Free Claiming His Chance by Ellis Leigh Page B

first hit came as a surprise. I barely stepped out of the way in time, his glove brushing my chin as I leaned back. A glancing blow, but still…contact. I snarled in response and brought my hands higher.
    That cocky grin of his grew. “Told you not to drop your guard.”
    We sparred for a few minutes, both of us dancing around the other, neither landing any good punches. Not that I thought that was the goal of the exercise. Hopefully the rest of the guys in the gym didn’t see anything unusual.
    “She hates it here,” Piers whispered as we circled closer. “She hates the violence.”
    I nodded once, jabbing with my right. “I’m not a fan of it myself.”
    “Really? That’s surprising. You seem to know your way around a fight.”
    “Knowing how to fight is a requirement in this life. Doesn’t mean I have the heart to beat other shifters to a pulp for no reason.”
    He threw a solid punch, catching my forearm as I blocked. “Money’s a reason. Fame.”
    “I’d rather have peace. I’ve seen enough violence for this life. Besides, it’s too fucking loud here. My wolf can’t settle in this place.”
    He stopped, feet planted and arms dropped as he huffed a laugh. “Your fates don’t fuck around when they pair people up, do they?”
    Before I could ask what he meant, another fighter stepped to the edge of the ring. “Yo, Piers. Where’s your eye candy?”
    My growl was low and quiet but enough of a warning for the guy’s eyes to widen. Piers spun in the direction of the interrupter. His shoulders tensed, fists clenched and ready to fight, but then he fell back a step. Eyes hard but that damned cocky grin back on his face.
    “Sorry, man,” he said, shaking out his arms. “She’s back in our room recovering from last night.”
    “Get her ass up next time. We need our morning dose of tits and ass.” The man laughed before walking off to join a group of shifters at the other end of the room. Piers’ grin had fallen, a sickly smile left in its place as he glared after the shifter.
    “Fucking place makes everyone a ball of testosterone,” Piers grumbled, ducking low again.
    I kept my eyes on Piers, biting back the instinct to defend my mate. Knowing now was not the time. But still…
    “That’s just an excuse, asshole.” I edged closer, eyesight sharp and animalistic. Piers zeroed in on me, responding to the anger in my voice. Smart boy… I was about to teach him a lesson, and he knew it.
    He dropped to a crouch, ready to go again. I stayed loose and watchful. I needed one spot, one moment of…and then, there it was. An opening. Piers took a single step back, dropping his eyes to my right shoulder. I swung hard and wide with my left, knocking him in the side of the head. The bones in my hand crunched in a sickly way, but it didn’t matter. Piers fell like a brick to the floor of the ring.
    I leaned over his prone body, offering a hand, pretending to help him up. When I had him in a sitting position, I yanked him forward to speak directly into his ear so the others wouldn’t hear me.
    “You ever let these fuckers talk about her like a piece of meat again, and I’ll rip your fucking arms off.”
    Piers stared, eyes wide. I glared right back, letting him know how serious my threat was. I didn’t like the way other men were allowed to leer at her, to undress her with their eyes, or to talk about her. It made Trinity into an object, which wasn’t acceptable. I especially didn’t like Piers laughing off their sexist remarks.
    After a moment to catch his breath, Piers smiled and shook his head, taking my hand and letting me pull him up. “Yeah, those fates don’t fuck around with you wolves. You two really are a perfect match.”
    I didn’t reply, too wound up after what that other guy had said to deal with this shit. I needed my mate, wanted to be sure she was safe. Sparring was over, and luckily, Piers knew it.
    “She’s out in the woods by the river,” he whispered, heading for his water