Stop! You're going to kill him!Riley's mental scream finally pierced through his rage.
Good, Adrian thought savagely for one terrible moment before reason crashed back into his consciousness. He froze mid-punch, his fist trembling inches from Darius's bloodied face.
The referee rushed between them, raising Adrian's hand as Darius lay unconscious in the center of the ring. The crowd's roar was deafening, but all Adrian could focus on was Riley's face—a complex mixture of shock at his loss of control and fierce satisfaction that he'd won, that he'd protected her, that justice had been served.
NINETEEN
RILEY
The moment the referee raised Adrian's hand in victory, Riley felt her heart slam against her ribs with fierce pride and relief. Her mate had won—decisively, brutally, and with the kind of primal dominance that left no doubt about who the superior fighter was. But as Adrian turned toward her, sweat gleaming on his bare chest and blood still trickling from his split lip, she could see the storm of emotions churning behind his blue eyes.
He vaulted over the ropes with fluid grace, landing directly in front of her with the controlled power that never failed to make her pulse race. His jaw was already darkening with bruises from Darius's landed blows, and she could see the careful way he held his ribs where he'd taken that vicious kick. But none of that mattered when he pulled her carefully into his arms, mindful of her crutches.
"I'm sorry," he murmured against her ear, his voice rough with exhaustion and lingering fury. "I lost control in there. I?—"
"No." Riley pulled back to look at him directly, her brown eyes blazing with understanding. "Don't apologize for defending me. If I'd been in that ring, I might have done the same thing."
Through their completed bond, she could feel the guilt eating at him, the way his tiger was still prowling restlessly. But she also felt his satisfaction—dark and primal—at having delivered justice for what Darius had done to her.
"But you stopped when I told you to," she continued, her voice softening. "You could have killed him, and we both know it. But you didn't. That's what matters."
Adrian's expression shifted, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as her words sank in. She reached up to touch his bruised jaw gently, and he leaned into her touch like a man starving for comfort.
"What's more important is that you just won your first professional title," she whispered, her voice thick with pride and love.
Before he could respond, she pulled him down and kissed him deeply, pouring all of her admiration and fierce protectiveness into the connection. The taste of blood from his split lip only intensified the moment, reminding her of exactly what he'd risked for her honor.
Camera flashes exploded around them like fireworks, the media capturing every second of their intimate celebration. Riley heard the crowd beginning to surge forward, their excited voices growing louder as they pressed against the barriers. Within seconds, a wall of security guards materialized around them, creating a protective barrier that Adrian certainly didn't need, but that Riley appreciated while balancing on her crutches.
"Adrian!" A deep, authoritative voice cut through the chaos.
Riley looked up to see who she assumed was Council Leader Morris approaching with two other pride members, their expressions formal but respectful. These men commanded attention even in a room full of human spectators, theirpredatory grace marking them as something more than ordinary.
"We need to speak with you," Morris continued, his gaze flicking briefly to Riley before returning to Adrian.
Adrian's arm tightened around Riley's waist protectively. "I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."
Morris nodded curtly. "We'll be waiting."
As the Council members melted back into the crowd, Cameron appeared at Riley's elbow, his usually composed demeanor buzzing with excitement.
"Riley, we need to get you to the press conference now," he said urgently. "The media is going absolutely wild about what happened to you yesterday, and now with this..." He gestured at Adrian with obvious appreciation. "They want answers about everything."
Riley looked up at Adrian, who was still watching the retreating Council members with calculating eyes. She could feel his mind working through whatever conversation was about to take place.
"Go handle your press conference with your mom," Adrian said softly, turning his attention back to her. "I'll go tell the Council that I'm officially accepting my Alpha title now that we're fully bonded. That conversation might take a while, but..." His eyes softened as they met hers. "How about I meet you at your gym afterward? We can celebrate properly then."
The promise in his voice sent heat racing through her despite the chaos surrounding them. "That sounds like a perfect plan."
She glanced toward the ring where medics were carefully helping an unconscious Darius onto a stretcher. From this close distance, she could see the extent of the damage Adrian had inflicted—the swollen face and the careful way they were moving him. She knew that when Darius eventually woke up, he wasgoing to be humiliated by this public defeat and probably furious enough to be dangerous.
But that was a problem for another day. Right now, she had her own battle to fight with the media.
"Come on," Cameron urged, already moving toward the arena's media room.
Riley squeezed Adrian's hand once more before allowing Cameron to guide her away, her crutches clicking against the concrete floor as they navigated through the crowd. Behind them, she could hear Adrian's footsteps going in the opposite direction in the cadence of a man about to claim his birthright.
Once she got to the media room, her mother was already waiting with a proud smile that could have powered the entire arena. "That was quite a show," she said, pulling Riley into a careful hug.