The corner of his mouth tipped up. “That is the word of a warrior who will have the female’s thighs open wide and who will listen to her sweet cries of surrender as her wet pussy rides my cock for hours, draining me dry, taking my seed.”
By the gods, that was too much fucking information. I had no response. I should have been able to cheer for Tane, but the tension in my shoulders and chest moved up into my throat and I couldn’t force myself to speak or move. I could only watch and hate every male here for his ability to claim her. And Braun for his strategy to fucking woo her.
I shouldn’t have come to the pits. Part of me knew watching this was a bad idea. No warrior would ever be worthy of her. Not one on this pathetic prison world. But neither could I bear the idea of not knowing who she would belong to, who would be charged with protecting her. She was an addiction I had been unable to best since her arrival a few weeks ago. My interest in her completely unwanted and impossible. My cock was ruling my mind. I’d had to take it in hand in the shower tube often enough to will it down, but no matter how many times I sought release, my body remained hard and aching. For her.
Leaning back, I crossed my arms and tried to look unaffected as I watched Tane’s fist connect with the Prillon warrior’s jaw, sending him reeling backward into the crowd along the fighting pit’s edges. The shouting warriors seated there propped him up and shoved him back into the center of the pit where Tane delivered another powerful blow. So far, he was besting the Prillon warrior without calling on his beast. The young Prillon male was fighting a losing battle and he knew it, the swagger leaving his step and his shoulders slumping when another warrior, Tyran, stepped between the two combatants.
Tyran was a Prillon warrior and had a human female as his mate. Kristin. He shared her with his second, another warrior named Hunt. She was beautiful, and a warrior in her own right, like Gwen. I did not know how they could allow their female to work on missions hunting the Hive, but Kristin did so every day, part of a special group of warriors led by an Everian Hunter named Kiel.
Unlike the young Prillon fighting Tane, Tyran was rumored to be the strongest cyborg on the planet with implants running not just through parts of his body, but imbedded deeply in both muscle and bone. He was a legend in the pits but had stopped fighting once he was mated. It seemed he had other, more pleasant ways, to ease his anger and aggression.
I envied him the newfound method of release.
Tyran stepped into the center and proclaimed Tane the victor. Braun settled back, more relaxed now that Tyran had arrived. That warrior would not allow things to get too far out of hand, and he was strong enough to handle Tane, even if the Atlan went into beast mode.
“Told you Tane would win.”
“It’s not over yet,” I reminded Braun.
“Yes, it is. He didn’t even use his beast.”
But he would. We both knew he would. “Stupid to challenge an Atlan,” I added, referring to the young Prillon.
“Yes. None but Tyran, or perhaps the Hunter, could defeat one of us.”
One of us.He included me among the Atlan ranks, as always, but I was not one of them. Never could be.
The next two fights went as expected until four warriors remained. Tane, two Prillon warriors, and a male from Trion whose skin shone silver in the afternoon light. I had not met him, but he was rumored to be more machine than man, and his fighting instincts were superb.
Tyran raised his hand, waiting for the crowd of warriors watching to quiet. “Here are the remaining four. Chance will decide their fates.” Tyran held out a deck of cards, face down. “Highest values will fight first.”
The crowd cheered again as the warriors each drew a card and lifted it into the air. The two Prillon warriors would face off against each other first. Then Tane would fight the male from Trion. After that, they would be down to two and the champion would be the last male standing.
Every single one of the four looked smug. Confident. As if Gwen already belonged to him. I wanted to jump into the pit and pummel them all into dust, but I didn’t dare move, not even to frown. Stone. I must be like Stone.
A woman’s bellow of rage filled the air and the cheering crowd of warriors went silent.
The door built into the side wall of the fighting ring was flung open, striking the side with a loud bang as Gwen marched into view wearing full battle armor. Her hair flowed down her back like black flames and fury rolled off her shoulders in almost perceptible waves. Eyes narrowed, muscles tense, she looked like a warrior goddess, too beautiful to be real. My breath caught, my cock lengthened at the sight of her.
Two other human women, both mated to Colony warriors, stood behind her in formation, like a strike squad, but they paled in comparison to Gwen’s fire and I ignored them easily.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Gwen yelled at Tane, clenching her fists. The giant Atlan Warlord actually flinched, as if he were a small boy being scolded by his mother.
Tane looked confused, then bowed before her. “My lady… I—”
“Don’t you dare my lady me!” She marched up to his towering form, completely unafraid.
Next to me, Braun could barely contain his laughter, his shoulders shaking quietly as he watched the drama unfold. I wanted to punch him as well… for being right, for understanding more about Gwen than I had.
Covered in sweat and blood, the four warriors turned as one to face her, closing in, pleading their individual cases. I could not hear what they said, but none of it pleased her. Her hands moved to her hips, her head tilted to the side as if she listened and considered their words. But her eyes were like fire, feminine fury shining brightly. Fuck, she was gorgeous.
Braun’s increasingly smug smile had my hands clenching into fists of my own as he leaned back and put his hands behind his head, stretching. Resting. Amused.
I looked back to Gwen, afraid if I kept my gaze on Braun I would punch that knowing and very possessive look right off his face. The males in the pit had lost any chance they had with her now. Braun just had to wait until she pulverized them all and then step in.
Gwen’s gaze darted up into the stands and Braun held his breath as her attention flitted over him, then moved to me.
Air trapped in my lungs, her gaze like a physical blow, the gaze narrowing, her cheeks flushing even darker.