Laying on my back on the floor as I watched Morty eat the little bit of food that I put in the bowl.
Gently scratching his head as he ate. I couldn't feed him too big portions or he could get sick.
Baby was still asleep in his bed and Bubba watched Morty eat. I wave my hand towards Bubba and he pads over laying down beside me.
I throw a lazy arm over him as we both watch Morty finish the rest of his food. The sun isn't even over the horizon yet and the house is quite in the early hours of a dark morning.
Cooing softly at Morty as he licks the bowl clean. He pads over to us, his floppy ears dragging on the floor.
"You full, huh?" I say as I place him in my chest. The pup licking my mouth and nose, the smell of the dog food layering my skin.
"Ima gonna have to wash my face again." I say as I wipe his saliva off my face. "Time for the bathroom!"
***
Walking onto campus with my eyes glued to my phone and my earbuds in, I barely notice the stares and whispering. All like the day before.
Going right into the cafe and meeting Mack again. They hand me my coffee and I take my usual seat by the window. Unlocking my phone as I slowly sip my coffee and wait for first class.
A hand waves itself in front of my face and I see a girl I've never met before. She was cute, curly copper hair, tanned skin like she visits the beach a lot. Shorter than me by a few inches but that was only with the green leather pumps she wore on her feet.
Her toes peaking out and looking red. I could see the back of the heel strap digging into her skin. The skin turning red as it rubbed against her heel. She's in pain.
"I saw you on Christines Instagram page yesterday and I just really wanted to meet you." She says with a wide but nervous smile on her face.
She's harmless.
"Hello." I say with a barely there smile.
"Hi! You're so pretty!" She says.
"Thank you." I say not knowing what else to say.
"So your name is Solus, right? People keep saying you're dating lots of different people, is any of that true?" She asks.
"I'm not dating anyone." I say with a laugh as I gaze back at my phone.
"Really?"
My eyes raise back up to hers and she's looking at me with a different kind of interest. I pause waiting for her to say anything else.
"Well, there's an event happening with the sparing teams from Neoma and Rockwell tomorrow. Maybe I'll see you there?" She asks. She sounds hopeful.
Is she flirting with me?
"It's a possibility. But I'm gonna be honest I rarely go to school events to begin with." I say with a small smile.
"Well, think about it?" She says. "And my name is Maddy, in case you were wondering." She gives another nervous laugh and turns to walk off.
"Hey Maddy?" I calm out before she's too far. She turns back fast with a smile. My eyes trail down to her heels. Her massively uncomfortable looking heels. "I can tell those are hurting you."
She looks down at her feet.
"You shouldn't wear those again." I say and glance back at my phone.
I can hear her hesitant steps move away from me and I'm left alone again.
The day drags on. People still staring as I walk through the halls. Class after class was filled with the same curious eyes and whispered questions.
Hour by hour questions went to rumors and that's when it started getting funny. Some people remembered Amber and started spreading rumors about me and her. People kept to the threesome rumors with Holland and Christine. Some were more entertained by my possible romantic relationship with Winter. But everyone was most curious by what could be with Nikolai.
I sat outside this time. Eating a meal in my car as I had my music on blast.
Shoving a spoonful of rice and beans into my mouth with the grease from the oxtails. Caribbean food is not for the faint of heart.
My passenger door opened and Victor hoped inside covered in sweat.
"And you pay my car insurance?" I ask as I cock an eyebrow at him.
"Just making sure you're not running away." He says sounding out of breath as I turn down the music. "That smells good."
I pass him the plate in an offering for him to take the rest. He thanks me and takes a bite of the oxtails. Using my nails to clean the chunks of meat from my teeth as he moans about the food.
"So what do you wanna do tonight?"
"Grits." I say plainly.
"Solus come on!" He says.
"I have to pick up my share from Seffy."
"Yeah Christine told me all about Seffy and what he does. He's not a safe person."
I turn my head to stare blankly at Victor. Not saying a single word as his eyes lock with mine. I can see the struggle in him. After a few silent moments pass between us he looks away first.
"You don't have to come if you don't want to." I finally say and he shakes his head taking another bite of food.
"I'm going. But I'm gonna bring a few friends because last time we were there," he trails off.
"Fair point." I say. "Fine. After that then we can get some food or something."
