Page 74 of Her Broken Alpha
Naya's eyes darted from her former intended to the three men in the cage with her. Mac and the man named Louis were moving, watching Monster closely as they circled him like jackals.
How could it be right that Monster would face two men?
No one stepped in or protested. No one cried foul or demanded the odds be evened.
From the synchronous way the two alphas moved, she could see that Mac and Louis had fought together before. Mac was a bigger male, the classic brawny alpha. Louis was shorter and lean, but every inch of him was fast, smooth muscle fighting for survival.
Because of his unique stature, she could see how Louis had managed to pass himself off as a beta, but Naya could smell that this Louis was all alpha—and one who had faced challenges before, by the look of him.
They stalked their prey, one at his front and one at his back, attacking in tandem. While Monster avoided a blow Mac struck at his head, Louis attacked from the rear, striking at Monster’s knees and ankles.
There was no wasted grandstanding with these two. They were out to kill. No simple defeat would do.
The audience knew it, pounding out a death march without the usual shouting. Mac struck at Darre again and connected with flesh, but without weapon or feral claws like her mate, they would have to break bones or manage to knock him unconscious to subdue her alpha.
Monster had the advantage, even outnumbered, thanks to the daggers of his claws and the feral blades of his teeth. He fought like a beast, not a man.
He took their blows one after the other, but a strike to his right knee brought him down. Mac descended with fury as Louis threw himself on Monster’s back, wrapping an arm around his throat.
Monster lashed out. With those jagged claws, all he needed to do was exert force against skin and muscle to do damage.
Naya smelled the blood before she saw it.
She heard yelling that didn't come from Monster and watched as Mac fell back, his body twisted by the blow her mate had struck—a tear from his spine to his abdominals and a single bloody slash at his neck, pouring blood.
Louis was still wrapped over Monster's back, trying to choke him and punching at his head. Though a larger man, Monster was no less flexible for his size. He easily reached over his head to pull Louis off.
Naya had to close her eyes against a wave of nausea when Monster sank his claws into Louis' flesh like a hot knife through butter.
It was all brute, bloody force. Breed genetics had designed the perfect killing machine. Her killing machine.
Standing up, Monster took Louis with him, throwing the smaller alpha.
The smell of blood and terror was overwhelming. Naya pursed her lips and swallowed hard.
The riotous pounding of the crowd sped up.
Monster didn't hesitate.
Wounded, breathless from being knocked into each other, the two men were momentarily stunned. Monster gave them no time to regroup; with tooth and claw, he finished them both.
When he stood, the blood dripped from his claws and arm. Throwing his shoulders back, he glowered at his audience with gruesome pride.
The crowd grew went quiet, only hushed murmurs of disbelief echoing.
They were not finished yet. Another challenger remained, this one a stranger.
Was it Crispin? Would he be so stupid? She searched for him in the crowd. She had forgotten him in the chaos.
It was a different man who came forward, the same one who'd spoken to the announcer just before the match.
Through the bond, Naya felt the sharpness of Monster's pain and recognition as blunt as a hammer strike to the gut. His body jerked and doubled forward.
What was happening?
Pain. Such pain.
Naya felt a flash of fear. As awful as the prior battles had been, none had made her mate waver or stumble. But this man, one who could hurt her Monster with his presence alone, was dangerous.
