Page 10 of His Beast

Fine.

Exiting the ring, I make my way to the corner of the gym where there is a collection of punching bags, and I select my favorite one, the free-standing heavy bag. It’s less likely to break under my punches like the hanging heavy bag, and I can drag it over to where I need it to be. To the right of the punching bags is a series of hanging punching bags such as the speed and double end bag, but that in’t what I’m after. Narrowing my gaze, an intimidatingly low growl leaves my throat while the Alpha using the slip bag halts in his movements, paying the price as the sandbag hits the back of his skull.

“Asshole,” he grumbles, glaring at me as he rubs the back of his head, leaving my space.

The idea of the slip bag is to improve coordination, my balance, and head movements while I punch the standing heavy bag. Essentially, it works as an invisible opponent as I land my hits. From my pocket, I pulled out my phone and noticed a text from Quinn. Our bond had solidified over the past few days and , now that I’m focusing on it, I can feel his anxiety as strongly as he probably feels my anger.

Quinn

What’s going on? Everything okay? Why are you angry?

Zayn

I’ll explain tonight. I guess you called Markus?

Quinn

*embarrassed emoji* Did I overstep? I just wanted to help.

Zayn

I know, bee. He came into the gym calling you names.

Quinn

He called me names??

Zayn

He called you ‘breeder’. I punched him and broke his nose.

Quinn

Ah. So nothing original. Disappointing.

The anger slowly ebbs away as I chuckle at Quinn’s text, loving how unbothered by the slur appears to be. Pulling my headphones from my pocket, I load up the audiobook I was listening to. I’m almost done with all of Quinn’s books and I’m eagerly anticipating the next book in the series I had started with when we first met. It’s due to come out this Friday, and I already preordered it so it’ll hit my e-reader immediately at midnight. Hitting play, I pull back the swing bag to begin its motion and I step in front of the free standing heavy bag, breathing in through my nose and letting it out through my lips before zeroing in on the words feeding through my earbuds.

When I told Quinn my story, I already knew he was going to try to find out how much I owed Markus, plus I couldn’t hide Quinn forever. As I dodge and weave around the sling bag, I realize that what I felt was shame. I’m angry at the discriminatory comments that Markus made toward Quinn, but I was ashamed for the first time in my career that I’m in a situation that Quinn felt he had to save me from. I didn’t lie when I said I was tired and wanted to stop fighting, but fighting is also all I know now. How am I supposed to provide for my new mate if I don’t fight? All my life, my worth has been tied to what I can do for others, what my fists could do. Without them, without my career, I’m nothing. I would not be worthy to stand by Quinn's side.

An ache settles in my chest and all I can think about was Quinn. As my thoughts focus on him, I suddenly feel annoyance run through our bond before it dissipates into jealousy, and then suddenly I feel nothing at all. Tilting my head in confusion, I step off the gym floor, retrieving my phone from my pocket while I make my way toward the locker room. Shooting him a text to check on him, I grab my gym bag, needing desperately to be with my mate.

Quinn

“So it’s done then?”

I narrow my eyes at my phone screen, an irritated sound escaping my throat, annoyed. Alec keeps glancing from the mark on my neck to my face, as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing. Through the video call, I can see his own marks, displayed rather high on his neck. Alec had found two Alphas and a Beta that wanted him at the Night of Scarlet, and while I’m happy for him, his judgement of my partner is pissing me off.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I just think you could’ve done better than a Valla, Quinn. And he’s just so…”

“So what?”

“You know…” Alec scowls.

“Elighten me.”

“Scary? Intimidating? Valla are violent and aggressive, surely an Alpha would be better.”