***
Winter is lounging on her sofa as she cuddles with Morty and Baby. Bubba is asleep in his bed, I'm guessing finally happy to have his own space again.
I wore tight black skinny jeans that hugged all curves of legs and ass, tucked into my usual dirt covered black combats boots. I wore a loose fitting dark green t-shirt that showed my black sports bra.
I smudged black eye shadow over my eyes and made my eyebrows more defined. Chap stick and eyeliner was added.
"You look like an anarchist." Winter says as she lays on my couch in her usual all pink attire.
"And you look like a conformist." I say.
"I am offended at that remark." She says and I laugh as Morty sits up. My phone goes off with Victors name and face on my screen that he added while he was still in my car this afternoon.
"Victors downstairs." I say.
"Now please. Don't drive drunk on the highway!"
"I apparently have a chauffeur." I say.
"Don't try and kill the other ones."
"I can try." I say with a sneaking grin but Winter gives me a serious look.
"Be safe, okay?"
"Not at all possible." I say and she leans up giving me a peck on the lips. "Why did you kiss me the first time we met?"
"Faeries always kiss the one they deem as friends. And we actually have very few genuine friends." She says. I nod as I grab my keys off the kitchen counter.
"Don't throw a party while I'm gone."
***
Driving down the highway, my and Victor in the front seat of his G-wagon.
This is actually a really ugly car but I didn't say that to Victor. He really seems to enjoy it himself. Theo and another unnamed Lycan sitting in the back.
"So we're just going in to get your cut right?"
"Sure." I say with a shrug of my shoulders.
"That's not a definitive answer Sol." Victor says in warning.
"You think imma sit in the passenger seat and lie to you? Of course we're getting there to get the money I'm owed, but we're also going there possibly earn some more?"
"And why? This is a lot of money for a college student, what could you possibly need all that money for?"
"Before it was just to cover the costs at Neoma, but now I need it for the bar back in Amsterdam." I sag with an exasperated sigh.
"Why there?"
"That place has been without an owner for a decade. Along with paying Brian, I now have to pay off a decades worth of debt that bar has racked up. So count at least seven zero's after the first number."
"What's the first number?" Victor asks cautiously.
"Two."
"What the fuck!" Victor shouts which makes Theo groan in the back seat. "Sol, twenty million dollars! Why?"
"I just explained,"
"No, why would you want to have that responsibility?" He asks and I sigh once again.
"That's a whole situation I don't feel like explaining Victor. Let's just get to Grits first. And for the love of god don't say anything to Nikolai!"
I could tell he had the thought circling around in his head but he clenched his jaw in silent annoyance the minute I brought up not telling Nikolai.
We pulled into the back alleyway. Parking before we all climbed out the car and treaded to the entrance. Descending into the madness as the music thumped hard making the metal floors and railings shake.
Seffy looking over a wild crowd in satisfaction.
"Seffy!" I shout over the noise and he looks my way. A smile taking over his features and he walks over.
"My favorite demon of chaos!" He says and I let out a half hearted laugh. "Your cut is in the box of course, if you would follow me."
And we do. Heading into the same section we had occupied a hundred times.
"Are we indulging tonight?" Seffy asks as he holds up a small plastic bag with on singular pull. Victor immediately growls out a hard No making Seffy out the pill away.
"But a match or two could work?" I say as I take the pill from his coat pocket popping into my mouth. Seffy reaches behind the bar and pulls out a black duffle bag handing it to me.
"Five million dollars." He says and I hear Theo choke on his own spit. The other Lycan mass of muscle that was call Jared simply stared at me like I had grown a second head.
"So we have a special selection tonight." Seffy says as he wrap an arm around me bring me to the window. "We have a few crowd favorite. Loco, Jawbreaker, Windpipe,"
"These all sound like gang member names." Victor comments which makes Seffy crack a smile.
"But, everyone is doing it in duels. Which means missy, you may need a partner."
"I don't need a partner to face off against these fuckers. I've done all three without breaking a sweat." I say and I hear Theo chuckle behind me.
"Well, you could potentially have a better chance at winning more if you played by your opponents rules tonight. It's a duels match tonight and the first bet is at two million dollars for the winning team."
"Well Im not a team player." I said heading over to the bar to pour myself a drink.
Seffy is silent for a moment. The outpouring of scotch into a cup filling the empty silence of the room.
"I got it!"
"Got what?" Victor and I say in unison.
