In the Alpha’s Arms

From Bad to Worse

When he hopped up to pummel his attacker, she would have breathed a sigh of relief if her lungs weren’t so frozen, but there was only so long she was going to go unnoticed in the swell of fighters. She knew that. The numbers were whittling down little by little, leaving more and more space between them all. Space for her to be seen

Now down in the thick of the fighting, she could see just how savage and raw it really was. She watched a man break someone’s nose and hold his head under the freezing water. Despite the man’s wild punching and kicking from below the surface, the fighter held firm. It only ended because broken–nose tapped out and that was one of the better endings. His sputtering, bloodied body was pulled up by the women on the edge and the winner grabbed

another man.

Other fights ended when one person went unconscious and in those instances, the men had to be pulled up with rope. Others ended when someone went under water and didn’t come up for air. Knockouts clearly relied on the mercy of their opponent to drag them out of the water and get them to the ropes. Most of the time, they didn’t help. Most of the time, they drowned. Those last ones made her gut wrench. She was crouching in that same water where they drowned. Were their bodies near her feet? Men she could have saved? Was she doomed to be killed herself?

let her off that easy. She recognized that glint in his eyes when he pulled

above ground either, with those cruel men. Up there, she was a captive who was at their mercy. Up there she

could fight. The rules were simple, win the fight, pick another opponent. She wasn’t sure how well she would hold up half–frozen but at least she had a chance. A shot. And maybe if she could slip away… if she could get to the border… if she could get to a phone

was the time for survival. A low whine sounded

Nyx?

here, Lita, she

from relief. Her wolf wasn’t gone, she was just suppressed. Likely the same way her mother used to do it. Someone must have slipped something in her drink at the bar.

enough to make the suppression permanent. Maxim was likely counting on it, likely built her captivity around her not having full strength. He obviously doubted how strong Nyx was. And knowing she would

as she splashed into the water. She only went down for a second before she popped back up