"Looks like," Hades said.

"I didn"t think he"d ever make a move," Opal said.

"I, neither." Hades sat back and draped his arms on the ledge behind them.

"This should be good," Opal said.

"Or at least interesting," Hades murmured.

"Fifty credits says Cornelius takes him," Opal said.

Hades arched his brow and smiled. "You underestimate the Blood Clan or perhaps you"re overestimating the Claw Clan. Either way, I"ll take your bet and your credits when you lose."

Opal"s expression spoke of victory, but Hades" face harbored no doubts. If they were going by size alone, the men were fairly evenly matched from what Taylor could see. Each stood a little over six and a half feet like most of the Phantom Warriors. She wasn"t sure what Blood Clan and Claw Clan meant, but if it was anything like Scotland, Taylor figured it had to do with family bloodlines.

The warmth of Hades" hand near her back distracted Taylor, though he hadn"t actually touched her. She rolled her shoulders and sat forward, but not before catching Hades" mischievous grin. His was playing with her like a cat pawing a terrified mouse. Considering what normally happened to the mouse afterwards, that didn"t bode well for her.

Taylor scooted toward the empty seat beside her, but it wasn"t nearly far enough. That fact was driven home, when a dark-haired warrior that she recognized instantly approached.

"h.e.l.lo again," Perseus said.

"Hi." She beamed.

"I believe you"re in my seat," he said.

"Sorry." She moved over just enough to allow him to sit down.

Hades frowned at them, then slowly stood. He raised his hands to quiet the crowd. The cacophonous volume dropped to silence. "Let the games begin," he shouted.

The men roared, some quite literally. Perseus louder than most, as his eyes bled red and fur sprouted on his face.

Despite her need for s.p.a.ce, Taylor found herself scooting closer to Hades. She was pretty sure that he wouldn"t let anything happen to her, since he"d sworn to Linx that he"d protect her. He also seemed to have better control over his Other half. And in a room full of shifters, that counted for a lot.

What was that old saying about the devil you know?

Hades didn"t think Taylor"s brownish-green eyes could get any wider. As it was, they"d almost swallowed her pretty face. So confused, so frightened. She trembled as she took in the crowd around her. Sensing her discomfort, Perseus squeezed her hand and engaged her in conversation. She seemed to relax a little after that and even laughed a couple of times.

Hades didn"t blame Taylor for being scared. He blamed himself. He"d done nothing to alleviate her fears. If anything, he"d fanned them so she"d want to keep her distance. He just hadn"t antic.i.p.ated his response to her turning to another warrior for rea.s.surance and protection. The swift gut check was most unwelcome.

If he were being honest with himself, Hades would admit that he still wanted her. Wanted to f.u.c.k her so bad that he could almost taste it, but he"d resigned himself to the fact that it wasn"t going to happen. That didn"t mean he"d allow another warrior to experience what he chose to deny himself.

He glared at Perseus, who was now back in his humanoid form. The warrior seemed oblivious to the threat. He continued flirting with Taylor, trying to distract her from what was happening around them.

Had Hades not read Taylor"s thoughts before she asked to return to her room, he might have taken pity on her and allowed the request. If only to get her away from Perseus. But he had read them, and her thoughts had infuriated him. Even now the beast clawed at Hades" insides. How could she think that she wasn"t good enough to sit by his side? Him of all people.

Looking at her, it seemed unfathomable given her full lips, stubborn chin, and lush body. Her long, silky hair alone was a cat"s wet dream. How could she be so insecure? What in Zaron had happened to her on Earth to make her think such a thing? He made a mental note to send Linx a message. Hades needed answers...wanted answers, which was odd in and of itself.

Had she been anyone else, Hades might"ve worried about deception, but since Taylor had no idea that he could read her thoughts, he"d quickly ruled manipulation out. She truly believed herself to be unworthy. It was a feeling he could relate to. Was that why she"d turned to Perseus?

Perseus leaned over and whispered something in Taylor"s ear. She giggled and playfully swatted his arm.

Hades forced his attention back to the Pit, while he fought to get his considerable temper under control. He kept Taylor in his peripheral vision, making sure that Perseus didn"t get out of line. At least that"s the lie he told himself as jealousy threatened to consume him.

