A deal with the monster

Sylvia's POV

"Kill him! Tear his throat out!" a man beside me screamed, spitting beer onto the dirty floor.

The deafening roar of the bloodthirsty crowd shook the walls of the underground arena. A loud, sickening crunch of breaking bones echoed over the shouting. I stepped further inside the dark, suffocating room. The heavy smell of sweat, cheap alcohol, and copper hit my nose. I choked on the foul air, but I forced my feet to keep moving.

"Fifty bucks on the big guy!" someone yelled from the balcony.

"He won't last another minute!" another voice laughed. "Look at the stray bleed!"

I pushed through the dense crowd of shouting rogues and gamblers. They shoved my shoulders, cursing at me, but I kept my eyes fixed forward. In the exact center of the room sat a massive iron cage. Inside it, two men fought to the death.

I spotted him immediately.

Julian Sinclair.

He looked nothing like the polished true heir from the book's prologue. He wore dirty rags, and thick, angry scars covered his bare chest. Yet, the raw power rolling off his body made my breath catch in my throat. He moved with the terrifying speed of a pureblood Lycan. He dodged a massive punch from his opponent, a huge, ugly rogue wolf.

"Get up, stray!" the arena boss shouted from the sidelines. He slammed his fist against the iron bars. "Give us a real fight, or I'll starve you for a week!"

But something was wrong. Julian stumbled backward. He clutched his left side, and his breathing sounded harsh and ragged. He shouldn't be losing. He was a Lycan. He healed in seconds.

I looked closer at the ugly rogue. The rogue lunged forward and swiped his hand across Julian's arm.

"Ah!" Julian grunted, falling to one knee.

A sizzling, smoking cut appeared on his skin. My eyes widened. Silver. The arena boss secretly coated the rogue's claws in liquid silver. The fight was rigged. The drunk crowd didn't notice the cheating, but I knew the book's lore. If I didn't stop this fight right now, that silver-coated claw would rip out Julian's left eye.

"Finish him off!" the crowd chanted. "Kill the stray!"

I didn't have time to think. I unzipped my wet bag and pulled out a heavy gold brick. It was part of the emergency funds I packed earlier. I gripped the cold metal and ran straight to the edge of the cage.

"Hey! Get back!" a guard yelled at me. He reached for my shoulder. "You can't go near the cage!"

"Don't touch me!" I snapped, shoving past him.

Inside the cage, the rogue raised his silver-coated hand for the final killing blow.

I slammed the gold brick hard against the rusty iron lock of the cage door. The old metal shattered. The lock broke and clattered to the dirty floor. I threw the heavy steel door wide open, stepped directly between the giant rogue and Julian, and held up my empty hand.

"Stop!" I shouted.

The rogue froze. He stared down at me in pure confusion. A rich girl in a ruined, muddy silk dress just interrupted his winning moment.

"What the hell are you doing in my ring?" the arena boss roared. He marched toward the cage, his face purple with anger. "Guards! Drag this crazy bitch out of there and toss her in the alley!"

"I am buying this fighter's contract!" I yelled loud enough for the whole room to hear. I pointed at Julian, who knelt on the floor behind me. "I will pay double the prize money right now! In cash!"

The room went dead silent. The gamblers stopped shouting. The arena boss stopped walking. He looked at my expensive clothes and the gold brick I still held in my other hand.

"Double?" the arena boss asked. Greed flashed in his dark eyes. "You want to buy the stray for double the pot?"

"Yes, double," I confirmed. I kept my voice steady, projecting absolute confidence. "Call off your dog, and you get the cash today. If he lands another hit on my fighter, you get nothing."

The rogue looked at his boss, waiting for a command. He kept his silver claws raised.

"Step back," the boss told the rogue. "Let the lady buy her pet."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My heart pounded against my ribs. I saved his eye. I saved his life. I turned around to face Julian, ready to negotiate our deal.

Before I could even blink, a massive, scorching hot hand wrapped tightly around my throat.

"Gah!" I gasped.

Julian didn't recognize me as a savior. He only saw a threat. He lunged upward and slammed my back hard against the cold iron bars of the cage. The impact knocked the wind out of my lungs. My gold brick dropped from my hand and hit the floor with a heavy thud.

I grabbed his thick wrist, trying to pull his hand away. His grip felt like steel. He leaned in close. His golden eyes were feral. He bared his sharp fangs inches from my face. I felt his hot, ragged breath against my cheek. My pulse hammered wildly against his rough palm. I stared into the eyes of a monster who wanted to rip my head off.

He tightened his fingers just enough to restrict my air.

"Give me one reason," his voice was a dark, rough growl.