WARHAVEN

Thirty-Five

 The men circled one another, dust tossing around their large feet. Holding their fists up, ready for whoever strikes first. The first man who came into the circle had a cocky grin on his face. He clearly thought very highly of himself.

They went around the circle a few more times then he swung. His punch landed, causing the King to stagger, only slightly. The wind whipped around us, bringing goosebumps to rise on the men's bare backs. King Augustus laughed off the blow.

"Come on Adonis!" A man hollered into the men's direction. So that was the other man's name. This gave Adonis a confidence boost. He threw another punch with the opposite arm, attempting to strike the King's right jaw. He dodged it.

He sent a responding fist in Adonis' direction, coming from below and hitting him in his stomach, an unexpected response given the look of shock and pain on the cocky man's face. I couldn't help but giggle and look up at Sebastian.

The fight took off from there. Fangs slashed through the air and they moved so fast they looked like ghosts. Punches were thrown and foul smelling blood flew through the air, hitting the dusty ground in some spots. A line of curse words were spat by both of them.

They moved around the circle in a blur of skin and teeth, fists and feet, for what felt like forever. What I did take note of is that I never felt any uneasy energy from King Augustus.

The fight went on for another few minutes and drew a few "ouuu"'s and "ahh"'s as well as some teeth sucking from the crowd. The fight came to an end as the King took Adonis by the neck and slammed him to the dry earth below with a loud thud. It slammed the breath out of Adonis and he conceded. The crowd went wild in response to their leader's victory, rushing the circle and congratulating Augustus. I cheered as well, allowing myself to relax knowing that both men were okay.

A few men helped Adonis to his feet and took him away to soothe his bruised pride as well as mend his bloody nose. The crowd started to disperse and that was when he saw me. Augustus held the ghost of a smile on his plum lips. He weaved through the crowd, crisp beer in hand, and approached Sebastian and I.

He had never looked so masculine. I couldn't help but study every aspect of him. His hair was damp from sweat and some of it stuck to his forehead. His beard looked a little more unruly than the last time I had seen him. The dark brown hairs reached out in multiple directions. His smile left small wrinkles around his eyes and his smile lines were slightly prevalent.

Small beads of sweat had formed on his muscular skin, creating a small shimmer from what little sun we had. His chest looked like stone, despite it's olive tone. The small amount of hair there looked so soft, I wanted to feel it under my fingers and savor it like I had the flower petals.

My eyes made their way down his toned stomach and landed on that gorgeous trail of hair that led straight down below his waist band. I wonder what it would be like to-

Augustus cleared his throat, "Like what you see, Davina?" My eyes snapped back to his and heat burned under the cold skin of my cheeks. I knew my eyes had widened significantly. I clasped my hands behind my back, wringing them there.

"I-um...what? Which part exactly?" Sebastian doubled over in laughter, clenching his stomach. His face had turned a flaming red and mine burned a similar color.

Augustus let out a soft, sensual chuckle. "The fight." His knowing smile let me know he was paying very close attention to my mind. Bastard.

I cleared my throat and inhaled deeply, "I-yes. I did. Congratulations." I felt his gaze drop to my full chest which I was unknowingly accentuating due to my stance. His eyes lingered there and darkened slightly. Oh God.

"Get a room!" A man yelled from across the circle. "We can smell her, you know!" A few other vampires whistled and cheered.

Augustus looked toward the men and sent them a warning glare. They looked away, doing their best to look busy. He looked back to me and his grin softly reappeared. The dimple that made a short appearance nearly ended me.

"You can go, Sebastian. I'll stay with her. Enjoy the evening." He spoke to Sebastian but his eyes never left mine. I could memorize them forever, the swirls of gold mixed with the nearly black red was mesmerizing

The King took a swig of his beer and raised his glass. The men behind him did the same.

"Usque ad mortem!" He toasted his men. They repeated him and all threw their beers back. It was nice to see. They all got along and they clearly trusted the man before me. Not only that, but the respect that they gave him was clear in every interaction. He was a man of honor.

"Davina." Augustus' voice was much softer than before. He looked a bit...nervous? Or maybe I just felt that off of him. Or possibly it was my own nerves in response to the seriousness in his tone.

I swallowed loudly and locked eyes with him. "Yes?" I whispered.

I watched as he took a deep breath in, steadying himself, and asked, "Would you like to have dinner with me?" It was adorable to see him so fidgety.

"Yes, August. I would love to." A splitting grin took over his face, causing his dimple and something flickered deep within his eyes. He was excited, and so was I.