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“Victor Lorenz,” Rocky replied. “A pain in the ass drama major who’s going to be the death of me.”

“Now for the match opponents.” He pulled a scroll out from a hidden spot in draped material covering him. “Round one, Nico Lopez and Conner Livingston.”

The room erupted in a cacophony of cheers.

Nico chanced a glance at his mate. She held Bell’s hand in a death grip. Did she doubt his ability to fight? Or did she worry he’d get hurt? The din of the room settled around him as he watched her for a moment more. Then, stepping away from everyone, he climbed up into the ring. Across from him in the secondary ring, Bodhi stepped into the square circle. His opponent, Winston.

The mangy mutt, though smaller than Bodhi by twenty pounds, wasn’t as gangly as he’d appeared at the mixer. There’d been a muscular tone to his slight frame. The bell rang, and Bodhi began to fight. Gathering his wits, Nico gave his full attention to the ref entering the ring. All the rules had been spelled out in the locker room while they got ready, but the man reiterated the major sticking points—shifting while fighting was an automatic disqualification.

“Now bump fists and good luck.” The referee stepped back.

He held out his fist, and Conner laughed at him before walking away. When the bell rang, he came out of his corner swinging. He bobbed and weaved past most of Conner’s punches, but the guy got in a few hits. Patience. Nico needed patience. He had to be calculated and controlled, waiting for the right moment to attack. When he saw his opening, Nico pounced. He caught Conner as the dick bounced around the ring, acting like a cocky fool. The first hook shot glanced off Conner’s cheek, the second right under the chin.

The wolf went down hard.

Jumping between them, the ref began counting. “Ten!” he waggled his finger, calling for an end to the match. The bell dinged seconds later, and he raised Nico’s hand in victory.

He smiled as the gym exploded in cheers and acclaim. His body vibrated with excitement and unspent energy as adrenaline coursed through him. Though nothing like the thrill of his first kill, his heart pumped, thumping against his chest. The wild ecstasy consuming his wolf poured through his body. His gaze locked with his mate. The demand knotted his gut. Had they been alone, he’d have claimed her then and there. Hell, he might still do it if he couldn’t get the beast back under control.

Nico climbed out of the ring and met up with Bodhi who’d left Winston lying in the middle of the ring, bloodied from the beating he’d inflicted. The smell of copper assailed him, setting him on edge. It was an amazing, natural high, but also dangerous. Nico needed to slow his roll.

“Damn, dude, did you leave an inch of him not bloody?” Nico asked, with chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

“Hayden told me what the fucker said to her at the mixer.” Bodhi shrugged. “I thought I’d teach him a lesson on respect.”

“I think he learned it.” The medical staff carted the hyena out of the arena on a stretcher. “Who’s up next?”

“Rocky versus Jackson and Alex versus some dude named Raven.” Bodhi shoulder checked him. “Looks like Christoph took out the trash with Zac.”

He nodded. “Good. Once we get them out of here, our chances of winning this thing grow exponentially.”

Match after match, they fought until the final two opponents were left standing. Nico rubbed his hand across his bottom lip and spit out a glob of blood. Christoph hadn’t held back with him. The streak of red on his hand made him frown, pulling the fresh cut.Damn it.Finally, after a submission hold, the lion tapped out. He and Christoph were worse for wear as ambled out of the ring and fist-bumped each other.

Once they were both out of the ring, Nico had ten minutes to get cleaned up before the next round with Jackson while Bodhi took on Kane. Alex, unfortunately, fell to Hill. However, Nico couldn’t concentrate on the loss. He needed to focus and watch Jackson carefully to learn his next opponent’s vulnerabilities.

Up in the stands, with their heads close together, Hayden and her new friends laughed and chatted. Her whole face lit up as she fell back into her chair, holding her stomach. Her blue eyes sparkled with merriment, filling him with resolve. He had to win this. Going another day without being around her, not experiencing everything that made up his mate, was detrimental to his emotional wellbeing.

He craved her light.

The second to the last match finished in a flourish of punches and jabs. Fighting Jackson had been like facing off with a spider monkey. He was everywhere, keeping Nico on his toes the whole time. Yet, once he realized Jackson had a pattern and a tell, Nico could track him better, ending the fight with a swift blow to the dragon’s chin. By the time he exited the ring, Nico was exhausted. After two matches of going full tilt, he needed a break.

Unfortunately, Nico wouldn’t be able to rest until after the last fight. His opponent—Hill.

When the bell rang once more, the announcer stood once more on the raised platform and lifted his arms. “Two men enter this ring, and only one will leave victorious.” The guy had to have had a serious crush onMad Max. “In the blue shorts, your first competitor, Nico Lopez.”

He climbed into the ring and raised his fist into the air before rolling his shoulders.

“And finally in the red shorts, the captain of the football team, Hill Chancy.” The corner of Victor’s mouth tugged into a devious smirk. “Let the final match, begin!”

The last two matches had grated on Hayden’s nerves. Granted, Jackson and Christoph had done what was expected of all the competitors—fought. But, Christoph had done so with such brutality, he opened a cut over Nico’s eye while also leaving a few bruises on Nico’s ribs. Luckily, by the time Nico stepped into the ring with Hill, the cut had closed somewhat, and the bruises on his ribs faded to ugly green-and-yellow.

The bell rang for the first round, and she gripped Bell’s hand tight. Hill stood a good three inches taller than Nico and weighed at least thirty pounds more. He lumbered around the ring while her mate followed him. She'd noticed Hill tended to drop his right hand when punching with his left. Had Nico observed the same?

“Come on,” she mumbled, sitting forward, waiting for someone to throw the first jab.

“Limp dick.” Hill grinned. His arms were relaxed at his sides. Unease prickled at her spine. “I’m going to give you one good shot. Then, I’m going to rip you apart in front of your bitch.”

Nico stood in a ready stance, his expression blank, not taking any of the asshole’s bait.