Jonston spat on the ground. Clearly, he was eager to get going. However, one of the referees jogged over and pulled the vampires aside, speaking to them in a low voice. Kavan waited.
The ring they were fighting in was open, the circle hard-packed earth and the outside of that grass. Bleachers rose on two sides, their scant audience sprinkled over them. Valerie sat with her parents, twisting her hands together and looking very anxious. Kavan flashed her a brilliant smile. They had agreed ahead of time if it ended up being too much for her to watch, all she had to do was give the signal and he would forfeit.
Carter started arguing with the referee, but the man shook his head, looking stern, and pointed at Kavan. Grimacing, Carter stomped over and gave a careless shrug.
“Apparently the wording of our agreement is up to interpretation when it comes to the method of our fighting.”
Kavan frowned. He had thought it was iron-clad. Wasn’t that what the lawyers said?
“Instead of fighting us both at once, the refs are saying that you fight one of us and then the other. This is going to take longer than I thought.” Carter shot the refs a glare again. “I didn’t think that was the part we were going to quibble about, but I guess we don’t really have a choice.”
“So, I’ll be fighting you one at a time.” He glanced at Jonston, who likewise scowled. Kavan had to laugh. “What, are you guys afraid that you can’t take me on your own?”
Jonston snarled under his breath. “I’ll be late for… something.”
“Late for your brains to be delivered!” Camille suddenly shouted from the stands.
All three of them turned to look at her. Valerie tugged her arm, and she sat, still looking angry.
“What’s up with her?” Carter asked, arching a brow.
Kavan shrugged. “Guess she just doesn’t like you treating her best friend like a commodity.”
“And it’s different from you, how?” Jonston sneered.
The refs came back over and directed one of the vampires to go stand with their female spectators. Carter clapped Jonston on the back, whispered something in his ear, and left the circle. The referees went over the rules one last time, then they, too, retreated. Jonston and Kavan faced off with each other. Kavan’s wolf paced in his chest, wanting to be free to fight this battle itself. Kavan held it in.
No shifting. If he did, he’d immediately lose.
Jonston’s whole body vibrated with repressed energy. As soon as they were told they could attack, he charged at Kavan. Kavan sprang out of his way, but Jonston was expecting that. He turned on a dime, his foot flying out. It collided with Kavan’s chest, sending him several feet backward. He landed with a hard thump, the wind knocked out of him. Vaguely, he heard reactions from the crowd and Jonston’s jeering taunts.
Three seconds.
He leapt to his feet again, stumbling a little as his lungs still didn’t want to draw breath properly. It took a great deal of concentration to keep himself upright. Luckily for him, Jonston seemed more interested in showing off than he did winning quickly because he spent another few moments flexing his muscles at the women in the stands and blowing a kiss to Camille before turning back to Kavan.
By that time, Kavan had recovered himself. He was a little more cautious with Jonston this time. They circled one another, looking for weaknesses, feinting this way and that. There was a hard edge to Jonston’s look as if he was fighting for something besides the obvious.
“What’s the matter, did I wound your pride when I pummeled you last year?” Kavan taunted. “You shouldn’t have been talking about my mate like that.”
“You don’t know anything about me,” Jonston snapped back.
He charged once more. This time, Kavan knew what to expect. He feigned a dodge, and Jonston went to make the same move—amateur mistake. Kavan braced himself, lowering his body and lunging at just the right moment. His shoulder caught Jonston hard in the stomach and he lifted him, tossing him to the ground. While Jonston tried to grapple with him, Kavan threw his head forward. His nose cracked against Jonston’s face.
Kavan felt the bone break as a rush filled his head. It forced him to release his hold on the vampire. Jonston clutched at his face, rolling. Kavan leapt on him while his wolf howled and slammed his elbow down into Jonston’s back. The vampire reached to grab him. Kavan got his arm in a lock and swung his whole body over. He dragged Jonston with him, the arm at an odd angle. There was a popping noise, a crunch, and Jonston gave a blood-curdling cry.
