Her Broken Alpha - Isoellen Page 0,73

and his mate. While his men wore both armor and weapons, he had nothing to defend himself but his claws.

Energetic readiness, a spring of coiled patience, hummed from him to her. She could feel it. He was not anxious, not afraid, but mindful—alert. In her world, dominant alphas fought challenges with words or deadly subterfuge targeted to weaken the opponent. Someone kidnapping her in her own home on the eve of her bonding ceremony, from her father's house under his very nose, had weakened her father in the eyes of his peers.

Naya was sure of it.

If he couldn't protect his own child, how could he protect the financial interests of his clients? The loss of his daughter had shamed him before the world. If Crispin's father, Corre, had any wisdom, this would not be his only strike. Corre had probably shamed her family in other ways as well.

All of it bloodless, but effective.

With others’ respect and confidence in her father weakened, it would force him into retirement, or worse—a humiliating discharge. Once an alpha lost his standing as Master, it was almost impossible to win it back. Her father and mother would not just lose their standing in the community; they'd likely become dependent on their children to support their loss of income.

Naya had barely thought about what must be happening at home before now. Pressed up against the wall of Monster's body, her mind addled, she'd thought only of the changes in her own life.

He'd told her she couldn't talk to them, but she realized now that losing her would have affected them in more ways than she'd considered—socially, financially. She had to let them know that she had survived, and that she had also bonded the second-born son of King Rhineholth.

There was another roar from the crowd in response to what was happening in the cage. Naya looked over and saw a male lifting his arms in triumph over the prone body of his opponent.

As her gaze shifted away from the brutal scene, it caught on the seething glare of a familiar face. Through the bars and wires of the cage, across the room, a man stood watching them.

Mac.

She didn't know him well, but Naya knew it was him. He and the alpha next to him were shirtless and wearing fighting kilts like Monster. They stood amongst a group of males who seemed connected, all of them watching her and Monster with concentrated animosity.

Mac had not come to the challenge alone. Whatever his relationship to these men before, Monster now had a greater number of enemies to face than expected.

Nothing in Monster's behavior indicated he had noticed them, but Naya was sure he must have.

There was some shuffling in the cage as the winner was announced. "Alpha Dale has taken down Rook the Plow, who suffers from a broken arm and collar bone! If you bet on The Plow, you had better be ready to dig out your credits—it's going to be some time before he goes farming again. If you bet on young Dale, your credits have doubled!"

There were cheers of triumph mixed with growls of disgust from the audience. In the eerie, shifting light, the men in the balconies looked like hungry ghouls as they shook their fists and jeered at those in the cage beneath them.

Monster leaned down to speak into her ear. "You will go in with me. Stay in the corner. I want you nearby."

Naya shivered. This place smelled of stinking, rotten men. But pressed up against Monster, she could only smell him. She did not want to have to go in that metal box of death.

He picked her up. She gripped his waist with her legs automatically, and they moved as one toward the challenge area.

Men around them catcalled and sneered. She heard the word, "pussy" shouted derogatorily as they passed.

Monster's right arm shot out into the crowd while the left held her tight against him. Then he swiped his claws, a lethal show of force.

A hot spray of blood soaked the clothing on her back before she’d even registered what had happened.

A body crumpled beside them, and the rest of the crowd quieted as they stepped back.

At the door of the cage, a red coated claw tipped her chin back so Monster could pin her with his black gaze. He didn't try to talk, and she knew he'd become the real monster—all teeth and thick tongue. But he continued to purr for her anyway. His eyes searched hers, questioning.

She’d met him