Page 222 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

When we were on opposite sides of where we’d begun, Pierce gave me a sinister smile. “Let’s see what the pup knows of fighting.”

That was the only warning I had before he was in front of me, his fists flying and striking with a speed like none I had seen before. I blocked each blow, although only just. And with each of my blocks and each of his misses, his frown deepened, and his frustration grew.

I inhaled a deep breath and gave him an opening, letting him strike me. I didn’t want to, didn’t want to let him touch me, but I wanted to boost his confidence and his ego, wanted him to think he was gaining the upper hand. His fist connected with my stomach, and I stumbled back a few steps, and his other fist connected with my side, ensuring that the wind got knocked out of me.

He bounced around on his toes, his hands protecting his face. “You should just surrender now,” he said. “Surrender now, and I’ll make your death quick and relatively painless.”

“I’m not going to surrender to you. I shouldn’t even have to fight you. I’m only doing this because Haven wanted me to, and because I had no other choice.”

“Pity. For you, I mean. I will enjoy dragging your death out. I’ll make you suffer until the bitter end. I will mark your little goddess mate, and I’ll force you to watch as you draw your final breath.”

With air back in my lungs, I lunged towards him again, using the movement to hide the frown on my face. Was he really that misinformed? Did he really not remember that part of the story, the part where Asteria couldn’t be marked by Lyall because she wasn’t his mate?

Or was he under the impression that part of the story was also incorrect? Did his ancestor tell his family the story differently, making it fit his version of events and his idea of what the goddess’s daughter would be capable of when she arrived again?

My foot connected with his shin, and it surprised me that he allowed me to touch him, that he’d had his witch remove that protective barrier from his body. Then again, he seemed set on winning, seemed to think it was a sealed victory for him, and he probably wanted to at least let me think I had a chance.

But that’s where he was wrong. He may have had his witch, may have had his extra strength and speed, but I had something he didn’t. I had my mate, my Haven, waiting for me on the sidelines. I had something to live for, someone to fight for.

We circled each other more, and he darted forward again, raining blows on me, blows I blocked with ease until allowing him one hit on a spot of my choice. He backed up again, giving me a momentary reprieve, and then we started the cycle over.

Again and again, we repeated the same dance—him attacking, me blocking, me letting him get in a hit or two, followed by maybe one hit of my own on him, and then a quick regroup. Each round, my frustration grew, and with each regroup, I had to remind myself to hold it in until they found the witch.

The spectators watching us in the setting sun made hardly a sound, aside from the occasional word or cheer of encouragement for me. But I could feel their support, feel their belief in me, feel their love.

I took another deep breath and reevaluated my strategy. What I was trying wasn’t working, and I was using up a lot of energy blocking him, while he still looked as though he’d barely done anything. I needed a new plan. I needed to boost his ego and make him think he had victory in his grasp.

At his next attack, I left myself more vulnerable than I had before. I let him get a few hits in, and at the end, his foot connected with my ribs, knocking me to the ground.

The force behind his kick was stronger than I’d expected, and I knew I’d have bruising on my ribs when this was all over. My head turned to the side as I hit the ground, and I could see Haven exactly where she said she’d be, gripping Nolan’s hand fiercely, her eyes locked on the fight.

I only allowed myself that one second to look at her, though. I had to stay in the fight, had to win.

I rolled as Pierce launched himself towards me, then sprang back to my feet as he did a somersault and stood back to his feet as well.

He laughed again, his head tilting up to the sky, and I took my opening, racing towards him. But he was ready for me, and as I attacked, his hand caught my foot, holding it tighter than I thought possible.

“I know what you’re doing, alpha pup,” he said, somehow squeezing my foot harder. “You’re trying to make me think I’m winning, so I’ll slip up and make a mistake or use up my energy. You’re trying to keep an even pace with me until the king’s people find Gladys. But you’ve made a grave miscalculation with your plan, pup.”

I swallowed, gritting my teeth against the pain in my foot and ankle.

“What’s. That,” I grunted out, focusing on the love being pushed to me by my mate.

“They’ve got the witch, Wes,” Seb mindlinked me.

“Gladys isn’t the only thing giving me strength,” he snarled, twisting my foot and breaking the bones with a sharp snap.

“Aaah!” I yelled, stumbling back and wincing with each step on my now-injured foot.

I panted, keeping my weight on my uninjured leg as Pierce advanced, still delivering fast blows to my body. I didn’t understand. They caught the witch. How was he still so strong?

“My witch and I have been developing a drug,” he bragged as we continued to exchange blows. I kept up with his pace, even with my injured foot, although it was difficult, and my body grew weary of holding itself up by one leg.

“It emulates and enhances true alpha power, the power Selene herself originally granted to Conan. It still needs some work, though. That’s where your mate comes in,” he said, landing a blow to my already bruised ribs. “Her blood, the blood of Selene, should counteract the negative effects and make the drug perfectly safe. Once I have a taste of her, once I have my way with her, then I’ll take it all from her pretty little body so I can become the powerful alpha I was always meant to be.”

I roared and launched myself at him again, ignoring the pain in my foot. I would not let him have her. He would not take her. She was not an object to be used for gain. She was a person. And she was mine to protect.

His cruel grin grew as I flew towards him, and I realized my mistake too late. His body rippled as he shifted into his lycan while I traveled towards him. Then he grabbed me and twisted us so my body landed on the ground with him on top of me. He pushed himself up, then landed a bone-shattering blow to my ribs.

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