Page 58

CHAPTER 57

“ W ell, where is she?” Major Williams asks, cracking his neck as he jumps up and down on the spot. All the group leaders and majors are here, ready to fight for the elite floor and what it means—all but ours.

“Maybe she won’t come. It will make it easy for me to kick all your asses,” Major Isa scoffs as she stretches her muscles.

The others start arguing between themselves, but Williams steps up to us. Shamus promised she would be right down. I feel the others bristle at the hostile environment. The fae looks them over boredly, while Addeus simply stares them down with his cold, hard gaze.

“Well, you’re all her little toys, so where’s your master?” he spits. “Or maybe she’s scared. She can end a war with our help, but she doesn’t think she can win against us, does she?”

It’s all battle talk, and insulting each other is what hunters do. He might be an ass, but he’s not evil. It doesn’t make “Tate’s Toys” happy though. I feel their magic reach out, washing across the area.

Glancing at the big fucker next to me, I mimic him and cross my arms. My muscles don’t bulge nearly as much, but we present a united front.

“She’ll be here,” Shamus calls out as he stops between us. “Impatient to bleed, major?”

“Impatient to claim my new rooms, sir.” Williams bows his head in respect but throws us another glare. “The time was clear. If she isn’t here soon, she’ll forfeit her right to them.”

“Then they’ll be mine,” Isa declares, making the gathered crowd laugh. Their teams wait for their new floor allocations, coming to cheer on their leaders and watch a fight.

Hunters love bloodshed.

“Three minutes and then that floor is mine. Maybe your lieutenant isn’t as strong as she seems when she’s all alone.” Williams smirks as he steps closer, going toe to toe with me. Before now, nobody could see me, but with the help of the fae and my own powers, we let them. I don’t want to be invisible in Tate’s life.

“And maybe you should eat less garlic. Your breath stinks,” I taunt.

“You little fucker—” His hand raises, but it stills midair, his eyes widening in fear before he abruptly steps back. I puff up in pride as I stick my tongue out at him.

“Yeah, you better step back—oh, they were scared of you,” I mumble as the others part next to me for Tate. She’s wearing leggings and a sports bra.

“Well, it isn’t going to be you, cutie, sorry.” She winks before her expression turns cold and empty, and the transformation shocks me, making me realise how much she shows us without meaning to. “Let’s do this. I’m hungry, so we’ll make it quick.”

The mood instantly changes as she steps into the impromptu arena. Unlike the others who are warming up, she simply waits, scanning them before she nods and looks to Shamus. “The rules?”

“There are none. Last person left standing gets their pick.” He smirks as he lifts a flare gun. “Ready?” He pulls the trigger, and the red lights soar into the air, but her eyes, as well as ours and the crowd’s, are on the hunters circling each other, waiting for their chance to pounce. Williams hangs back, trying to play it smart and be the last one standing while the others fight it out. Isa takes the initiative and leaps on the back of an unsuspecting major, her muscular arms wrapping around his throat and dragging him down to the ground as she chokes him out.

Tate watches and waits. She kicks out when someone gets too close, but otherwise she simply observes, knowing she is the one to beat. She doesn’t waste her energy or time on the smaller squabbles she could win with her eyes closed.

Isa leaves her opponent knocked out in the dust as she turns to the closest man and yanks him back, slamming her fist into his face over and over until he joins the pile of her conquests. A big bastard is taking on two—I think his name is Mo. He’s pretty new, but he takes out two old-school leaders quickly before focusing on Isa.

She shakes out her arms, her buzzed head glowing in the sun as she circles him. Williams is finally in the game, fighting off two other leaders, but he seems to be winning. I glance between them as Tate sighs.

“This is taking too long,” she mutters. “Can you hurry up?”

That seems to enrage them all, and Williams knocks out one of his opponents with a brutal headbutt before the other drags him to the ground, and they tumble around, exchanging blows. Mo and Isa are still facing off.

“You’re big,” she comments. “I’m better.” She leaps at him, but he smacks her out of the air, and she hits the ground hard. She throws herself around his legs and up his back, dragging him backwards with a chokehold, and once he’s more at her level, she throws some epic punches into his side before he lifts her over his head and tosses her aside. It only seems to infuriate her, and with a mighty roar, she leaps at Mo, wrapping her legs around his neck, and she takes him down, pummelling her fists into his face until Shamus has to drag her off.

