from the moment she’d met him that he was the one. And the fact that all it took was for both of them to see each other to feel everything all over again just proved there was something special there.
He was everything. That’s why she had to make sure he got away, even if she couldn’t.
She lifted an empty champagne flute to her lips and hesitated when nothing touched her tongue.
“All right, there. I think you’ve had enough,” Tim said, taking the glass.
“Have not,” she said. It wasn’t enough to dull the pain anyway.
“Look,” Tom said. “The next match is that Asher guy you were so interested in yesterday.”
“He isn’t here,” she muttered, bitter about the fact that no one would even know his real name. He was Lucas, not Asher, but this world only wanted one and not the other.
She looked down at the ring. One competitor was there, waiting. Asher Vale’s name was called again.
Nothing.
And again. There was murmuring and hushed voices heard in the crowd. Still nothing. The silence around her rang like a fatal blow. He was gone. It was over. A silent tear fell that she quickly wiped away before her cousins could notice.
Then there was the muffled sound of clapping, which grew quickly as voices could be heard calling Asher’s name from the crowd.
And then Lucas was there, tall and proud and storming down toward the arena in the same colors as yesterday. His dark hair was loose and tousled, his powerful body flexing with each step. Damn, his body was mesmerizing. The arena seemed to agree as the applause grew to an almost deafening level. They probably remembered the fight from yesterday and were eager for more.
“Wow, he sure likes to make an entrance,” Tom commented.
“Everyone loves an underdog,” Tim added.
It was true. Lucas came from a relatively unknown family, and many of the spectators included common shifters that had no chance of being associated with any of the families that most people were betting on to win. It made sense he had this much support. She just wished he’d run before it was too late.
She felt like she was buzzing, not only from the champagne, but also from the relief of seeing he hadn’t left her and the worry she’d have to watch him get hurt again. Maybe worse this time.
“You seem nervous,” Tim commented, putting an arm around her that she immediately shrugged off.
“I’m not,” she said, sounding unconvincing even to herself.
“Oh, come on,” Tom said. “We’ve known you since you were little and terrible at hide-and-seek. You can’t lie to us. Besides, Tim has a knack for that stuff. You aren’t going to hide it from him.”
She sent her cousin a glare. He was right, but she didn’t have to like it.
“It’s okay, Lily. We’re rooting for you,” Tim said, sitting forward and threading his fingers together. “My only question is, is that really Asher Vale? Because I happen to have met him during an alpha challenge… and I don’t recall him looking exactly like that.”
Her gaze snapped to him, but he put up a silent finger as if to say he’d keep her secret, and her heartbeat returned to normal.
She turned her focus back to the fight. Lucas stood in the middle of the ring, but his bearing was different from the other day. His jaw was tight, his stance was focused, and when he looked up and met her eyes, the searing heat of his emerald-green gaze nearly melted her on the spot. He wasn’t saying anything, but the message was plenty clear.
He wasn’t leaving. He meant to win.
She was aroused, scared, and mad all at the same time.
The match began, and Lucas went straight at his opponent with a speed and precision unmatched by anything she’d seen. Yesterday, he’d been calm, almost like he needed only half his effort to win. Today, he was a lion, constantly on top of his opponent, relentless in his attacks.
As the match progressed, it became clear his opponent had an alpha power. The alpha was tall with curly blond hair,
He was everything. That’s why she had to make sure he got away, even if she couldn’t.
She lifted an empty champagne flute to her lips and hesitated when nothing touched her tongue.
“All right, there. I think you’ve had enough,” Tim said, taking the glass.
“Have not,” she said. It wasn’t enough to dull the pain anyway.
“Look,” Tom said. “The next match is that Asher guy you were so interested in yesterday.”
“He isn’t here,” she muttered, bitter about the fact that no one would even know his real name. He was Lucas, not Asher, but this world only wanted one and not the other.
She looked down at the ring. One competitor was there, waiting. Asher Vale’s name was called again.
Nothing.
And again. There was murmuring and hushed voices heard in the crowd. Still nothing. The silence around her rang like a fatal blow. He was gone. It was over. A silent tear fell that she quickly wiped away before her cousins could notice.
Then there was the muffled sound of clapping, which grew quickly as voices could be heard calling Asher’s name from the crowd.
And then Lucas was there, tall and proud and storming down toward the arena in the same colors as yesterday. His dark hair was loose and tousled, his powerful body flexing with each step. Damn, his body was mesmerizing. The arena seemed to agree as the applause grew to an almost deafening level. They probably remembered the fight from yesterday and were eager for more.
“Wow, he sure likes to make an entrance,” Tom commented.
“Everyone loves an underdog,” Tim added.
It was true. Lucas came from a relatively unknown family, and many of the spectators included common shifters that had no chance of being associated with any of the families that most people were betting on to win. It made sense he had this much support. She just wished he’d run before it was too late.
She felt like she was buzzing, not only from the champagne, but also from the relief of seeing he hadn’t left her and the worry she’d have to watch him get hurt again. Maybe worse this time.
“You seem nervous,” Tim commented, putting an arm around her that she immediately shrugged off.
“I’m not,” she said, sounding unconvincing even to herself.
“Oh, come on,” Tom said. “We’ve known you since you were little and terrible at hide-and-seek. You can’t lie to us. Besides, Tim has a knack for that stuff. You aren’t going to hide it from him.”
She sent her cousin a glare. He was right, but she didn’t have to like it.
“It’s okay, Lily. We’re rooting for you,” Tim said, sitting forward and threading his fingers together. “My only question is, is that really Asher Vale? Because I happen to have met him during an alpha challenge… and I don’t recall him looking exactly like that.”
Her gaze snapped to him, but he put up a silent finger as if to say he’d keep her secret, and her heartbeat returned to normal.
She turned her focus back to the fight. Lucas stood in the middle of the ring, but his bearing was different from the other day. His jaw was tight, his stance was focused, and when he looked up and met her eyes, the searing heat of his emerald-green gaze nearly melted her on the spot. He wasn’t saying anything, but the message was plenty clear.
He wasn’t leaving. He meant to win.
She was aroused, scared, and mad all at the same time.
The match began, and Lucas went straight at his opponent with a speed and precision unmatched by anything she’d seen. Yesterday, he’d been calm, almost like he needed only half his effort to win. Today, he was a lion, constantly on top of his opponent, relentless in his attacks.
As the match progressed, it became clear his opponent had an alpha power. The alpha was tall with curly blond hair,
Similar Books
