Won't Back Down: Won't Back Down Read online

  Table of Contents

  Won't Back Down

  Book Details

  Round One: Heart's Tournament

  One

  Interlude

  Two

  Interlude

  Three

  Interlude

  Four

  Round Two: Champions

  Round Three: Canis Project

  Round Four: Experiment Number Six

  Round Five: Knight & Novice

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Round Six: Fight to the Finish

  Round Seven: Rule Breaker

  One

  Two

  Three

  Round Eight: A Little Magic

  Round Nine: A Good Man

  Round Ten: Gladiatrix

  Round Eleven: Feint of Heart

  Round Twelve: Chasing Coyote

  About the Authors

  WON'T BACK

  DOWN

  EDITED BY

  SAMANTHA M. DERR

  MMA. Jousting Knights. Dueling swordsman. Gladiators. They do it for the money, for the love, and the necessity. They aren't afraid of bruises, blood, and broken bones. Less Than Three Press presents a collection of stories about people who won't back down even when the whole world seems stacked against them.

  HEART'S TOURNAMENT by Mell Eight

  Torn apart by the guilds vying for control of the city, twin brothers Keel and Saar must learn to fight, and win, if they hope to reunite—but winning might be exactly what tears them apart forever. Note: This story contains twincest.

  CHAMPIONS by Andrea Speed

  Kell is the first Human heavyweight champion in the Ultimate Fighting League of the Unified Worlds, where Humans are considered the lowest of the low. His presence could make a difference for his race, especially with his lover contending for featherweight champion—if they survive.

  CANIS PROJECT by Kish Swanson

  There is no one Liam loves more than his twin brother Alex. In the eyes of society, they probably love each other too much, but that's never stopped them. When Alex is brutally taken, however, it does stop the police from investigating. Then a stranger offers Liam a chance for revenge against the genetically-engineered monsters who murdered his brother... Note: This story contains twincest.

  EXPERIMENT NUMBER SIX by Mina MacLeod

  When his mission goes sideways, sniper Jason Slate wakes up in a strange hospital, drugged out of his mind, and captive of a shrewd terrorist organization. He's rescued by the military and placed in the care of Eric Archer, a warrant officer charged with helping him recover. But did the terrorists lose Jason... or let him go?

  KNIGHT & NOVICE by Cassandra Pierce

  Renulf's tedious days of copying manuscripts is interrupted by two unlikely visitors to the Sanctuary: a rampaging, troll-like thief, and the knight who slays him. In thanks for his assistance, Lord Bazel is invited to stay at the Sanctuary for a few days. But when night falls, he asks Renulf to secretly translate a strange manuscript...

  FIGHT TO THE FINISH by Diana Sheridan

  Maltroos has always been proud to be a Pledger and fight against other swordsmen for the amusement of the king. But he clings to the promise of his secret lover, Prince Saxtry, who vows that one day he will abolish the brutal duels. Then the king announces a Grand Competition—and that all fights will be to the death.

  RULE BREAKER by Archer Kay Leah

  Gren has a very simple list of rules: no attachments, no loyalty, he'll fight for anyone willing to pay. His only exception to the rule is Tracel, a healer who is also his casual lover. When she is taken hostage, however, Gren realizes he may have broken his rules, and he'll have to break a few more to get her back.

  A LITTLE MAGIC by Annabelle Kitch

  When Thrim is taken to the south, he believes he can sink no lower. The slavers took his dignity, the guards took his book of magic and the arena will take his life. Then an unexpected friendship earns Thrim a new enemy, who uses Thrim's own magic to shrink him to the size of a rat and leave him even more helpless.

  A GOOD MAN by Caitlin Ricci

  When Emory loses his job he's afraid of what his boyfriend will think. A friend at the gym offers a solution: go one round in an upcoming fight and he'll give Emory a job training the guys. But Emory hasn't been in the ring for years, and getting back into fighting won't make his boyfriend any happier than the lost job.

