They separated to either side of the circle. Around them the females roared in unison, signaling the start of the fight.
Quicker than she could track, Elysa was on her. Brie grabbed her wrist and jerked forward, shifting her own weight. The lioness went down, but didn't stay down. They circled one another once, and Elysa burst forward again. Brie tensed her abdomen muscles and took multiple blows. With her arms protecting her head, she did a half-body twist to flip backward and put distance between her and the lioness.
Elysa's eyes widened, and she gave her a wicked grin. "Kitten has surprises."
"Come find out if I have any more," she replied.
Brie lost track of the exchange of strikes after that. She had never moved so fast in her life. No sooner had the thought entered her mind to block, her arm or leg was already there. After a few minutes, they were both breathing hard.
Brie laughed from the sheer thrill of it all. "Come on!" she roared, and Elysa responded.
The lioness landed a solid hit to her stomach, causing her to gasp for air. Closing her eyes, she pivoted on her back leg and brought her foot up. She connected to Elysa's jaw, causing her to step back, shaking her head. Brie let out a flurry of blows to further disorient her opponent.
Barely able to draw breath, Brie knew that if she hesitated, she would lose the chance to gain the upper-hand. She darted forward, and as she predicted, Elysa saw her incoming and threw her entire body into a punch aimed at her mid-section.
Brie grabbed her arm and literally threw her over her head and into the air. She heard and felt the vibrations of Elysa hitting the ground before she spun to face her. Brie immediately took a defensive stance.
Elysa held up a hand. "Yield," she croaked.
All around them the lionesses roared loudly—to the point where Brie wanted to cover her ears. They flooded the ring, some stepping over Elysa to congratulate her. "Welcome to the pride!" they cheered.
"Huh?" she asked, still trying to catch her breath from that punch to the gut.
"You defeated our acting Alpha Female, that makes you the newest member of our pride. Welcome to Eliana's Daughters," one of them explained, wiping her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said, thoroughly confused.
The female looked shocked. "Don't be sorry; these are happy tears! Jubilant tears! It's been centuries since an outside female has joined our ranks."
"But, she was adjusting her strength and speed, it shouldn't count," she protested.
Two females helped Elysa to stand. She made her way over to them, and she thrust her arm out to her. Brie knew what to do now and grasped it in a warrior's clasp.
"Brie, I stopped having to make adjustments after you challenged me. I faced you with everything I had. Your training, in addition to whatever boost you received from mating with Ari, has you nearly equal to one of us."
Brie could only smile. Throwing her head back, she bellowed out her victory. Answering her raw guttural cry, a deep, male, lion roar shattered the night from the stands. The men sitting around her mate released victory cries of their own. The unit warriors of Èire Danu had witnessed her triumph.
Elysa clapped her on the shoulder. "You're more than worthy of our Ari," she said, pointing to where her mate's once short hair now flowed about his head like a mane. In front of him, both Declan and Rex vibrated with the same energy.
"I told you they puffed up like house cats," Meryn said to Aiden, pointing at Ari.
Ari stood and stalked toward her. His eyes glowed golden. "Mine," he growled.
She smiled coyly before sweeping her leg and knocking him to the ground and straddling him. "And you're mine."
The men whistled from the crowd, and the female warriors laughed at Ari's stunned expression.
"I could get behind this," he agreed.
A piercing whistle had everyone looking at Catherine. "Elysa, you girls head back to the manor and get the gun prepared for Brie for tomorrow." She eyed the unit warriors. "You boys head back to the villa." She smiled at her. "Let's head back inside and allow Brie some time to freshen before we continue our dinner."
Elysa shook her head. "Better listen, she's the oldest." She leaned down to Brie. "And the strongest of us."
Brie eyed Catherine. "Well, she did have three sons, so there is that."
Her dad and Doran walked by, both grinning. Her dad held up a wad of cash. "This is going toward your birthday present."
Chapter Sixteen