Read Online Bear in the Rough: Bear Shifter Romance (Broken Hill Bears Book 1) by Ariana Hawkes - Free Book Online

the round remained. Xander shook his head, as if trying to clear it, or shake off the pain, and Troy dove at him again, driving his fist into his jaw. Xander went down hard. The bell rang and, along with everyone else in the ringside seats, Freya leapt to her feet, her hand clapped over her mouth. Xander pulled himself up, and sighs of relief echoed around the room. He walked a little unsteadily over to his corner and sat down heavily on the small chair that had been put out for him. Blood streamed all over his face, and Freya’s stomach lurched at the sight of it. She watched anxiously as one of his team applied tape across his nose, someone else poured water into his mouth through a spout, and a third guy talked urgently into his ear while pounding his fist into his palm. Meanwhile, two very tall, very lithe women catapulted themselves into the ring and paraded around with cards bearing the number five, held up high. Freya curled her lip in instinctive hatred for the way the women dressed up like bimbos in skimpy bikinis. But on a second glance, she noticed that they had bulging muscles too, and the expression on their faces was anything but bimbo-ish. They looked fierce, like they could tear a man apart. Are they half-bear too? she wondered.
    Too soon, the bell rang. Xander’s team tried to help him to his feet, but he shook them off with a roar and bounded across the ring. Troy swaggered up to meet him, but he wasn’t prepared for Xander’s onslaught and Xander landed him a right hook followed by an uppercut that sent him sprawling against the ropes with so much force that he fell right through them, over the edge of the platform, and crashed to the ground in front of the audiences’ feet. Freya didn’t see him land as he was on the far side, but there was no mistaking the mocking laughter that followed. His opponent had humiliated him. Xander didn’t celebrate though; he stood in the center of the ring, hands loosely bunched into fists, and calmly waited for him. Freya glowed with pride for this fighter who she’d only heard of half an hour ago. There was something about him; something calm and dignified. Animal though he was, he seemed almost regal.
    Troy hauled himself up onto the platform and vaulted into ring. And then he became a whirlwind of fury, aiming kicks and punches and head-butts wildly, his face contorted with hatred. They ended round five both on their feet, then round six, seven and eight. By the start of round nine, both men were covered in bruises and gashes and bleeding heavily from cuts on their faces. One of Troy’s eyes was swollen and half shut, while Xander had a black bruise under his eye from his smashed nose.
    The bell rang and both of them went in hard. For a while it was a pure show of strength, fists pounding on flesh, and Troy was being pushed backward, against the ropes. Xander seemed confused; Freya saw his brow furrow. Was Troy giving in too easy? Too late, he realized it was a trick. As Troy fell back into a corner, he used his arms to support himself while he brought both legs up in a powerful kick. He connected with Xander’s jaw, sending him spinning across the ring, and crashing down onto his back. Freya expected him to get up right away, but he didn’t. He lay spread-eagled. Troy paced in front of him and gave a howl of victory. The referee began the count. Ten seconds. By three, Xander hadn’t moved at all. By five, he lifted his head, but his body seemed to be paralyzed. At seven, he struggled to get up, but collapsed down again. Freya’s hands clenched the arms of her seat so hard that her muscles cramped. Every single fiber of her being was focused on Xander.
    “Get up, Xander! You can do it!” she screamed, far louder than she’d intended. In fact, she hadn’t planned on shouting at all. It was as if the voice had come out of her, completely outside of her control.
    Suddenly, in a single movement, Xander pulled himself up into a standing position, like a giant