Alpha Champion (Wolf Fighters Book 1) (4 page)

The alpha tournament was held in a large arena that closely resembled some of the countless fighting rings Lucas had fought in or been to during his MMA world tours. A large ring encircled by reinforced chain-link fencing, surrounded by seats and bleachers.

His younger brother Asher had once been part of an alpha challenge where various alphas were invited to go live in a mansion to try and win over a particular female. But as far as he’d known, no actual fighting had been involved (at least in principle) and it was totally the female’s choice as far as mating went.

But an alpha tournament was different. And Lily’s father seemed to have taken an old ritual and applied modern standards to it. The rules were fairly straightforward and were similar to typical fighting rules. With a shifter twist.

Fights were until an opponent tapped out, was rendered unconscious, or was injured beyond the point where the fight was determined forfeited by TKO. No shape-shifting was allowed and all fighting had to be done in human form, presumably to prevent the alphas from killing each other too quickly with claws and teeth, as they’d have done in the wild.

And alpha powers were permitted, though to be honest, Lucas wasn’t sure what he could expect there.

With shifters fighting, there would be a lot of broken bones. And with their enhanced strength and supernatural healing powers, most matches would probably come down to a knockout.

Lucas had fought many shifters before, all shapes and sizes. Some he encountered as opponents in sanctioned MMA matches. Others he’d fought in sparring matches. Others he’d fought in the street when they threatened humans or disturbed the peace.

He was confident this would be a fairly easy-to-win tournament. Though many shifters had picked up mixed martial arts, either for self-defense or for fun, their skill levels were all over the place. Whereas Lucas was a perfectly honed machine. No weaknesses in his form or technique. No fear of the opponent. And a limitless drive to win, thanks to Lily being the prize.

While Lucas was prepping in the pristine locker room adjoining the arena, he heard someone come in. He turned to see someone he didn’t recognize, and he definitely would have remembered seeing this person before.

He was short for a shifter male, dressed in a suit and tie. His face was young and boyish and, well, beautiful. Lucas narrowed his eyes. Was that really a man?

“I’m Matt,” the man said, stepping forward with an outstretched hand. “I met your brother Asher during the alpha challenge a while ago.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “You were one of the other alphas at the challenge?” That meant he was another of the snobs that thought Lucas was beneath them.

Matt nodded. “Your brother’s a bit of a pain in the ass. But he called me, explaining the situation and saying you might need some help. I’m here to check out the event anyway, and goodness knows I want you to beat up some of the jerks out there, so I’m here to tell you what I know.”

Lucas continued to prep. “I’m not sure what you could know that I don’t. I’ve been fighting and training my entire life.”

Matt folded his arms and leaned against the locker as he glared at Lucas. “What do you know about alpha powers?”

Lucas straightened slowly. “Not much.”

A shout from the crowd outside could be heard as one of the matches was going on. Perhaps it was already over?

Matt’s gaze snapped toward the arena, and then he turned back to Lucas. “Time is short, so I’ll tell you what you don’t know. Lucas, is it?”

Lucas nodded.

“I know you’re good at what you do. Really good. And thankfully, most of the shifters you’ll be fighting are from respectable families, but shouldn’t pose too much of a threat. But you’ll need to be careful about their alpha powers.”

The words sank in from where he had read about it in the rules. Lucas’s father had mentioned it once or twice, but to his knowledge, none ran in his family. Unless a preternatural desire to win counted as an alpha power.

“For many families, this is a closely guarded secret. Usually their
most
closely guarded secret. And anyone that has one will try to avoid displaying it if they can. So you’ll need to be ready, because everyone I know in this tournament is here to win,” Matt said.

“I see what you mean. But what am I supposed to do about it?”

“The most powerful alpha powers belong to those directly connected to the Tribunal. Tribunal elites, as it were. None of those are here, so they won’t be unbeatable. But I’ve made a list of the potential contestants you could be matched against and their powers. The ones I know, anyway, and I know a lot of them from my work for the Tribunal.”

“What did you do for the Tribunal?”

The pretty man looked away. “Don’t worry about it. Don’t tell anyone my name. Don’t tell anyone I was here.”

“Matt?” a deep voice called as a tall man with dark, severe hair and a huge build came into the room. Lucas immediately sized up the other alpha as he moved protectively behind Matt. There was something weird going on between the two shifters, but he wasn’t one to judge. “We should go. The next match is starting,” the large man said, putting his hand possessively on Matt’s shoulder.

