isn’t he? Didn’t we prove that? Down in Hell, Levi did that spell on that list showing who wrote it, and Knots said he saw a Silverback Gorilla running offtowardsthe rebels during the attack on the school. We only have one fucking ape here, and I’m looking at the asshole.
As we move closer to the ring, the crowd parts and watches us with greedy and bloodthirsty eyes.
‘How do we do it?’I ask, wanting to take down this asshole and anyone who’s looking at my mate.
‘That’s the correct answer.’I can only hear the smile in his response because I refuse to look away from the audience in front of us.‘I’m about to teach you how to emit an invisible aura that strips away logic, forcing allies to fight each other in a blind frenzy.’
I want to shift and pluck every single eye out for even looking in Rez’s direction. No one should be looking at my woman with any emotions, let alone any type of desire.
‘Perfect. Destroy themselves from the inside,’I purr.
“Knox, can you tone it down a little?” Chester comes up and whispers to me. I turn to see him pulling at his collar, and I realize my Alpha power is suffocating some of the weaker shifters.
“Sorry,” I tell him. “Please help keep me in check, I have a feeling I need someone to make sure I don’t go to the dark side, so stand next to me,” I tell him, and I see him immediately stand taller and puff up his chest in my periphery, not even blinking an eye at my comment.
“Yes, sir.”
Fuck me, I just gave my first order as an official leader, and I gave it to my brother-in-law.
CHAPTER 49
The Real Blood Match
Rez
Ican feel Knox’s anxiety through our link, and I know he’s struggling to give me a strong front, so I take matters into my own hands. I block our connection myself. It’s amazing how easy it is when I think about it. It’s like building a strong mental wall around myself, kinda like what Murmur had me practice.
I miss him, but not his training. L.A.M.B. would be proud of me right now, and how I handled Captain Brooks. Spotting his lies was easy, and havingBitchin my ear, going over the plan gave me the confidence to follow through.
‘I told you, my name is not Bitch,’she seethes.
‘And until you actually give me your name, Bitch it is. So get used to it.”
Captain Brooks mentioned that there is a rightful way to protect my mate. That was a bunch of bullshit. I’ve already claimed and protected my mate. He just wants a way to hurt me and kill me legally under Shifter Law.
As we walk through their camp, shifters move out of the way for us. I keep my head held high and keep an annoyed lookon my face, which doesn’t take much, since he’s sidelining our Gauntlet time with these creepy woods. We still need to head back to campus.
We stop on a platform above a massive circular pit that’s roped off below us. If I’m not mistaken, the dark circles that dot the dirt floor are dried blood.
I turn and face the good old Captain. “I see, you cleaned up for me.”
“Only for the best,” he sneers. “Let’s go.” He turns to leave, but I don’t budge.
“Are you forgetting something?” I casually throw out, leaning back on my hip. He pauses and looks back over his shoulder. “Rules of engagement. I am ahuman,” I emphasize, “like you pointed out earlier, and this is my first Blood Match. Can I get some time with my family before you eat me alive in that ring?”
His eyes widen slightly with shock, as if I wouldn’t stand my ground, and he slowly turns to face me.
“Of course, how could I forget?” he tells me with hard eyes, and his fists clenched. “The Blood Matches are simply a fight to prove a point.”
Lie.
“In this instance, your point is to formally claim Knox as a mate.”
Another lie. Keep addin ’em up, fucker.
“There are usually no rules in The Blood Matches, but for you, Nerezza, I will make an exception.”
Truth. What’s he playing at?
