Page 61 of Dark Souls

“Oh my god, you are brilliant,” Sammi said as the staff rushed into the ring to clear up the body parts that were decorating the bloodstained concrete. “Are you coming to next week’s event? Please say you are! I’d love to hang out with you again.”

“Which event is that?” I asked casually as I watched the hybrid take a swig from a bottle of water and wipe the blood from his face with a towel. He stared intently at the dark tunnel on the other side of the room, his shoulders tense as he waited for his final opponent.

“The theme is ‘The Pleasure Den’.” Her eyes twinkled as she wiggled her eyebrows. “A night where we can indulge in many hedonistic pleasures. Exotic drugs, ecstasy potions, aphrodisiacs, to forbidden and taboo sex acts.”

I scoffed. I think I’d had enough ecstasy potions, which led me to make some questionable sexual choices lately. But then again, if people’s inhibitions were lowered, it would be easier to find out more about Heathen.

“Yeah. I’ll be there.” I smiled as she clapped her hands together just as the host announced for everyone to take their seats for the final. My heart did a little somersault and I had no idea why. I must have been way more invested in this fight than I thought. “Hey, earlier you said something about The Devil’s Pet. Who is that?”

I read her mind as she shrugged her shoulders. But what she said was the truth. “I’m not sure. I’ve never met him but Daddy says he is nearly always around. Watching from the shadows. Apparently, he’s an identity stealer, so he often switches between people throughout the night so no one knows he’s there until, you know, it’s too late.”

“Too late?”

“The Dealer’s the authority around here but The Pet is sent to end you if you put a foot wrong.”

I swallowed as my eyes widened. Heath. It had to be. Heath was The Devil’s Pet.

“Final Round: Ripper VS The Dealer.”

The room exploded into a hurricane of activity as the strobe lighting flashed around the room before landing on the entrance of the tunnel. I stood up to join the crowd that was on their feet, shouting and cheering. Feeling a strange uneasiness, I licked my lips and squeezed my hands into fists for no reason. Maybe it was the adrenaline, but I suddenly felt extremely nervous about this fight and I never get nervous. My eyes darted between the dark, silent tunnel and the hybrid, who was pacing one side of the ring, growling and hissing through sharp fangs, with his eyes changing from red to black.

The Dealer sure liked to take his time. The suspense was driving me and everyone else crazy. The energy in the room had heightened. People were pushing and shoving, craning their necks to get a view of the non-existent champion.

“What an arrogant prick. Clearly, he loves to keep the crowd waiting,” I whispered to Sammi.

“I guess he needs to make a grand entrance,” she answered. “He’s basically a celebrity here.”

Suddenly, the crowd’s volume rose considerably and people started screaming his name with hysterical abandonment. Frantically bobbing my head to each side, I tried to see around the lanky fucker in the row before me, but it was no use. I’d never hated being 5ft2 more. I couldn’t see a thing. Groaning, I jumped up onto my chair, ignoring shitface’s protests behind me, and turned to stare at the man that had just emerged from the darkness.

My next breath failed me.

That unruly crimson hair flopped forwards dipping into fierce red eyes that were slanted into a terrifying scowl. One that I had seen before. The lights flashed across his sharp features, catching the multiple metal piercings in his face and ears. The face of my soulmate.

“You have got to be kidding me,” I muttered to myself, my heart pounding uncontrollably against my ribs as my body trembled.

“I know, right! I told you. He’s sexy as fuck. God, I’d give nearly anything to ride that dick for a night, but I don’t fancy waking up dead so…”

Rue hissed through me before I could control her possessiveness at another female wanting to have sex with our mate, while in my head I wondered what the hell she was talking about. And then it hit me. The shock ebbed away, and the connection fell into place. Red, my soulmate, the asshole who did a fuck and chuck on me, was the ruler of The Underground. And… he was about to fight to the death. My chest started to rise and fall as I struggled to keep my breathing even. My eyes hadn’t left Red since he’d emerged from the tunnel, looking all kinds of sinfully irresistible. Sammi was right. He was sexy as hell.

Shirtless, he paraded around the ring, his broad shoulders rolling as he cracked his neck to the side. His wide chest showed his breathing was steady, unlike mine, as his long legs ate up the space of the ring effortlessly. Athletic muscle and black ink covered his upper body, making my mouth water just at the sight. But it wasn’t just his perfect tattooed body that had me hypnotised. He had this presence. It was electrifying. It was as if you could physically see the molecules in the air shifting around him just to give him a wide berth. His lethal gaze showed he wasn’t here to play as his lips curled up into a vicious, cold smile directed towards his opponent. My heart beat faster. What were the chances of him being killed during this fight? I was still furious, and I wouldn’t let some hybrid kill him before I got the chance.

‘You best be joking!’Rue argued. She was itching for me to go to him, to make myself known, but I was fighting her every urge to stay hidden in the crowd, even though it physically pained me to do so.

‘When did you lose your sense of humour? Of course, I am not serious.’

‘When it comes to our soulmate, stop fucking around with that shit. He is about to risk his life. Stop him!’

I hesitated, feeling torn.’He’ll be fine. And anyway, he deserves a beating.’ I didn’t sound convinced.

‘You just watched five other fighters get brutally murdered, and you aren’t the least bit concerned that he might be next?’

’Yes, I’m concerned but what do you expect us to do? Jump down there in front of all these supernaturals that have bet millions on this fight and be like, ‘oh sorry everyone but this is my mate so stop fighting please’. Come on, Rue. There is fuck all we can do about it. This is his choice. He’s the ruler of this entire club. We don’t even know him. He could be completely evil. You heard everything Sammi said about him!’

‘All rumours!’

‘We don’t know that!’

‘Well, he didn’t kill us when he slept with us, did he?’

---