~
Vicky’s magic was already right at the end of her fingertips – she didn’t need a moment to gather her powers – she lifted her hands and forced her magic outwards towards the shifter, just as Connor landed upon his feet at Marco’s side and reached out for him…
Vicky cursed and snatched her magic back, but it was already too late – the shifter and her mate had been wrenched up from the ground and were flying backwards through the air, as Agatha was yanked forwards and hit the earth face down…
“Whoops…” Vicky bit out on a small grimace.
She couldn’t take her eyes from Connor’s body that had been blasted away. There was a small pang of guilt when his back hit the tree trunk with a loud thud that made her screw her face up in another grimace, and he rebounded, face down onto the ground.
She had a moment’s reflection on how that could have been better and how badly that was going to play out later between them…
“Thanks, love…” Connor bit out as he slapped his palms down against the earth and pushed his torso upwards…
“You got in my way…” Vicky shot back, defiant and defensive, as she turned her attention back towards Marco…
The man was back on his feet and stalking towards his intended target. The rage within his eyes told her everything that she needed to know – the man wasn’t about to turn tail and run – his bloodlust was up front and centre and he fully intended to claim his kill…
Connor felt that something was broken – he just wasn’t entirely sure what it was, not with pain screaming through him from all directions.
His body would heal, that was a given – it was just a question of if it would heal in time…
Agatha pushed up and rolled her body onto her hands and knees. Her head snapped up at the deep, angry growl that sounded as if it was all around her, and her eyes locked onto Marco as the came right at her…
“Not happening…” Vicky bit out as she raised her hands once more, she was determined to do the job right that time and finished the man off…
“Traitor…” Marco growled out.
His black, rage filled eyes were locked onto his prey, and he wasn’t about to stop until he’d done his duty to his clan and his alpha … both of them – Raul and Zane.
He lifted one large hand – his claws drawn down – and he knew what he was doing was right…
Liam’s wolf tore through the foliage on fast paws that churched up the ground behind him…
Vicky’s attention snapped towards the majestic beast, and she pulled back on her magic a split second before it could have gone very badly wrong for the wolf as it had for her own mate…
The beast’s whole body left the ground as he pushed off from his back paws and sailed towards Marco … but the bear shifter wasn’t going down without a fight, and he had a lot of fight left in him…
Liam’s wolf crashed into the man, knocking him backwards, but Marco’s arms had come around the beast and his claws had pierced into his flesh like a hot knife through butter.
There was one certainty in the fight that ensued, neither man nor beast were getting out of it unscathed…
Marco released his claws and used his strength to toss Liam’s wolf away from him – a heartbeat later and the bear burst from inside of the man – with a roar that was like a starter’s pistol for Liam’s beast…
“I do like to be surplus to requirements…” Connor bit out, snatching Vicky’s attention for just a moment, and she screwed up her face in guilt, and moved quickly across to where the vampire was practically willing himself to heal faster…
“Here, take my blood…” Vicky held her arm downwards towards her mate, but her eyes stayed firmly locked on the fighting in front of her…
“You offer out of guilt…” Connor muttered, but that didn’t stop him from wrapping his hand around her arm and drawing her smooth skin towards his lips…
“Well, sure, but beggars can’t be choosers, right…?” Vicky offered back – a moment before she felt the pain of his fangs slicing into her flesh and tapping a nerve… “Do not make me horny…” she bit out.
At any other time, Connor might have chuckled, but not then. He needed to heal and get ready for the fight in case things went badly wrong for Liam.
The wolf was acting on instinct, but he was also fired up with rage, and that was never a good position to be in when you were fighting an opponent as deadly as a bear.
If Liam lost the fight – then Connor would definitely finish it.
~
~
~
First there was one and then there were two, but the second wolf wasn’t attacking Kent’s bear, it was attacking the other wolf.
George had been distracted by the bears in the area as he stalked after his brother, Paul, but now that the bear had attacked and snared the beast just where he wanted it – he wasn’t about to miss out on the opportunity that had eluded him for so long.
His brother had been stalking him, stalking the pack, and stalking the land for too damn long, and he’d proved to have more lives than a cat. This time, however, George was determined to finish the man off.
He knew that might just open up a whole other can of worms and bring trouble right to his doorstep, but he didn’t give a damn. He needed to finish it once and for all, and then, he’d need to move on.
Kent’s bear was more than ready to take on either or both beasts if he needed to do it, but the ferocity of the fight that ensued between the wolves left him with little doubt that he was merely a spectator in whatever was going down…
His beast didn’t rest easy as the two wolves played for keeps, as the claws gouged, and the razor sharp fangs cut in through the flesh, but he had the good sense to keep out of the way.
He’d never seen anything like it before. It was as if neither beast cared if they lived or died as long as they took the other one with them…
The moment that George’s wolf snapped its jaws closed around Paul’s throat – Kent was in little doubt that the battle was over – with a ferocious shake of its head, George’s beast stood victorious…
There was no victory howl.
There was no celebration of an enemy gone.
George didn’t even look at the bear as his wolf slowly turned and limped away.