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“I’m not giving up until I win.”

Her top lip curled. “Neither am I.”

“Then you’re going to be disappointed.”

Princess Isolt smirked. “One of us will, and it won’t be me.”

Hayley attempted the element of surprise and charged Princess Isolt. The princess’s eyes widened, and she backed up, sidestepping Hayley’s attack.

Hayley wheeled around and threw a punch, but she was too far from Princess Isolt to make contact. She stepped back and gave herself a few seconds to think. Keep focused. She couldn’t use all her energy in the first few minutes.

Princess Isolt snapped her teeth, revealing how unpleasantly sharp they were.

“Keep those things away from me.”

“I don’t think I will. I’m developing a taste for human flesh.”

Hayley scowled at her. “You’re not biting anyone ever again.” This time, the punch she threw landed on the princess’s arm. The skin on her knuckles stung, but it felt good to land the first blow.

Princess Isolt squealed and lunged at Hayley. She grabbed hold of her hair and pulled.

Hayley reciprocated, twisting her fingers into the princess’s long dark hair. It felt more like wiry fur than the silky hair it appeared to be. She pulled hard, and Princess Isolt hissed in pain.

“Look out,” Elias shouted.

Hayley yanked her arm back just before Princess Isolt embedded her teeth into it.

“Next time,” Princess Isolt snarled.

“Next time, I’ll slam my fist into those teeth and break them.”

They backed off from each other, both breathing heavily. Hayley’s scalp tingled from where Princess Isolt had tried to yank out her hair.

She lunged at Hayley again. Hayley dodged out of the way and landed a punch on Princess Isolt’s shoulder.

Princess Isolt attempted to backhand Hayley. The blow glanced off Hayley’s arm and made Princess Isolt stumble forward.

Hayley saw an opening and took it. She landed two hard punches straight on Princess Isolt’s nose.

Princess Isolt squealed in fury. Her hands flew to her face. “You monster,” she hissed. As she removed her hands, there was blood in her palms.

“Keep going,” Elias encouraged.

Hayley looked at him and grinned. Her training was working. She felt like she was winning.

“Would either of you like to concede your claim?” Dathos asked.

“Not a chance,” Hayley said.

“That Retar is mine,” Princess Isolt said, her voice sounding thick through her rapidly swelling nose.

“Then the fight may continue,” Dathos said.

The women circled each other. Hayley wasn’t sure how she could bring this to an end. She had to fight harder and dirtier. She needed to surprise Princess Isolt and hit her so she couldn’t get up. She didn’t enjoy the idea of badly hurting anyone, but it was the only way she would win. Princess Isolt was stubborn, but Hayley would not lose Elias to her, especially since he’d said he loved her.

The thought made her smile. She had no idea where that came from. Maybe he wasn’t aware of how significant those words were when said to a human female.

She side-stepped Princess Isolt again and backed up. Hayley would talk to Elias, and they’d figure out everything. Once this fight was over, and Princess Isolt was beaten, they’d work together to see if this really was true love.