  GLADIATRIX by S.S. Skye

  When Daelan is sold to the kingdom to pay off her father's debts, she knows she is bound for the Games—and not likely to last long. When she arrives, however, she unexpectedly finds she has a patron who seems determined that Daelan come out of the Games alive...

  FEINT OF HEART by Freddie Milano

  For the past six years, Cal has been trying to gain the attention of Sir Taren Veretti outside of training sessions, but Taren refuses to see him as anything but a squire. He's forced to set aside his amorous goals, however, when he stumbles across a plot that could ruin Veretti and everything they've worked for.

  CHASING COYOTE by August Aimes

  Jove has been chasing his quarry for more than a year, but infamous thief and magic worker Coyote always manages to stay one step ahead—until suddenly he isn't, and Jove is way more tangled up than he ever wanted, in ways he never expected...

  BOOK DETAILS

  Won't Back Down

  Edited by Samantha M. Derr

  Published by Less Than Three Press LLC

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher, except for the purpose of reviews.

  Heart's Tournament Edited by Leta Hutchins

  Champions Edited by Amanda Jean

  Canis Project Edited by Leta Hutchins

  Experiment Number Six Edited by Amanda Jean

  Knight & Novice Edited by Amanda Jean

  Fight to the Finish Edited by Leta Hutchins

  Rule Breaker Edited by Leta Hutchins

  A Little Magic Edited by Leta Hutchins

  A Good Man Edited by Amanda Jean

  Gladiatrix Edited by Leta Hutchins

  Feint of Heart Edited by Tanni Fan

  Chasing Coyote Edited by Samantha M. Derr

  Cover designed by Aisha Akeju

  This book is a work of fiction and all names, characters, places, and incidents are fictional or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people, places, or events is coincidental.

  First Edition May 2014

  Heart's Tournament Copyright © 2014 by Mell Eight

  Champions Copyright © 2014 by Andrea Speed

  Canis Project Copyright © 2014 by Kish Swanson

  Experiment Number Six Copyright © 2014 by Mina MacLeod

  Knight & Novice Copyright © 2014 by Cassandra Pierce

  Fight to the Finish Copyright © 2014 by Diana Sheridan

  Rule Breaker Copyright © 2014 by Archer Kay Leah

  A Little Magic Copyright © 2014 by Annabelle Kitch

  A Good Man Copyright © 2014 by Caitlin Ricci

  Gladiatrix Copyright © 2014 by S.S. Skye

  Feint of Heart Copyright © 2014 by Freddie Milano

  Chasing Coyote Copyright © 2014 by August Aimes

  Printed in the United States of America

  Digital ISBN 9781620043615

  Print ISBN 9781620043622

  ROUND ONE

  HEART'S TOURNAMENT

  MELL EIGHT

  ONE

  ME'N KITTEN ARE GOIN HOME

  "Lookit em," Keel whispered, one pudgy finger pointing at the cage tucked in the back of the merchant's stall. The merchant
sold exotic animals at a high price, but neither Keel nor Saar had ever seen cats like the two squished into that small cage. They were kittens, really, even though they were the biggest kitties Keel had ever seen, with bright orange fur shot through with brilliant red stripes. They looked furiously unhappy at being stuffed so unceremoniously into such a small space.

  "Theys so small," Saar agreed, his chubby cheeks twisting into a sad frown. "We kin help em, right, Keel?"

  Keel agreed and nodded at Saar. He saw a smile begin to grow across Saar's face and an identical one split his own lips.

  "Wees small, still," Keel whispered, "but them kitties is smaller. We kin do it."

  On silent, unshod feet Keel followed Saar out of their darkened alleyway and into the space behind the merchant's stall. There was cloth hanging down the back to prevent thieves like Keel and Saar from stealing the wares, with heavy weights to keep the cloth secured, but there was space enough for someone as small as Keel and Saar were. They had used their young age to their advantage before; not many shopkeepers had protections against four year olds, nor were they expecting a babe to have survived in the streets cut from their mama's purse strings, but Keel and Saar were strong.

