Read Online Running with Raiders: (Alphas of Black Fortune: Part 5) BBW Werebear Shifter Menage by Scarlett Rhone - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Scarlett Rhone
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prove it. Fight now.”
“Fine.” Reza got to his feet.
“No!” Kamala cried. “Reza, please!”
Cressida felt Kelly’s hand on her shoulder tighten. She agreed with Kamala. This was happening too quickly. If they’d had the night to plan, to come up with a plan , she thought that she could convince Reza to run with them, to flee back to the Oso Armonia and get the hell off this island for good. But now…
“I will fight for my honor,” Reza said sharply to his sister. “And for our family’s honor. This is a farce, and I offer my blood as proof of it.”
“He brought his outsiders to the island and they’ve stolen the jewel!” Chaiya shouted, jabbing a finger right at Cressida.
Instinctively, she lifted a hand to the stone hanging heavily on the chain around her neck, nestled between her breasts.
“She stole nothing,” Reza growled. “The Keeper of the Jewel deemed her worthy. And the island will deem me worthy as well in this fight, Chaiya.”
“And if it doesn’t,” Sajja said, his voice a deep rumble, “and you are judged and executed here, on this field of battle, you will sacrifice your life.”
“Yes.” Reza nodded.
Sajja’s mouth curved sharply. “And your mate’s life.”
When Cressida gasped softly at that, Kelly ducked his lips to her ear. “What is he saying?”
She hesitated. “That my life is forfeited too if he loses…”
She felt Kelly’s hand leave her shoulder and he surged forward with a furious growl aimed right at Sajja. “No. Unacceptable. She’s not just his mate, you decorated prick.”
“Kelly,” Reza snapped. “Stop. I won’t lose.”
“And you’ll stake Cressida’s life on that?” Kelly scowled at him. “Really?”
“Yes.” Reza stared back at him, immovable. “I will.”
“I’ll kill you myself, Reza.”
“Get in line.”
“I’ll kill all of you ,” Kelly shouted. “Before I let a single one of you lay hands on her.”
Cressida grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back, shaking her head. “Stop, stop this,” she said. She could feel him seething, could feel the heavy pounding of his pulse beneath her fingers. “Calm down.”
Reza came over to them, voice low and tight, and he said, “I won’t let anything happen to her, Kelly. I can defeat him.”
“And if you don’t ?” Kelly asked.
“What choice do we really have?” Cressida said to them. Before they could answer, she went on, “None. We have no choice. We can’t fight them all, the three of us.” She looked at Reza. He met her eyes, the gold-green swirl of his bright with determination. “I believe in you.”
Kelly huffed. “This is madness.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Cressida insisted. “I didn’t come all this way and survive all that I have to die here.”
Reza nodded his agreement, and as Cressida pulled Kelly back towards the warriors, he turned to Sajja. “I accept this rite.”
Sajja smiled viciously. “I declare this rite to the death.”
Those words seemed to ring right through the village, perhaps even across the entirety of the island itself, and certainly they shook Cressida down to her bones. Things happened quickly after Sajja’s declaration. The warriors brought forward long lengths of vines woven with the same dried flowers and small bones that their wreaths were crafted of, and using those vines they created a circle in the center of the village. This would be the place of battle. Reza was removed to one side, where he took his sister in his arms as she cried, and Cressida imagined he was promising her the same as he had promised them: that he would win, that he would save them all. Cressida wanted desperately to believe in him just like she’d said she did, but it was hard to watch this strange ritual happen and not feel doubt. No matter what the tribe said, no matter what magic haunted this island, it would come down to Reza and Chaiya and, it seemed, their bare hands. Cressida did not like even odds. She liked tipping
“Fine.” Reza got to his feet.
“No!” Kamala cried. “Reza, please!”
Cressida felt Kelly’s hand on her shoulder tighten. She agreed with Kamala. This was happening too quickly. If they’d had the night to plan, to come up with a plan , she thought that she could convince Reza to run with them, to flee back to the Oso Armonia and get the hell off this island for good. But now…
“I will fight for my honor,” Reza said sharply to his sister. “And for our family’s honor. This is a farce, and I offer my blood as proof of it.”
“He brought his outsiders to the island and they’ve stolen the jewel!” Chaiya shouted, jabbing a finger right at Cressida.
Instinctively, she lifted a hand to the stone hanging heavily on the chain around her neck, nestled between her breasts.
“She stole nothing,” Reza growled. “The Keeper of the Jewel deemed her worthy. And the island will deem me worthy as well in this fight, Chaiya.”
“And if it doesn’t,” Sajja said, his voice a deep rumble, “and you are judged and executed here, on this field of battle, you will sacrifice your life.”
“Yes.” Reza nodded.
Sajja’s mouth curved sharply. “And your mate’s life.”
When Cressida gasped softly at that, Kelly ducked his lips to her ear. “What is he saying?”
She hesitated. “That my life is forfeited too if he loses…”
She felt Kelly’s hand leave her shoulder and he surged forward with a furious growl aimed right at Sajja. “No. Unacceptable. She’s not just his mate, you decorated prick.”
“Kelly,” Reza snapped. “Stop. I won’t lose.”
“And you’ll stake Cressida’s life on that?” Kelly scowled at him. “Really?”
“Yes.” Reza stared back at him, immovable. “I will.”
“I’ll kill you myself, Reza.”
“Get in line.”
“I’ll kill all of you ,” Kelly shouted. “Before I let a single one of you lay hands on her.”
Cressida grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back, shaking her head. “Stop, stop this,” she said. She could feel him seething, could feel the heavy pounding of his pulse beneath her fingers. “Calm down.”
Reza came over to them, voice low and tight, and he said, “I won’t let anything happen to her, Kelly. I can defeat him.”
“And if you don’t ?” Kelly asked.
“What choice do we really have?” Cressida said to them. Before they could answer, she went on, “None. We have no choice. We can’t fight them all, the three of us.” She looked at Reza. He met her eyes, the gold-green swirl of his bright with determination. “I believe in you.”
Kelly huffed. “This is madness.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Cressida insisted. “I didn’t come all this way and survive all that I have to die here.”
Reza nodded his agreement, and as Cressida pulled Kelly back towards the warriors, he turned to Sajja. “I accept this rite.”
Sajja smiled viciously. “I declare this rite to the death.”
Those words seemed to ring right through the village, perhaps even across the entirety of the island itself, and certainly they shook Cressida down to her bones. Things happened quickly after Sajja’s declaration. The warriors brought forward long lengths of vines woven with the same dried flowers and small bones that their wreaths were crafted of, and using those vines they created a circle in the center of the village. This would be the place of battle. Reza was removed to one side, where he took his sister in his arms as she cried, and Cressida imagined he was promising her the same as he had promised them: that he would win, that he would save them all. Cressida wanted desperately to believe in him just like she’d said she did, but it was hard to watch this strange ritual happen and not feel doubt. No matter what the tribe said, no matter what magic haunted this island, it would come down to Reza and Chaiya and, it seemed, their bare hands. Cressida did not like even odds. She liked tipping
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