When Kavan rolled back to his feet, Jonston lay there, his shoulder dislocated. He tried struggling to his feet, but Kavan kicked him in his injured shoulder and he fell back down.
“Enough!” Carter shouted from the stands.
Kavan backed off as Jonston fell back and lay still. Carter rushed to his partner, bending over him. The referees joined them, expressions annoyed. Kavan instantly knew he’d gone too far. He bit back a curse as Carter helped Jonston to his feet and the referees declared it an illegal hit; the first round went to the vampires.
But I bet if the tables were turned, it would have been called fair’s fair, he thought bitterly as he watched Carter pull Jonston off to the stands. The women there instantly fawned over him, starting to take care of his injuries. Jonston, though, looked more than upset. He looked almost… defeated. There was anger in his eyes but a look of frustration and disappointment, too.
When Carter strode back onto the field, he looked anything but. His whole frame was tense, and he glowered at Kavan as though it was his fault that Jonston was a lousy fighter. Like Jonston, he charged as soon as the referees gave the signal.
He was faster than Jonston was, though. Kavan was barely able to block the first blow. Carter fought like a man possessed, slowly but surely forcing Kavan back step by step. While Jonston had tried fancy moves to show off, Carter was all about sheer determination. Kavan fended him off, not finding any openings for an attack himself.
After what seemed like hours of this, the referees called for a break. Kavan panted hotly as he made his way to Valerie. He collapsed next to her and accepted the water Camille offered him.
“He’s quick,” Valerie’s father mentioned. “Reminds me of my old drill sergeant back when I first joined up. Looks like him, too. You say he’s a vampire?”
Kavan nodded, mopping the sweat from his brow.
“I wonder…”
Valerie crouched next to Kavan, worry in her eyes. “You can forfeit. If you win this, it just means you’ll have to fight them again. Carter wants to hurt you; I can see it. Just look at him. He’s angry at how fast you defeated Jonston or how you hurt him, I don’t know.”
“Do you want me to forfeit?”
“Yes.”
“Do you need me to?”
Valerie sighed.
Kavan considered a moment, then shook his head. “I know that these aren’t life and death stakes. I know that if the worst happens, it’s just a single date with them. But I don’t want to give up. Call it the wolf in me.” His wolf’s tail swished as he took Valerie’s hand in his. “I need to protect my mate.”
“Can’t you protect me by not fighting?” she asked, but he already knew she was going to let him go back in there. She wasn’t shaken enough to demand he not, and he wasn’t beaten enough to let her.
The referees called the contestants back into the ring. Kavan braced himself as Carter came at him; he lifted his arm to block a punch at his face, and Carter seized his wrist. Kavan tried to twist out of his grasp, a sickening feeling in his stomach. He knew what was going to happen before Carter turned his body, bracing his side against Kavan’s, and gave a mighty yank.
Pain blinded him and he screamed as his shoulder dislocated. He was slammed into the ground and a fist crashed into his face, breaking his nose. He heard Valerie screaming something and knew what it meant.
Kavan flipped over, wrapping his good arm around his neck and calling out one word. “Forfeit!”
Carter snarled but ba
cked off. The refs were there in an instant, checking Kavan over to make sure he wasn’t too beaten up. Camille and Valerie were there, too, and Valerie wrapped her arms around him, kissing him over and over again.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourselves,” Camille screeched. “What was the point of this? So you got to beat somebody up? You are awful, horrible, violent men. You are nothing and deserve nothing! If this was a just world, all your possessions would be taken away and—”
“Save it for the bedroom, sweetheart,” Jonston interrupted coldly.
Camille gaped at him. He winked and she backed up a step, looking somewhere between affronted and afraid.
With Valerie’s help, Kavan got to his feet. He ached all over, and his shoulder felt like branding irons were being shoved into it. The pain was excruciating but not as bad as his humiliation. The first fight he would have won if it wasn’t for the refs calling his final hit a bad shot. But this? He’d been taken down so easily! Kavan couldn’t remember the last time someone had beaten him so easily.