“He’s done,” he snaps as he pushes her aside.

Williams leaps to his feet, covered in blood, but then they both turn their attention to Tate, who is inspecting her nails with a bored expression.

It’s so fucking hot, I have to rearrange my hard-on, which I do before I remember people can see me now.

Whoops.

Williams, Isa, and Tate are all who are left.

“Kick their asses and then eat mine—wait.” I cover my mouth as every gaze swings to me. “Oops. I mean, go Tate!”

She simply sighs as she shakes her head and faces them.

Williams smirks. “Well, I guess it’s just us.”

“Enough talking, you’re boring,” Tate says. One moment, she’s standing still, and the next, she’s sprinting towards them like a vengeful god.

There is something very attractive about an unhinged woman covered in blood. It just does it for me. Read into that what you will.

All I know is that I love her more than life itself.

ADDEUS

Tate wastes no time heading for her opponents, and I narrow my eyes, calculating the odds with her every move. Her chance of winning is high, ninety-nine percent, but my heart tells me a hundred percent because my girl doesn’t lose.

She kicks out Williams’s leg, and he goes down hard before she slams her elbow into his face, busting his nose as she spins to avoid Isa’s wicked punch. Isabell reaches for her, but she weaves away, wagging her finger with a small smile.

She’s enjoying this.

Turning to avoid Isa’s swing, Tate grabs her arm and flips her over her back so she hits the ground, and then Tate kneels on Isa’s neck, applying pressure as Isa’s head turns into the dirt. Her face becomes purple as she smacks Tate uselessly. All the while, Tate looks bored as she knocks the fighter out, standing when Isa is motionless. Tate checks her pulse before turning to Williams, who is still clutching his nose. “Your turn, little boy. Looks like I’ll be done in time for dinner. I heard they are serving souvlaki, my favourite.”

He spits his blood on the ground and comes at her. She dances back, avoiding his punches, when he pulls a knife, holding it in one hand as he swipes out. “No weapons!” Shamus calls, ready to wade in.

“Let him. It evens the score,” she replies as she ducks under a swipe and jumps back to avoid another. Isa’s arms wrap around her from behind, none of us noticing her waking up, and start to lift her in the air. Tate lets her and lifts both feet, kicking Williams back before she heaves forward, flipping Isa again and smashing her boot into her face. Isa is finally out cold this time.

Tate flips over Isa and slams her hand into Williams. The blade he’s holding flies into the air, and she roundhouse kicks it, hitting it perfectly so the trajectory changes. It flips over and over, heading towards him, and I see his eyes widen in fear, but our girl timed it perfectly, so the handle of the blade smacks into the middle of his head.

He drops to the ground, out cold, as she looks at the bodies that are groaning and waking up but not standing. “Guess I win. I’ll take the elite floor,” she announces as she wipes away some dirt on her arm and then looks to Shamus. “Now I’m going to eat.”

Turning to us, she winks and heads our way. We part for her and then close ranks around her back as she heads inside. My circuits sizzle with awareness, and I turn around to see an enraged Williams reaching for his blade, his eyes on Tate’s retreating back. I stomp on his hand, crushing his bones as he screams.

“It’s over,” I warn as I lean down, flashing my fangs. “If you ever look at her wrong, I’ll drain you dry and offer your corpse to her as an apology.” I grind my boot into his crushed bones until he cries out. “Say yes.”

“Yes, yes, yes!” he pleads, and I lift my foot. He cradles his ruined hand to his chest, peering up at me in fear. When I’m sure he won’t make a move, I give him my back and stride towards Tate, who is smirking as she stares at me. When I reach her side, I shrug. “I’ll always protect you, even when you don’t need it.”

“Cute. Remind me of that later and I’ll climb you like a tree,” she says.

“Why would you climb him?” Tem asks. I had been wondering the same thing. “Do you enjoy climbing, mistress?”

Fang chuckles, and Ronan hides his laughter behind his hand as I frown.

“Oh, I enjoy climbing a lot.” She grins. “I’ll show you later.”

“Can I come?” Tem asks. “I like climbing.”

“I bet you do.” Ronan coughs as my frown deepens.

“Why do I feel like we are not actually talking about climbing?” I respond.

Ronan slaps my side. “Come on, big guy, we’ll talk and eat. So when a mommy and daddy love each other very much?—”

I listen carefully as we head inside, Tate’s laughter following us the entire way.