Page 84 of Rescued By the Beast
They tried to kill me.
But now they're here, waiting to see which of us will win.
And I intend to give them a show.
The clearing appears ahead, a circle of shadows and moonlight filtered through the ancient trees. The air carries the scent of wet earth, tension and fury.
Liam is already waiting for me.
His hybrid form is slightly smaller than mine, his black coat absorbing the moonlight, his pointed ears twitching alertlyat my arrival. His muzzle is longer, his golden eyes shining with pure aggression. His fangs are exposed, saliva dripping as he spots me.
He lets out a howl.
The pack responds. The sound reverberates through the woods, a wild symphony of anticipation. They emerge from the shadows of the trees and approach, forming a semicircle around Liam, the only opening a silent invitation for me to join him and begin the duel.
When I stop in front of him, a few steps away, the circle of wolves closes around us, forming a savage barrier, our makeshift arena of earth and grass.
Liam stretches, puffing out his chest menacingly, trying to match our height, his muscles rigid and ready for confrontation. His voice sounds guttural and distorted by his beastly form.
"I've always dreamed of defeating you with my own claws."
I tilt my head, my own voice sounding wild:
"And you'll keep dreaming."
He growls, baring his teeth.
I stand tall, my chest puffed out, my muscles tense as steel. In front of me, Liam flashes a beastly smile, laden with something psychotic, while his eyes shine with an almost insane excitement.
"I'm not going to go easy on you just because we share blood," he says, flexing his claws.
The urge to laugh almost escapes me. I'm the one who should be saying that, not him.
I tilt my head, analysing his posture, his body weight distributed for attack.
"That would be an insult." My voice is low, laden with contempt. "In fact, I suggest you give it your all... it would be disappointing to finish you off in mere seconds."
"You'll regret saying that, bastard."
I shrug my shoulders, flex my fingers, feeling my claws extend to their limit.
The challenge has been accepted. This is a duel. One on one.
He advances first, a blur of muscle and unbridled fury. With an agile movement, I dodge, spinning quickly to the side. My claws tear into his ribs, the sound of blades cutting through flesh and crunching bones muffled by his grunt of pain.
Liam leans to the side, but takes advantage of the angle of the fall and, with a sudden movement, he fires a direct kick at my knee. The impact is quick, precise, and at the same time propels him away from me.
My joint explodes in a wave of sharp pain. My leg gives way slightly, but the ground never dominates me.
The pain only enrages me, disappearing almost as quickly as it arises.
I could end all this in the blink of an eye. A simple thought and I would immobilise him, he would be on the ground, helpless, trapped by my invisible barriers. But no, not like that. It wouldn't be a fair duel. I'll only use brute force. No magic.
We leap at each other again.
Liam stretches his arms out in a cross, closing himself in a side arc, I anticipate two claw strikes to my ribs. But I'm faster.
We meet in the air, a crash of flesh against flesh. I manage to grab his arms before they hit me, our muscles tense, pureforce colliding. Liam growls as he is restrained, bends his legs and fires a powerful kick at my torso in an attempt to escape. I feel the impact, but he is already trapped in my hands, he only makes my claws sink deeper into his wrists, the ligaments in his arms stretching to the limit.
