3. Ivan

An hour later, standing around with the five other surviving fighters from this month’s Showcase we make a grisly scene. Our cuts, wounds, black eyes and bleeding are still obvious for a few more hours before the shifter healing completes. I notice Rufus, a man I sparred with, did not make it through his round. A pity. Yet here I am, clad in a black, soft robe with a thick red trim, still alive. 

Instead Denton, a black-bearded criminal gives me a silent throat slitting gesture and a smirk. He had also made it to eleven wins tonight, under the self-assigned name of Denton the Destroyer. 

His rival in sin, Xavier, a tattooed, wiry shifter whose sadistic cunning enhanced his physical strength had also made it to eight wins. We grimly nodded at each other, the other three had survived their first ever Cage. Rufus, Maxwell, and Brent replaced by another three identically rough looking men. 

Faceless entities for now. 

However while these new victors all licked their lips and muttered obscenities about how they’d loved the battle, I kept quiet. When they started boasting about just how much dick they were going to slam into their prizes tonight I tried to zone out. I have never picked a prize. A woman. The very idea sickens me to my core. Back in my old pack, this kind of depravity would be unthinkable. 

Despite my wish to die I have no desire to make their lives any worse.

Tonight, for the first time when the iron door opens and the patter of bare feet on concrete reaches my ears an invisible force almost commands me to look upwards. For the very first time I take in the women before me. A collection of shivering, practically naked young women who have been made up to look like willing whores. It is a pitiful sight.

None of these women had chosen to be here, the whimpering and shaking made it obvious. The handcuffs might have been removed but the bruises on their wrists remain. A hulking guard with a cattle prod lurking in the background was enough to prevent any escape attempts. Kingsley soon followed, clad in his smart black suit, the door slamming loudly behind him. 

Both men and women automatically formed a half circle, as if lining up to play sport together. Kingsley stood in the middle, taking his time to full ogle and belittle each woman with his eyes.

“Ivan picks first tonight,” Kingsley said firmly, suddenly turning to face me, like a viper targeting its prey.

“He never picks anyway!” Denton mocked, arms folded across his huge barrel chest, “it’s all beneath him, fucking eunuch.”

“Probably why he fights so hard, angry about having no cock,” Xavier joined in. Like a hook around my neck, my vision was helplessly drawn down the line to the last girl. I couldn’t look away even if I wanted to. Her eyes were the clearest blue, wide with fear. It was a blue I’d never seen before, dark as the sea and they were suddenly fixed directly on me. 

For several seconds we found ourselves staring at each other. She seemed to be holding her breath and I realised I was too. I did not recognise or know anything about her, but my wolf, Kohl, howled within for me to say something. 

/Take her. Take the blue-eyed one/ he hissed urgently in my mind.

“Pick or leave it Mr Inferno,” Denton groaned, “I’ll be taking two if you don’t just so you know.” I was still so angry at my wolf for taking control of my body in the fight again I was tempted not to pick anyone just to spite him. 

Xavier’s hand slid inside his silver-trimmed robe, clearly touching himself, “Fucking hurry this shit up!”

“Why the fuck we having to take turns anyway,” one of the new faces grumbled.

The blue-eyed girl’s mouth dropped open in shock and her eyes flitted towards the other men in horror. Xavier hated to be stared at with his disfigured face.

“You, blondie, give me those eyes again and I’ll fuck them clean out of your skull,” his voice dripping with cool venom, then started openly stroking his shaft in front of the group. “Are you ready for this?”

“Knock it off,” Kingsley snapped in irritation, “you’d think you blew off enough steam back in the Cage.” Turning to the grumbling newbie, “Vincent ranks your fights. Ivan pleased the crowd most, so he got first pick. Think about it for next time you stupid bastard.”

I continued staring at her whilst the group simmered down. Her long blonde hair fell to her hips. The singed waves were hastily styled in what the staff thought was attractive. I couldn’t help noticing how her large nipples were clearly protruding under her silk negligee. I wondered if Kingsley had turned down the heating for such an effect. He was the type of man who lived for those kinds of cheap thrills.

“Well Ivan?” Kingsley said, his thin lips curled into a sneer. He was moving down the line, lifting each girl’s chin to make them look into his silvery grey eyes, enjoying the way each one cowered.

“The blonde on the end,” I said curtly just before his disgusting hands touched her. With a shove from the beefy guard she tottered towards me, her silk nightgown rippling down the length of her body. /Well done/ my wolf urged, In complete irritation at Kohl meddling in my decisions yet again I turn on my heel and angrily walk out.

“Come along!” I shouted after a second, remembering the girl I had left behind. 

“Maybe he does have a cock after all,” I heard Denton chuckling to Xavier. 

I had no desire to see how the rest of the selection panned out as a wave of nausea hit me. I’ve hit a new low, taking part and selecting a woman, what the hell was I thinking.

Stomping along the grey corridors and up several flights of stairs towards the daylight I was desperate to get back to my rooms and shut myself away for another month. It was only the quick pattering of bare feet behind me that made me remember I would not be entering alone.

I unlocked the door, a large red circle daubed on it in paint, and swung it open, allowing her to enter first. Her eyes remained trained on me, as her steps slowed down. Of course she didn’t want to enter my chambers. Well, she had no choice now. 

To return her back to Kingsley or Vincent would be a fate worse than death.

Resisting the urge to give her a little push inside I waited for thirty seconds while she took some deep, trembling breaths. Finally her tentative little footsteps met the soft rugs on the floor. Whilst the outside of my chambers was cold and grey, here at least there was some comfort. 

The huge king-size bed dominated the space and she stood as still as a statue staring at its crumpled sheets. Until she heard the click of the door lock, then she spun round as quick as a bird. Her startled blue eyes met mine in a silent scream of terror. 

Shit, I am going to have to talk to her. Sighing, I pointed across the room to a closed white door. “I’m going in the bathroom to clean my wounds,” then pointing to the table and chairs at the far end of the room, “there is food and drink for you.”

As I walked past, I saw her flinch in terror and it hurt my already miserable soul. Continuing towards the bathroom, preparing to take off my robe I gruffly muttered, “I’m not going to hurt you. I won’t even be touching you so calm the fuck down.”