Winter's War (Her Guardians series Book 4)(51)

Stephanie is growling and snarling at me, she is about to shift, I can feel the change in the air that accompanies a wolf shift and step out of her way. Within seconds, I am looking at a blonde wolf that comes up to my waist.

“Bad move Stephanie,” I taunt.

She lunges for me, except instead of getting entirely out of the way this time, I just let her shoulder push against me before I encircle my arms around her torso and squeeze. I wrestle her to the floor and pin her on the ground on her stomach. She can’t bite or scratch, I’m willing to bet she can’t shift with me on top of her either. I have her in a check mate position, all that’s left for her to do is submit. I really wish she would hurry this along, a sense of urgency building through me to find the man who walked past not even two minutes earlier.

After what seems like hours, Stephanie drops her head in defeat and thumps the mat with a paw, I count the thumps in my head, each one making my smile grow; One, Two, Three. Well, another win for me then! Twenty-two to zero! I stand up from the ground, quickly rocking back onto my heels, I reach a hand down to help a now human Stephanie stand up. As soon as she drops my hand I do a quick turn, bowing to appease the crowd. Stephanie catches my eye as she’s leaving the octagon, she gives me a brief nod of acceptance before pulling her shoulders back and walking out. I’ve got to respect that, at least she didn’t slink off swearing vengeance on me just because she couldn’t take a beating.

I get the nod from Allister that I’ve done everything I need to and walk out of the cage. As I approach I can see him go to open his mouth, before any squeak can exit his mouth I lift my bloodied, cut palm up and covey my best ‘do not fuck with me right now’ stare. Apparently, the message is well received because he scuttles back like the rat that he is. A gleeful little shiver runs down my spine when I think about my last confrontation with Allister, he had a quick meeting with my fist and my foot after I caught him trying to force himself on one of the medical staff we have here.

I look around for the tall man of deliciousness that caught my eye during the match, but I can’t see him through the hive of spectators. With one more unsuccessful glance across the room, I walk back through the hallway to the locker room. I have one more fight tonight, so there isn’t much point in me showering off and getting out of my gear. I walk back over to the sticker covered, paint chipped locker and grab my phone and headphones out. Closing the locker again, I turn around and sit on the cold metal bench again while pressing play on the playlist I’ve got saved. My focus on unwrapping my hands from the godawful tape that’s clinging and pulling over the skin on my knuckles, my head slowly nodding to the beat of the drums thrumming through my ears. The broad-shouldered brunette man’s image slingshots back into my mind. God! Why am I so fixated on him? You know what, fuck this! I’m not going to sit here and hide. I shoot up to my feet and pull open my locker once more, throw my phone and headphones back in, and spray on my deodorant, just in case I do see him. I stalk once again back out to the blood hungry hoard of supernaturals.

Wading through the crowd is a lot easier when I’m in my fighting gear, it makes people just that little apprehensive so that they physically part around me as I walk. Both my Wolf and I have all our senses attuned to finding this mystery man. I look over every face in the four-tiered spectator stands, and every face in the small vicinity around me, and nothing. Not a single person that even looks like him. I spend the next twenty minutes continuing my search around The Pit which yields nothing. Dammit! He must have already left! Of course, the one male I’ve been attracted to in over ten months just up and leaves before I can get to him, so typical of my luck. A drink is exactly what I need to take the edge off right now.

Once again that slight parting begins to happen, only subtle movements like shoulders concaving in, or rotating out of the way. My nick name should be Moses with this shit, I wonder if it would be funnier if I was holding a large stick, just the image in my head is enough to make me giggle under my breath. About fifteen meters away from the bar I see him, the sexy guy, walk out of the male training rooms and stand with a few other shifters I’ve regularly seen around here. He stands with his back to me and I can’t help but notice the black jeans he’s wearing. Man can he fill out a pair of jeans in the best way possible. Ok Ava, eyes off ass now. I walk closer, each step building the buzz of anticipating in me until I’m practically vibrating with nervous tension. I’m so close I can almost smell him when suddenly my Wolf starts trying to tear through my blocks to get to him. Holy shit, that’s never happened before. I can feel her claws digging into my mind and heart, her tail swishing rapidly in my chest and the yipping is driving me fucking crazy! It’s not until I take three extra steps and realise why she is acting that way. The aroma coming off this man is so knee buckling mouth-watering. As soon as the smell of mint chocolate and an earthy undertone registers in my brain, it hits me like a ton of bricks.

I take those last few steps towards the six-foot one male shifter standing in front of me, oh yeah, he’s a wolf shifter. I’d know that energy signature anywhere. My quivering hand reaches over towards his shoulder and I lightly tap him with my finger tips to get his attention. The man’s shoulders tense when he feels the feather light touches and he slowly starts to turn around. I try to absorb every detail of his face into my memory with every millimetre revealed; the unblemished olive skin, the angular set of his jaw and his few day-old stubble, the long straight nose and the softest set of russet coloured eyes framed in eyelashes any girl would kill for. I’m finally faced with the full force of his looks, and I watch as his senses and wolf become aware of the situation unfolding in front of him. His beautiful eyes transiting from boredom, to curiosity to stark surprise, his mouth opening and closing like a giant fish.