The fighting area had a six-foot redbrick mud wall, with dirt flooring and small steel doors on opposite ends. Velvet stadium seating surrounded the arena on two sides, and armed Therian guards were posted around the room. A heavy-looking wood door at the far end remained closed. Regular phones wouldn’t have cell service down here. Good thing his and Sloane’s were also satellite phones.

  Vaughan ushered everyone in. “Now that we’ve gotten the boring legal stuff out of the way, on to the main event. Esteemed guests, if you’ll please take a seat, I’ve placed all your Therian’s names into this hat and will choose two at random. Those Therians will go into the combat area together. The victor will move on to the next round and so on. Please have your Therians shift.”

  Dex frowned. He didn’t see any medics standing by, no PSTC drinks or protein bars. “What happens when the fight is over?” Dex asked.

  Vaughan turned to him with a smile. “We will of course provide medical treatment should it be necessary, but there’s always the risk of death when dealing with Therians in their feral forms, so we must be prepared for that as well. I believe that was stated in the waiver form.”

  “I’m talking about PTSC once the fight is over.”

  Something flashed in Vaughan’s eyes, his grin toothy. “Once the event is over, your Therians will be cared for by my medical team, then transported back to the resort for you.”

  Warning alarms went off in Dex’s head. All kinds of things could go wrong while the Therians were in Vaughan’s “medical care” or during transportation. Dex nodded his acknowledgment and waited for Vaughan to turn away before he met Sloane’s gaze. His husband very clearly had the same thoughts in mind. He nodded subtly, then started undressing.

  They ignored the murmurs and whispers around the room. As Sloane bent to shove his pants down his legs, Dex picked his shirt up off the floor and paused long enough to whisper in his ear.

  “Be careful.”

  Sloane handed the rest of his clothes to Dex, his gaze intense, a silent exchange happening between them.

  This was it.

  Sloane’s growls, roars, and hisses filled the air as he shifted. When he was done, he rubbed against Dex’s legs. Dex crouched down and scratched behind Sloane’s ear, murmuring quietly.

  “Come back to me in one piece, okay?” Standing, he held Sloane’s clothes over his arms to hide his hands. This fight was as much Dex’s as it was Sloane’s, in more ways than one.

  Roars, cries, howls, and hisses echoed in the cavernous space as the Therians shifted. As soon as they were done, the Therians were instructed to line up to the right of the ring.

  First up were two of the female leopard Therians. Dex sat back in his seat, calling on every acting skill he possessed in order to pretend he wasn’t affected by any of this, as if this wasn’t his first time attending an illegal Therian match. Anger flowed through him, some of it coming from Sloane, who sat with the others, tail thumping against the dirt, ears flattened back against his head as he stared off toward the ring.

  The leopard Therians entered from each end of the ring, the steel doors closing behind them. They hesitated at first, one of them looking to their Human, only to be snapped at to get on with it. Dex clenched his jaw, his fingers laced on his lap as the two leopards sprang into action.

  They swiped at each other with razor-sharp claws, fangs bared as they hissed and roared. They circled each other at first, missing each other until one landed a hit, drawing blood. Then their feral halves took over, and the fight turned deadly. Bile rose in Dex’s throat, and he forced it down. Each and every Human in this room was going to pay. He only had to bide his time. Then he’d make them suffer the way they were making these poor Therians suffer.

  One of the leopard Therians was slightly larger than the other, but the other was faster, landing more hits. When she took a sharp turn and clamped her jaws down on the larger one’s hind leg, it was over. The injured leopard Therian wailed in pain and fell to the dirt, lying perfectly still in submission.

  “We have our winner!” Vaughan announced. The steel doors opened, and the winner darted out. The remaining Therian limped out of the ring just as the door at the end opened and two large Therians dressed in long white lab coats emerged. They held the door open and ushered both leopard Therians in. In the end, there could only be one winner, so Vaughan would have all the Therians by the time the fight was over, and Dex was under no illusion it wouldn’t include the winner.

  For the next couple of hours, Therian fought Therian, the battles bloody. The scars left behind would show up on their Human skin once they shifted back. One of the wolf Therians had been clawed in the face across her eye. It would be a miracle if she didn’t lose vision in that eye. Jesus, when would this be over?