The men in the Pit glared at each other one last time, then stepped apart. One stood on one side of the oval cage, while the other stood across from him. The fight started the second they shifted into their Other forms.

The man Opal had called Pitticus sprouted fangs and his skin took on a scaly, silver reptilian sheen. His eyes glowed red and his pupils elongated to narrow slits as he launched himself at Cornelius, landing on his fur-covered back.

Cornelius had turned into a ma.s.sive bear like the man who"d helped Linx fight the mobsters on Earth. What was his name again? Riot? Taylor didn"t ask, since a large part of what had occurred on Earth that day had been "illegal" by Phantom standards. She thought the less she knew the better.

"Not the smartest opening move," Opal commented.

Hades didn"t look at her. "We"ll see. If Pitticus manages to get some of his venom into Cornelius, then the fight will end quickly."

Taylor straightened. "Did you say venom?"

He nodded.

"Like a snake?" Taylor couldn"t wrap her brain around what was happening. Wasn"t it bad enough that the two guys were attacking each other? Did there have to be poison involved?

Hades looked at her. "Yes, but it won"t kill him. Pitticus knows how to control his venom flow. Every adult Blood Clan Phantom does."

The Dark King"s nonchalance scared her more than what was happening in the Pit. Taylor"s thigh slammed into Perseus" leg as she tried once again to distance herself from Hades. She didn"t care how attractive he was-there was no way she"d sleep with a guy who had venom dripping out of his teeth.

"Don"t worry, I"ll protect you." Perseus smiled encouragingly.

Taylor stared at his mouth. His teeth didn"t look sharp, but neither had Pitticus" before he attacked. Was it rude to ask Perseus what he was? Before Taylor could phrase the delicate question, a low menacing growl rumbled beside her, causing the hair on her arms to rise.

Perseus" smile dropped, as a strong hand reached out and clasped Taylor"s arm, pulling her back to where she"d been originally seated. Her gaze followed the muscular arm all the way to Hades" glowering face. His incisors had lengthened and his aqua eyes were ringed in red.

Taylor gulped, even though the Dark King"s anger and aggression weren"t directed at her. These men were looking for any excuse to fight. And like a fool, she"d just given them one.

The tension between the King and Perseus felt like a physical weight pressing upon her. It was so heavy that it nearly squished her in her seat. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Taylor turned her attention back to the fight.

Blood covered both fighters. Cornelius" ear seemed to be pointing in the wrong direction and he was swaying on his feet. Pitticus circled him like a Tiger shark, sensing an easy meal. His fangs were bared as he searched for another opening to attack.

The stare down between Hades and Perseus continued until the Dark King growled again. The deep rumble promised pain. Perseus finally broke eye contact and both men went back to watching the fight.

The bear bellowed, then rushed whatever Pitticus had become. The blow threw Pitticus onto the dirt floor, but he rolled out of the way before Cornelius mauled him. Taylor screamed. Opal and Hades turned as one to look at her. Heat flooded her face. Taylor didn"t think her queasy stomach could take much more violence. She"d never been good around blood. After her sister, Tabby"s torture, her aversion had been even worse.

"Can"t you end this?" she asked, the question turning into a plea. "Make them stop and declare one a winner."

Hades gaped at her. "Why would I do that?"

"Because they"re going to kill each other," she said. There was so much blood. Cornelius"s fur was slick from the various wounds on his body.

Hades glanced at the men. "It"s possible that one will die."

"How can you be so casual about death?" she spat. "What is wrong with you?"

He looked at her. "I forget that you"re human."

Hades made it sound like an insult. Perhaps it was. Perhaps to these "civilized" beings Earthlings were nothing more than talking chimps.

"I"ve been told that you have strange rituals when it comes to dealing with loss. You fight what is natural. Death is a part of our society that"s accepted as normal. You"d do best to remember that before you try to disrupt a sanctioned fight." Hades turned his attention back to the men in the Pit.

Disrupt a fight? She wasn"t trying to disrupt anything. Taylor just wanted Hades to declare a winner so that she could return to her room. She crossed her legs and hugged herself.

