Chapter 32

Cirilla's Point Of View

I crashed into something hard, stumbling on the ground and taking a bite of the dust. The crowd grew quiet, and I didn't have to look to see the smile of triumph on Melinda's face.

I spit out the blood that was in my mouth, feeling my sore jaw. Fuck, these wolves really do hit hard.

I grabbed the metal chain next to me, getting up from the ground. My eyes narrowed on her as I wrapped the metal chain around my right fist, and I waited for her to come at me again.

I breathed in, and the instant she swung her hands at me, I blocked swiftly, punching her in her ribs with my metal hands.

She staggered back and composed herself before she attacked me again. I kicked her hard in the jaw, and before she got a chance to heal up, I pounced on her, pinning her to the ground while I kept smashing her face and those bloody lips of hers that wouldn't shut up earlier.

She pushed off her with her nonhuman strength, causing my back to hit the ground hard.

Fuck, that was cheating.

"There's no rules," She snickered with mischief, before speeding to me.

Still cheating.

I was still on the ground before she descended on me but I rolled out of the way, and she was quick to punch me in my stomach. I felt a sore pain there. This isn't going like I expected, at least not when she was cheating.

"Breathe," Came the voice in my head.

"Not the time for that," Totally the wrong time for a yoga lesson.

"Just breathe you dimwit!" She growled. Pissed at me.

"I am fucking breathing"' I blocked Melinda's attack. "Just let me concentrate," And I got punched, stumbling back. And I got punched again. Melinda was moving so fucking fast, I could hardly see her coming. "Thanks for the distraction," I struggled to keep my vision steady.

"Just shut it, what do you see?" The voice asked in frustration.

"Melinda, she's running to me. About to kick my ass,"

"And now? What do you feel?"

"Like I'm about to get kicked in the face," I carelessly muttered, but I felt something else.

A sizzling sensation running down my spine, marching deep in my bones, pumping in my veins. Its high effect caused my body to go numb for a second, and the metal chain in my hand fell to the floor. My vision doubled but I felt it, the force racing from left, and quickly, I felt my body react, punching Melinda hard. The force flew her across a distance and I heard some bones snap.

The sensation fused with my soul and my vision cleared, narrowing on Melinda. She was up. All of a sudden, I felt rejuvenated. Like I was on fucking drugs or cloud nine.

I was on top of her, hitting her senseless. Blood was all over her face, and her body was unrecognizable and bruised. There was no sound from the crowd and I didn't bother looking. I felt a dark and foreign sensation spread within me, causing the voice in my head to retreat in silence.

I grabbed her by the hair, my lips curling into a sinister smile at what I was about to do to her. I felt a sick indescribable pleasure just at the thought of ripping her throat open. My inner vision was red.

I dragged her to where the weapons lay on the ground and released her hair, grabbing the silver blade laced with wolfsbane.

She jumped from the ground, escaping me and then I heard it. The snapping and cracking of bones, the thunderous paws that landed on the ground, and the deafening gasps from the crowd.

Slowly, I turned around, and my gaze landed on the brown wolf a few inches away from me. She fucking shifted.

She growled, and the black beads of her eyes held an evil sneer but I swear, I wasn't scared. I cocked my head to my left, sizing her wolf up, before smirking. Somehow the thrill of ripping her throat only became more fun.

She sped to me, closing the distance between us to attack and I watched her like I didn't give a care in the world she was aiming for me. Before she could pounce on me, I pulled my right hand up, and backhand slapped her muzzle, which sent her flying across the field.

I remained fixed on my spot, cocking my head to the right. She got up and came at me again. My evil smile became broader. I bored hard into the black eyes of her wolf, they were fixed on me, holding a wicked sneer.

Her wolf was inches away from me at full speed when my eyes narrowed at her, and the words echoed in my head in a voice I couldn't recognize at all. "Stand back wolf!"

