In the Alpha’s Arms Novel

From Bad to Worse

When he hopped up to pummel his attacker, she would have breathed a sigh of relief if her lungs weren’t so frozen, but there was only so long she was going to go unnoticed in the swell of fighters. She knew that. The numbers were whittling down little by little, leaving more and more space between them all. Space for her to be seen

Now down in the thick of the fighting, she could see just how savage and raw it really was. She watched a man break someone’s nose and hold his head under the freezing water. Despite the man’s wild punching and kicking from below the surface, the fighter held firm. It only ended because broken–nose tapped out and that was one of the better endings. His sputtering, bloodied body was pulled up by the women on the edge and the winner grabbed

another man.

Other fights ended when one person went unconscious and in those instances, the men had to be pulled up with rope. Others ended when someone went under water and didn’t come up for air. Knockouts clearly relied on the mercy of their opponent to drag them out of the water and get them to the ropes. Most of the time, they didn’t help. Most of the time, they drowned. Those last ones made her gut wrench. She was crouching in that same water where they drowned. Were their bodies near her feet? Men she could have saved? Was she doomed to be killed herself?

Some part of her knew Chris wouldn’t let her off that easy. She recognized that glint in his eyes when he pulled her down. A look she recognized in Brian. One that said pain. Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Some part of her knew she wouldn’t really want to be above ground either, with those cruel men. Up there, she was a captive who was at their mercy. Up there she didn’t know the rules.

At least down here she had some power. She could fight. The rules were simple, win the fight, pick another opponent. She wasn’t sure how well she would hold up half–frozen but at least she had a chance. A shot. And maybe if she could slip away… if she could get to the border… if she could get to a phone or a car…

No, she wouldn’t worry about escape now. This was the time for survival. A low whine sounded deep in her mind, faint, but growing closer.

Nyx?

Fm here, Lita, she replied.

But her voice was soft, far away, but getting stronger. Even as weak as she sounded, Lita could have cried from relief. Her wolf wasn’t gone, she was just suppressed. Likely the same way her mother used to do it. Someone must have slipped something in her drink at the bar. The bartender? That creepy guy that was hitting on her?

And this time, she surmised, it had been given at a dose high enough to make the suppression permanent. Maxim was likely counting on it, likely built her captivity around her not having full strength. He obviously doubted how strong Nyx was. And knowing she would be whole again soon gave Lita burst of energy. She could do this. She could survive and get back to her new pack, get back to Cole.

A hand gripped her arm roughly, pulling her out of her thoughts as she splashed into the water. She only went down for a second before she popped back up for air, arms already pulled into a fighting stance.

He sneered, “I thought I saw fresh meat get

it get tossed in. Lucky me…