“You know,” Valerie’s father mused, “I think he might be my drill sergeant after all. He always had a vicious streak.”
Carter glanced him over and shrugged. “Could be. I was in the army for a bit, until they figured out I was a vamp. Which is more shame for them, because I’ve seen a few wars. Coulda given them a lot.” He focused on Valerie now, who gave him a look of pure loathing. “We’ll pick you up at eight. That ought to be enough time to baby your wounded hero and still get all dressed up for us.”
“You son of a bitch,” Valerie shrieked. “If you think I’m going to go out with you—”
“You have to. It’s in the rules,” Carter stated. He walked away, Jonston following after. The women they’d brought stayed behind, looking at each other nervously before leaving by another exit.
“Let’s go home,” Kavan said as Valerie started to hiss and mutter furiously. Even though his wolf snarled, he tried to smile for her sake. “I could use some babying, after all.”
***
Carter and Jonston both walked her to the door, which was something she had not expected. The night had been more civil than she’d expected. Just as Kavan had predicted, they had taken her to an overly fancy restaurant, full of the expensive dishes that were honestly exquisite. Valerie was surprised that they were as civil as they were, although Carter did have to tell Jonston to back off a couple of times.
Now that the night was over, Valerie was actually grateful that this was all it took. She hated admitting that she had a good time, but Carter was perfectly charming, and when he tried to be, so could Jonston. Now, they each kissed the back of her hand.
“I could have gotten you out of that dress if Carter hadn’t been holding me back,” Jonston assured her. “But, oh well. Guess you can’t win them all, eh? You were a very charming guest tonight. Wish we had more time with you.”
“Yeah, well, one date is all you get,” Valerie responded. She glanced at the street; Kavan had been at the restaurant, too, sitting several tables away, but she had lost sight of his taxi on the drive back here.
Carter leaned against the doorjamb. “Don’t suppose you’d reconsider your stance on that bill?”
“Not on your life,” Valerie shot back.
“Why’s that?”
“Because you’re rich enough without having to cheat people. It would take years for you to spend one-tenth of your fortunes. What do you need more money for?”
Carter shrugged carelessly. “Guess you could say it’s an addiction. Why settle for a hundred when you could have two hundred? Or two hundred billion? Maybe I just want to buy the world. All us vampires want is to take over the planet, right?”
Valerie snorted. “Whatever you say. Now, I know I’m supposed to thank you for a lovely evening, but as I was essentially your prisoner tonight, I won’t be thanking you for anything.”
“Not even this?” Valerie glanced at the flash drive in Carter’s hand and glanced back up, confused. He smiled, pressing it into her hand. “All the information we gathered on you and your mate. It’s the only copy, so you don’t have to worry about us coming back for more.”
“Oh.” Valerie slipped it into her purse. “I suppose… that does warrant a thank you. So, thank you.”
“Does it warrant a kiss?” Jonston asked with a wink.
“Not on your life.”
Jonston sighed. “Ah, well. Maybe that curvy beauty that was with you… What was her name? Camille? Maybe she’d be up for a vampire sandwich.”
A cab pulled up and Kavan hopped out. Valerie was glad for his timely arrival because she wasn’t sure that what she was about to say in response to Jonston’s comment would do anything but plunge them back into a hell of a lot of trouble. Kavan jogged up the walk and pushed between the vampires. He put his arm around Valerie, and she leaned against him.
“You drive like a lunatic,” he snarled at Jonston.
Jonston’s grin flashed fangs. “How else were we supposed to lose you?”
Kavan snorted. He unlocked the door and ushered Valerie inside without another word. The vampires laughed and headed away.
“I was fine, you know,” Valerie told her mate, half exasperated, half amused. And very, very fully loving the way he put his arms protectively around her. She inhaled his scent as she leaned into his embrace.
