“You hurt the wrong girl, no one touches my girls,” he sneers.
“Dad?” Mara whispers behind him, looking horrified like she is torn on whose side to pick. Jonah grabs my arm, hauling me to my feet. Mateo wraps his arm around his daughter’s shoulder and tugs her away. Ezra watches me when his eyes flick to his wolf.
“You fucked up,” Maddox growls at me, and I nod, wiping my lip that dribbles blood down my chin. Kaif is enjoying my pain.
“I know,” I tell him and Ezra walks off.
Jonah nudges my shoulder with his. Turning my head, glare at him. “What? You deserve it,” Jonah laughs. I shove him and shake my head.
“So, do I gotta worry about Kat coming to smack me next?” I ask as my eyes scan the surroundings. Just in case, so at least I see the next incoming attack.
“Na, Eziah wanted to come, and she is currently at home making sure he doesn’t rush over here and act out revenge.”
“Eziah? What’s he going to do, heal me to death?” I laugh and so does Jonah.
“He has more than healing powers,” Jonah says, and I glance at him.
“Huh?”
Jonah shrugs. “No idea but he spends a lot of time in the Moon Goddess realm, apparently he has other gifts, but keeps them hidden. I’m not even sure Kat fully knows what he is capable of, the only reason I know is Rose told me she saw him playing with light or some crap.”
“Playing with light?” I ask.
He chuckles. “No idea, bro, no idea. The kid can be weird, but then again, none of us knows what Mara is capable of either, and no one is willing to go near or touch her gifts.”
“Can’t say I blame them.” I mutter.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jonah smacks my shoulder.
I shake my head and ignore his behavior. “Doesn’t matter, but they are best not touching her. She disabled me like it was natural to her,” I mutter.
“What?” Jonah gasps, clearly shocked.
“She didn’t tell you?” I ask, a little skeptical.
“Tell me what?” He raises an eyebrow.
“She disabled my magic, she … you know what, never mind, you have the challenge to focus on,” I tell him.
Kyan
Everyone moves away from us as we approach the ring, which isn’t a boxing ring but more like a dirt patch about as wide as half a football field. Everyone circles around the perimeter, eager to watch the Alpha challenge.
“You got this,” I tell Jonah, and he nods. The moment I take my place on the sidelines to watch, everyone moves away like I have the plague. Great. I can see Marabella a few feet away and Sage is speaking to her. Mara looks upset about something, and I wonder what they’re talking about. Opening the bond I have with her, I feel her worry and at first, I think it is for Jonah, though that is there I realize after a few moments it is more for me.
Sage tries to stop her as Marabella starts walking over to me. I glance away from her, hoping she stops when I see Mateo grip her arm. She shakes him off, only for Ezra to step into her path. They seem to argue before he points in the opposite direction from me. I feel his command wash over her through the bond. What I don’t expect is the growl that tears out of her as she stomps off.
“Don’t you dare ignore her,” Kaif snarls at me.
“I don’t want to cause her more drama.”
“She is our mate, she wants us and her fathers commanded her away.”
“That’s a good thing, Kaif,” I tell him when he lurches forward, making me stagger. I hear a few people off to my left gasp as Kaif’s aura slips out. Jonah stops to glance over at me and I wave him off.
“My mate,” Kaif snarls at me.
“Stop, I will talk to her after,” I tell him when he shoves forward again. This time a growl slips out of me from him, angered that her fathers would prevent her coming to us.
“You’re willing to let me take a beating from them, but you want to kill them for stopping her coming over?”
“You deserve a beating. I don’t deserve them stopping me from being around my mate!”
“You do get we are the same person, right?”
“No, you a moron, I’m not,” he says, and I roll my eyes. Thankfully the challenge starts and distracts him. I watch the challenge for a bit, Jonah and Andrei are waiting each other out, trying to look for an advantage over the other. Marabella, I can feel her anxiousness as she watches.
I feel her fear every time Jonah would get attacked. Her fear and worry bleed into me, becoming me. Yet, I don’t even understand why she’s so worried in the first place. After all, Andrei isn’t a match for Jonah, not after spending years training with his father, but also spending years surviving Kaif.
My eyes are fixed on the challenge, so engrossed in the match that I don’t notice Marabella. When I finally look over, I see that she’s gone. I look around for her until I feel someone touch my arm. I glance down at her. Her eyes are glued to the fight when Jonah is suddenly tossed across the ground by Donnie and Marabella jumps in panic.
Donnie approaches Jonah’s fallen form, but I know Jonah is waiting him out. Looking for an opportunity before he shifts, looking for an opening. Marabella gasps as Donnie charges at him and Marabella goes to step forward in panic when I grab her waist.
I shouldn’t have. Yet, the urge to comfort her overwhelms me as I tug her to me and wrap my arm around her waist, bringing her flush against my body. Kaif purrs contently and calms down with her closeness. I tug her in front of me, resting my chin on her shoulder.
“He is fine, watch,” I whisper to her as Donnie pounces. My grip tightens as she jumps, but Jonah shifts at the last second, ducking under him and tearing into Donnie’s stomach. Donnie growls, landing on his side and then attacking again. Jax is quicker as he pivots once again at the last second and tears into Donnie’s flank.
“He is wearing him down,” Marabella whispers, and I nod against her shoulder.