Kwan let out a low, guttural groan as he hit the ground with a thud, courtesy of Sasha's expertly executed flip. His vision swam for a moment, the bright gym lights blurring together into a hazy, indistinct glow. The sweat on his skin added to the discomfort of the sting from falling on the mat.

"You good there, cutie?" asked Sasha.

He grumbled under his breath, his eyes narrowing at the small smirk on her lips.

"What was that?" she asked as she wiped the sweat from her chin. "I didn't quite catch what you said, cutie." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she leaned over him.

Rolling his eyes, he quickly averted his gaze. Trying not to notice the curve of her breast in the tight-fitting black sports bra. His idea to spar with her after three days of her avoiding him had truly backfired. All I wanted to know was why she refused to start the mating process.

Grinning from ear to ear, Sasha reached out her hand to him, inviting him to take it. "It's not a fun match if you keep holding back, cutie."

"I'm only getting my ass whoop by you because I need to talk to you. You would think it would be easy to talk to your mate when you literally share a bed together," said Kwan as he grabbed her hand.

"Na. I think you really need to start training. Your footwork is sloppy, and it looks to me you haven't mastered fighting as one with your wolf."

As soon as he regained his footing, she let go of his hand and retreated into a defensive position. He released an annoyed growl at her dismissive behavior. "Buttercup, why are you avoiding being marked? I thought you accepted our bond," he whispered.

"Less talking and more sparring," she said as she ran at him.

Kwan barely had time to react as she spun and sent a kick to his stomach. Gritting his teeth, he tried to shake off the pain caused by her powerful kick. Which he had only partially blocked with his hand. He moved swiftly, bobbing and weaving as she threw a series of quick jabs at his face.

Sasha growled as she circled him. "Will you fucking fight and stop dodging only?"

He tilted his head slightly and smirked as he nonchalantly lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I'll keep dodging until you start answering my questions, buttercup."

Her brilliant ice-blue eyes flickered with annoyance, the corners of her lips turned down in a frown, and her nostrils flared as she let out an exasperated sigh. But then, in a sudden shift, her eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint, and a small smirk played at the corner of her mouth.

He noticed her sudden shift of mood and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He knew how dangerously sexy his mate was when she wanted to play dirty. A side of her that he welcomed but dreaded at the same time. Especially when she was avoiding being marked.

It was taking a toll on him to keep fighting off his wolfish urge to mark and mate with her. The incident that happened the night before was his wake up call. His wolf had tried to take control when he was sleeping with the goal of marking his mate.

Kwan tilted his head. "What deal are we making, buttercup?" He knew his mate well enough to know she was about to propose a challenge.

Sasha beamed, her eyes shining with excitement. "We spar for three rounds. The person who taps out twice has to do what the other says." Her hands crossed over her chest, and she raised a brow in a questioning manner.

Her little action was enough to distract him from her gorgeous face to her heaving chest, slick with sweat. His curious gaze drifted downwards, taking in the sight of her toned abdomen with a faint sheen of sweat glistening in the gym light. As his eyes traveled further down, he took in the sight of the navy blue shorts hugging her hips.

The sound of snapping fingers made his eyes shoot up to meet hers. Triumphant danced within her eyes. He felt his face heating up at being caught. He flexed his pecs as he cleared his throat. His lips curled into a grin when she glanced down at his chest.

And that, dear ladies and gentlemen, is how you stay in the game.

"The person who loses has to agree to any demands, correct?" Kwan asked, just to clarify.

"Yup," she answered, emphasizing the 'p' with a slight popping sound.

"Alright, sounds fair to me." He raised a brow. "Who will be the ref?"

"I will," said Jia as she skipped her way over to them.

Kwan arched a brow at her. "No offense, but why are you here?"

Jia waved him off. "None taken. Your mate sent me a link."

"Oh, okay. Cool."

"Alright, can we begin now?" asked Sasha.

Kwan faced his mate, who was already in her fighting stance. He rolled his eyes at her. "Other mates didn't need to have a fighting match to determine if they mark each other, buttercup."

"Ready?" asked Jia. "I'm sure you've both agreed to the rules of this match before I got here." She looked from Kwan to her Alpha.

"We aren't a regular pair of mates," said Sasha.

"That shouldn't matter, Sasha," said Kwan. His tone was laced with frustration.

"Oh look, Alpha and her mate are having a match. You wanna bet Alpha Hemming is going to wipe the floor with Alpha Jung?" said a voice that belonged to a young man.

"I don't know, man. Alpha Jung has been walking around pretty annoyed lately. He might let out his sexual frustration on Alpha Hemming," said another male voice.

Kwan groaned as he zoned out the observers' chatter. Just great. Of course, people start showing up at the gym now.

Jia left the middle of the face-off between the two alphas. "Start!" she shouted.

Kwan circled Sasha. His eyes remained fixed on her every move, scanning her posture for any signs of weakness. He knew it would not be easy to get her to tap out twice. He stopped moving and grinned to himself when she narrowed her eyes at him.

He charged straight towards her. As he neared her, he dropped to the mat and slid on his bottom. With his eyes fixed on her feet, he used his own feet to try to trip her. To his disappointment, she back flipped and kicked him in the chin. His head snapped back, and he groaned from the powerful kick.