  "Whaddaya think?" Keel asked Saar in a very soft whisper as they crouched next to the cage.

  Saar had one hand buried in the fur of the closest kitten, gently stroking along one red stripe. "Theys fur is the same color," he said wonderingly, pulling a long strand of his own red hair down to compare. He looked up at Keel and his green eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

  Keel sighed, knowing his own red hair and green eyes were identical to Saar's. They were identical twins after all. "Theys eyes is red too," he replied. "Sos theys not the same. Help me wi' the lock."

  Saar bent down next to Keel and felt along the padlock holding the cage closed. "Bad lock," he said with a frown. "Cheap." With a twist of one small fist, Saar popped the lock open.

  Was the merchant so sure of himself that he didn't properly secure his wares? Keel wondered. Or was the lock there not to prevent thieves but to keep the cargo secure? Well, it didn't matter because Saar already had the door open and the cat he had been petting was purring in his lap. The second kitten took a few seconds longer to step out of the bars, but once it was free it batted its head underneath Keel's hand to demand petting too.

  "Home?" Saar asked Keel as he stood, his kitten clutched protectively in his arms.

  "Yeah," Keel agreed as he also got to his feet.

  "What do you two rats think you're doing!" a loud voice snarled from over their heads. "Do you know how expensive those are? And you're touching them!" It was the merchant, Keel realized, and he was practically foaming at the mouth as he screamed.

  Keel caught Saar's eye and got a tiny nod in return. The merchant was busy trying to get through his squawking and howling wares to get close to them as he ranted and yelled, but before he could catch them, Saar and then Keel slid underneath the cloth and fled into the back alleys of the city.

  "Summon the Yimina and the Simola!" Keel could hear the merchant screaming.

  "Both?" someone else replied.

  Keel didn't hear why as he and Saar dashed around a corner and out of earshot. The Yimina and the Simola were the two different guard guilds in the city. The Simola controlled the western side of the country and the Yimina the eastern, but the King's City, the Capital named Lev, lay in the center. The two guilds were in a constant feud over which had control over Lev, and that control changed year to year based on the big tournament the crown oversaw.

  Knowing both groups would be after him and Saar made Keel grin. They were more likely to fight each other than actually try to find the thieves. Keel felt their chances of escaping unscathed double as he ran on through the back alleys of the city with Saar running just a few feet in front.

  His legs were small and the additional weight of the cat made his balance a bit wonky, but Keel still felt he was making good time back to their hideaway. Saar rounded a corner just a few steps ahead of Keel, but before Keel could follow a hand grabbed the back of the oversized shirt he was wearing—the only piece of clothing he owned—and yanked him into the air.

  "Got you," a man crowed from behind where Keel was dangling in the air, the collar of his shirt strangling him and the weight of the kitten pulling him down. He choked and gasped, one hand reaching upwards to try and relieve some of the pressure around his neck while the other held the kitten safely. "Think you can run from the Simola, did you?"

  "Cael, if you don't adjust your grip you'll kill the lad," a second man's voice said as he approached Keel's side.

  "Yes, Master." The man holding Keel carefully switched his grip to Keel's upper arms, but the kitten didn't like having the stranger so close. He struck out with his claws and suddenly Keel was falling. He hit the ground hard on his back, stunned for a long moment while he struggled to find his breath through an abused throat and lungs that were fighting to recover from the sudden landing.

  Slowly both of the men came into focus. The one sucking on his bleeding fingers was young, maybe fifteen or so, Keel thought. He had dark hair and eyes, but his skin was the pale color of the western sea-folk. The other man must have been in his forties. His hair was darker than the other, with the slightest streaks of gray beginning to show at the temples. His skin was also deeply tanned, but his blue eyes were kinder than his companion's. The expression on his face was lightly amused as he took in Cael's injury, but it quickly switched to shock when he looked over at Keel. Both men were wearing the circle pin with only the left side solid that denoted that they were part of the Simola; the older man's was gold while the younger's was made of copper.

