A fight with Russ

Violet:

 I turned back to see if Asher was following me when I ran into a solid wall of steel. Electricity hummed beneath my skin, raising the hair on my arms.

“Going somewhere, Violet?” I knew before I looked, knew by the deep voice and the smell of mint and male that Alec was who I had run into.

“Uh, no!” I stammered quickly, my heart hammering from the way his hands ran down my arms to steady me before he took a step back. I could still feel him, the way the air hummed around him.

“Good, because we were just about to begin.” His voice, goddess, his voice was like silk and honey.

“She actually already kicked my ass… several times.” Asher chimed in, catching up to me. 

“Someone should.” Alec smirked at his friend, the way it crooked, revealing all white teeth, made my heart stutter. But that smirk faded far too quickly. 

“Ash, go stand with the others.” He looked over my head to the man behind me, his blue eyes nearly glowing. 

Asher looked from me, then back to Alec, and then nodded, his dark eyes somehow managed to get darker as he walked away.

“You were going to skip out on training.” Alec stepped closer, his breath nearly fanning my lips.

“I trained with Asher.” I could feel the line behind me staring a hole in my back. Alec just gave me the same smirk he gave Asher, and then he said something that made my blood run cold.

“I didn’t see you train with anyone.” He shrugged. “How about you do it again?”  

“Fine. I’m sure Asher would,” he smirked

“What?” I asked.

“Not Asher.” He shook his head, making his inky black hair fall into his eyes. 

“With whom then?” I asked, as my legs suddenly felt tired from the run and from sparring with Asher.

“Russ,” Alec spoke so casually that I would have never guessed he meant the bull of a man who suddenly steps forward out of line. Russ’s six-foot-two frame wasn’t as intimidating as Alec’s six-foot-five or better, but he was all muscle, all intimidation, and brute force.

“Rules?” I asked Alec, swallowing hard.

“No killing. The rest is free game.” I admit I was relieved that no one would die here today. After Marcus’s freak out this morning, I had expected far worse than this.

“Fine, Alpha.” I turned and nearly stomped into the sparring ring as I watched Russ take his place across from me. My stomach tightened. Neoma rose inside me, alert and sharp.

“This one won’t hold back.” I could feel her stretch, ready to pounce as if I could shift at her command.

“Good,” I grumbled, knowing no part of me was leaving this circle the loser.

Alec’s voice cut clean through the air. “No killing. Yield when you can no longer stand.”

Russ grinned. “She’ll yield.” I didn’t bother responding.

Russ shifted without warning. Bone snapped. Muscle surged. His body expanded violently, his lycan form ripping free—towering, monstrous, claws long and curved, teeth bared in a snarl that vibrated in my chest. The ground trembled beneath him. I breathed in deep, then out slowly, centering myself the way Elroy had taught me.

“Shift already.” He growled.

I looked at Alec, who knew I couldn’t, and even he seemed surprised by Russ’s demand.

“I can’t, my wolf has been dormant since my mate rejected us. But no matter, I fight fine in this form.”

“Big targets bleed faster,” Neoma murmured.

Russ lunged. The speed shocked me. I barely twisted out of the way as his claws tore through the space where my head had been a heartbeat earlier. The wind of the strike knocked me sideways, my feet skidding in the dirt. I didn’t run. I rolled and came up low. My dagger flashed. I struck the inside of his knee—not hard, not deep, just enough.

Russ roared, more surprised than hurt, and backhanded me across the chest. Pain exploded through my ribs as I flew, hitting the ground hard enough to steal my breath. The world rang.

“Up!” Neoma snapped at me.

I rolled as his foot came down where my head had been. Dirt sprayed. The earth cracked. I slashed upward, slicing across his calf. This time, he howled. The lycans murmured. Russ turned fully feral then, rage overtaking strategy. He charged again, swinging wide, reckless. That was his mistake. I ducked beneath his arm, slammed my shoulder into his side, and stabbed twice—once behind the knee, once into the muscle beneath his ribs. Not killing blows. Disabling ones. Russ staggered, claws digging furrows into the earth as he fought to stay upright. He swung blindly.

I leapt, wrapped my legs around his neck, and twisted—using his own momentum to drag him down. We hit the ground hard. I rolled with him, came up straddling his chest, my blade pressed to the artery beneath his jaw. Russ froze. The circle was silent. His chest heaved. His breath burned hot against my wrist.

One twitch and he would bleed out in seconds if my daggers were real.

“Yield,” I said quietly.

Russ’s claws trembled.

Then slowly, deliberately, he let his head fall back.

“I… yield.” I stood and offered the beast of a man my hand. I was thankful he took it with a smile and wasn’t sour about his loss. 

“Great job! You’re a beast.” I said smoothly as if sparring with him hadn’t left every muscle in my body aching in protest.

“Me? You’re the beast.” He snorted, dusting himself off before turning and nodding at Alec, and then slowly, with a limp, he left the ring. 

I watched as each one cleared out until only Alec and I were left standing there staring at each other. 

“Can I go now?” I asked, stepping out of the sparring ring, stepping toward the alpha, the man whose very presence makes me feel like the sky is going to open and lightning is going to snap between us.

“Sure.” He shrugged. “Or you can come back to the pack house and have dinner with us, I could introduce you to everyone.” His once neutral expression showed a hint of hopefulness; it was almost as if he wanted me to say yes, to come back with him, to eat with them…

“Sure, I’m just going to run home and shower and I will come back.” I caved the moment those icy eyes looked at me as if he wanted me to say yes. I don’t know what made me do it. I wasn’t even that hungry, but the energy humming between us had to go somewhere. 

“Of course.” He nodded with a subtle smile that made my heart flutter, and my stomach flip.

What the hell is wrong with me?