Bloodline

Chapter One

Chapter One

"Block! One! Two! Three! Ach-- Pathetic!"

I hit the ground like a sack of fucking potatoes, rolling across the dirt and springing back up to my feet, breathing hard. The hit to the face had blood welling up in my mouth, which I spit through clenched teeth. I ducked fast as a fist went flying for my face.

Spin, block, spin, block-- jump, duck.

It was an intricate dance as my feet shuffled through the dirt, sending up clouds. The figure in front of me was briefly obscured, appeared to struggle with the dust in the air, giving me the perfect opportunity to jump out and wrestle the guy to the ground. We kicked and thrashed in the dirt before a blow to my gut had me choking on my breath, rolling across the ground and shooting to my feet. I spun around, but it was too late.

A foot came crashing down on my ribcage like a hundred pounds of concrete and I choked, blood welling up my throat and spilling past my lips.

"Great Mother Above, you are fucking defective!"

Anger bolted through me and I growled low in my throat, shoving his foot off and moving to go after him, only to have an arm come down in front of me, cutting me off.

"Enough! Seven, kneel!"

"I'm not fucking kneeling--" The words barely left my lips before I found myself facedown in the dirt again. I choked as the earlier pain in my chest and gut came roaring back, blood pooling past my lips into the dirt. I groaned in agony, peering up through loose white-blonde hair at the male towering over me.

He was the size of a motherfucking tank, all bulging muscles and dark skin, his topaz yellow eyes sharp and deep set. He was decked out in black BDUs all the way to his black combat boots, one of which was still planted on me while he smirked down at me, arms folded over his chest.

Stupid son of a bitch.

"What a sore loser," my opponent snorted from nearby, making me snap my head around to glare at him, "This is what happens when you allow a defective into the ranks. Put him in the cell with Bait, Micah." I clenched my teeth, twisting my fists in preparation to hop back up and kill the fucker, but Micah's boot ground into my spine and held me in place.

I seethed in pain and fury. I wanted to get up and break that asshole's face in with my bare hands. The anger was so typical, so unrelenting that it felt like a noose around my neck just getting tighter and tighter. I wanted to scream, but my chest was killing me and Micah's boot wasn't helping.

"Hold your fucking tongue, maggot," Micah snapped at my opponent, who backed down instantly, "You do not have any say in who can and cannot be a soldier. A true warrior, a winner no less, does not peacock himself about. He simply kills and is finished. But you weren't even trying, were you?" My opponent said nothing, simply looked at his feet.

Not a smart move.

Micah's boot left my back and I gasped for much needed oxygen while watching Micah spin around and kick the fucker right in the face, sending him flying through the dirt and slamming into the far wall of the arena. I panted, lunging to my feet to go after him to finish the job, but Micah threw his arm up fast, throwing me backwards onto the ground again.

I shouted in fury, shot back up with the intention to go after Micah this time, but he spun around and caught me in a headlock that had me thrashing to get out of it. Unfortunately, this asshole had two hundred pounds on me, so all I could do was squirm as I felt my oxygen getting low again. I gasped for breath, my struggles slowing into pathetic twitches until he released me and I panted as I hit the ground on my knees.