Melinda's wolf stopped abruptly, digging its paws into the ground like its reins had been pulled to a stop. Its black eyes held mine for a second before it whimpered, falling to the ground with its head bowed to me. It released another whimper before it shifted back to Melinda. And she was butt naked, bleeding profusely.

She pushed herself up, barely holding a straight stance as she made a pathetic attempt to hit me again. I grabbed her arm, pulling it behind her and twisting it, forcing her to her knees.

I pulled up the blade in my hand to her neck, my lips at the shell of her ears. "The loser gets her throat ripped out, remember?" I whispered, darkly, eager to get her blood out, but she only quivered against my touch.

"Rip her throat out now!" A voice, different from the one I was accustomed to, screamed in my head, both in rage and excitement.

I was enraged she dared call Asher hers before me, and at the same time, I felt a sick, psychotic thrill within me just at the thought of ending her life with my hands.

I pressed the sharp edge to her neck and she cried out in pain from the wolfsbane burn. I felt the rush of warm crimson fluid down her neck.

"Please, don't kill me," She cried out, begging. "Please spare my life, Luna," She whimpered, with her eyes shining brown. Her wolf was sharing control with her.

"Kill her!" The voice sounded again, as Melinda continued begging.

I wanted nothing more than to hear her heart stop beating and her body turn cold. I wanted it so badly that I hated the new feeling in my chest, that wanted to spare her.

I groaned, shutting my eyes, as the new voice in my head kept getting loud.

I groaned again, it took me everything to pull away from her and toss her body and the blade on the ground.

My mind was on overdrive and while I was regretting not slitting her throat, I still couldn't believe I was almost about to kill someone like it was the most normal thing in the world and I loved it.

Fuck. What was I thinking? It was as if my sanity and reasoning had returned.

I stepped away from her, and before I could take a step further, a cheering roar shook the ground. My gaze went around the smiling crowd. Some were laughing hard at Melinda, some commenting on her stupidity, and some just having an amused look staring at me. I guess I gave them all a show.

I felt the hairs on my skin stand from the heavy stare on me. I whipped my head to the direction it came from, and my eyes locked with a familiar pair. Green. He was staring intently at me, his large arms folded against the rippled muscles of his chest beneath his tee, smirking. His eyes held something in them. Something he couldn't even do a good job hiding. Elation and pride.

I rolled my eyes at him, mentally kicking myself in the gut to hide my smile. Everything that just happened was his fault.

"Fuck moonpie, that was hot as fuck," Dorian crashed his big arms around me, but he was pushed off instantly by Stefan.

Lyra hugged me. "For a second I was scared," I knew she was. And I was surrounded by what seemed like my circle of friends. Trish, Andy, Stef, Cory, Dorian, and Lyra.

"I didn't know you had it in you," Trish looked as amused as the others.

I feigned a hurtful look at her words. "Did you doubt me?"

Stefan sprawled his hand around my shoulder. "Never,"

"I bet my money on you," Cory winked, causing me to chuckle.

"Pay up bitches," Lyra pulled her hand up, way too excited.

I raised my brows. "You really did have a bet huh," Trish handed out a dollar to Lyra, and so did Andy. "I'm glad to know you both had little faith in me," I said playfully, feeling my sore jaw. I had to go clean myself up.

I left the crowd and sauntered towards the building near the field. I made my way to the girls' locker, getting a look at my face in the mirror. I only had a dark bruise on my jaw and a busted lower lip on my face. I pulled my tank top up and I could see blood stains on my stomach, even though I felt no pain.

My attention shifted instantly to the door as it pulled open and my gaze took in Julia, standing between the doorframe.

She regarded me carefully before her lips parted to speak. "First aid box is in the drawer," She said, moving her eyes to a drawer at the bottom end of a locker.

I furrowed my eyebrows at her. Did I miss something? The last I remembered, Julia and I were far from being friends.

"Yeah, she fucked our mate and then tried to kill us," There was the voice I knew.

She went to the drawer and took out the first aid box, handing it to me, but I simply folded my arms over my chest, giving her a stare that meant "What do you want?"

