took off, once again trying to find anything to help me.
There was nothing.
“Surprise your attackers. Catch them off guard. Do something unexpected.” Bakos was back in my head.
Unexpected.
I halted, Warwick right on me, his eyes taking in my stop too late. Swiveling around, my hand smashed into his face, knocking his head back, pain through my nerves. No time to hesitate, my elbow stabbed the soft part of his throat. He roaring doubled over, coughing. Taking the gain, my boot cracked across his chest, his ass hitting the ground, puffing dirt clouds around us, the torch rolling away from him, extinguishing the flame.
I could hear the masses react, but it was a faraway sound as I leaped for the torch, the end shaped into a spike.
A punch slammed into my temple, exploding behind my eyes, knocking me to the side, rolling me over him to the ground. He dove for me, seizing my arms, pinning them to the dirt. His body covered mine, every bit of him pressing into me. Blood covered both of us, our panted breaths knocking our chests together. His bare, sweaty skin pressed into me, and though he was probably about to kill me, my body reacted on its own, opening for him.
I was suddenly furious at myself, at the thrill of feeling him between my legs, at my awareness of his erection burning into me. Kicking and wiggling, I tried to break the hold, my teeth clenching with ire.
“Stop, Kovacs...” he muttered, his mouth so close to mine, I froze. “I’m trying not to kill you.”
What? Confusion webbed through my head. Did I hear him right? This was to the death. There was no other way out.
“What is taking so long?” he muttered, his gaze going up again, taking his attention off me.
His mistake.
Slamming my head forward, I felt and heard the crack of his already sore nose. Blood spurted on me as he reared back with a bellow. Wiggling from under him, I went for the torch. Fingers circled my ankle, yanking me back, my face hitting the packed dirt with a painful crack. Blood burst from my lip and nose, coating my tongue, dark drops hitting the ground. Pushing through the pain, I crawled for the spike, the tips of my fingers skimming it.
My skin screamed as he dragged me away, raking me over the gravel, the weapon slipping through my fingers.
“Fuck.” Warwick rolled me over onto my back, crawling over me again, covering me like a weighted blanket, smearing blood over my torso. “You are actually making this fun. Challenging me more than I figured.”
“You think this is fun?” I snarled, trying to buck him off me. “You’re a sick fuck.”
“What does that make you then?” His nose dragged up the side of my neck, causing goosebumps to bloom over my skin. He tipped up his head, smirking arrogantly. “You are getting off on this too, princess. Makes you feel alive, doesn’t it?” He clutched my thigh, tugging it up, rocking into me, kindling sparks through me. A moan formed in my throat, my body greedy to feel more. The energy in the arena pulsed and bled over us, heightening my emotions to the extreme. Death. Sex. The air vibrated, twining round the raw depravity of both, the mass yearning for the primal act of either.
Feral and crude.
I lost all civility, craving him to take me right here, feeling the high of his hands wrapping around my throat, stealing the last drops of my life as he thrust into me. I even liked the idea of everyone watching. The energy pulsed through me like a drug.
I curved into him with the impulse. He sucked in, swearing under his breath, his grip on my leg digging into my skin, his eyes blazing. He felt as if he were everywhere over me, inside and out. Taking over. And I pushed the same sensation out, wanting to consume and be consumed.
“Gods. Fuck.” He jerked his head back with a hiss, making me aware of the surroundings, his eyes tracking mine. “I can feel it. Your body is crying for more.”
I bit down, locking everything down, my nose flaring, terrified of how much I wanted him, and hating the fact that he sensed my desire.
“Get off me.” I snarled, trying to wrestle out of his grip. “If you’re going to kill me, do it already. Or is this wolf all bark and no bite?”
“You want me to bite?” In a blink, his hand came around my