“I think he’s done a lot of fighting,” I said.
Kitani shrugged. “To these two, this is just like going for a walk.”
Mari shot her an incredulous look, and at that moment, Matt and Cody went for each other.
They moved so fast it was difficult to see anything more than a blur of flying fists and kicks before they separated again. Circled, their steps light, balanced on the balls of their feet. Then went at each other again. And again.
I was on the edge of my seat, doing my best to interpret the moves. This was down-and-dirty fighting, no holds barred, everything moving so fast it was hard for the eye to follow.
As bruises darkened against their skin, both the men’s faces split into grins. Real smiles, as their beasts shone from their eyes.
The entire room perched on the edge of their seats, except for Mari.
“They’re enjoying this?” She winced as Cody’s foot thumped against Matt’s ribs.
“It’s a guy thing,” Kitani provided. “They’rebonding.” Her eyes were glowing as bright as her mate’s. “And they are well matched.”
It was true. They were. “Just how good is your husband?” I asked.
“He’s the best,” she said.
She was talking about Cody, but as my eyes slid to Matt, I privately agreed. If Cody was considered top level, Matt was certainly holding his own.
I thought back to the altercation with Darius in the forest, and the anger burned bright in me.
Unaware of my preoccupation, Kitani was riveted by her mate. “And face it,” she purred, “he’s gorgeous.”
As if he’d overheard her, Cody glanced up. His eyes gleamed copper.
Matt was quick to take advantage of his opponent’s distraction. He faked an attack from one direction but spun to come at Cody from another. Got his shoulder on a pivot point, and for just a second, it looked as though he was going to get the instructor on the ground.
But in a move that should have been impossible, Cody twisted his body out of Matt’s grip and broke away to circle once more. He shot Kitani the briefest look.
She snorted. “He just called me a distraction.”
“He did?” There hadn’t been any words exchanged. Unless they interpreted looks?
Kitani grinned and hugged her daughter. “Well, that wasn’t exactly what he said, but there is a child present.”
How were Cody and Kitani communicating?
She took in my obviously confused expression. “Mates can mindspeak each other,” she explained.
My jaw dropped open. Telepathy? “You can speak that way to Ryan, too?”
She nodded. “He’s just put Alyssa down for a nap. I’ll take Caty to join her once Cody’s made his point with Matt. Which he might not be able to. Your boy’s pretty damned good, because he’s holding his own.”
Myboy? Matt wasn’t mine. Was he? Wasn’t he his own boy? Yet that sentiment didn’t explain the warmth that spread through me when she’d said it, or the sense of rightness.
Mine.
I shook the thought free. I was being ridiculous. But hewasholding his own. Both were sweating now, their muscles gleaming with the effort as they panted. The lights caught and outlined every delicious contour, and I was having a hard time deciding if my rapid heart rate was due to the excitement of the fight or something else altogether.
The audience had begun to cheer Matt on, as the underdog against the master. Even as they did so, Cody shifted into another entire gear. In a blur of motion, he grappled with Matt, and they disappeared in a cloud of dust.
When it cleared, Matt was on his back in the sand. And he was laughing.
“Yougottateach me that, mate,” he said.