She dropped the box on the bench, looking up at me. "You did good out there,"

'Like we care what she thinks. I bet she was hoping Melinda ripped our throats out,'

True. But I didn't respond. I had a feeling she had more to say.

"I know we don't like each other, but I….uhm… just want to say, I'm sorry,"

"For?" I probed, surprised.

"For the way I treated you at the bar, and for trying to kill you. I didn't know then that you were, well, Asher's mate. I'm sorry,"

Her words surprised me, but I couldn't tell if she was genuine or not. I simply nodded and watched her leave as quietly as she came.

I took off my singlet, leaving only my black bra on me while I cleaned up the blood and cuts on my stomach. I had expected worse bruises and a few broken ribs but I don't feel any pain. Nothing at all.

I paused and looked at myself in the mirror as Asher's words and theory echoed again in my ears. I shut my eyes closed, as my whole body began to tremble, but then I felt warm arms around me.

Asher.

I knew before I met his green eyes in the mirror. "What? Are you going to tell me I shouldn't have hit your girlfriend in the face?" I raised an eyebrow, looking all serious.

And then he released a low, chuckle. I swear my heart stopped for a minute.

Oh, the heavens. Asher was beautiful in every way. But I would be damned if I ever told him that. I was sure as arrogant as he looked, he knew that.

"Well, if you hadn't, I would have, considering she dared call me hers," He said, helping me clean up the blood and cuts on my skin. "I belong to someone else," He added, his eyes trained on my skin for a second before meeting my gaze.

I fought hard to imprison my smile. Asher was a cheeky bastard. He knew very well how to play his words, no wonder why he had every female drooling after him.

"I wonder who?" I muttered without thinking, finding a fresh singlet in Lyra's locker. I wore it to cover my skin. It had started to burn under his heated gaze.

"She knows herself," He was fucking smirking, shooting me his bad-boy wink.

"Player," I muttered and he chuckled again. I was about to run my mouth again when his large thumb pressed on my lips, trailing my busted bottom lip.

That simple action sent a jolt of electricity coursing through me, forcing a gasp to leave my lips. Asher's eyes darkened, and his assault on my lips stopped, his heavy gaze searing through mine. I felt his labored breathing, his touch on me burning hot. Gently, and slowly, he leaned closer to me, and his lips landed on mine.

My mind was in a haze. All I could see were a million fireworks exploding and my body igniting in flames. I was almost tempted to snake my hands around his waist and deepen the kiss, but thankfully the intensity of the spell lessened as he pulled away.

His chest rumbled out a growl, his eyes hungrily taking me in. He leaned again, bringing his lips to the shell of my ear. "You were awesome out there," My traitorous body quivered under his scorching breath.

He pulled away with a small smile, glancing at my lips before walking out of the locker room.

As soon as he was gone, I released the shaky breath in my lungs that I didn't even know I was holding.

I boxed the tools in the first aid box and placed it back in the drawer.

In the evening, I went to work at the bar and Lyra, Wren, and Dorian were there as well with the pretext of hanging out, but I could only guess Asher told them to keep an eye on me, probably just in case I had another urge to kill my mum. I wonder just how much he told them anyway. Even Miles could barely hold eye contact with me, it was as if just looking at me would be detrimental to him. Well, I didn't care as long as he didn't pester me.

My shift was soon over, I joined the guys for some drinks before Wren drove us back to the pack. It was pretty late when we arrived. Some people had already retired for the night and some scattered around the pack in groups, drinking, chatting, and probably fucking.

I was exhausted. I went straight to Asher's room, and to my surprise he was on the bed, sleeping. I had a quick shower and changed into fresh clothes, before sneaking my way into the bed, trying not to wake him. Even in his sleeping state, he looked amazing. Like a sculpted Greek god pulled right out of a methodology novel.

I inched a little closer, breathing in his sweet scent, until I felt my lidded eyes go heavy and I slept off, feeling at peace.