Chapter 5

• IRA
• I let him savor his moment of perceived triumph for exactly three heartbeats. Then I struck back with the fury of a cornered wildcat.
• With swift retaliation that caught him completely off guard, I extended my legs toward his exposed neck. Using his own momentum, I flipped him over in a heart-pounding maneuver that seemed to defy physics.
• The crowd gasped as our positions reversed in the span of a single breath.
• Now I was the one on top, gripping his arm firmly behind his back.
• I applied steady pressure, feeling the joint strain under the force. He struggled beneath me, but my smaller size worked to my advantage here. I was harder to dislodge, more difficult to counter.
• The pressure increased until an audible snap echoed through the suddenly silent arena. There was no doubt that bones had been broken.
• My opponent's cry of pain cut through the evening air.
• For the final finishing move, I delivered a sharp kick to his head that sent him flying through the air.
• He landed in a crumpled heap several feet away, motionless except for the shallow rise of his chest.
• A stunned silence fell over the crowd for several heartbeats. Then the arena erupted into wild cheers that seemed to shake the very ground beneath our feet.
• Howls of approval mixed with shouts of amazement as the spectators processed what they'd just witnessed.
• Multiple broken ribs left my opponent completely out of commission. He'd need serious recovery time before he could even think about fighting again. Recognizing his inability to continue after being defeated so decisively, the coach promptly stopped the contest.
• I approached my fallen opponent with a triumphant smirk dancing on my lips. Gracefully, I crouched down to meet his level, bringing my face close to his ear. Then I threw his own words back at him with pure satisfaction.
• "Who's weak now?" I whispered, making sure only he could hear. "Looks like you seriously underestimated your opponent."
• His eyes blazed with humiliation, but he couldn't form words through his pain. The lesson had been delivered with clarity.
• Stepping outside the circle, I found a spot that gave me a good view of my surroundings. The crowd was still buzzing with excitement over my victory, but something else demanded my attention.
• A strange sensation prickled at the back of my neck, hinting at someone's steady gaze fixed on me from somewhere in the crowd.
• "You feel that too, right?" Tara's voice carried a note of unease.
• The sensation was like having a target painted on my back.
• With a mental shrug, I let her know I hadn't found anything significant. Whoever was watching me remained hidden among the sea of faces surrounding the arena.
• The competitions continued around me, but my attention kept drifting to that persistent feeling of being observed. It made my skin crawl.
• Then my thoughts drifted to my mate who remained nowhere to be found.
• Worry began eating at my thoughts, clawing its way through the uncertainty that had been building all day.
• "Where is he?" Tara was worried, voicing the very doubts that had been flooding my mind for hours. "You don't think something happened, do you?"
• The questions multiplied in my head rapidly. Was he safe? Would he still come, or had something prevented his arrival? The most terrifying possibility of all crept into my consciousness. Was he deliberately rejecting our destined connection?
• Doubts swirled through my mind like a raging storm. What if he had no interest in me? What if he'd taken one look at my small stature, my unremarkable appearance, and decided I wasn't worth his time?
• Could this somehow be related to my strange reaction earlier today? Had he witnessed my confusing response to that mysterious stranger from the Moon Wolves?
• The memory of that encounter still made my cheeks burn with embarrassment. It couldn't have been the same man though. Their scents were completely different.
• Then where could my mate be? Why hadn't he shown himself?
• "Easy there, kiddo," Tara's voice took on a soothing tone as she sensed my spiraling thoughts. "Don't go spinning out into a panic just yet. We don't know anything for certain. Why don't you take a breather? Let your mind settle before you drive yourself crazy with what-ifs."
• Her practical advice cut through the chaos in my head. She was right. Panicking wouldn't solve anything or bring my mate to me any faster.
• Seeking peace, I retreated into the sanctuary of the nearby woods. The forest had always been my refuge, the place where I could think most clearly.
• I settled under a majestic oak beside a peaceful river that wound through the heart of the woods. The gentle babble of water over stones provided a soothing soundtrack to my troubled thoughts.
• Time slipped away as I lost myself in contemplation. The sun sank lower, painting the sky in shades of orange that reflected off the river's surface. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the continued sounds of celebration, but they felt muted and unimportant.
• Suddenly, hurried footsteps shattered the stillness of my solitude. The sound of someone crashing through the underbrush broke into my momentary peace. Branches snapped under heavy boots, leaves rustled with urgent movement.
• I quickly turned around to face the intruder, my heart already beginning to race with anticipation.
• When my eyes found the source of the disturbance, my breath caught in my throat so suddenly that I nearly choked.
• There, emerging from between the trees like some vision from a dream, stood a man so captivating that he seemed to steal all coherence from my mind.
• His features were carved with the precision of a master sculptor. High cheekbones caught the fading light, while a strong jaw spoke of determination. Eyes like amber seemed to blaze right through to my soul, seeing parts of me I'd never shown anyone.
• A powerful frame radiated an almost tangible aura of strength that made the air around him seem to vibrate with energy.
• This was no ordinary man standing before me. He was the very embodiment of rugged, masculine perfection. Everything about him screamed power, confidence, dominance. My wolf practically purred with appreciation.
• Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning splitting the evening sky. That intoxicating scent I'd caught earlier, now unmistakable in its familiarity, wrapped around me like silk.
• This was him. My mate.
• "You..." I breathed with awe that I couldn't hide as a thousand questions raced through my mind, but none of them could find their way to my lips.
• He looked at me with an unreadable expression for a long moment. Those amber eyes seemed to catalog every detail of my appearance, from my windswept hair to my dirt-stained clothes from the competition. Then he offered the faintest of smiles that made my heart skip several beats in rapid succession.
• "I've been looking everywhere for you," his voice rumbled like velvet wrapped around steel, rich with undertones that made something deep in my chest flutter. "Sorry for being late, but I can assure you..."
• He took a step closer, close enough that his scent enveloped me completely. Close enough that I had to tilt my head back to maintain eye contact.
• "I'm very much worth the wait.”