He swiftly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the impact of her feet as they hit the mat with a thud. My ribs would have been shattered if I had not dodged that. He jumped to his feet and fixed a sharp, angry stare on her.

With a sly smirk, she sprinted towards him. As she neared him, she propelled herself upward, her body soaring through the air. Her fist was raised high as she aimed for his face. But Kwan, quick on his feet, sidestepped her punch with ease. The sound of her fist whooshing past his ear. He pivoted on his heel, his right arm cocked and ready to strike. But just as he was about to connect, she gracefully dodged his punch with lightning-fast reflexes.

Sasha grabbed his fist in a vice-like grip, the pressure of her hand sending a jolt of pain up his arm. Before he could wrench his hand out of her grip, she jabbed her elbow into his chest. The impact made a dull thud sound as the air rushed out of his lungs. She quickly spun around, her fingers still tightly wrapped around his fist, and twisted his arm with a sharp, cracking sound. He winced, feeling the sharp pain shoot up his shoulder.

As she released his arm, she sent a sharp kick to his chest. The sound of her foot connecting with his flesh made their little audience gasp in shock. He coughed and stumbled back, his footing lost from the sheer force of her blow. His inability to maintain his balance caused him to crash down onto the mat with a resounding smack. The smell of sweat filled the air as he struggled to catch his breath.

Sasha wasted no time and pounced on him, straddling his chest and pinning him down with her thighs. Her right hand pressed against his neck, fingers digging into the skin. Kwan winced in pain as she exerted pressure, leaving him helpless and gasping for air. He quickly tapped out, fearing she might knock him unconscious.

"Alpha Hemming won the first round. Two more rounds to go!" shouted Jia from the sidelines.

"I think this match will end after the second round," said a female voice.

Kwan huffed as he got to his feet after his mate got off his chest. He got into a fighting stance as he faced Sasha. I have to fight smarter if I want to win the next two rounds.

"Ready?" Jia asked. When both Alphas nodded. She shouted, "fight!"

Kwan circled Sasha. Not wanting to make the first move, he called her forward with his left hand. She smirked, the corners of her lips turning up, and ran at him. She jumped and spun in the air before sending a kick to his chest. He quickly sidestepped, feeling the breeze of her movement brush past him. He grabbed her leg, feeling the warmth of her skin against his hand.

His lips curled into a smirk as he spun and threw her aside. The sound of her body colliding with the mat filled the room. His wolf growled, his disapproval in his mind.

Hey at least I didn't hit her.

Without a moment's hesitation, he sprinted towards the spot where she had fallen. As he reached her, he swiftly mounted her midsection and attempted to subdue her by grabbing her neck. But before he could do so, she yanked his arm forward. And with lightning speed, delivered a powerful blow to his chin with her open palm. He let out a painful cry as his head jerked backwards.

In a swift motion, she maneuvered their positions, so that she was straddling him. Her hand found a vital point on his neck, and she applied pressure.

Kwan struggled to move underneath her, but stopped when she applied more pressure to his neck.

"You can tap out with a bit of your dignity left or I can knock you unconscious?" Sasha said with an arched brow.

Kwan tapped his hand against the mat and closed his eyes in defeat.

"Alpha Hemming won!" screamed Jia.

The small audience erupted with deafening cheers and applause. "Great match, Alpha Hemming and Alpha Jung!"

Kwan grimaced as his face flushed with embarrassment. It wasn't a surprise to him that his mate won. He had witnessed her fighting skills before. And the fact that she had pointed out all his fighting flaws highlighted her expertise even more. "You can get up now, buttercup."

His eyes flew open when he felt her warm hands against his cheek. Her lips curved into a small smile before she pressed them against his. A soft sigh escaped her as she opened her mouth, inviting him to explore. His chest rumbled with pleasure as he wrapped his hand around her neck. Relishing the feel of her soft skin under his fingertips. With his other hand, he circled her waist, pulling her closer to him.

Without hesitation, he delved into her mouth, savoring the taste of her. The feel of her tongue against his as they fought for dominance sent a wave of heat coursing through his body. A low moan escaped her lips, and he knew he had her, completely and utterly. He smiled at her swollen lips when they finally separated.

Sasha leaned back and placed her hands over his heart. "Don't ever let the thought that I don't accept you or our bond into your mind ever again. I am not a werewolf like you are the rest of my pack. I'm a hybrid. Every decision I make is to protect my pack and now you."

She placed a finger against his lips when he tried to talk. "I know how much of a blessing finding your true mate is, cutie. And I know most mates mark each other the day they find each other. But our pairing will be a threat to those who crave power."

She slowly rose from straddling his waist. Reaching out a hand towards him, her palm facing upwards. He reached out to grasp her hand, his fingers interlocking with hers. With a gentle tug, she helped him rise to his feet. He let out a deep sigh as he pulled her in for a tight embrace. Her distinct scent mixed with sweat filling his nostrils. It was a moment of comfort and safety, a moment that they both needed.

"I can't risk losing you or my pack because of my selfishness, cutie. I want to mark and mate with you, even if you think I don't. But I won't risk it," Sasha whispered.

"I get it, buttercup. Just know that we are in this together," Kwan said before pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Ew, now that's just gross. You kissed my sweaty head," she said with a disgusted face as she pulled away and ran towards the gym exit.

Kwan chuckled heartily, his whole body shaking with mirth. "You were fine hugging my sweaty body, though!"