Blake was standing. He had been waiting for this, though—his own legs flexed hard as he ploughed forward, trying to intercept the other shifter.
The two of them hit one another hard, and it was like two walls colliding into one another. The air left Blake’s lungs as he gasped and tried to keep his momentum moving. Time slowed to almost a pause as both bears broke to one side, less than a foot from the startled human. It was hard to tell because of the speed and the massive dose of adrenaline flowing through his hot blood, but as Blake passed by, he glimpsed again the woman’s startled face and that same recognition ignited behind his eyes. Why this familiarity? he had time to wonder as he landed hard on his side.
The black bear grunted, having been body-checked hard into a tree. Somehow he still had the nerve to stand up and shake it off. Blake was more winded than actually wounded and huffed heavily as he put himself between the shifter and his quarry again. The black bear’s look of antagonism had changed into one of desperation. Not only was he now confronting a full-blown grizzly, but what had supposedly been an easy task—getting rid of a pesky human—had now developed into a full-blown panic. Who could inspire such fear in him that he’d be willing to go head to head with me? Blake wondered, pawing the ground in irritation.
He detected the faint fragrance of the woman behind him, like a phantom of flowers.
The shifter roared again, and the black lips flexed back over his fangs as he charged again, this time with less determination. Blake met him head on, and felt claws rip into his shoulder. Barking in pain, he brought his own paws against the black bear’s head and heard the satisfying crush of skin and the scraping of his own long claws against plated bone underneath.
Both bears stood on their hind legs, wrestling, and Blake screamed again as he felt teeth puncture the forearm of one paw. More in rage than anything else, he swung heavily with his other clubbed paw and felt the impact smash like a hammer against the smaller shifter’s skull. There was a whoof of surprise, but the black bear had wound his grip around his elder tight enough that the concussive blow merely turned him into standing jelly. Dazed, his mouth hung slack and a pink tongue lolled. Blake hesitated, not wanting to kill the young fool. Who are you? he wanted to know.
It took less than a few seconds for the black bear to recover his senses and he bit again, but this time Blake was ready and brought his own jaw around the back of the shifter’s neck and bit down, not hard enough to snap his neck, but enough to taste blood. The black bear whined. He was injured, but refused to give up—a veritable David versus Goliath, except Blake as Goliath was reluctant enough as it was.
In a final effort, the black bear pushed away. His hind legs locked into the soft dirt and he sprang forward again with what strength he had left. There was no way he could possibly get past Blake, and the grizzly met him again head on, bringing both paws down like a mallet on top of his head. It was anti-climatic. The shifter grunted in defeat and dropped as a brick to the earth, his muzzled snuffling hard into the dust, and he let out a single raspy breath. Blake grunted and stood back, watching as the black bear’s golden eyes blinked in a tired gesture and very slowly his transformation back to a human shrunk him into a pale body.
Now Blake recognized the young one. He was also a novitiate, several years older than Gavin, but Damian himself had been grooming the young one as a general in the ranks of the tribe. Tanis . Now in his naked, sprawled human form, Blake could see that there were numerous deep cuts in his abdomen and chest and his head was thick with shimmering red. The wounds he’d incurred while in bear form had been more grievous than Blake had realized. Tanis had forced his hand—when he’d gotten injured he should have backed down. Swearing
The two of them hit one another hard, and it was like two walls colliding into one another. The air left Blake’s lungs as he gasped and tried to keep his momentum moving. Time slowed to almost a pause as both bears broke to one side, less than a foot from the startled human. It was hard to tell because of the speed and the massive dose of adrenaline flowing through his hot blood, but as Blake passed by, he glimpsed again the woman’s startled face and that same recognition ignited behind his eyes. Why this familiarity? he had time to wonder as he landed hard on his side.
The black bear grunted, having been body-checked hard into a tree. Somehow he still had the nerve to stand up and shake it off. Blake was more winded than actually wounded and huffed heavily as he put himself between the shifter and his quarry again. The black bear’s look of antagonism had changed into one of desperation. Not only was he now confronting a full-blown grizzly, but what had supposedly been an easy task—getting rid of a pesky human—had now developed into a full-blown panic. Who could inspire such fear in him that he’d be willing to go head to head with me? Blake wondered, pawing the ground in irritation.
He detected the faint fragrance of the woman behind him, like a phantom of flowers.
The shifter roared again, and the black lips flexed back over his fangs as he charged again, this time with less determination. Blake met him head on, and felt claws rip into his shoulder. Barking in pain, he brought his own paws against the black bear’s head and heard the satisfying crush of skin and the scraping of his own long claws against plated bone underneath.
Both bears stood on their hind legs, wrestling, and Blake screamed again as he felt teeth puncture the forearm of one paw. More in rage than anything else, he swung heavily with his other clubbed paw and felt the impact smash like a hammer against the smaller shifter’s skull. There was a whoof of surprise, but the black bear had wound his grip around his elder tight enough that the concussive blow merely turned him into standing jelly. Dazed, his mouth hung slack and a pink tongue lolled. Blake hesitated, not wanting to kill the young fool. Who are you? he wanted to know.
It took less than a few seconds for the black bear to recover his senses and he bit again, but this time Blake was ready and brought his own jaw around the back of the shifter’s neck and bit down, not hard enough to snap his neck, but enough to taste blood. The black bear whined. He was injured, but refused to give up—a veritable David versus Goliath, except Blake as Goliath was reluctant enough as it was.
In a final effort, the black bear pushed away. His hind legs locked into the soft dirt and he sprang forward again with what strength he had left. There was no way he could possibly get past Blake, and the grizzly met him again head on, bringing both paws down like a mallet on top of his head. It was anti-climatic. The shifter grunted in defeat and dropped as a brick to the earth, his muzzled snuffling hard into the dust, and he let out a single raspy breath. Blake grunted and stood back, watching as the black bear’s golden eyes blinked in a tired gesture and very slowly his transformation back to a human shrunk him into a pale body.
Now Blake recognized the young one. He was also a novitiate, several years older than Gavin, but Damian himself had been grooming the young one as a general in the ranks of the tribe. Tanis . Now in his naked, sprawled human form, Blake could see that there were numerous deep cuts in his abdomen and chest and his head was thick with shimmering red. The wounds he’d incurred while in bear form had been more grievous than Blake had realized. Tanis had forced his hand—when he’d gotten injured he should have backed down. Swearing
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