Page 16 of Mated to the Enemy
She’s probably upset that you didn’t get your ass kicked after all.
Klaue couldn’t hold back, feeling overjoyed from his victory and also positive that he was right. As the smile crossed his face, the crowd went into a frenzy, and he was fairly positive he spotted several other fights break out before quickly being settled.
He gave the crowd a salute as thanks, playing up his position as second of the House Guard, and then went over to his Queen, kneeling in front of her. His body protested, the wounds already starting to make their presence known as he stiffened, starting to heal already. None of them was bad, but he only had two days to recover between bouts. Anything that slowed him down would open him up to receiving even worse wounds inflicted by the blades.
“You are the victor today, Klaue. Congratulations. Now rest. In two days’ time, we shall have the Trial of Blades!” she said, forced to speak loudly so everyone would hear.
The audience lost its shit at that pronouncement. Klaue snorted. They’d all known what was next, but it didn’t matter. Every shifter loved a good fight.
“Thank you, my Queen,” he said formally, before turning and going to see to Krug, who was just now getting up into a sitting position.
“You fought well,” he said, helping the other man to his feet, making sure he gave him something sturdy to lean upon for support.
“You fought better.”
Klaue chuckled. “Age and treachery will beat youth and energy most times.”
“Next time then, old man,” Krug said with a disarming smile, feeling steady enough to stand on his own.
“If you’re lucky.” Klaue was scanning the crowd, trying to pick out one face in particular. He looked for the rosy cheeks and eyes that burned with life, but there were too many bloodthirsty shifters in the way.
As Krug said his final congratulations and wandered off to be comforted by his supporters, the mass of bodies started to file out of the Throne Room. Finally, with the thinning of flesh, he was able to find Jessica and her carer. He strode over to where they stood, nodding his thanks to Krave, one of his fellow soldiers.
The other shifter took the hint and departed swiftly, not even waiting for Klaue to come to a halt. Jessica, meanwhile, was staring at him with what he supposed was her attempt at indifference. It would have been far more believable if she wasn’t also fighting to keep her eyes on his face.
I wonder if this is what that feels like,he wondered, idly flexing first his chest then his stomach.
When he moved onto his arms though, she realized she was busted and firmly locked gazes with him.
“Enjoy the show?” he asked.
Jessica snorted at the double-entendre. “It wasn’t bad,” she admitted. “But it would have been better if it was a little longer.”
Klaue didn’t take insult at her own double-meaning either. Instead, he stepped closer to her, crowding her space. “Maybe you were just sitting too far away.”
She flinched but he kept moving nearer, until he was mere inches away from her. “Perhaps you just need an up-close experience.”
Nostrils flared as his pheromones reached out over the distance. Klaue knew he had to be fairly bursting with them after the fight. If he could feel the testosterone flowing through him like a torrent, it had to be obvious to her. Subconsciously, he worked to keep the blood from swelling him up in public.
Jessica was searching wildly for a response, he could tell. What had started out as nothing more than a joke was taking on a life of its own as neither of them denied the physical attraction to one another. Klaue hadn’t expected his, and now he wasn’t ready for it. What did he say now? How did he go about it? She was attractive, he’d known that almost from the moment he saw her crawl out of the car. But this…this was different. It was—
“Klaue.”
He straightened and spun on instinct at the voice, desperately trying to control his reactions before he turned around.