"How about a protectors game?" Seffy says as he eyes Victor up and down.
"Protectors game?" Victor asks not liking the look Seffy is giving him.
"I think I can do that." I say as I slam the drink back. "I just need a body."
Both me and Seffy look to Victor and he immediately starts shaking his head. Backing away from us both even though we weren't approaching him.
"No, no, no, no, no. Absolutely the hell not. I'm not getting in that ring." He says.
"You won't have to do anything." I say placing the cup down and grabbing his hand as we exit the room. Seffy following behind with a wide smile on his face as he dials away at his phone.
"You just said it was a protectors match! I'm your protector." He says.
"Not tonight!" I shout over the noise as we exit out to the jungle. The cage being brought up by metal hooks. Rushing us both to towards the cage as people lock each of the locks in place to hold it up.
I start climbing up the cage but Victor pulls me back down.
"What the hell am I supposed to do if I'm not defending you?"
"Just stand there and look pretty." I say with a mocking smile.
With a groan he and I climb up the side of the cage. A thunderstorm of applause and grunted shouting echoed over the crowd as we ascended the cage and dropped down into the middle of it.
I grab Victors arm dragging him to the center of the ring, Seffy throwing me a piece of red chalk. Positioning Victor I take the chalk and draw a circle around him. Tossing the chalk back to Seffy who moved to the side of the cage.
"So what!" Victor shouts. "I'm just supposed to stand here?"
"Yup!" I shout back. Pulling my shirt over my head I toss it through the bars to Seffy. "You stand there and don't move; and I keep other motherfuckers from touching you!I'm essentially your protector!"
"You do understand that's completely backwards! I'm supposed to be protecting you!"
The minute he says that, the bell goes off. Loco emerges from the other side of the cage making a mad dash for Victor.
I'm faster however. Jumping in front of Victor and grabbing my opponent by the hair at the nap of his neck tossing him back.
He slides back but lands on his feet, giving me a mean growl. I bare my teeth and growl back. I hear footsteps behind me, and moving fast I flip over the head of Loco's partner grabbing him by his shoulders and slamming him onto the floor of the cage.
The crowd roaring in madness as me and Loco engage.
Fists up as his partner is knocked out. He throws a punch at me, but I block it sweeping his feet out from under him.
Climbing on top as I land a clean punch on his jaw. He flips me over, sitting on top of my stomach as he grabs me by the throat. Squeezing roughly and my eyes start to water.
I can see out the corner of my eye, Victor about to come and help but I scream for him not to move.
Someone throws a lead pipe into the ring and it lands inches away from my hand. Reaching out I grab it and swing hard at the back of Loco's head. Knocking him out.
Pushing him off my chest inhaling deeply.
Standing with the pipe in hand, I toss it back out of the ring.
"What in the world was that!" Victor shouts as I get closer to him. He grabs me by my arm tugging me in to get a good look at my neck, but I shove his hands away.
"It's fine! Those are the rules anyway!" I shout over the thumping music and the loud audience.
"What does that even mean!"
"Weapons like a pipe or a chair can only be used once by each fighter, and you can't kill anyone while in the ring!" I say as other men drag the two out of the ring. "Those are the only two rules."
"That was a dirty fight!" He says.
"In here there is no such thing as fair, Victor!" I say. It suddenly seems to dawn on him where we are and the kind of people we were dealing with.
He knew I was right. He was in denial the whole way here but he knew I was right. He could criticize it all he wanted but this was the truth. In Grits and in life.
There was no such thing as fair.
Walking over to the other side of the cage where Seffy stood, a neon green drink already in hand.
"You ready now!" Seffy asks as he holds up the mason jar to me. I take it not replying and shoot the liquid back.
My body humming almost instantly. Some of the liquid trailing from the corners of my mouth and dripping down my chest.
My mind buzzing as my vision began pulsing. Victor watching from his sea bear circle in the middle of the ring.
I stagger back but my imbalance only lasts a second before I hear the bell for round two go off.
I snap around ready to face my next opponent. Seffy laughing in triumph. Three new men jumped down into the ring and had eyes trained on me, then they flicked over to Victor.
"How long do I have to stay here!" Victor shouts at Seffy.
"Until round three! Then you can fight or leave!" Seffy replies.
The bell goes off once again and I tune everything out. Two of the men make a run for Victor. I speed towards them jumping and kicking one in the chest while I grab the other by the collar of his shirt.