Just who were these people?

“Here’s the list,” Matt said, handing it over under the watchful gaze of his gigantic guard dog.

Lucas took it quickly, as any contact with the smaller man seemed likely to irk his protector. “Thanks.” He read down over the list. “How did you find these things out?”

“Let’s just say I’ve been around a lot of different alphas, and I used to occupy a unique position in the Tribunal that made me privy to this sort of information,” he said, saying just enough to answer his question but still being completely vague.

“Used to?” Lucas asked, confused.

“We have to go,” the larger man said, guiding Matt out of the room. “Good luck.”

Lucas folded the paper and put it into his shorts. He wasn’t sure if it would be any use, but he appreciated his brother calling in a favor.

“I’ll be here and watching,” Matt said, turning as they reached the locker room exit. “And Lucas?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t get cocky out there. That’s a surefire way to get smashed quickly,” Matt warned.

T
he arena
that the family was using for the tournament was not far from her home, but Lily was still taken there by armed guards in a blacked-out SUV. Whenever she went anywhere, she traveled like this, like some foreign dignitary in danger of assassination.

She was filled with dread and anticipation.

There was a reason an alpha tournament hadn’t been held in so long. It was a brutal, barbaric thing. And unlike human-organized fighting, this had very few regulations.

Needless to say, she wasn’t looking forward to it.

The SUV pulled up to the arena, and she was escorted inside to a small VIP room. The room was mostly filled with bigwigs and faces she vaguely recalled but had never met personally.

As she looked around, she saw the room was actually situated overlooking the arena so they could see everything before them while they mingled.

Lily wasn’t planning on mingling today. She just wanted to get through it and know her Lucas was okay.

She sat demurely on a wide couch nobody else was occupying and took a glass of champagne that was offered to her by a server. And waited.

But her reverie was soon interrupted by two large men plopping on the couch on either side of her.

“Hey, cousin,” said one.

“Are you ready?” said the other, his voice deeper but quite similar.

“Tim? Tom? What are you doing here?” Lily looked at both of the huge men on each side of her, astonished to see them. Both had dark skin and dark, curly hair and light-gray eyes from their mom’s side of the family. Both were impossibly tall, though Tim was slightly taller. They had a unique beauty that drew eyes in any crowd, but they were known for having sort of unusual habits that people tended to find off-putting.

Namely, they liked to share.

It wasn’t something Lily wanted to ask about, though.

“We couldn’t let you do this alone,” Tim said, the larger of the two. Tom folded his arms and studied the ring with narrowed eyes.

“I don’t even understand how he could do this. Even for your dad, it’s…”

She nodded. There were no words for it.

“So any particular favorites?” Tom asked with a knowing grin.

She avoided his gaze. She didn’t know whom she could trust yet. “I’m still shocked you’re here. I didn’t think my dad would be inviting a lot of family to this.”

“Considering the preponderance of alpha-raging, adrenaline-filled males, your father didn’t think it a bad idea to have a few close friends around to keep an eye on you,” Tom said with a wink.

“In other words, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show,” Tim said, sipping wine from a glass he’d just grabbed from a waiter that was presumably taking it to someone else.

Lily let out a sigh of relief. Regardless of the reason, she felt they were on her side, and she was glad to have some much-needed support. Somewhat more relaxed, she looked out over the scene in front of her.

The arena was full of spectators. Thousands of people were seated or finding their seats as the first match began.

Thankfully, it was over quickly. A man with short, blond hair landed a brutally vicious punch across his opponent’s jaw, knocking him out.

Lily hated violence. But she especially hated it when it was her father’s doing.

The second match was a little longer. Both men seemed to hesitate more, drawing it out. But eventually, one was able to put the other out with a chokehold that ended the match.

After three more matches, it was finally Lucas’s turn. Lily held her breath as Asher Vale’s name was called and Lucas appeared at the top of the arena, walking down to the ring.

He looked incredible. She hadn’t seen him in fighting gear in so long, but seeing him now made her instantly wet.

His entire body rippled with well-honed strength. Toned calves connected to thick, muscled thighs. Even from this distance, she could count his rippling abs. His humongous pecs and arms looked like something from a superhero movie. He wore his MMA shorts from his professional days, black with blue flames coming up the sides. His dark hair was pulled back off his face, revealing gorgeous, defined features.

He was an intimidating sight. And as his opponent came into the ring, she watched Lucas stare him down as if he were a small, evil bug he would utterly crush.

