Page 7 of Gladiator's Bite

It would be simple to leave.

I could snatch him up and run out of the arena. The draconic spectators would probably get a laugh out of it but he wanted this. He knew what I was to him. That smile told me more than anything he could’ve said and he wanted this. The crowd roared as I took another step toward him. I didn’t want them to shutup. I wanted them to keep cheering and roaring and raising hell because they couldn’t take their eyes off us.

“This is what you wanted,” I said as if I expected him to read my thoughts. “Is it still?”

Laken swallowed hard and gave the slightest nod.

This would be one of the more interesting ‘true-meets’ I’d ever heard of. Might not beat Castor meeting Axlin while he was stripping but it was pretty bloody close to it.

“Let’s do this then,” I growled, and Laken’s deep blue eyes lit up with more mischief than I ever knew one dragon could hold.

Everything the rest of them told me about the arena went out of my head as Laken’s scent wrapped around me again. He crouched, bending his knees and I copied his stance as if I were his pupil and not his opponent. If the crowd minded, they didn’t voice it, and dragons were usually vocal fuckers when they didn’t like something.

While I was still thinking things through, Laken sprung forward and I dodged back. His fingers brushed against my chin as if he meant to miss. His eyes glazed over for a fraction of a second and then he shot me a puzzled look. I let it go. It was strange to touch the person I’d spend the rest of my life with. Had to be the same for my mate. That was probably it.

He lunged and I swerved but he still landed on top of me. I bucked up, digging my heels into the ground. His hands found my shoulders trying to pin me, but I rolled before his hold stuck too much. A few rolls later I was face down with my nose hovering over the bright, glowing line of the circle. He was on my back holding on for dear life and hard as hell. Sliding my hands across the grainy dirt of the arena, I pressed my palms down next to my shoulders and made a show of flexing for the crowd who roared for us as I pushed myself upright with him still on my back. His tongue found my claiming gland and for a second I thought about surrendering. Then I pulled him over myshoulder, grabbing and snatching at his skin. Both of our nails, gouging and scratching as we tried to make purchase on each other’s flesh. Eventually, I flipped him but caught him before he hit the ground. It was a bad move. Him hitting the ground would’ve almost made my victory certain but I didn’t want to hear the thud of his body smacking against it. Instead, I righted him on his feet, and we returned to our respective sides of the circle as if we silently agreed to start over.

The crowd cheered and I lunged first this time. Laken was too quick, and side stepped me entirely. I almost bum-rushed myself right out of the circle but spun at the last second, collided with him as he tried to shove me. I propelled myself forward, landing clumsily on him.

“Gotta teach you that chivalry died in this arena a long ass time ago, mate,” he chuckled, out of breath. “I’d have dropped you in a heartbeat.”

“I don’t believe you,” I shook my head, straddled over his hip as he lay on his side.

I braced for him to buck up but instead, he wiggled down passing his full bulk between my legs and landing me flat on my palms, nose to the gritty arena ground. He slapped me on the ass and my dragon roared. Rings of smoke shot out of my nose as I twisted around, rising up at the same time. Laken’s firm body slammed against mine and we both landed outside the circle. The crowd exploded as he laughed above me. Entwining my fingers in his hair, I kissed him hard, and the crowd went wild. Something close by burnt and the smoke wafted through the arena. Water sprayed someone too. So much happened but I couldn’t stop kissing the stranger who had somehow won the match but also threw it. When the medics finally made their ways out to us to break up the kissing, I glanced up and down Laken’s body. His knee was scuffed, showing lighter blue scales and there was a scratch across his collarbone that probably ranover part of his back too, but he didn’t look nearly as bad as the other men after their fights. I didn’t feel hurt. Sore tomorrow probably from being tossed around so much.

“I’m alright. I can handle getting my ass kicked or I’d have to find a new fucking job, mate,” Laken chuckled as the medics mimed shooing us out of the arena.

I pulled him in for another kiss and the crowd cheered. Maybe I did love being the center of attention just like my parents. Maybe I ate it up and saved it for later when the world felt dimmer. The medics smelled more annoyed than ever when we pulled apart. I kept my arm around Laken’s waist as we both walked back in on his side of the arena.

The door had barely shut behind us before Selt’s tall blond form appeared. I rolled my eyes and made to walk past him. He stepped into our path and for a second I considered punching him.

“Come to congratulate us?” I huffed instead.

Sometimes you had to slaughter egos with kindness. At least that’s what my carrier always said while I was growing up.

“This was a fucking set up, huh?” Selt asked.

“That we tied?” I arched a brow, confused at why he cared.

“No, you two knew you were mates. You just wanted the fucking attention. He’s always been a fucking attention whore,” Selt said, nodding at Laken.

“Kinda comes with the territory of the job, huh?” I asked before Laken could say anything.

My blood was still pumping from our little wrestling match. My scales tingled waiting right below my flesh to erupt and join in. Had I known Laken hated him ahead of time? Were we somehow already connected over the flight link before we ever met? Those were questions for later.

“You know what I mean. He’s a fucking cock tease and—”

I never heard what else Selt thought my mate was. A big hand wrapped around his throat and pressed him up against the wall. I blinked as Teddy’s features came into view. Selt snarled but didn’t take his eyes off Teddy, sizing him up. A look passed between them and I expected Selt to take a swing. Only the dragon didn’t move.

“What the fuck, Teddy?” the words tumbled off my tongue before I could stop them.

“You listen here, you slimy wannabe warrior,” Teddy growled, squeezing tight so that his hostage could talk back. “Laken wants to keep his job. Sunny wants to keep Laken happy and not embarrass his parents. Well, my carrier is dead, and my father would pat me on the back if I ripped you limb from limb right now. So, you’re gonna show a little respect to the newest Moonscale dragon and to the newly met mates and not run your mouth because your dick is unhappy. If you wanna fight, we can fight, but it’s as I said, I have no one to let down and I didn’t grow up fighting with rules. If I have to fight, it’s not going to be by some law of the arena. ”

He set Selt down on his feet and nodded for him to go. The medics moved in to help him, but he pushed them away and stumbled out of the back door.

“Your boyfriend means business,” Laken laughed.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Teddy and I said at the same time.