  The more Therians who fought, the sicker to his stomach Dex got. It wasn’t bad enough they’d stolen these kids and forced them into a horrific life, but these Humans were content—excited even—to pit these poor innocent Therians against one another. And then what? After the retreat, they’d simply return to their luxury homes, take the yacht out for a spin, host a cocktail party, and carry on as if they weren’t rapists and murderers? He was going to personally make sure each and every one of these Humans paid for their crimes. Dex’s muscles tightened, his vision flickering. Focus. He had to focus on the mission. Sloane had yet to be called, and Dex was damned sure it was no coincidence. Vaughan was leaving him for last.

  “And now for our next opponents. Dawson and…” Vaughan opened the slip of paper and grinned wide. “Kenley.”

  Dex’s heart jumped into his throat. Dawson might be on the small side for a Tiger Therian, but he was still a tiger Therian, and next to jaguar and lion Therians, no other was as fierce, especially in a fight.

  Dawson struck Dex as the kind of guy who did what he had to in order to survive. Fuck. Kenley was going to be killed. Dex’s gaze went to Sloane, who was staring at him. Then Sloane got to his feet, and Dex’s heart stuttered. He wanted to shake his head at Sloane, tell him no way, but Sloane was right. Kenley didn’t stand a chance, and by the looks of it, Ramos was prepared to let Kenley die for the sake of his ego.

  With a heavy heart, Dex gave his husband a subtle nod. Sloane trotted toward Kenley and cut him off, hissing at him and corralling him back to the others. Then Sloane turned and hurried toward the ring. Everyone broke off into gasps and murmurs.

  “What the hell is this?” Ramos demanded, jumping to his feet.

  “I thought this demonstration was all about seeing the power Therians possessed?” Dex said, standing. “This is a joke. You want to see what a Therian is really capable of? Put Brodie in the ring.” Dex turned to face Vaughan. “He’ll show you how it’s done.”

  “That’s not how this goes,” Ramos complained.

  Dex laughed. “This isn’t a competition, Ramos. It’s a demonstration. A wolf Therian of Kenley’s size is ill-matched for a tiger Therian. Having Dawson fight against Kenley has no purpose. Let’s see what an adult male jaguar Therian can do against a tiger Therian. That is a real show of skill.”

  Vaughan seemed to think about it. “Mr. Delacruz is right. The purpose of this event is to demonstrate the capabilities of Therians to give you a better idea of the traits you may inherit. I say let the match continue. Those opposed raise your hand.”

  The only hands raised belonged to Ramos. When he saw no one else had joined him, he dropped into his chair with a snort of disgust. It was like the son of a bitch wanted to see Kenley die.

  “We’ll continue the match, then, with Dawson and Brodie,” Vaughan said.

  Dex resumed his seat, his eyes glued on the ring. Please be careful, baby.

  Sloane entered the ring, his powerful muscles flexing beneath silky black fur, an expression of disinterest on his face despite the fact he was on full alert. He took his time, slowly circling Dawson, who hissed and spat, his ears flattened back against his head, claws out.

  Patience was a skill Sloane had honed over the years. He was well versed in reading his opponents, studying them, learning their moves. Dawson was young, cocky, and relied on his tiger Therian strengths to help him win a fight. He didn’t bother with strategy, relying on brute force, sharp claws, and fangs to get the job done. All of that would have worked on a smaller Therian or one not as experienced as Sloane.

  Sloane hissed, his laser focus on Dawson. His tail thumped against the dirt, his mouth open, fangs on display. Dawson hesitated for a heartbeat before he lunged at Sloane, landing on nothing but dirt and sneezing at the dust cloud Sloane kicked up when he’d darted away from where he knew Dawson would land. Ears perked up, Sloane trotted around the ring. He was baiting Dawson, pissing him off. The short fuse Dawson had, and his animosity for Sloane, would make it easy for Sloane to get a reaction out of him.

  Dawson pounced, speeding toward Sloane, who darted toward the wall, then leaped to push himself off and land behind Dawson. He swiped at Dawson’s flank hard enough to send Dawson rolling onto his side. Dawson was lucky Sloane hadn’t used his claws or he’d be missing a chunk of his ass right now.

