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“What else can you tell me about this Kansas guy?” Theo asked, just loud enough for Walt to hear him over the crowd noise.
Walt shrugged. “Try not to get walloped.” He stopped at the entryway into the main arena. “I’d like to see you win. I can tell you’re one of the good guys.”
Theo studied Walt and liked what he saw. “Same.”
The microphone squealed, subduing the gamblers as they turned their focus to the MC standing in the middle of the cage. “Are you ready for another fight?” the MC shouted to the masses. The crowd roared and whistled. “Then let’s get to it. If you were here last night, you saw a fantastic match between Bruno and a brand new fighter who beat Bruno in the second round. If you weren’t here, then you are in for a wild ride because all bets for the second match are now closed and our fighters are ready to battle.”
The MC looked toward Walt and nodded. “In his second MMA match, standing at six feet-four inches and weighing in at two hundred and twenty pounds… The Viking!”
One of Troy’s men ran over and handed Walt the hat with horns. He plopped it on Theo’s head and gave him a push to move. He caught Jay laughing out of the corner of his eye and grimaced at his friend. Pointing at Jay, he said, “Don’t say a word.”
Jay mimed zipping his mouth even as he laughed harder.
“Viking! Viking!” rose in an arcing crescendo.
Theo again took hold of Daniel’s hand as they walked the pathway from hallway to ringside. His mate’s palm was sweaty and his hand trembled. He stopped with one foot on the first step up into the ring and turned to Daniel. Theo let go and cupped Daniel’s jaw, drawing him forward into a kiss that he hoped would soothe his mate’s fears. Wild shouts and cat-calls filled his ears, drowning out the few sporadic slurs he also heard. Regardless of what the humans thought, Theo would put his chosen’s well-being before anything else. He deepened the kiss when Daniel’s arms slid around his neck, holding him in place.
“Hold your horses, people. I’m enjoying the PDA from a man who has nothing to be ashamed of,” the MC said into the mic, following it up with some yummy humming noises that had the audience laughing.
Daniel, flush with embarrassment, drew away, his gaze hot on Theo. “I’m not sure I understand what’s going on between us, so wewilltalk later.” He poked Theo’s sternum. “First, you have a fight to win. Knock ‘em… well, not dead, but you get it.” He darted in and pressed another kiss to Theo’s jaw before shoving him up the stairs.
With his heart pounding and adrenaline racing through his body, Theo ascended the steps and ducked through the doorway into the cage. He bounced around for his fans, slipping out of the robe and giving them all a show of his ripped body. There were plenty of ‘oh’s and ‘ah’s and exclamations regarding the art on his back.
He’d forgotten it was even there until another fighter, bicycling away in the warm-up room, commented on it. He’d waited until he was alone, then darted over to the full-length mirror by the free weights. It wasn’t the best angle, looking over his shoulder like he had, but he couldn’t look away. Seeing himself wrapped around a black-winged Daniel etched onto his skin had blown his mind. He’d stared and stared until noises in the hallway had him jumping back on the treadmill. Seconds later, his mate and Judah, and then Troy, had come in.
“And now, approaching the ring, feast your eyes on this larger-than-life specimen. Standing at six feet three inches and weighing two hundred and ninety pounds, from the land down under… The Aussie!”
If the cheers for Theo had seemed deafening, it was nothing compared to the chaos this man’s introduction wrought. Still, he heard Walt’s, “Oh fuck,” a blaring warning behind him. He glanced at the trainer, then kept his gaze steady on the approaching walkway as he edged backward toward where Walt, Daniel, and Jay stood. He needed answers because this was not the man Walt told him he would be fighting.
“Spill,” he ordered, not regretting his sharp tone in the least.
“Aussie has been fighting for years, off and on. He’s good. Scarily good. He’s got size and strength in his corner. Plus experience. He’s your height but all fucking muscle. If he pins you, you’re toast, so don’t let him. The downside to having all that weight is that he lacks agility, which you do have. I haven’t seen him fight in a while, so I can’t comment on his endurance. If his conditioning is down, you can probably tire him out if you keep him moving. A couple of good hits to his ribs and kidneys will help, too. Anything to get him out of breath.”
As Walt spoke, Aussie slowly made his way toward the cage, stopping to slap hands and fist-bump his supporters. His lumbering steps had Theo doubting the two-ninety the MC claimed. The guy had to be pushing three hundred.Do not get crushed. Do not get crushed.
“You got this, Theo. You’ve taken on dudes bigger than this,” Jay hollered, snapping Theo from his despairing mantra.
When Theo looked, he saw Jay’s grip on the cage, his fingers wrapped around the twisted metal, and was swamped by the feeling of being trapped. He snapped his attention back to Aussie when the hulking brute turned sideways to get through the doorway into the ring. Rising to his full height, Theo scoffed.Six-three?Heavens, no. The guy had at least two or three more inches on him.
“The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Jay quipped. “Come here.”
Theo knelt beside Jay, keeping his gaze on Aussie, looking for any potential weaknesses he could capitalize on. Like the way his opponent was already heaving from just walking from the locker room and up the stairs. Trick number one would definitely be to keep the guy moving.
“While Walt’s advice is sound, he’s got a lot of weight and muscle on him. If he hits you, it’s gonna hurt. He’s breathing hard already. That’s a point in your favor. If you can get him on the mat, he’ll have a hard time getting up, but if he flips you, get the heck away from him fast. Better to give him space than let him get the drop on you. You can’t not let him hit you though, so if you can, take the hit, but lean away so when he does connect, it won’t be with the full force he’s putting into it. Also, slide-step in a few places if you see him falling off balance. You should be able to come alongside him and slam an elbow into his back.”
Theo swung his head around to stare in awe at Jay, who grinned somewhat crazily. “Where…? How do you know all this?”
“Leo and Ari have really upped their game.”
Theo smiled, his confidence rising. “Perfect timing.” He patted Jay’s fingers and stood, bouncing to limber up again. “Thanks.”
“You got this,” Jay repeated. “Blessed be Him.”
“Blessed be Him. Amen.” Theo peeked upward, receiving a warm pulse of acceptance in return. “Watch over my mate?”
“Of course.” Jay stepped back and let Daniel move closer.
“Be careful. Please.” The haunted glaze in his mate’s eyes was something Theo hoped he’d never have to see again once this whole mess with Troian was taken care of.