Taking them both far away from Victor they proceed to gang up on me. My reflexes fast, my eyes watching their every move. With every punch they threw, I was able to block and deflect each one.
The three of them circling me before the one behind me turned for Victor.
I abandoned the other two chasing after that one. Jumping and catching him by his neck as I tossed us both to the side of the cage.
Pinning him to the metal bars before I grabbed the back of his head smashing it into the bars and knocking him out. The other two racing for Victor.
Victor completely unable to move due to the rules.
I stood in front of him, meeting the challenge of the other two with a broad smile on my face. The both skidded to halt.
"What? You don't wanna play anymore?" I taunt them both.
Striking first I give a spartan kick to one as I faced off against the other. Throwing a round house kick aimed for my head, but a catch his ankle and twisting his leg over my head and kicking his other foot from out under him.
He lands on the floor and still holding his ankle, I spin and fling him up to the entrance of the cage.
He sails over the top of the cage and land on the outside of it tumbling down into the crowd.
Victor gaping at the man as he gets caught by the crowd and crowd surfers away from the cage, and Seffy laughing in glee while holding his phone up to capture the moment.
In a split second I feel something hard connect with my knee, white hot pain searing through my skin and bone as I drop to one knee.
The guy who's head I smashed was holding the pipe I threw back into the crowd. As I was distracted with him, I got a kick to the center of my chest that sent me all the way at the other side of the ring.
Both men laughing maniacally as they watched me catch my breath.
Seffy was squatted next to me with a look of worry on his face.
"That was bad!" He shouts.
"It felt like it!" I shout back in pain as I hold my injured leg.
"Can you still fight?"
"Like I got a damn choice." I mutter as I bite through the pain, bringing myself to stand. The crowd cheering for me as I hobble over to the group. The men barely a foot away from Victor who looked more than ready to snap their necks.
"It's not the third round Victor!" I shout grabbing all of their attention. "They're mine!"
I scream as I launch myself at the both. Ignoring all pain as I attacked. Each of them delivering blow after blow. But I was fast, blocking each of their hits as I delivered many of my own.
My claws came out as I raked them across the back of one, sending him sprawling forward as he cries out in pain.
Turning my attention to the other one. A deep gash in the center of his bald head, gushed blood that trailed down his face.
I rush towards him leaping up, my foot connecting to the side of his face, as his head swiveled around like a spinning chair.
Blood gushing from his mouth as he fell to the floor unconscious.
The bell goes off signaling the ending of the second round.
I lean against the bars, all pain in my leg resurfacing. This was actually bad. I don't think I'll be able to put pressure on this leg for maybe a day. Depending really on how long it took me to heal.
"Solus are you okay!" Victor shouts his question and I give a measly thumbs up in reply.
I'm stronger than this pain. I'm stronger than them.
Seffy holds another drink out to me like he knew what I was thinking.
"Another match is another million."
***
Three hours and five million dollars later I'm hobbling out the club with two duffle bags full of money. Jared and Theo both holding me up and helping me to the car while Victor holds the two bags.
I laugh at the pain as the help my into the front passenger side. Theo rips open my pant leg from the thigh down to get a look at my knee. He hisses at the sight of it.
It bleeds profusely, the surrounding skin had turned purple and looks green by the cut. I hissed as Theo touched the gash lightly.
Victor jumps into the drivers side in a huff. Theo and Jared jumping into the back of the car as Victor pulls out onto the street.
"You should have let me fight!" Victor shouts and I laugh.
"It's not my fault they stopped the dual matches. They probably smelt you were a Lycan and they just didn't want the smoke." I let out a guttural laugh, coughing as my throat felt sore from all the yelling. "They knew you would have beaten them to a pulp."
"If they have the lack of sense to throw in a lead pipe in a brawl," he says raising his voice.
"Don't get mad about rules that were there before you Victor, it's not gonna help." I say as all pain sets in.
They got in good. I got a few hits to my ribs, my legs, and of course my face.
My nose was smeared with my own blood after I had popped it back into place. It was already starting to heal. A gash above my left eye and a back tooth had been knocked out, it filled my mouth with blood that I had to swallow down.
My knuckles had split again and the back of my hands were bruised.
"You look a mess." Victor said for me and that earned a laugh.
"Boy I am the mess!"