  The roar of frustration and aggravation Dawson let out echoed through the room. Tiger Therians were fierce fighters, and even with Dawson’s smaller size, Sloane had to be cautious. In a fair fight, Dawson wouldn’t have lasted, but where Dawson was concerned, Dex wasn’t expecting a fair fight, and that became clear when he rounded on Sloane and smacked the ground, sending dirt into Sloane’s eyes.

  Dawson slammed his claws into Sloane’s flanks, the razor-sharp point sinking in. Dex gritted his teeth as Sloane roared, the sound reverberating off the walls and making several of the Humans jump in their seats. Searing hot pain flared through Dex, but he breathed through it.

  Vaughan was observing Dex almost as closely as he was Sloane, which was why Dex schooled his expression into one of annoyance. The fight had gone from fucking around to deadly. Sloane’s claws were out, and Dex feared for Dawson. In this state, Sloane was at his fiercest.

  The two felids launched themselves at each other, sharp claws and fangs at the ready. Blood sprayed across the ring wall, and Dex clenched both hands into fists, the sting of his own claws piercing his flesh as the tips dug into his palms, drawing his attention away from the gut-wrenching pain and sickness in his stomach. He had every faith in Sloane, but his husband would do everything in his power not to kill Dawson, and that meant pushing through his injuries.

  Come on, Sloane. You can do this.

  Panting, Sloane trotted near the wall, and Dex casually went down to stand in front of him.

  “Brodie.”

  Sloane sniffed at Dawson, who limped at the far end of the ring, then quickly stretched up on his hind legs. He huffed at Dex, who put a hand to his muzzle.

  Sloane had given Vaughan what he wanted. No way was the guy not contemplating how he’d get Sloane away from Dex. The sick fuck was all but jerking himself off as he watched Sloane. Considering Dex couldn’t see his hand, there was a chance he was doing just that. Rage flared through Dex, and he growled at Sloane.

  “Finish it.”

  He’d had enough.

  Sloane roared, and the crowd cried out as he charged. At that moment, everyone realized Sloane had been holding back. The viciousness that emerged made him look more like some hell beast come to lay waste to anyone or anything that stood in his way. Sloane attacked from all sides. He used his claws, the weight of his powerful body, and his jaws to corner Dawson, who clearly had no idea what the hell was going on. Dawson had believed he stood a chance. Gone was the cockiness. His ears flattened back on his head, and he cowered.

  Dex sucked in a sharp breath, the air seeming to have been sucked out of the room when Sloane got his jaws around Dawson’s head.

  Dawson stilled.

  As Dex suspected, Vaughan didn’t call an end to the bloody fight. He waited. The fucker wanted Sloane to kill Dawson. Dex turned to Hughes.

  “It’s over. Tell Dawson to submit.”

  Hughes glowered at Dex.

  “The fight is over,” Dex said. “Don’t waste a perfectly good domesticated Therian.”

  With a grunt, Hughes nodded. Dawson went limp in Sloane’s jaws and mewed. Careful to hide his relief, Dex turned to face the ring. “Brodie. Release him.”

  Sloane released Dawson, and mindful not to turn his back on Dawson, circled the ring until he reached Dex. With little effort, he leaped onto the ledge of the wall, then jumped down.

  Dex scratched Sloane behind his ear. “Well done.” He was about to turn back to his seat when Vaughan held a hand up.

  “How about a real challenge?”

  Dex frowned. “The fight is over.” All the Therians had competed.

  Vaughan motioned for someone to enter the room, and Dex’s blood ran cold.

  Tanner.

  “Fighting a child—tiger Therian or not—isn’t the same as fighting a mature tiger Therian,” Vaughan said through a shit-eating grin. “Perhaps we can see what Brodie is truly capable of?”

  Sloane was a TIN operative and former THIRDS team leader. Taking down Therians bigger and stronger than himself was what he was trained for, but Sloane had already fought. His injuries might be minor, but they wouldn’t be once Tanner got in the ring with him.

  Dex glanced at Sloane, who sneezed and sat back on his haunches. He licked his paw, his intense gaze on Dex.

  “How far will your Therian go?” Dex asked Vaughan.

  Vaughan pretended to consider this. No way would he let Tanner kill Sloane. He needed Sloane. He was too valuable to Vaughan’s operation.

  “My goal is only to show how powerful the beasts are. Tanner will leave your Therian alive and in one piece.”

