Page 5 of Under A New Moon

Most of her quarries were up after that, concussion or not. Galen didn’t seem to have a survivalist bone in his body, barely rising when her knee connected with his face. A growl escaped him even as he drooled blood, and finally, he was on his feet with a menacing look.

Darla squared up, expecting a barrage of attacks.

But he swung at her once, going too wide.

She dodged with ease and danced to the side, aiming for that weak knee again. It was a miss as he swept out of her way, putting a few feet between them. At least his defensive positioning was passable. “What the fuck do you want? Who sent you?”

Some tried to appeal to her humanity.

Galen wouldn’t get the luxury.

A scream erupted from her throat as she closed in again, feigning a hit and then spinning behind him to swipe that leg out. It worked- sort of. When he buckled again, he twisted, catching her around the waist and slamming her into the ground.

The world spun.

Darla disengaged, planting a solid foot on his chest and kicking off. She rolled on her back and leaped to her feet while Galen struggled to rise. He was strong, and big, too big though, and it made him slow.

He hadn’t brought out his secondary form, either.

Most were more than happy to give their monster a little exercise. This one- he’d rather get his ass beat by a PEACE agent, apparently.So be it, she thought, a victorious smirk forming. Her head throbbed but it was nothing she hadn’t dealt with before.

She just had to shake it off.

He was vertical again, looking none too pleased with the beating she’d given him. “First wolves are following me and thenthis?” he asked, wiping bloody spittle from his lips. “Whoever you think I am, I’m not.”

He stood taller like he had no intention of fighting her. That wouldn’t do.

Darla kept her stance, sweeping in and planting her heel into his gut. He took it better than before and came at her.There it is, she thought, knocking several good hits away as they fought in close range. He nearly slammed her with a right hook when she uppercuts him, sending him stumbling back.

Normally, she wouldn’t say a thing before killing her quarry. But this guy was a special kind of useless. “You’re not very good at fighting, are you?”

“She talks,” he said, rubbing his shapely, but bruised jaw. “Never really had the need, to be honest.”

Darla remained ready, keeping her elbows in close.

He met her eye. Galen wouldn’t recognize her under the mask, with her hair covered by the hoodie. In fact, she didn’t look anything like the sweet little waitress he’d tipped so well. She made sure to cover up before seeking him out.

“Give up and I won’t have to kill you, shifter.”

He spat a glob of blood onto the pavement between them, his glower intact. “So, that’s what this is about,” he said. “Fat chance.”

“Suit yourself,” she said in turn, kicking high.

He blocked with a firm forearm, coming around with a fist.

Darla dodged by barely a hair’s breadth, the swing slowing in her vision dangerously. A breathless laugh escaped her as she grabbed the offending arm and yanked him off-kilter. It was enough to bring the big lug down, but she didn’t have the momentum to break free before they both tumbled to the pavement.

Fists and kicks flew. Two of hers made contact. Another of his caught her jaw, finally breaking her from the scuffle. She tasted blood and grinned. He might have been useless, but he was strong. No doubt he was an alpha.

He was up before her, swiping a leg and sending her sprawling, clutching her gut. She refused to concede the fight, knowing if he got his mitts on her, she was done for. She rolled once, twice, then rose, laced in agony.

Galen kept coming, and she realized he’d found his stride.

She blocked three more incoming hits, craving the satisfaction of his death.

Her breath was hot beneath the mask as she parried, the pain fading under the effects of adrenaline. If there was a part of her job that she loved most, it was this. She might have just been a human but shifters still had their weaknesses, and she’d find his.

At one point, he exposed his back to her again.

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