  "Well, I'll be damned," the older man said as he knelt at Keel's side. "You're a youngling, aren't you? And you're holding a battle cat as if it were nothing of consequence. What is your name, child, and how old are you?"

  Keel frowned, slowly sitting up and cradling the kitten protectively to his chest. "Don matter. Me'n kitten are goin home."

  "I'm afraid not, child. Do you know what a battle cat is?" the man inquired politely.

  "Whaddit a battle cat?" Keel asked. He had never heard the term before, but he hoped he could buy enough time to sneak away, get safe, and find Saar.

  "A battle cat is a fierce warrior, renowned in the world of fighting for their strength and stamina as well as their deadliness. They only bond with one human during their lifetime, an honor for the human, and that human will become a fighter as strong and as powerful as the cat. Do you know how we know if a battle cat has bonded?" he asked Keel.

  Keel shook his head wordlessly, wondering why he was getting this speech when the Simola were just going to take the kitten away and throw him in some orphanage for delinquents.

  "Because no one is allowed to touch them except for their chosen human. They'll attack anyone else who dares try."

  Keel looked down at the kitten snuggled in his arms. He mewed happily up at Keel and then settled in for a nap.

  "Oh," Keel replied. He didn't know what else to say.

  "You'll come live with us. We'll clothe you and feed you three meals a day. You and your battle cat will train to become the best fighters the Simola have ever seen," the man finished with a firm nod.

  "But, Master," Cael gasped. "He's so young. How can you be so sure?"

  "There is a battle cat sitting in his lap, Cael. I am certain."

  The two men continued to argue, but Keel tuned them out. Three meals a day? That was unheard of. He and Saar were only pudgy because they couldn't get rid of their baby fat. It made them cute enough that they could sneak food from some of the stalls in the market, which certainly didn't amount to three meals a day. If he saved some, he could feed Saar too. Plus, training would help keep the older street kids from stealing from them again.

  "Okay," Keel said loudly. "Ifn you'll feed me."

  "It's a deal," Master replied. He bent over to hold out one hand for Keel to grasp and when Keel took it,
he pulled Keel to his feet. Master kept hold of Keel's hand as he led the way through the back alleys of the city towards the main streets. They stepped out into the road just behind another group of guardsmen. One of them spun around when he heard their footsteps and Keel had to hide a gasp.

  Saar was standing there, hidden behind the knees of a guardsman. He still had his kitten tucked in his arms and he looked okay. He wasn't scared and he didn't look hurt, Keel could tell that much.

  "Food," Saar mouthed soundlessly, peeking around the guardsman's knee just far enough that Keel could see him.

  "Me too," Keel mouthed back. He was pushed behind Master's body a second later, but he had just long enough to see the circle pin with the right side filled in on the breast of the man holding onto Saar. Saar had been taken in by the Yimina.

  "I see you found our other battle cat," one of the men from Yimina said, sounding very genial. "I expect you're here to return it to us."

  "You have it wrong," Master replied, sounding just as pleasant. "We were told that there were two battle cats awaiting our arrival in the market this afternoon. You have stolen our second one."

  Just like that, hostilities escalated. Keel couldn't tell who swung first, but suddenly dozens of Yimina and Simola were brawling in the street. Of course, it wasn't the type of street fight Keel was used to. He had never seen a fight without loud swearing and grunting as fists flew randomly and blood answered. The guilds' fighting was something else; the brawl almost seemed choreographed as one man would attack and another parry with moves so smooth that they made Keel's jaw drop.

  Keel had half a second to wonder if he could reach Saar in the confusion, but before the thought finished forming Cael had a grip on Keel's arm. Keel was dragged away from the fighting, through the streets towards the gigantic manor on the left side of the city. He looked back once only to see Saar's back as the Yimina squirrelled his twin away to the right side of the city.

  *~*~*

  It took three days before the Simola relaxed their guard long enough that Keel could sneak away.

  On the first day, Cael had brought Keel to the manor and deposited him in the kitchen for lunch, which was where Master found him. Lessons had begun that very first day.