Vael.
At the edge of the arena, where the light broke and failed. Robes darker than midnight. Eyes gleaming red. Locked on me. Smiling like a god among insects.
I faltered.
Leo slammed into me, tackling hard. We hit the ground, his weight pinning me down—just as another jolt from his collar ripped through him.
He convulsed, biting down on a groan. “Focus,” he hissed through gritted teeth. “Goddamn it, Elira—hit me!”
I twisted, breath ragged, and slammed a sharp kick into his side. He staggered. I didn’t stop. I punched him—once, twice—hard enough to draw blood. His lip split, and he spat crimson into the dirt.
He regained his footing and spun fast, driving a solid kick straight into my chest.
I hit the ground hard, stars bursting behind my eyes.
He lunged again.
I kicked out, catching him in the gut, scrambled to my feet, and twisted behind him. My arms wrapped around his neck as I leapt onto his back like a spider clinging to prey, dragging him down.
We hit the floor.
I rolled, straddled him, and punched him across the face with everything I had. His head snapped to the side.
I expected fury. Retaliation.
Instead, he grinned up at me—blood dripping from his brow.
I froze. My thighs clenched tighter against his sides. His grin deepened.
Gods, he was hard.
I felt his thick length pushing against my leather pants. I pushed hard against him.
“You,” he said, voice low and wild, “are fucking amazing.”
Then he yanked me down, kissed me full on the mouth—rough, desperate—and shoved me off with a violent kick.
His eyes blazed with heat and adrenaline.
He was enjoying this.
And—holy shit—so was I.
I could feel Vael’s gaze on the back of my neck like a brand, searing into my skin. Hot. Unrelenting.
His fury was a presence—palpable and rising.
It was like standing in the stillness before a storm, knowing the sky is about to split open and obliterate everything.
As I flipped off Leo once more, I dared a glance toward Vael.
He was still watching me—but he was speaking to someone beside him.
The man was massive. Bear-like. Scarred, broad-shouldered, and radiating menace. At Vael’s word, he moved—slipping something from his sleeve.
A blade.
The crowd was still in a frenzy, the noise thunderous—cheers, screams, the roar of chaos. But as Leo and I continued to circle each other, the tone shifted.
