Boarlander Silverback (Boarlander Bears #3)(45)

Kirk’s gold eyes flashed as he was thrown toward the railing in front of Alison, and at the last second, he fell to his hands and feet, skidding to try and avoid them. Bash hugged her and Layla up tight and grunted as something solid hit him in the back.

A series of pops sounded, and Alison’s blood curdled as she heard a room-shaking roar. “Aw, f*ck,” Harrison said beside them. “Kirk!”

Alison stared in horror as she caught a glimpse of Kirk’s gorilla, battle ready, canines exposed as he paced the ring right in front of them. She knew what he was doing. Kong had lost his head, lost his bearings, but Kirk had done what he could to stop the fight from hurting her.

All around her, the crowd was screaming a deafening sound. Countless phones were pointed at where her mate was pulling himself along on powerful arms and legs. He was pitch black, his blazing golden eyes glued to Kong.

Kong had crashed against the ring on the other side, snapping several boards in half. He stood to his full, imposing height slowly. There was a gash under his eye, and red was streaming down his cheek, but he didn’t favor it as the feral smile transformed his face to something terrifying. He inhaled deeply and yelled, the veins in his neck bulging as his teeth elongated. The sound of his voice turned to a roar as his gorilla exploded from him.

“Oh, my God,” Layla said in a horrified whisper. “Harrison, do something!”

The Boarlander alpha shook his head, his eyes horrified. “You and I both know there’s nothing I can do to stop this now.”

“Shit. Get back!” Alison screamed, waving her arms to the crowd.

There wasn’t time. Both silverbacks stood on their hind legs, beat their chests with a drumming sound that echoed pure power through the barn, and then they charged. The clash of their massive bodies sent a wave of energy through the air that knocked Alison backward. She staggered on her feet as Bash held her and Layla in place. The thud, thud of the fighting gorillas pounding their fists against each other’s skin sounded time and time again, and now there was blood. A flash of teeth told her why, and when the fight tumbled toward them again, Kirk bailed, launching himself onto a steel post behind her and Layla.

“This is insane!” the guy next to Layla yelled through an excited grin. He arced his cell phone with Kong’s movement as the silverback launched out of the ring and after Kirk. They climbed up to the rafters of the barn, and Kirk swung around, one arm gripping the wood above him, the other out to catch Kong’s full force as he barreled into him. With a blur of violent motion, the silverbacks plummeted to the floor and landed hard in the ring. Alison screamed and clamped her hand over her mouth as the flooring underneath her feet shook like an earthquake.

She couldn’t tell who was winning. Couldn’t tell them apart as they pummeled each other, a flash of teeth and jet-black fur. Someone was painting the ring in crimson. Who was it? Kong? Kirk?

Beside her, Layla shook her head and buried her face against Alison’s shoulder. Alison cupped Layla’s face and murmured, “It’ll be okay. They’re fine. It’ll be over soon.” Maybe she was telling the truth, she didn’t know. Right now, it felt like this was stretching on for eternity.

One of the gorillas was thrown against the floor, and with a flash of gold eyes, the dominant silverback slammed his fists on either side of the other’s face.

The gorilla’s stopped fighting, chests heaving as they glared at each other. The crowd quieted as something wordless passed between the brawling beasts.

Kirk lifted his chin, then slowly backed off Kong. And when Kong stood, he didn’t charge again like Alison feared. Instead, he tilted his head, exposing his neck to Kirk.

“It’s done. It’s done,” she chanted to Layla in a shaking voice.

Kirk gave a slow, bored blink like he hadn’t just been in a bloody battle, then strode with slow, deliberate steps toward her. Alison froze when he lifted the back of his smooth knuckle to her cheek. His face morphed to a frown as he stared at the drop of moisture there. Afraid she would lose it in front of everyone, Alison grabbed his hand, kissed his knuckles.

And suddenly, Judge was announcing Kirk as the winner, and Bash was lifting Alison over the rail like she weighed nothing at all. Dragging a steadying breath into her lungs, Alison walked beside Kirk as he left the ring, and they were followed closely by Kong and Layla as the crowd went wild and surged toward them.

Everything came in flashes after that.

The fur on Kirk’s shoulder was matted and dripping.

The Ashe Crew and Gray Backs were trying to keep the crowds at bay.

So much yelling.

Cell phone cameras everywhere.

Audrey told her, “Everything is fine.” Was everything fine? She’d never seen a shifter battle on television or the Internet. Especially not while they were in animal form. Alison felt numb.

She stumbled beside Kirk, and he gripped her arm in his massive hand, his eyes concerned. He was worried about her tripping over her own shoes? He’d just gone to war with King Fuckin’ Kong.

Judge handed her money. He was so happy. Alison stared dumbly down at the wad of cash in her palm. “I don’t want this.”

“It’s for Kirk. He earned it.”

“Back off, Judge.” Clinton was there, bloody and bruised. One of his eyes was swollen shut, and he was only talking out of one side of his mouth. “She said she don’t want it.”