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He hissed out a breath, barely able to keep his rage from blasting through her. “You’re out of your mind. I’m not fighting you.”

“You will fight each other,” Madrie said.

Eden kept her intense gaze on Blaze. “You can do this.”

The danger surrounding them faded as he drank in her determined expression, the sweet undertones of her skin, and the fire that lit her up from the inside.

“I can’t kill you,” he said.

“One of us has to die.”

“Then you kill me. You’re the one who came up with this crazy idea. You make it sound so easy.”

Eden lifted one shoulder. “I didn’t say it would be easy, but I know your moves. I could take you out if I had to.”

Blaze tightened his grip on her. “Just as I could take you down if I wanted to. But that’s not my job. My job is to protect you and stand in front of you when assholes like this threaten you.”

She jerked back and landed a swift punch to his side. The shock of her blow had Blaze bending forward, but there was no power behind it. He’d sparred with Eden enough to know she hadn’t meant it. It was for show.

The Pecket went wild, cheering Eden on and encouraging her to keep fighting.

“There’s our winner. Who bet on the little Human to win this battle?” Madrie roared.

Eden grabbed Blaze around the neck and drew him close. “When they’re caught up in the action of watching an Apexian being bested by a tiny Human, we take them down.” She shoved him away.

Doubt reeled through him, but her plan had a crazy logic. These jerks wouldn’t let them go without getting what they wanted. But he wouldn’t damage Eden. The way she held herself, told him she had an injury to her ribs, and she was carrying most of her weight on her left side. It wouldn’t take much to put her down for good.

Blaze wanted to choke as that thought almost consumed him. Eden couldn’t die. He had to make sure she got out of this and had a chance to find happiness. Even if it wasn’t with him, she deserved that. She’d been through too much. He didn’t want to see the light in her eyes dim as she got beaten down by the world.

Eden rolled her shoulders. “What are you waiting for, an invitation?”

The Peckets surrounding them continued to roar their encouragements.

Blaze made a show of pacing around Eden, taking in the enemy whilst he did so. There were twelve of them. Most were armed, although only two Pecket had their weapons trained on them. They’d be the first to die when the shit went down.

Eden threw out the occasional punch as they continued to circle each other.

“Engage. Don’t keep us waiting,” Madrie said. “We expect to see blood spilt.”

Eden lunged. Blaze thought she was about to strike him, but she ducked at the last second, dodged behind him, and jumped on his back.

“I’ll try not to hurt you too much,” she whispered in his ear.

He snorted a laugh and flipped her off him. She landed on the floor with a thump.

There was more cheering and encouragement from the baying crowd.

Eden flipped onto her feet, doing an amazing job of masking the pain she must have been feeling.

Blaze deflected several punches, grunting at the strength behind them. She clearly didn’t appreciate being flipped.

“What are you waiting for, Apexian?” Madrie said. “She’s nothing to you. Humans are expendable. Destroy her.”

Blaze suppressed a growl as he glared at the asshole. He knew where Eden needed to be. By his side. His equal. His partner.

“Go on, show me my place, Blaze. These jerks want to eat me, auction me off, or get me naked. Is that all you think Humans are good for?”

“I’d like to do one of those things to you,” he grunted out.