Page 14 of His to Claim
"What are you talking about? She belongs to me!" Dhakar yells back.
"No, she doesn't," the warrior replies.
"Yes, she does! And I will fight to keep her." He grabs the warrior by the arm. "Don't you dare touch her!"
“We have the right to claim her,” he replies.
"I am Dhakar. Do not challenge me."
“I call upon the Mating Games. Whoever wins has the right to claim the female,” he shouts to Dhakar.
All of the warriors stand up. They lift their fists to the air and begin to chant, "Mate! Mate!"
"Stop it!" Dhakar roars.
The warriors stop chanting but continue to stare at him.
"You cannot win this contest. You have no idea what you are dealing with," Dhakar says to the other warrior.
"I know exactly what I'm dealing with. I will win the game and then I will claim her as mine," he replies.
"I think not," Dhakar says. “But you are right. Let the Mating Games begin!”
5
DHAKAR
The arena is huge and looks like it was carved out of the ground. It is surrounded by tall, thick pillars and decorated with plants and flowers. There are no seats in this arena. All the warriors stand around the edge of the arena, facing each other. The referee waves his hands and tells us we should begin. I step forward and charge at the first warrior. He dodges and tries to get inside my reach to attack me from behind. His plan fails when I knock him to the ground and pounce on top of him.
He uses an elbow strike against my jaw and sends me flying backward. I use my momentum to jump up and land on my feet and take off running.
I dodge a few more attacks before taking down another warrior. The last one, who had been waiting for me, jumps at me and lands two powerful punches on my jaw. He follows up with a kick to my groin and pushes me over onto my back. He jumps on top of me and places his knee on my chest. I try to push him away but he pins my arms and locks both legs under his own.
I pant heavily and try to push myself up using my elbows to strike at his face. He knocks me back down and whispers "You're mine."
I growl and thrash about trying to break free of his hold. I manage to loosen his knees enough so I can move them an inch or two. I put everything I have into pushing him off me. I succeed and roll away. I stand up and walk toward him.
I swing a punch but miss him. He dodges and uses a combination of kicks and punches to block my attacks. I decide to go for a straight blow to the middle of his stomach. His whole torso twists at the impact and I feel the crack of bones. He falls to the ground holding himself in pain. I kick him in the head and he rolls over, unconscious.
I turn around and look at the crowd. They cheer and chant my name. I glance at Emma who is looking nervous and confused. I walk towards her. She watches me with wide eyes and a shocked expression. I smile at her.
"Who's next?" I shout at the crowd. "Who else wants to challenge me?"
The crowd cheers and a warrior, Jebba, steps forward. I watch the warrior as he approaches. He is bigger than me, taller and stronger. I wait patiently until he is close enough. Then I rush at him. He dodges and changes directions instantly. I follow him and land a punch on his jaw. He blocks it but his jaw is broken. I hit him again and he falls to the ground.
"She'll be mine," Jebba growls at me.
I laugh and walk to Emma.
"Are you okay?" I ask her.
Her eyes go wide at the sight of the blood dripping from my mouth.
I wipe some of it off with my hand and lick my palm clean.
"It is nothing," I say. "I will heal quickly."
I bend down and kiss her. She looks at me with shock.