  Well, that was reassuring. Seeming to sense Dex’s hesitation, Vaughan put a hand to his heart in promise. As if his promises meant shit to Dex. “Brodie will survive. You have my word.”

  Dex nodded. “All right.” He crouched in front of Sloane and scratched him behind the ear, leaning in to whisper. “You know what to do.”

  Sloane shoved his nose into Dex’s cheek, and Dex held back a smile. He headed back to his seat, his heart in his throat while Sloane re-entered the ring. Tanner roared and growled as he shifted, his Human form contorting until only a massive tiger remained. Sloane might have taken out bigger Therians before, but that didn’t mean Tanner wasn’t deadly. Vaughan might have given his word that Sloane would survive, but that didn’t mean Tanner wouldn’t cause some serious damage.

  The fight started as soon as Dex resumed his seat. He continued to play his part, acting as if his only concern was for his “investment.” He’d seen Sloane fight countless times over the years, both in his Human and felid forms, but this was the first time he could do nothing but watch.

  Tanner pulled no punches. He went after Sloane with everything he had. The room filled with earsplitting roars. Sloane struck back with a ferocity Dex had seen on few occasions. His husband’s felid half was well aware of what kind of threat Tanner was.

  Sloane swiped his claws at Tanner’s flank, blood splattering across the wall as Tanner roared, the sound sending a chill through Dex. Tiger Therians had the most terrifying roar of all the felids. Tanner charged Sloane, skidding at the last minute to leap over Sloane, bringing his claws with him. Sloane twisted to avoid the hit but wasn’t quick enough, and Tanner’s claws caught him on the shoulder. Fiery heat flared through Dex’s shoulder, and he gritted his teeth against the crippling pain. Had Sloane not moved when he did, he could have lost a chunk of that shoulder.

  Come on, baby. Take that fucker down. Dex leaned on his left elbow, his hand balled into a fist and against his mouth to help ease the pain as he watched Sloane limp to the other side of the ring, his fangs bared as he hissed at Tanner. The two came together, and Dex gritted his teeth against the flashes of heat, pain, and fire that lashed at him all over. His arms, legs, back, thighs. Every strike to his flesh was like a stab to his heart. How much longer could they stand this? Tanner was relentless, striking at Sloane with his razor-sharp claws and fangs.

  Sloane gave as good as he got, but it was Sloane’s injuries that Dex felt down to his core. Vaughan needed to end this. Unless one of them gave in, the two felids would fight to the death, and right now, Sloane was still pulling his punches, waiting for Vaughan to call the fight before he was forced to really fight for his life and take Tanner out, possibly exposing them. Dex glanced at Vaughan, who followed every movement as he paced the outside of the ring.

  Tanner snapped his jaws, aiming for Sloane’s neck, but Sloane rolled out of the way, his paws kicking up dirt as he scrambled away from Tanner, avoiding his front claws. As much as Dex hated to see his husband throw the fight, it was necessary. Sloane waited for the right opportunity, which came quicker than they expected.

  Dex held his breath as Tanner jumped at Sloane, who jerked but didn’t get out of his way. Instead, he allowed Tanner to slam into him, sending him against the wall. Sloane roared when he hit the wall, his body landing hard on the ground with a loud thud. He groaned but didn’t move. Tanner lunged for Sloane, teeth bared.

  “Stop,” Vaughan commanded, and Tanner changed trajectory, landing to one side. With an apologetic grin, Vaughan put a hand to his heart as he faced Dex. “We can’t win them all.”

  Dex’s anger flared, but he remained stoic. He nodded his acknowledgment at Vaughan’s words.

  “Don’t you worry, Mr. Delacruz. My medical team will take excellent care of Brodie.”

  “Of course.” Dex pretended he believed it.

  With the fight over, the large door at the end opened and Therian guards emerged pushing cages.

  Vaughan addressed the Humans. “Once my medical team has tended to your Therians, they’ll be escorted back to your rooms. Rest assured, they will be receiving the best care.”

  Seeing his husband ushered into a cage was one of the hardest things Dex had faced in a long time, and they’d faced all kinds of shit out there. It was another reminder of what these people thought of Therians, of his husband, a man he would give his life for. They believed he belonged in a cage. Vaughan and everyone who worked with and for him would get their own cages. Dex would make sure of it.