Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 53 – The Stalemate

+109 Bonus

04:43

“Rage was sometimes a useful ally in the heat of a fight, but it was a trickster. It made everything seem possible.“– Jonathan Maberry

Kiya

Punch after punch.

Kick after kick.

The colliding power of an Alpha and a Beta. Divided by a single rank, yet powerful adversaries. Neron didn’t yield, and neither did I. A single punch to the face voiced all he needed to know this wasn’t a play fight between friends. He was my opponent, my enemy, and I will not hesitate to send his body to the hard ground.

I’m faster, blinding the Alpha with hits to his torso and kicks to his legs. I was smaller and I was used to being underestimated. I bring the heat. However, Neron knows how to use his bigger and taller body to his advantage. The number of times he locked me in a vice grip, pushed me aside, and went unflinching at some of my hits reminds me just how formidable he was.

I hated touching him. Every time we touched; I got the indescribable sensations of those fated sparks. They were faint, like touching yarn pom–poms, but they were still there. Those sparks bounce against our flesh with every contact. The vexatious mate bond is still there, my side jolting weakly with every touch Neron made. His flirting didn’t help.

He grabbed my fists and twisted my arms behind my back. Taking advantage of my vulnerability, he buried his nose in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. “Goddess, you smell so good.” He growled. I could hear Onyx howling in pleasure from the scent of his mate, Artemis biting back with growls of her own. Freeing myself from his grip, albeit by ramming my head under his jaw, I fought harder.

The cheers and hollers from the pup trainees boomed through the air, half cheering for me and the other for Neron. Their bated breaths hold anticipation in their pint–sized bodies, eager to see who would appear the champion, the Delta, or their Alpha. Their shouts drew in more onlookers, gathering around to watch us spar.

It amuses them. This pack already knew that Neron and I were mates, so to see their Alpha and former slave fighting must be the spectacle of a lifetime.

With my flurry of blows and kicks, Neron blocked them all. Now that I think about it, he hasn’t thrown at single punch or kick to me. As if he was holding back. I growled. I want him to fight me at full strength!

“What’s the matter, Neron?” I demanded, panting but unwavering in my stance. “Scared to throw a punch? That never stopped you before!”

Sadness flashed across his face like a lightning strike but dissolved as his eyes narrowed on me again. Without warning, he seized me with the might of a king and pushed me to the ground, pinning my fists above me. His powerful body heat swallowed me, worsened by the heat of this summer day.

“I won’t raise my hand against you ever again, even if it is just a sparring match,” Neron whispered to me, low enough for only the both of us to hear. His deep voice, this close to me, sent chills down my spine. “You are my heart and I refuse to hurt you under any circumstance.”

“Weak.” I spat. All the force in my body aided me to kick the fully grown wolf away from me, freeing me from

1/5

Chapter 53–The Stalemate

+10% Bonus

his clutches. His honeyed words touched a singular, weak heartstring. That sensation was quickly stomped out when my anger sets ablaze the wildfire that burned a hole in the deep trenches of the darkness, forcing th04:40 reasons 1 abhor Neron to spring out from its burial chamber.

He hurt me. In more ways than one. That cannot be forgiven or overlooked. He was acting nice now, but it was only a matter of time before he tosses me back in that nightmare cell. All rationale incinerated into ash, forgoing the reasons why that wouldn’t be the case.

I didn’t care. I needed to feel this anger. I needed it to scorch deeply in every nerve and synapse from my brain to my toes. I need this reminder to force me to see that my ex–mate was nothing more but an abusive cur I had the unfortunate fate of being bonded with.

My vision blazes red. My powers battered against my defenses, I saw the Alpha as a wolf that needed to be euthanized. The world around me disappeared into black, I didn’t see the pup trainees or the spectators. My sharp vision narrowed into the man who single–handedly ruined my life and my ability to love.

As he began to get back to his feet, I bolted, tackling his full six feet five stature to the hot ground before straddling his waist. My fists hit flesh, over and over, and over until red trickled down my hands. But I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t stop.

mind–numbing rage controlled my every action, forgoing the lactic acid burning in my muscles. I

felt was the strings.

I saw

was

by two pairs of arms. No! I wasn’t done! Immediately I was right back in the position the Alpha had me in earlier, back to the ground,

area cleared back to Zircon Moon territory. The strings were cut, and the devilish puppeteer vanished. My sight cleared to see Jacqueline and Galen holding

her hand to ease the pain. Jackie was the one who slapped me.

okay?”

What had happened hadn’t hit me yet, so I laid there dazed for a few seconds before my friends helped me up on

went ballistic,” Galen explained in a gentle whisper. “One minute you’re sparring and the next you’re pummeling

53- The Stalemate

+109 Bonus

pungent stench of blood wafted up to my nose. I look down at my throbbing hands to see red smeared on brown like I cut a vein. But it wasn’t my blood. My sight beamed towards Neron who slowly

I was terrified.

he used to do to me. I

when I snapped, my anger controlled me. It powered my desire to destroy, to maim, and to murder. Why don’t I feel that warmth? Why do I still

always

became the old Alpha. I became the dark shadows of the

became a monster.

raced a million miles a minute, blood pressure rising. My mind swam and my throat burned. “|-Jackie. Y–you, take over for the pups.” I didn’t wait for a reply because I bolted into the packhouse. Neron called out for me, but I ignored him. I needed to be alone. Blazing past everyone, I made it to my room, locking the door behind me. I put blocks up to all my mind–links, even to Artemis. My mind was bathed in silence, while my eyes bathed my cheeks in my hot tears.

my trainees, my friends, and damn near the entire pack. I became a dangerous woman, with fury enough to injure an Alpha. Grateful for the rapid healing

was too late to close. It took Jackie slapping me to get me out of that berserker rage. I was uncontrollable, and I knew I wouldn’t have stopped with Neron. Anger is destructive, callous, and

dusty leggings. How did I let myself lose control so easily? With the damn mate sparks, Neron’s flirts, and his promise triggered

fear

happens again? What if my friends couldn’t snap

out of it? How string’s loop around my limbs, leaving me at the

floor and dragged my tired body to the bathroom. The stream ran red as I washed my hands in the sink, cleansing them of the sin of harming

staring at brown.

and tears stained her skin, scleras puffy and red, and lips slightly red

Brewing.

Simmering.

53 – The Stalema

another opportunity to spring forth to claim more

+10

Bonus

04:34

I asked myself. Do 1 still hate Neron? I do. I can’t ever forgive what he or anyone else had done to me. But beating him did nothing but leave me colder underneath this temple I call my body. It did not cure my anger or my

need? What the hell would make me

it if I dwelled deeper in my thoughts. I didn’t

do you

want us to talk, Kiya. Please open the

“No. Go away.”

his voice firm. “I can’t leave you

out of the bathroom. “I’m fine. I don’t want to

betrays you, Kiya. You sound like you’ve been crying.” He released a hefty sigh. “Please… I just need to see you. I know you hate me and…” I hear a soft groan. “I–I just need to see your