“Like what you see?” Tom asked, seeing Lily blush. “Can’t blame you. That is some prime man meat,” he joked.

Tim wolf-whistled, and other people stared over at him disdainfully. He just shrugged, and he and Tom exchanged a quick high-five behind Lily.

A bell dinged, and the match began.

She just hoped he was as good as she remembered.

His opponent was large but was a few inches shorter than Lucas, so Lucas looked comparatively huge next to him. But she knew many alpha males were more than they seemed, possessing powers they could use in dangerous situations. She didn’t doubt that some would be used over the next few days.

Lucas was fast but intentional with his movements. If his opponent dodged right, he followed them like a laser-guided missile.

She looked down at her program. His opponent’s name was Ron. She didn’t recall meeting him the night of the ball, but everything after she’d met Lucas had been kind of a blur.

Ron lunged forward with a straight kick, and Lucas dodged to the side, coming forward with a powerful jab to the ribcage, almost knocking Ron off of his feet. Ron staggered and then came at Lucas again, this time with a series of jabs and uppercuts. Lucas blocked each one, keeping Ron close. Close enough that within a split second, Lucas was on the offensive, thrusting with a powerful knee into Ron’s stomach and then swiping a crushing elbow into his face.

She remembered the Muay Thai demonstration Lucas had given her first day of class. This was like that times a thousand. Lucas was a force to be reckoned with.

Ron caught his footing and backed off, looking dazed, but Lucas gave him no quarter. He was quick and agile, cornering Ron with quick strikes that had him frustrated and not thinking clearly.

Unexpectedly, Ron leapt forward through a hail of punches and grabbed onto Lucas, probably trying to take him to the ground. They shuffled for position, and Lucas swept his leg under Ron’s, toppling him to the ground.

Surprisingly, Lucas backed off as Ron swung wildly, getting up from the ground. Lily remembered enough from training to know you should always take someone down to the ground when you have the upper hand, since it gives opportunity to pin your opponent and makes them waste energy. Instead, Lucas continued to stay out of Ron’s reach. He was far too fast for the alpha to catch and pin him.

Ron was enraged now, looking furious as he paced out of Lucas’s reach. Lucas studied him with cool indifference. Lily felt like her heart was trying to beat out of her chest.

Ron charged at Lucas again, hoping to grapple him to the floor. Lucas hit his face with a vicious open palm and sent him flying back across the ring, where Ron rolled to the ground.

After a short pause, Ron gave out an angry, frustrated shout and punched directly into the ground.

But instead of the sound of fist connecting with padded floor, there was a crack as Ron’s fist seemed to crack the very concrete beneath the ring. A small depression was left in the ground, and Ron stood up to face his competitor.

The entire crowd gasped at the sight. It wasn’t every day you saw someone punch the ground and leave a tiny crater. But looking at Lucas, Lily saw he didn’t move an inch. Didn’t flinch at all. Almost as if he’d expected it. She saw a small smile hiding in the corner of his mouth, cocky and self-assured.

“Holy shit, did you see that?” Tom asked Tim.

“Yeah. I can see why he didn’t try to fight Ron on the ground,” Tim replied.

“Why? I don’t really follow,” Lily asked, still watching the two men in the ring facing off.

“This guy has alpha strength. And pretty potent alpha strength from the looks of it,” Tim answered.

“The last thing you want to do with a raging bull is sit on it. Ground fighting would put him within reach of Ron’s strikes. Just imagine if that floor had been his face,” Tom agreed.

Lily cringed to think of that and silently prayed Lucas’s self-assurance wasn’t unfounded.

The two men watched each other a moment longer. Lucas had his arms up and readied for the next move, Ron panting and red with anger. For a split second, Lucas’s eyes raised to Lily. A flash of heat went through her that felt almost tangible. For a second, they were the only two people in the room.

But then he broke his gaze and raised a hand to Ron, motioning him forward. Time to end this.

Ron’s fuse went off. He rushed at Lucas, swinging wildly. Lucas sidestepped with almost supernatural speed and swung his fist into Ron’s face. Ron swung again, and once again, Lucas dodged and then punched him in the face. This went on for minutes, and it all seemed too good to be true.

Lucas was untouched, and his opponent was clearly starting to wear down from the continuous stream of punches.

Then Ron jumped ferociously at Lucas, and Lucas whirled with a spinning roundhouse kick that cracked across Ron’s jaw, sending him to the ground with a loud thud.

