Water's Mark - Cancer
Page 11
His death would still be my fault.
She hung her head, bowing her shoulders. Stop this madness and make him choose another. Straightening, she spun on her heel and marched straight to the arena, the crowd parting again for her. “I fear you don’t grasp this process, centaur.”
“Oh, aye.” He folded his brawny arms across his chest and jerked his chin toward a corpse in the field. “I saw a demonstration earlier.”
She perched her hands on her hips. What was his game? “No one challenges me,” she edged closer, “because they don’t win. Do you understand? Hmm? No one has bested me in decades. Choose another and save yourself.”
“Mmm.” He rubbed the side of his neck. “When I win, I’m permitted to bed that female, correct?”
“Yes.” She fought against rolling her eyes. “You must prove yourself worthy of breeding an Amazon, that your offspring would make a great warrior for either of our clans.”
He leaned forward and purred against her ear, “Well then, lass, it’s you I choose.”
Kleo clenched her hands. Now, she wanted to kill him, just to wipe the wickedly confident smirk off his handsome face. She waved for a weapon. “Fine. Enjoy your last breaths.”
“Oh, I have an inkling we’ll both be doing a lot more than breathing soon enough.”
Ugh. Males.
One of the warriors handed her a pair of light blades. She sliced them through the air and assessed her opponent. “What weapon will you choose?”
His warm stare passed over the generous selection piled in one corner before settling atop her once more. “None.”
His arrogance would soon mean his end. Kleo blinked in resignation. He was massive and solid, but no more so than other opponents she’d faced. And bested. Hundreds of times.
“Send my best to Hades.” She charged forward, slashing her knives. In his human form, Arctus dodged her blows, more nimble than she’d anticipated for his large frame. Reassessing, she spun about, bracing for his attack, but he simply stood, awaiting her.
A trick?
“Forgive me, but you’ll have to send another messenger.” He cast her a broad, easy grin. “I’m nowhere near surrender.”
“Fight me,” she grated between gritted teeth, charging forward again. This time, he seized her blades in his paw-like hands, holding firm though they cut through his flesh, crimson pooling around the edges. She gasped as he pulled her toward him, not even a wince in his features.
“Will you not fight for your freedom?” she snapped.
“What the bloody hell do you think I’m doing,” he ground, and there, a crinkling in the corners of his eyes. A hint of pain. “You’re the only one who can help me save my people.”
She froze. He was serious.
Deathly so.
Before she could respond, he kicked his leg out and toppled her. Omph! Her bottom met the ground, her head thwacking against the soft earth. She gaped upward, gawking at the enormous male posed above her.
“Does this count as besting?” His quirked brow was raised toward Ainia, but she didn’t answer. Around them, the entire crowd had gone silent.
Somehow, this male had beaten her.
But oh, the fight wasn’t finished yet.
Find out more at www.rachaelslate.com.
Thank you for reading this Zodiac Shifters romance.
A shifter’s mate is in the stars… Welcome to Zodiac Shifters, a collection of books with an astrological spin on love. From Aries to Virgo… discover all-new tales of paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Zodiac Shifters features New York Times, USA Today, and other bestselling authors. Each month expect new releases based upon the twelve astrology signs. Happily Ever After… it’s our promise to you.
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Preview of Cursed in Love
Here’s a sneak peek at the next Zodiac Shifters release
Cursed in Love by Bethany Shaw
Guardian Ethney Wallace’s job is to eradicate the lycanthrope threat before they can feast on the unsuspecting humans in Savannah. Gifted with the ability to turn into a mermaid, she fights alongside the other eleven guardians. It’s not an easy job, but it’s one she enjoys, at least until innocent children get hurt. On a solo mission gone wrong, she is rescued by Noah, a stunning stranger who has been infected by the lycanthrope. He and his young niece need her help, but she’s been down this road before and it has never ended well.
Noah Hawthorne and his niece, Claire, survived a brutal lycanthrope attack, but they didn’t come away completely unscathed. Both of them were bitten and now risk becoming the very monsters that murdered their family. With the full moon two weeks away they are in a race against time to stop the mutation from spreading within them. Together he and Ethney search for a cure, which brings the two of them closer together and it makes it harder to resist the budding attraction between them. A romance between them can never be. Ethney is honor bound to destroy all lycanthrope and if they fail in finding a cure she will have to destroy him.
Find out more at Cursed in Love.