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She nodded. “O/f course. We need to snag a place before they’re all gone.”
In agreeance, we headed up the bleacher steps until we found an open space big enough for the two of us. We were in the middle, and we settled in just as Kai entered the ring to begin announcing the fight.
The crowd was a murmur of chatter while we waited for the fight to get started, and I was buzzing with anticipation.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the long-awaited final event of the day! The winners of our last two brackets will now face off head-to-head, and determine this year’s strongest shifter in Rose Valley,” Kai shouted for everyone to hear with a prideful smile.
The crowd cheered at the proclamation, and two shifters stepped into the ring. Both were shirtless as they walked in, muscles taut from being worked previously during the day. The sunlight casted a brilliant sheen over their bodies.
I froze the moment I realized exactly who they were. My heart clenched.
“To our left, we have Griffin West, and to our right, Noah Harrison! On my count, you may begin.”
While everyone cheered again for them, I couldn’t help but hesitate.
“No way,” Cora murmured, seemingly just as surprised as I felt. “What are the chances it’s them sparring against each other?”
“I know,” I whispered, trying to process that shock. “I have to tell you something.”
“What’s that?”
“During the water scrying event, I saw Griffin’s face instead of Willow’s message, and it hit me so hard. I think we might be fated mates.”
Cora met my gaze with shock written across her features. “Are you serious?”
I nodded slowly. There wasn’t much else I could say about it.
While she seemed surprised, that look started to fade as she considered it more. “You know that makes sense. That bickering and weird tension had to come from somewhere.”
“That’s what I thought,” I added, taking a deep breath.
It felt nice to at least tell someone in the meantime, even if I was about to watch Griffin fight in front of everyone.
But worry soon weaved into my chest at the thought. I knew he was strong, and I didn’t doubt his abilities, but the idea of him getting hurt was more than I could handle. I could only hope he didn’t plan on letting that happen.
Griffin and Noah paced the ring that was big enough to accommodate shifters, and while I was anxious for the outcome, there was no missing just how perfect he looked. Griffin’s tattoos were on full display, along with the raw muscle he gained from all his training.
Even if Noah was also buff from his work, he almost looked small in comparison to Griffin’s size.
Regardless of how many opportunities I had to take in how gorgeous Griffin was, I ogled at him like it was the first time. My cheeks warmed.
“I guess it’s a good thing you have your eye candy,” Cora began, seeming impressed by what she saw in the ring. “Because I might need my chance with Noah. He’s hot.”
I couldn’t help but snicker at that. “Like I said before, you should go for it.”
“I might have to take you up on that.”
Kai looked between the two men ready to fight, asking if they were both ready. Before he could say anything, Griffin glanced in my direction, and our eyes locked.
Despite his silence, that one look seemed to say it all, and everything hit me all over again.
The guilt for shutting him out mixed with the pain from being apart, and it made my heart ache. But beyond that, the desire I had to be with him broke through all of it.
I missed how we used to interact, even if those earlier days had been spent bickering. When I finally had the chance to get to know the real him better, it felt like we made a breakthrough, and I liked the man I came to know.
That invisible tether between us felt tighter than it ever had been, and I couldn’t wait for the fight to be over.
But that glance felt like a promise. That we would have our chance to make amends and follow wherever the bond led us. Even if I had been mad at him before, that anger seemed to fade away at the prospect.