“They didn’t try anything funny, did they?” He looked over her as though he expected to find torn dress straps.
“No.” Valerie put her hand on his chest and gave him a gentle nudge away. “I’m perfectly fine. They were actually… gentlemen. And I don’t care about why. I suspect that they were trying to butter me up because of that bill they want passed. The important thing is that you don’t have to worry about anything. Understood?”
Kavan ran his hands over her, checking for scrapes maybe, then nodded. He let out a relieved breath and guided her to the bedroom, where he helped her out of her dress. They went about their bedtime routine and were soon enough laying cuddled together in bed. Valerie leaned her head against his chest, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart.
“They gave me a flash drive,” she said, suddenly remembering. “Carter said it was everything they had and the only copy. I don’t think they’re going to come after us again.”
Kavan grunted. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this was just some bet of theirs.”
Valerie rose a brow, questioning.
“They’re famous for their bets,” Kavan continued, noting her expression. “Both of them. I don’t know everything, but there were a few jobs that we pulled just because they bet we couldn’t do it and gave Lancaster a couple million just to see if we could. They’re shady characters, Val. Although I suppose they’ve managed to stay out of the spotlight quite a bit. Bet you they don’t contact us again, though. They’ve had their fun.”
“Well, we can at least check to see if they’ve made copies of the information on the flash drive. With any luck…” She trailed off into a yawn. She had been very tired lately, and that wasn’t just because of all the excitement. A secret grin crossed her face as she cuddled even closer to her mate. “With any luck, from here on out all we have to think about is the wedding and everything that comes with it.”
“Yeah.” She could hear the smile in Kavan’s voice. “It’s funny, isn’t it? How quickly life can change. I never expected to find my mate and yet, here we are. You and me. Just the two of us.”
Valerie giggled as she pressed her face into his chest. “Well, maybe not just the two of us.”
“Valerie,” Kavan teased, “don’t tell me you’re bringing a third person to this bed.”
“No, we’ve already done that. I mean, we’ve made a third person. In this bed.” She took his hand and pressed it to her stomach. “A little wolf-to-be.”
Kavan blinked rapidly. “You’re—"
“Yeah.”
A huge smile burst over Kavan’s face. He pulled her closer, peppering her with kisses, and s
he returned them all. One for each beat of her heart.
*****
THE END
Hopefully, you enjoyed reading my book as much as I did writing.
Continue reading the ‘Shifter Dating Service’ Series and grab your copy of Sold to her Enemies (Book 5).
Thank You!
Thank you so much for reading ‘The Shifter’s Fake Fiancé’!
Hopefully, you enjoyed reading my book as much as I did writing.
I would appreciate if you’d be willing to share a review that allows me to continuously improve my books and motivates me to keep writing.
Also a big thank you to my husband and my son. Your support means the world to me!
P.S. Stay tuned, there are more books in the Dating Shifter Service series to follow:
Accidentally married to a Dragon (Prequel, visit my Author Page)
The Wolf’s Surprise Babies (Book 1)
Between Good and Evil (Book 2)
In Bed with the Vampire (Book 3)
The Shifter’s Fake Fiancé (Book 4)
Sold to her Enemies (Book 5)
Paranormal Friends with Benefits (Book 6)
Make sure to visit my Amazon Author Page to check their availability.
Also by Jasmine Wylder
Separated by Time
The Complete Series (Book 1 - 8)
Dragon Secrets
The Complete Series (Book 1 - 5)
Fated Bears
The Complete Series (Book 1 - 5)
Rocky Mountain Shifters
The Complete Series (Book 1 - 4)
Savage Brotherhood MC
Tornado (Book 1)
Blizzard (Book 2)
Thunder (Book 3)
Hurricane (Book 4)
Typhoon (Book 5)
Twister (Book 6,)
Cyclone (Book 7)
Storm (Book 8)
Bound by Fate
The Vampire's Bride Awakening (Book 1)
The Shifter's Fake Fiancé Page 18
