Page 77 of How to Escape With Your Criminal Mate
Marlow clicks his tongue disapprovingly from behind me. “You went down easy, didn’t you? St. Bane would be so disappointed.”
The brother growls low in his throat as he pushes himself up off the ground, his hands digging into the dirt for leverage. Before he can fully regain his footing, I step forward and deliver a swift kick to his chest, sending him tumbling back down. Will he stay down this time?
A whistle pierces the cacophony of the crowd. Marlow and I whip our heads toward the source of the sound at the edge of the arena.
Across the fighting pit, the larger Stanley brother looks massive compared to the small figure clutched tightly in his hands. Iggy. He thrashes, wings beating furiously as he tries to escape.
As soon as I take a step in their direction, the brother shakes the gargoyle in his fist. "Back off!" he snarls. "Or the little monster gets it!"
The sight may be awful, but Marlow doesn’t look worried, so I’m not either. His lips curl into a smirk. My mate and I stand our ground.
Uncertainty flickers across the brother's face.
Iggy gets a hand free and stops struggling. Draws himself up with remarkable dignity for a six-inch creature. "I'm a gargoyle," he announces primly. "Not a monster."
Before the brother can react, Iggy bashes him, one sharp blow to the top of his head, and the massive wolf crumples.
I turn my attention back to the Stanley brother on the ground before me. “Yield now, or everyone will watch the weakest Blackwood keep kicking your ass.”
A flicker of resentment crosses his face, but he nods curtly. Not the most enthusiastic surrender, but I’ll take it.
We did it. We won.
The moment Adelaide steps forward to announce our victory, pandemonium erupts around us. The crowd cheers and applauds, and people rush forward to take our picture and congratulate us. The best part is knowing those pictures will capture the new marks on our shirtless chests.
Wolves typically bite each other to form a mating bond, but we did things a bit differently because of Marlow. Close to the horns near his heart that represent Iggy is a new tattoo, a paw print. I have two new tattoos, my first and only ones, in the same spot where Marlow has my mark. Two pairs of horns, one larger and one smaller, for Marlow and Iggy. Mixed with a little magic and our commitment to each other, the marks connect us permanently as mates.
“Congrats, Wynn! If anyone asks, I always knew you could do it.” Adelaide claps me on the back so hard I may bruise, she's so excited, and she even manages a curt nod in Marlow's direction. Progress.
Fighting’s never been my thing. I’ve always preferred the quiet solitude of the forest, the thrill of the hunt, the challenge of tracking prey. But today was different.
Maybe it was because I finally had something to fightfor, someone worth protecting. Or maybe it was because I wasn’t alone. Marlow and Iggy had my back and I had theirs.
Marlow throws an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "We make a pretty good team, huh, sweetheart?" he murmurs.
I grin, the tension of the fight slowly draining away. He’s right. We make an incredible team, and we’re just getting started.