The bear"s claws swiped across the side of Pitticus, ripping deep furrows into his flesh. The warrior grunted, then ran his hand over the raw wound and brought the blood to his mouth. He sucked on his fingers, slurping the crimson, then snarled. The next blows were too fast for Taylor to follow. She could no longer tell who was winning. In her eyes, they were both losers.

Suddenly, Cornelius swayed and fell over. The crowd hushed and everyone waited. Pitticus nodded to someone standing outside the Pit. The warrior tossed in a sword that was nearly as tall as Taylor. Pitticus caught the hilt with one b.l.o.o.d.y hand, then slowly approached Cornelius.

"Get up!" He demanded.

The bear grunted, but didn"t move.

"I said, get up!" Pitticus kicked him in the ribs.

The bear groaned and rolled over onto his back. A swirl of light surrounded him. When the light faded, Cornelius was in his human form and the wounds he"d suffered in the fight had sealed. His jaw clenched as he glared at Pitticus, then he slowly struggled to his feet.

Taylor"s heart was in her throat. She couldn"t seem to take a deep breath without choking on it. She had no idea what was about to happen, but it didn"t look good.

Cornelius swayed, but somehow managed to keep his feet under him. Pitticus pointed the sword tip at Cornelius"s b.l.o.o.d.y chest. "Move!" he shouted.

Cornelius hesitated.

Pitticus drove the tip of the sword in just enough to draw fresh blood. "I said, move!" This time when he pushed the bear-shifter with the blade, Cornelius backed toward the fence surrounding the Pit.

"That"s far enough," Pitticus said. "Now turn."

Cornelius looked as if he was about to resist, but the warning look he received from Pitticus seemed to change his mind. He slowly turned, leaving his back vulnerable to the Pitticus.

"Grab the fence," Pitticus said. He reached into a strange pouch attached to his loincloth and pulled out two lengths of rope.

Cornelius grasped the fence, his muscles flexing convulsively as he forced himself to hang on. Pitticus quickly secured his wrists to the fence.

Was he going to bind him and then kill him? The thought horrified Taylor. Hades had already unjustly accused her of trying to disrupt the fight. Well this time he"d have just cause. There was no way she would sit back and watch one man slaughter another. Taylor started to rise, but Hades quickly pulled her back down and gave her a quick jerk of his head to silence her.

The stench of the Phantoms" depravity thickened the air. The smell of blood, sweat, and desperation gagged her. Taylor curled in upon herself unable to watch the carnage to come. She covered her eyes with her hands and waited for it to be over. Everyone around her seemed oblivious.

The crowd shouted, "Do it!" Their thunderous voices drowned out reason. They were barbarians, each and every one of them. Beasts in both their human and their Other form.

Taylor peeked between her clenched fingers. Perhaps watching with one eye would make what was about to occur somehow less horrifying, but she didn"t think so. Pittacus slowly approached Cornelius with the sword in his hand. Taylor"s heart lurched.

All the while the crowd droned on, hammering her eardrums with their ceaseless chants. Her stomach churned with acid threatening to ruin her new shoes. Beside her, Hades watched in eager antic.i.p.ation.

Part of her was disappointed that he could be so blood thirsty, while another part was grateful that she was seeing him for who he truly was. It would make resisting her attraction to the King much easier.

Pitticus raised his sword. Taylor"s stomach recoiled. With two quick slashes that seemed to arc like heat lightning, Cornelius" loincloth dropped to the ground, leaving him naked. The crowd roared in approval.

Taylor refused to voice her confusion. She"d already caused enough trouble in the stands. She had no idea what was going on. Was it tradition to strip someone of their clothes before you killed them? To humiliate the loser even more? If so, then this society was as messed up as Earth"s and Taylor wasn"t sure she wanted permission to stay.

Death awaited her, if she returned to Earth. The Russian mob would kill her on sight, but Taylor was beginning to think her chances of survival were greater with the mobsters. They may torture, but they didn"t tend to humiliate their victims in the process.

Cornelius"s muscled a.s.s twitched from side-to-side as he tried to pull his hands free. Pitticus took his time loosening the ties of his own loincloth. He kept glancing at the crowd and grinning maniacally, which only seemed to urge them on.

The material finally slid down his long legs, revealing his hardening shaft. The crowd"s applause became deafening and their chants turned into roars of encouragement. Everyone seemed glued to what was happening in the Pit. Taylor couldn"t blame them. She couldn"t seem to look away either.

