Chapter 23

Twenty-Three

Moon

“ C ongratulations to the first group of 22 contestants to progress to the fifth trial. You will exit the arena together as one. However, you will be returned to your original placement. Wherever you were last night when you were brought to the arena, is where you will be upon stepping out of the Arena doors,” the booming voice says, as all the chaos dies down, and I look around, searching the faces of the contestants. Fenrick, Arlo, Silas, and Daire are the first men I see, but then, as if rising from a pile of ash, I see Lust. He brushes himself off and looks around the arena. When his eyes fall on me, he relaxes slightly.

I sigh with relief and then spot Odas and Cato. “Oh, thank fuck,” I whisper, when those shitty little Goblins were chasing me, I thought I saw both Cato and Odas fall. All the men start walking in my direction, but the arena doors open and as the remaining 22 contestants start making their way toward the exit, Sweet Girl follows too. I consider jumping off her back, but then I realize that if I do that, I'll probably fall to my death.

I'm hoping that if Sweet Girl is with me when we pass through the arena door, she'll go where I go. Rather than us being split up.

I look over my shoulder waving at them, hoping they know that I'm not trying to run away from any of them. Although I'm not exactly super excited to have that one conversation with Arlo about, you know, the whole, I've got a shitload of mates thing.

Stepping through the arena doors feels like stepping through any doorway, except for one second I’m in a death pit, and the next I'm back on a mossy bed where I went to sleep last night. Thankfully, my theory about Sweet Girl traveling with me was correct, because she promptly dumps me off her back and gives me a little shake as if she is trying to get some nasty germ off her.

I jump off her and roll out of the way just in time because the next second she's rolling onto her back and wiggling in the grass as if she was a golden retriever and not a giant beast thing.

“Well, little badger, it looks like you survived.”

I screech because I had forgotten about that fucking guy for a minute there. I know what you're thinking, how did you forget about one of your Heart Bonded? Well, I'll be honest. They're starting to add up and keeping track of all of them is kind of hard. Maybe I should make a list. Number one Arlo, number two Silas, number three Tristan.

“Fuck me, I forgot about you.” I spin, noticing immediately that the Elven Prince is covered in blood. “I thought we were just supposed to be incapacitating the beasts, why are you all bloody? Is that your blood?”

“What do you mean you forgot about me?” He glares, and I cringe.

“Well, back in the arena, when I was tallying up all the men I've met in this fucking game, I sort of forgot about you,” I admit. I sound like a huge fucking bitch, don't I? The Elven Prince scoffs, shakes his head, and then stomps over to me.

Tristan bends in front of me just enough to grip the back of my thighs. He lifts me off my feet and presses my back against a tree.

“You won’t forget this, Moon. You won’t forget what I can make you feel.” His voice is rough, and when his lips crash with mine, his kiss is hungry and desperate. He pushes his tongue between my lips, and it tangles with my own, as he owns me against the tree.

My legs wrap around his waist and my arms around his neck, and when his large hands grip my ass, I moan.

I can’t help it. I grind against him, and despite how tired I had been from the fourth trial, this kiss is breathing life back into me. Tristan growls, pulling away from my lips so he can kiss a trail down my neck, nibbling my skin gently. When he tugs the front of my shirt down, exposing my breast to the cool air, I gasp. But then his mouth is on me, and his tongue lashes against my hard nipple, and I’m grinding against him shamelessly now.

The feel of his hard cock between my legs, hitting my clit with every thrust, and his hot tongue against my skin has me screaming out his name as I come in my pants.

“Oh, fuck, Tristan!” I moan, and he bites down on my nipple, hard, and grinds his cock into me again and again, sparking more pleasure through my body as my poor pussy flutters around nothing.

“Scream my name again, Moon,” he growls, as he releases my nipple, and kisses back up my neck, and I do as I’m told.

“Tristan,” my voice is rough from screaming. When I finally come down from my high, I push my hands into his hair and tug his head back. “Thank you,” I say, smiling like a mad woman. “Fuck, thank you.” I pull him back in for a kiss. I kiss him all over his face, and keep whispering thank-yous, because finally! When I release him, he pulls my shirt up, covering my breast, after giving it one last pinch.

“You won’t forget me again,” he growls, as he lowers me to my feet, brushes a hand through his hair, and smirks down at me. Stupid magenta-eyed Elf. Fuck, he’s sexy.

I nibble my lip as my cheeks blush, and he just keeps smirking. Smug fuck.

“Come on, let's go get cleaned up.” He nods his head toward the forest, and I’m guessing there must be another pond close by.

“Wasn’t as good as sex, but damn, it’s been too long,” I grumble, as I reorient myself and my knees shake. I’m suddenly very glad that Sweet Girl ran off.

“That was just the start, badger.”

“Way to ruin the moment with that damn nickname.”