started to close.
“Neither will I, G-man, so we’re going to
have to beat the shit out of each other to find out who wins,” Beau
replied. “Tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Tomorrow,” Geir agreed, fading into
the grayness that waited for him.
The next morning, Geir woke before his rival
and left the living room. He stopped in his own room for a shower
and a change of clothes, then headed out to find Jacki. The
challenge would have to be settled before they could move on. Until
the mate challenge was over, nothing else could proceed for either
of the two men involved.
Ideally, Jacki could stop the challenge
fight by simply stating her preference, but she was nowhere to be
found. Neither was the High Priestess. Geir had looked in on Tom
and found his condition unchanged. After that, Geir had made a
quick search of the house and premises and couldn’t locate either
of the women.
He decided to go to the dojo and warm up
before facing his rival. Geir wasn’t foolish enough to
underestimate his opponent. Beau was an experienced, professional
soldier, who had years of combat experience. He would not be easily
defeated. At least Geir hoped he would put up a damn good fight.
Geir wanted a chance to pummel something—preferably Beau’s face—to
help work out some of his frustration with the entire
situation.
Why couldn’t something in his life go
easily, just for once? Why must every last thing be a struggle?
Something as profound and important as mating shouldn’t be left up
to chance—or the bloody battle that was about to ensue between two
pretty evenly matched tiger shifters. The claws would be out and no
holds barred.
Geir stretched his muscles, warming up in
the dojo. He would be ready when Beau appeared. Wearing only the
loose, but stretchy shorts he habitually trained in, Geir was as
prepared as he was going to be when the door to the dojo opened and
shut. Beau emerged out of the darkness by the doorway, dressed
similarly. The brief outfit would allow them to change into the
painful half-human, half-tiger battle form, or simply remain human.
They could even go completely tiger and the shorts would probably
go with them.
In the old days, these sorts of challenges
were often done in the nude, but modern fabrics had allowed
shifters at least some protection for their private parts when
fighting on two legs. Their human skin was their most vulnerable
form, and it was smart to protect the most vulnerable areas a
little when they could.
“Have you seen her yet today?” Beau asked,
his voice low, laced with rage as he stalked forward.
“No. She and the High Priestess were gone
when I woke,” Geir answered.
“Then I guess we do this. I won’t give up my
claim to her,” Beau nearly growled the words, and Geir felt the
same way.
Geir studied his opponent. Beau’s tiger was
much closer to the surface than most. It would lend him its great
strength even while in human form. This would be quite a
battle.
Geir wasn’t so conceited as to think that
merely because he had earned the title of Master, that he could not
be defeated. It was a teaching of his order that there was always
someone or something cleverer than yourself. Conceit was the
predecessor to defeat.
“I won’t give her up either,” Geir said
firmly, standing opposite Beau on the matted floor.
The barn was huge and had been specially
designed with a large, open, center area that was lined with mats,
for just this purpose. A class of twenty would fit in the space
comfortably. It would be more than adequate for a battle between
two warriors.
There was no order to begin. There was no
ritual bow. No words of commencement.
No, this was a battle of the oldest and most
sacred kind. There were no real rules, except that each fighter
follow his heart. If his heart demanded he fight for his mate, then
he would do so to the best of his ability, using all his gifts and
skills. If, however, his heart wasn’t really interested in the
woman in question, such
“Neither will I, G-man, so we’re going to
have to beat the shit out of each other to find out who wins,” Beau
replied. “Tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Tomorrow,” Geir agreed, fading into
the grayness that waited for him.
The next morning, Geir woke before his rival
and left the living room. He stopped in his own room for a shower
and a change of clothes, then headed out to find Jacki. The
challenge would have to be settled before they could move on. Until
the mate challenge was over, nothing else could proceed for either
of the two men involved.
Ideally, Jacki could stop the challenge
fight by simply stating her preference, but she was nowhere to be
found. Neither was the High Priestess. Geir had looked in on Tom
and found his condition unchanged. After that, Geir had made a
quick search of the house and premises and couldn’t locate either
of the women.
He decided to go to the dojo and warm up
before facing his rival. Geir wasn’t foolish enough to
underestimate his opponent. Beau was an experienced, professional
soldier, who had years of combat experience. He would not be easily
defeated. At least Geir hoped he would put up a damn good fight.
Geir wanted a chance to pummel something—preferably Beau’s face—to
help work out some of his frustration with the entire
situation.
Why couldn’t something in his life go
easily, just for once? Why must every last thing be a struggle?
Something as profound and important as mating shouldn’t be left up
to chance—or the bloody battle that was about to ensue between two
pretty evenly matched tiger shifters. The claws would be out and no
holds barred.
Geir stretched his muscles, warming up in
the dojo. He would be ready when Beau appeared. Wearing only the
loose, but stretchy shorts he habitually trained in, Geir was as
prepared as he was going to be when the door to the dojo opened and
shut. Beau emerged out of the darkness by the doorway, dressed
similarly. The brief outfit would allow them to change into the
painful half-human, half-tiger battle form, or simply remain human.
They could even go completely tiger and the shorts would probably
go with them.
In the old days, these sorts of challenges
were often done in the nude, but modern fabrics had allowed
shifters at least some protection for their private parts when
fighting on two legs. Their human skin was their most vulnerable
form, and it was smart to protect the most vulnerable areas a
little when they could.
“Have you seen her yet today?” Beau asked,
his voice low, laced with rage as he stalked forward.
“No. She and the High Priestess were gone
when I woke,” Geir answered.
“Then I guess we do this. I won’t give up my
claim to her,” Beau nearly growled the words, and Geir felt the
same way.
Geir studied his opponent. Beau’s tiger was
much closer to the surface than most. It would lend him its great
strength even while in human form. This would be quite a
battle.
Geir wasn’t so conceited as to think that
merely because he had earned the title of Master, that he could not
be defeated. It was a teaching of his order that there was always
someone or something cleverer than yourself. Conceit was the
predecessor to defeat.
“I won’t give her up either,” Geir said
firmly, standing opposite Beau on the matted floor.
The barn was huge and had been specially
designed with a large, open, center area that was lined with mats,
for just this purpose. A class of twenty would fit in the space
comfortably. It would be more than adequate for a battle between
two warriors.
There was no order to begin. There was no
ritual bow. No words of commencement.
No, this was a battle of the oldest and most
sacred kind. There were no real rules, except that each fighter
follow his heart. If his heart demanded he fight for his mate, then
he would do so to the best of his ability, using all his gifts and
skills. If, however, his heart wasn’t really interested in the
woman in question, such
Similar Books
