Chapter 17 Syra

This time, Thorus makes no attempt to intervene, and I can only watch in horror as the two younger alphas collide. Markus's hands go straight for his opponent's throat, and Brik, taken by surprise, tumbles back onto the stony floor of the cave.

He recovers quickly, however, and with a smooth, rolling maneuver kicks Markus off and sends him flying.

Markus lands on his feet and spins to face Brik.

For a moment, the two alphas stare each other down with gleaming eyes. Their muscles are tense and stark in the light from the fire. Their teeth are bared.

"Stop it!" I shout.

My cry is directed at both of the young alphas. Markus may have started this fight, but Brik definitely instigated it, and he's obviously more than happy to continue it.

I don't want that. Markus is my friend, even if I haven't seen him in almost ten years, and I don't want him to get hurt. And as much as I despise Brik for the way he manipulated me, I don't want to see him get hurt either.

I don't want them to fight each other.

I don't.

So why, when the two alphas ignore my plea and charge toward each other snarling, do I experience a sudden flutter of desire deep within my core?

The sensation is unmistakable.

My estrus is returning.

The sight of the two warring alphas is bringing it back.

That shameful realization causes my face to flood with heat, but a moment later the hard smack of skin striking skin jars me back to reality. I watch in terror as the two alpha males roll across the floor of the cavern, punching, kicking, and biting as they go. They are both completely naked, and in spite of their violence, they are both still fully aroused.

It's my scent that's causing their arousal. It's also what is causing them to fight. Brik's accusations may have been the trigger for Markus's attack, but the two have had it in for each other ever since this morning, and the reason is clear. They are fighting over me, competing for ownership of my body, for the right to fuck me, to knot me, to breed me.

That shouldn't turn me on.

It really shouldn't.

Somehow, I manage to drag my eyes away from the battle and look across the fire at Thorus. The older alpha is still making no attempt to put a stop to the violence. In fact, he doesn't even seem to be aware that there is a fight going on at all.

Thorus isn't looking at the warring alphas; he's looking at me. His dark eyes stare at me over the flames, studying my reaction. His attention only fans the flames of my growing need.

My nipples harden as my eyes lock with his.

Slick oozes out of me like honey dripping from a honeycomb.

I want him to fuck me, not with his voice, the way he did this morning, but with his hard cock. I want him to spread my legs and force me to take it. I want him to stretch me with his knot. I want him to fill me with his hot cum. I want—

The fighters crash into the fire, scattering the burning logs, and sending up a swirl of dancing orange sparks. They snarl in pain as the hot coals scorch their skin, and they quickly roll away before the flames can do too much damage.

All I can do is stare at them, transfixed by their brutality. Both are bleeding, Brik from his nose and Markus from his lip. Their bodies are covered in welts and scrapes and bruises.

"Stop it!" I scream, even as my insides flutter at their savage display. "Stop fighting!"

Again, my begging goes unheeded.

Brik snatches a log from the fire, one end burning like a torch, and he thrusts himself to his feet with a roar. He swings his makeshift weapon at his enemy, but Markus ducks away from it and tackles him. They hit the ground with a heavy thud and roll across the hard stone, snapping and snarling as they struggle for control of the burning piece of wood. Their naked bodies glisten with sweat in the firelight. One moment Markus is on top, then Brik, then Markus again.

My whole body throbs with shameful need.

I look at Thorus again.

"Aren't you going to do something?

"What do you want me to do?" the alpha asks, as if it isn't obvious.

"I want you to make them stop! You have to make them stop!"

"Why should I?" Thorus asks. "You're the reason they're fighting."

I scowl, but I know he's right. It's my heat-scent that is causing the alphas to behave so aggressively. And to make matters worse, their aggression is fueling my heat, pushing my arousal higher. It's a vicious cycle, and it's only a matter of time before something has to give.

The fighting alphas slam into the ground beside me. They both lose their grip on the burning log, and it goes sliding away to the other side of the cave.

They grapple. Their hands claw at each other's sweating bodies as they struggle for dominance. Their hard cocks slam together like two swords.

"Markus!" I yell. "Brik! Please!"

It does no good. The two alphas continue to fight. Brik kicks Markus off of him, and they both spring to their feet. Markus charges, but Brik catches him in a throw and sends him flying halfway across the cave. In a flash, Markus is on his feet again, and the two alphas glare at each other, breathing heavy.

"Please!" I cry.

It's like they can't even hear me. They begin to charge at each other again, and I know it will take more than words to bring a stop to this battle.

Surging to my feet, I charge too, aiming for the place where the two alphas are about to collide. As soon as they see me, they both dig in their heels and slide to a stop, but it's not enough to stop their collision completely. I soon find myself pressed between two hard alpha bodies—and two hard alpha cocks.

My heat roars inside me. I am dripping with sweat and slick and need.

But if I thought my intervention could stop the alphas from fighting, I am sorely mistaken. If anything, it only seems to increase their rage. Markus grabs hold of me and angrily tries to yank me away from the other alpha. An instant later, Brik does the same thing, and I find myself caught in a tug of war between two naked and enraged males.

"Let go of her!" Markus growls. "She's mine!"

"Fuck you, she's mine!" Brik retorts.

"Stop it!" I try to yell. "You're hurting me!"

But my cries are drowned out by the alphas' louder, deeper voices. It is only a matter of time before they tear me apart.