Vampire Thirst (30 page)

Yara.

She wore a skin-tight red top and black spandex shorts. The words “Dream On” were stamped across her delicious ass. Her ripped abs, biceps and thighs were the epitome of female strength and power.

She slowly ran her wrist band across her forehead and wiped away the sweat. Despite the aroma of male B.O. and urine that permeated the entire club, Yara’s delicious scent of tropical forest reached Rafe’s nose.

His wolf jolted awake.  

Her opponent shook his head and pushed off the floor. He was double her size in height and broadness, and he was in really bad shape. His face was already puffing up and one of his arms was bent the wrong way. None of that seemed to faze her.

Rafe watched as the man stood up and heaved his rage at her. He was really pissed. The asshole had probably seen her enter the cage and thought he’d be home in time for supper. Yeah, dream on, loser. But the guy seemed to not take the hint. He heaved and heaved until smoke came out of his overly-large nostrils. Suddenly, horns emerged from his forehead and a set of large black wings popped out of his shoulder blades. His eyes turned bright yellow as his skin was covered in fur. It was only then that Rafe recognized the creature. He was a lamassu demon, aka a winged bull.

“Hey! No shifting!” Rafe yelled, then darted toward the cage, but at the sight of yet another unpredictable turn of events, the crowd went wild, blocking his way. Apparently, he was the only one there who cared about the one rule in the club.

The lamassu leaped forward. His spike-like teeth glistened with moisture. The fucker was salivating for a taste of her.

At the last moment, when Rafe’s heart was about to jump out of his chest, Yara shifted to the right, dodging the bull’s attack by a millimeter. Leveraging off the guy’s own weight, she leaped off the ground and landed on his back. He tried to grab her off him, but his arms were too thick to reach across. In a strike of pure fluidity and precision, Yara rode him to the left, making him lose his balance and take them both to the ground. With her left hand, she quickly pinned his arm to her chest, while her right hand locked his elbow, pinching it to her own hip. She then placed her left foot on his hip, pivoted her body forty-five degrees to the right, then swung her left leg up and wrapped it around the fucker’s neck. And squeezed.

A perfect jiu-jitsu arm bar move. Impressive.

In less than ten seconds, the raging bull turned into a sobbing sheep. His trembling, furry hand pounded on the ground twice.

Rafe’s jaw dropped. Against all odds, Yara had won the fight.

She pushed the floppy lamassu aside and stood up. Square shoulders, chin up high, she looked like a true Amazon queen. She knew every dick in the house was leaking for her, and she liked it. Her eyes perused the room, looking for the bookie, and met Rafe’s gaze.

His wolf growled inside.

A slight frown wrinkled her beautiful brow. Did she recognize him?

The bookie got into the cage and gestured to the crowd to shut up. “This fight is a no contest!”

“What?” Yara shouted.

“It’s not valid.”

“Why?”

“Because shifting and magical tricks are not allowed in my ring.”

“I didn’t use any magic, you prick!”

“But he shifted,” the bookie retorted, pointing at the winged bull who was looking more like a sad cow on the floor. “And that’s not allowed.”

Loud cheers mixed with angry curses swamped the house.

“You little worm!” Yara shouted.

Before she got into trouble, Rafe jumped up onto the cage’s protective fence. “I say let her fight me.”

The crowd went quiet. Yara glared at him.

“Let her fight me,” Rafe repeated. “And if she wins again, she takes the winnings from both fights.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “I won this fight with honor, no cheating. I deserve my share.”

“And your share you will get,” the bookie said with a h
alf-smile. “All you need to do is defeat our champion.”

As if on cue, the crowd cheered.

Rafe leaped over the grid and landed smoothly in the middle of the ring.

The bookie quickly made himself scarce.

Yara cocked an eyebrow at him and, almost imperceptibly, shifted her weight to the front foot. She was ready to kick his ass, probably as much as he was ready to get her writhing underneath him.

Rafe lowered his chin and let his signature crooked smile show.

“Let’s dance.”

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*****

Other Novels by Ella J Phoenix

Praises for “Raven’s Awakening”
(previously known as “Manataka”)
 

 “If you are a fan of folklore/myth, drama, intrigue and a good romance then this one’s for you. Ms. Phoenix is a wonderful author with a great imagination and gift for storytelling.”

“Phoenix, you’ve got yourself a new fan.”

“The characters were my favorite part of the story. Watching them fall in love was too much fun.”

“This book was an incredible read.”

“
A great read for any fans of the genre that crave something different.”  

Acknowledgements

This book would have never been written without the help and constructive feedback of my amazing husband.

I know it’s a cliché but I would’ve never become a writer if it wasn’t for the unconditional and ongoing support from my mother.

And finally, thanks to all my friends and fans. Without you to read my crazy stories, I would’ve probably been locked up in a mental institution by now.  

*****