Mates: Melanie's Warrior

Chapter 5

~Brady~

Something about that woman is stuck in my head. I can’t get my mind off of her, which is crazy. She is completely not my type. I’ve never been with a woman like her; I’ve never wanted that.

I like my women to be petite and soft. I like the type of woman who leans on a man as her protector and strength. I like the damsel in distress; I love playing the knight in shining armor. I would never be with a strong-willed woman that believes she can do what a man can. Then there’s that woman from the woods.

She has to be joking about joining in the games. There’s no way she could survive going against accomplished warriors like myself and the others that will be participating. I just know that if I hadn’t shown when I did, things would have gone south really fast. She could have been SA’d or even killed. Instead of showing her gratitude, she got sassy. That should have pissed me off, but it turned me on.

A piece of popcorn bounces off my forehead, causing me to growl. “Earth to Brady! What the hell are you doing over there?” I look around the room and notice all eyes on me. We only brought four from the Pheonix Pack, including myself and our Beta. I’m the top warrior in my pack, answering specifically to the Gamma. I train the other warriors, and I’m damn good at it.

“Maybe he met his mate or something.” More popcorn flies across the room.

“You i***t! If he had met his mate, he wouldn’t be sitting here right now.”

“What if she rejected him? I mean, look at him!?” The room erupts in laughter, and I roll my eyes. I don’t care what any of them say. My mind is too consumed with that woman with red hair. She may not be my mate, but I wouldn’t mind giving her a go while I’m here. ,

~Geoff~

I breathe in the fresh air letting the scent wash over me. I love the smell of fresh air in the early morning. There’s a sharpness about it that you can’t find anywhere else. I walk through the maze of tents that are set up. I’m ready for this.

I already signed in, making sure I got here early. I wanted to tour the area to get an idea of what I’d be facing. There are people checking in and people practicing their moves. This battle will last three days, the last day being the battle that will win it all. I plan to make it to day two before dropping out. I can’t win because it would be too obvious that I don’t belong. I’ve also been holding in my aura. No one needs to know my true rank.

Of course, Hugo woke up fussing like the night before. He keeps telling me that we should go home and that I can’t do this. I know he has a valid point, but I really need this. Honestly, something pulled me here, and I feel like something significant is going to happen while here. I can’t shake this feeling, so I’m going to stay and see it through.

The women are at it early this morning. As I walk through the maze, I get flirty glances and advances. I guess it’s to be expected, if I’m being honest. I’m considered attractive in many circles, for whatever that’s worth. I’m 6’2 and extremely muscular. It wasn’t hard to get that way; being a rogue, there isn’t much to do. I keep my dirty blonde hair shoulder length. I’ve thought about cutting it, but I like the length. It makes me look older and rougher. My body has a few scars here and there, but I earned each one of them. I keep a full beard on my face but make sure it stays trimmed. I have dark gray eyes that always seem to draw women in. I don’t get the big deal, but I’m just a man.

I’m almost 30 years old and never found my mate. Well, I was supposed to be mated to someone since I was young, but I never followed through with that. Who gets mated to someone as a child? I always wanted to find my fated mate, and I’m beginning to think she isn’t out there. I could take a chosen, but every time I consider it, I just can’t pull the trigger. I honestly think Thor would leave me forever if I take a chosen mate.

I turn and head back to the hotel. I need to eat breakfast before these events get started. I have a few hours until I start and need to be ready. Hopefully, I can get Hugo to be in my corner and cheer for me. Everyone needs a cheerleader.

~Melanie~

“I can’t wait to watch you fight.” I smile at Brooklyn. I’m actually glad she’s here. She’s never seen me in competition, which should be a good experience for her.

“I’ll make sure that I win for you. Just make sure that you stay with Jax and Shanice. No matter what, I will be okay, I promise.” Brooklyn nods, and I give her a quick hug. I already checked in and have been training a bit. I’m ready for this competition to start.

As I was checking in, I was a bit nervous. They said there were only a handful of women warriors, not enough for us to compete against each other. They were about to tell us to go back home until we raised hell. Why do we need to only fight against each other? All women warriors here have trained with men; there’s just no way around it. There’s no reason why we can’t compete against men here.

“Well, well, well…… You’re really here to fight, huh?” I look up, and it’s that i***t from yesterday. His blonde hair is in his face again, short on the sides. I take a better look at him today, and I am still not impressed. He has a bit of peach fuzz all over his face and bright blue eyes. It’s those same eyes that are devouring me right now, and I’m not interested. He’s big, muscled all over. He’s definitely been training his entire adult life, and I have respect for that. That’s about as far as things go for me.

“I guess calling you observant was premature.” He throws his head back and laughs.

“You are fiery, and I like that. I like that a lot.” He takes a step toward me. “My name is Brady, and you are.....?” He moves his arm, and I expect his hand to be extended, but I was wrong. Instead, he primes his arm and shows off his bicep, giving it a peck. Goddess, I want to gag.