Page 3 of Trapped to Tame
She got to her feet, looking a bit dazed and moving her jaw as if it pained her. Her eyes narrowed on him, truly seeing him, and treating him with respect now that she understood he was more than her equal.
He let her get two or three more hits in before he retaliated, moving in and striking her straight in the stomach, making her double over and retch in the dirt. He knelt next to her as she wheezed, trying to recover as her body cramped, and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air. A trickle of blood came from her lip, and he smelled it; oddly muted … and somehow familiar. Humanand fae.
So that was where her strength came from. He barely subdued the growl that emanated from his throat as he realized why she smelled familiar, the bloodline she belonged to … exactly why they’d been led to her. He knew who she was, and the smell of her catapulted him into a fury. Gods only knew why she was in such a place as this, but what mattered was that they had finally found their means of entering the Underhill and for that reason alone he wouldn’t kill her. Not yet.
Holding back a cold smile as her eyes began to roll into the back of her head, he came up with a plan to use this turn of events – and her – to their advantage. He glanced at his Brothers who stood in the crowd looking bored. He stifled a snort of amusement. They looked how he felt. After all, they’d fought in the rings in more than one Dark Realm, battled beasts that would make these humans piss themselves in terror. This wasn’t real combat to Priest and Fie any more than it was to him. Now that Drax knew who and what this female was, this one-sided fight was a waste of his time.
He set her down, loosening his hand, and, when her eyes opened, he watched them widen with no small amount of satisfaction as he pulled his fist back, hitting her in the jaw just once more; hard enough for her to go limp in his arms. Drax dropped the female back in the mud and ignored the shout of praise that came from the many men there. Her thin keeper approached him when he got to the edge of the small arena.
‘Now or later?’ was all he asked.
Drax glanced at his Brothers who both wore the same expressions of confusion. But he wasn't one to give up the higher ground, so he merely inclined his head, pretending to know what the man was talking about.
‘Later.’
The man nodded. ‘Come back when the moon is high.’
The woman was lifted up by her laughably scandalous clothes now covered in mud as if she were no more than a piece of luggage. After she was taken out of sight through a small door that looked half-rotten, he, Priest, and Fie turned away, walking the short distance to the local taphouse to wait for the moon to rise.
* * *
Eve
‘He’s here,’Jays said. He looked her up and down and pointed at her. ‘Do as you're told,’ he warned. ‘No funny business or I won't let you eat for a week, bitch, I promise you that.’
She glowered at him, and he turned away, leaving the room. Sitting on the edge of the pallet in her long, threadbare chemise, Eve awaited her fate.
She'd been surprised when Jays had said the man who had beaten her in the ring was coming back though she shouldn't have been. She knew what men were like and he had won her, after all. That's how he would see it anyway. That was how they thought.
Still, at least he seemed cleaner and definitely more handsome than the Bull. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad with him.
She could hear Jays talking outside the door with the winner, could see his shadow moving.
‘Them too,’ came a gruff voice she didn’t recognize.
Jays shrugged and she tensed.More than one?Her mind went blank with fear. She'd only ever been with the Bull, never his friends, but Jays wouldn’t care as long as there was enough of her left to heal when they were finished.
Her eyes darted around the room, looking for something, anything that she could use as a weapon to protect herself. But there was nothing. Jays had taken everything while she’d been unconscious. Even her boots were gone. Her chain clanged as she shifted. The coward had put her on her leash while she’d been out as well.
The manacle made her body feel weaker. She’d been very careful never to bring any attention to that fact, always remaining docile while she wasn’t in the ring so no one would find out how vulnerable she was in here. But that meant she couldn’t fight these men who’d come for her in any capacity. She’d have to let them do whatever they wanted … just like she had to with the Bull.
She stood up as the men entered, a piteous display of strength, but it was better than nothing. Three of them.
The dark-haired one who had beaten her was in front. His face bore a scar or two, but he didn’t look like a seasoned fighter. She’d noticed that before in the ring which was why she hadn’t even considered that he might be a match for her. He was handsome, more so than other men she saw in this part of town where most spent what little coin they had on drink and faerie flowers to smoke.
He was dressed in a dark green tunic that brought out his eyes of the same hue. She tried not to stare at him, but, as the other two entered the room, she found it wasn’t difficult to tear her eyes away. The other two were just as large as the first. One had blue eyes and long hair so fair it was almost white. It was plaited in places with braided pieces of leather and silver beads woven through it as if he took great care with it. His clothes were of tan animal skin, and his boots were tall and black. He was as handsome as the first but looked a bit younger.
The final one had dark hair like the first, but it was longer like the blonde’s and plaited in parts, but with no beads. He wore a deep grey tunic and breeches of fine, dark leather that hugged his thighs and, somehow, made him look indecent.
They were all leaner than the Bull, but that wasn’t saying much. Most men were. They were taller than him too and it made her feel even tinier than usual. It was yet another item in a very long list of things she didn't like about this moment.
Eve gaped at them all; their handsome faces and clean, quality clothes marking them as outsiders. She recognized them. Though she’d never seen them here before, knew them instantly. She’d seen them all for months while she slept at night. She didn’t know what that meant, but she’d bet it wouldn’t be good for her.
They shuffled inside, staring at her. The door closed, leaving them alone. The one who had fought her stepped forward and she raised her chin in defiance. She would not tremble before them, though, as her knees knocked together, she wished her body had gotten the message not to show fear.
‘Get on with it,’ the winner’s dark-haired friend behind him muttered.
The winner was their leader, she supposed.
