Chapter 3

Brexl

CW: General violence/fighting and injuries

They’re headed for the beach. There’s nothing else in the direction they are running but the ocean. Scaron was hoping I’d give up once I lost Taylor’s scent, but I’d never give up. Taylor may never be my mate, but she would always be mine to protect.

Like it or not, I was made for hunting and killing. Usually this fact would appall me, but today it was a gift. If Taylor needed a monster to save her, then a monster I would be.

My legs ached as I pushed my body to its limit, but I’d finally reached the sand. Taylor’s scent was faint and quickly vanishing. The salt air made it impossible for me to tell what direction they’d taken her in. The idea that Scaron might be hurting her even now made me want to rip his heart out of his chest. I could not fail her. I would not fail her.

I’d picked a direction and started to run, when something caught my eye. A brown cord stuck up from the sand. I reached down, and my breath escaped my lungs as I saw Taylor’s necklace dangling from my fingers. The sun and moon pendants shimmered in the sunlight. I still couldn’t believe that I’d found the courage to give her this necklace. I didn’t know what I’d been thinking at the time. I just wanted her to know she was special. None of the other males seemed to pay attention to her, which felt wrong to me. How could they ignore the female with the long black hair, bright smile, and confident demeanor? None of the other females were as perfect as Taylor was, and I wanted her to know that, even if the message was coming from someone like me.

Whatever foolishness had convinced me to give her this necklace, I was glad for it now. This was all the confirmation I needed that I was headed in the right direction.

I ran as fast as my feet would take me until I spotted movement in the distance. Boulders were starting to dot the shoreline as I crept closer to the caves on the far side of the shore. I hid behind one and spied Zar standing a short distance from the caves, scanning the horizon and Vix standing at the entrance of one cave in particular, where I assume Scaron was hiding Taylor.

My blood boiled at the thought of her being trapped in there with him. I might not be a worthy mate for Taylor, but I knew for damn sure Scaron wasn’t either.

I slipped into the water and remained hidden by the dark purple waves as I approached Zar.

He did not hear me as I moved silently through the depths as the bone plating of my shifter form sliced through the water like a blade. I looked up at him, and when he scanned the horizon again, I pulled him under and struck him with all the force my muscles would allow.

The splash of his fall drew Vix’s attention. He called to Scaron and then made his way to me. I stood to meet him, bone spikes out, ready for battle.

Zar stood to his feet, stumbled, then stood again.

Vix ran toward me with his fist pulled back, aimed toward my bruised temple. He swung, and I ducked out of the way just in time.

Zar ran toward us with a snarl. He lunged at me, shoulder first, hoping to take me down under his considerable weight. This idea was so dumb that I decided to not even move. He landed first on my forearm bone spikes, then I lashed him with my tail.

He screamed in pain as we both went down, and I eased myself out from under him, pulled my spikes out of his flesh as I rose to my feet.

Then Scaron was there. An unexpected relief flooded through me as I saw him approaching. If he was here fighting me, then that meant he was away from Taylor.

My next blow was for him, for every time he stared at Taylor for too long, for every taunt he threw my way, for every time he bullied me as a child, for taking my luminescence mate away from me, for every ounce of discomfort and fear he caused Taylor. This blow would be one he’d remember.

My fist made contact with his side, right where his kidney resided. He yelped in pain and fell to his knees into the water.

My next blow was to his temple, just like he’d instructed Zar to do to me. The sound of his bones cracking under my fist reverberated over the water.

Vix rushed me and jumped on my back, forcing me into the water. Zar punched me in the ribs. It was painful, but I’d experienced worse.

I forced myself back onto my feet and slashed Vix with my spikes and punched Zar in the lungs.

Scaron stood to his feet. He did not look good. The bone around his eye was flat instead of curved. Unfortunately for him, he still had the strength to throw a punch and the foolishness to do so.

He ran toward me, and I ran toward him. I shoved my claws into his side and his face turned white. It took me a moment to realize that he had shoved something into my side as well.

I looked down and saw a bone knife sticking out of my torso. Red blood dripped into the water and I felt dizzy. I’d received many wounds over the years, but none this deep.

I removed my claws from Scaron’s flesh, and he stumbled backward into the arms of Zar who was struggling to stand himself.

Vix squared up ready to continue the fight when Scaron stopped him.

“You cannot fight him one-on-one. Our plan was only going to work if it could be the three of us against the beast.”

Vix lowered his fists with a frown.

“You can have your female. I didn’t want her anyway,” Scaron spat out while holding his side.

He turned and placed his arm around Vix’s neck, and together they walked back to the beach.

I watched the three of them walk away until I couldn’t see them any longer. Then I stumbled toward the cave that held Taylor.