Pitticus grasped his erect c.o.c.k and began to stroke it. Juices pearled on the tip, but not enough to lubricate his thick length. He opened his mouth, revealing his fangs. Liquid shot out from the tips of his incisors, covering his shaft in shimmering moisture.

What was that?

"Venom," Hades answered her unvoiced question.

Taylor glanced at him, but he wasn"t looking at her. He appeared to be speaking to Opal. Something twinged in her chest at the obvious intimacy the two shared. Taylor steadfastly ignored the unpleasant sensation and turned back to the spectacle before her.

Pitticus was an impressive man, in no way small and he seemed to be growing larger by the second. Taylor crossed and uncrossed her legs, shifting restlessly in her seat. She tried not to think about the venom or his dripping shaft.

When his c.o.c.k couldn"t get any harder, Pitticus approached Cornelius. "You led me on a merry chase, but now I have won fairly. You will surrender your a.s.s to me and your body from this day forth."

His words carried over the din of the crowd. A slight tremor ran down Cornelius"s spine and the muscles in his thighs twitched. Pitticus kicked Cornelius"s legs wider, then positioned the head of his c.o.c.k against the man"s straining backside. He stroked a b.l.o.o.d.y hand over Cornelius"s flank, leaving a streak of blood behind, then reached around and grasped Cornelius"s b.a.l.l.s, rolling them in his palm.

Cornelius jerked and his shaft grew. The strain on his face took on a look of eager antic.i.p.ation. Pitticus cupped him roughly and Cornelius groaned. He wanted this. Wanted him. This wasn"t an act of rape or humiliation. This wasn"t punishment for losing. This was seduction, pure, simple and raw at its core. One man staking a carnal claim on another.

A flush of heat swallowed Taylor"s body in one insatiable gulp. She squeezed her thighs together to ease the sudden ache. Despite the prior carnage, she found herself growing wet and aroused. She glanced at Hades to make sure that he hadn"t noticed. Fortunately, his eyes remained locked on the men. She cleared her throat and shifted again.

Pitticus gave Cornelius one final squeeze, which rung a moan from the bound man"s throat, then rocked back and plunged his c.o.c.k inside the warrior"s tight b.u.t.t. The ring of muscles gave way by force and determination. Cornelius"s back bowed and he cried out, his legs giving way beneath him.

Before he fell, Pitticus caught him around the waist, holding him in place. His hips continued to rock, driving him deeper and deeper inside of Cornelius"s willing body. Taylor"s nipples hardened. Her breath sawed in and out of her lungs as the warriors f.u.c.ked.

Her gaze strayed once more to Hades. Instead of watching the spectacle, his red-ringed eyes were now locked on her. His breathing had also deepened and a slight flush covered his cheeks. He inhaled and his nostrils flared as the musk from her arousal reached him.

l.u.s.t struck her hard and fast. Taylor"s body responded automatically. Her eyes drifted down of their own volition. A ma.s.sive bulge filled the front of Hades" tight pants and seemed to grow under her perusal. Her gaze shot back to his face and she froze.

It was a purely instinctive action on her part. Something told Taylor if she moved, he"d be on her doing exactly what Pitticus was doing to Cornelius. And she wasn"t altogether certain that she would stop him.

A bellow came from the Pit, echoing around the room. All eyes turned back in time to see Cornelius spill his seed onto the ground. Sweat covered their bodies, the strain showing in every fiber. Pitticus leaned his head back and his fangs appeared to grow even longer than before. His strong hands locked onto Cornelius"s trim hips. He thrust twice more, then roared a second before he plunged his fangs into the bound man"s neck.

His whole body shuddered as his hips cradled Cornelius"s a.s.s. Pitticus jerked once, his mouth still locked and sucking hard, then he slowly released the warrior and pulled out, his spent c.o.c.k dripping with their shared juices. Pitticus reached for his sword and slashed the bindings holding Cornelius in place. The other man fell to his knees.

"Come." Pitticus wiped his b.l.o.o.d.y mouth with the back of his hand. "I am not nearly finished with you yet."

Cornelius looked shattered and...besotted.

Pitticus turned to the King. "I claim Cornelius as my mate from this day forth."