The crowd held its breath, waiting to see if Ron would get up. Lucas waited, not moving, still at the ready. Ron was still, then moved as the referee started his count. Ron shook his head, regained his composure, and stood again.

“Tough nut to crack,” Tim said under his breath.

Lily just wanted it to be over.

Both men were perspiring heavily, Ron much more so than Lucas. Ron was also covered in red marks and scattered cuts from Lucas’s skilled hits.

However, in an instant, the advantage shifted. Ron lunged at Lucas and Lucas dodged left. Normally, it wouldn’t have been a problem, but Lily watched as Lucas’s foot tripped on the uneven surface left by Ron’s earlier tantrum.

Though Lucas didn’t fall, he lost his balance and composure for a fraction of a second. In that second, Ron pressed his advantage. He struck Lucas hard, right in the ribs, and an awful cracking sound echoed throughout the arena.

Lily gasped, her heart dropping into her stomach as she watched Lucas knocked back into the fence around the ring.

Lucas pushed himself up and back onto his feet, but Lily could see his face wincing in pain and his left arm pressed to his side.

“Ouch, looks like Ron got lucky and broke a few ribs on that one,” Tim commented.

“Yeah, but Asher has some distance now, though. So it’s pretty even,” Tom replied.

“I wouldn’t call fighting with broken ribs necessarily even. But yeah, the fight will be over soon now,” Tim said apathetically.

Lily wasn’t sure who her cousin meant was going to win. All she knew was watching Lucas get hurt like that was breaking her inside.

She’d thought his ability to fight and his hard work and talent could overcome the obvious advantage that alpha powers gave some of the other contestants.

Now she wasn’t so sure. Was it safe for him to be here? She couldn’t stand if anything happened to him.

Ron was smiling now, walking leisurely toward Lucas with his guard up.

“Give up. You know I’ve won,” Ron called, his voice gravelly and hoarse. “You can’t fight like that.”

Lucas didn’t reply, just looked intently at his opponent, as if he were calculating something.

Ron took the lack of reply as an invitation to continue his taunting. “Look, we both know you’ve got at least several broken bones. Better to surrender now before I—”

Ron was interrupted as Lucas lunged at him like a panther pouncing on its prey. He came down hard with a hook across Ron’s face, knocking him to the side. Before Ron could recover, Lucas pulled him back and finished him with a powerful pivot punch that seemed to drive directly through Ron’s head. Ron staggered back, almost in slow motion it seemed to Lily, and then fell backward onto the mat with a tremendous thud.

Lucas stood over his opponent, watching intently as if waiting for him to get up.

But Ron didn’t move, and the referee called the count of ten and then declared Lucas the victor.

The crowd exploded with applause. Tim and Tom clapped and whistled, drawing dirty looks from the silent spectators in the VIP room, none of whom seemed happy with the outcome.

Lily’s heart was still pounding. If that punch had been to his head rather than his ribs, Lucas would have been killed. And this was only the first match. The opponents would only get stronger from here as fighters were eliminated. Lily let out a long sigh of frustration. They couldn’t do this again. She’d need to convince him to forfeit before it was too late.

L
ucas winced
as he sat down in the locker room and started to take off his wraps. His phone buzzed and he put it on speaker with a groan, knowing what was coming.

“What the hell were you doing out there?” Asher scolded, his voice crackling slightly over the speaker.

“I guess you saw a feed of the fight?”

“I have my ways,” Asher said. “So what the hell?”

“Matt’s notes said he had strength, so I trying to be careful and keep him at a distance.”

“Yeah,
careful
. Which obviously you weren’t being when you gave him a clear shot at your ribs,” Asher replied angrily.

“Hey, regulation mats don’t normally have
craters
in them,” Lucas retorted, getting angry as well. Mostly at himself for not having ended it sooner.

His injury would heal, but he couldn’t afford mistakes like that. Not if the upcoming fights were harder than this one, which was likely.

Lucas had fought many shifters before in the ring. It was a closely guarded secret that most of the world-class MMA fighters were in fact werewolves or other shifters. But they were usually rogue shifters, not alpha males. And he’d never fought someone with alpha strength before.

For now, Lucas was just relieved the match was over and once his ribs healed in a few hours, he’d be back to normal.

“Anyway, I’m fine,” he said. “I lost focus for a second, but it won’t happen again.”

“It better not,” Asher growled before hanging up.