Page 8 of In Bed with a Highland Beast

The man gave a small shrug, looking at the men around him, who seemed equally amused. “Ye seem like a sweet lassie. I wouldnae wish tae hurt ye.”

It was Lucia’s turn to shrug. “Dinnae hurt me, then.”

“Are ye askin’ me tae treat ye gently?”

“If ye so wish.”

“Ach… well, ye see, I need the coin,” said the man. “But I dinnae wish tae hurt a bonnie lass like ye. How about this… once I carry ye out o’ the circle, it’s over.”

“Fine,” said Lucia, giving the man the sweetest smile she could muster—the same one that always worked on the men she tried to trick. “I accept yer rule.”

Lucia had hardly managed to finish her sentence before the man rushed toward her like a bull, feet stomping against the floor. Lucia was quick to get out of his path, though, jumping to theside and rounding him with ease before the man even had the chance to stop his momentum. The only thing that stopped him was the ring of people, who pushed him back into the circle with a collective huff.

Lucia could see Alaric at the rear, standing there, watching her like a hawk.

Good. Let him watch an’ see what I can dae.

Her opponent, now righting himself, huffed out a quiet laugh as he came to stand before her, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he observed her. Lucia remained still, light on her feet, watching him right back.

“Well, ye’re quick,” he said. “But fer how long can ye run from me?”

Lucia wanted to point out that she wouldn’t have to run from him if he fought her instead of trying to catch her in the hopes of dealing less damage, but that would only fall on deaf ears. Instead, she only raised her hands, keeping her fists lax, and waited for him to make his next move.

The man approached her from the right only to feint to the left at the last minute. Lucia was ready for him, though, her fist swiftly connecting with the man’s cheek. It was a strong blow, one meant to deal plenty of damage, and the force of it reverberated up her arm as the man stumbled backwards, eyes wide with shock at being hit like that. Then his shock quickly morphed intoanger, the first signs of it showing on his face, which turned a deep shade of red.

A gasp echoed around them, the people observing just as shocked as the man Lucia was fighting. Murmurs followed, soft and indistinguishable, but Lucia paid them no mind. There was nothing but the man in front of her, now worked up and embarrassed, charging at her once more.

This time, he didn’t try to grab her. Instead, a fist flew towards her face and Lucia was quick to duck, avoiding the blow. Once again, the man’s momentum pushed him forward, forcing him to stumble, and Lucia followed him, planting a kick to the small of his back.

He had no choice but to fall, barely catching himself on his hands. Lucia could end it there and then, she knew. She could deliver one final blow, hard enough to make him lose consciousness, or wrap her arm around his neck until he yielded, but she did neither of those things. Instead, she took a few steps back and waited for the man to stand again, drawing out the fight.

She reveled in the thrill of it. It had been a long time since she had last been in a fight like this and now the rush of it was too good to end it so soon. A fight was the only thing that could clear her mind like this, allowing her to push all other thoughts away—all her grief, all her pain, all her anger—and focus on one thing: victory.

Alaric tried to keep himself composed, hiding his shock behind a facade—but one that would easily crumble, he knew, under the slightest of pressures. As he watched Lucia fight, there was only one thought in his mind: she was enjoying it.

There was no doubt about it. He wasn’t sure whether she even knew she was grinning as she fought that poor man, who had stepped into the rink expecting an easy fight and to be victorious by the end of it. It pleased her to be fighting him. It even pleased her to toy with him, it seemed, as she allowed him to stand and resume the fight when it was clear she could have ended it quickly and more or less painlessly for him.

Alaric watched as the man approached her once more, this time wary and careful of his movements. Gone was the casual way he sauntered around the circle, confident and preening before he had even won. In his eyes, Alaric could have sworn he could detect a hint of fear.

The man’s next attack caught Lucia at the jaw and for a moment, Alaric’s heart stopped. Her head whipped to the side from the force of the blow, blood spraying out of her mouth, but she hardly stumbled, her feet planted firmly on the ground. It was then that she looked more bloodthirsty than ever. Spitting the blood that pooled in her mouth, she turned her head slowly to face the man and grabbed him by the shirt with such furious speed that he could do nothing to protect himself from the series of punches that followed.

After three, he was limp in her grip, swaying uselessly from side to side.

Lucia was about to deal another punch, but then stopped herself and regarded the man for a few moments. When it was clear to everyone that he wasn’t going to retaliate, she let go of him and the man fell in a heap on the floor, barely twitching.

Everyone around them was silent. Even as Lucia pushed her way past the crowd, the men parting for her with ease, no one spoke. They all only stared at her as she extended her hand before the man who seemed to be the leader of the entire operation, silently demanding her coin.

With some reluctance, the man placed a small, clinking pouch into her open palm. With a smile, Lucia pocketed it and then approached Alaric, who was still staring with the most neutral expression he could muster.

“Well?” she asked. “Dae ye believe me now?”

I dinnae ken what tae believe.

Around them, people were still staring and Alaric didn’t like that at all, especially with the way Lucia had been scanning the room earlier. Even if she hadn’t found a threat among the men, Alaric still considered it wise to pull her away from the crowd, back to their table. Everyone could still see them, of course, but at least it was a little more private, away from the fighting rink, and soon enough, the men’s attention went back to the next two fighters, though the show couldn’t possibly be as exciting as the last one.

“Why dae ye need me?” Alaric asked, tapping his foot against the ground nervously once he had taken his seat. Across from him, Lucia gave him a bloody smile, a hand coming up to wipe her mouth clean.

“I told ye,” she said. “I need tae infiltrate the Ravencloaks.”

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