Page 41 of Craved By a Wolf

Kin felt bad about what he was going to do to the male, but all was fair in love and war.

He let the young male come at him, waited until the nymph was close enough, his blade in danger of piercing Kin’s stomach, and then stepped to his left, hooked the nymph’s throat in the crook of his right arm and brought it up, twisting the male around so his back was to Kin’s front. Before the nymph could recover his wits to attack him, Kin seized his hand with his left one and bent it backwards, snapping his wrist.

The dagger dropped as the nymph cried out.

Kin shoved the male away from him as the weapon hit the pavement and two nymphs came at him, one aiming for the young male while the other brandished his dagger and came at Kin. Kin swept low as he stepped to meet the male, scooped the dagger up off the ground and spun it in his grip, so the gold pommel was near his thumb and the cross-guard was snug to the edge of his hand. The nymph slashed at him with his blade and threw a punch with his other hand, both of which Kin dodged. He continued to evade the male’s attacks, moving backwards.

Luring him away from his comrades.

Divide and conquer.

When the gap between him and the other four nymphs was over forty feet, he attacked. He lunged with the dagger, forcing the nymph to block, and as the male brought his arm up, he struck him hard in the stomach with a vicious right uppercut. The male grunted and bent forwards from the force of the blow.

And Kin twisted his hand and brought the blade across his throat.

Blood fell like a waterfall from the thin line that cut from one side of his neck to the other, saturating his bare chest in an instant, and horrified gasps and screams sounded around him as their audience caught up.

His senses sparked and he growled as he dodged to his right, grunted as a blade slashed across his biceps, slicing through his Henley. Dammit. He cursed again when he saw it wasn’t only the biggest of the nymphs who had launched another attack. The one who had lost a tooth and the one who had rushed to check on the youngest nymph surrounded him too.

He desperately blocked the dagger one thrust at him, bracing his forearm against the male’s and stopping the blade from piercing his shoulder. The nymph drove forwards, forcing Kin backwards. Kin watched the dagger inching closer to his right shoulder, dropped his own weapon and desperately grabbed the male’s wrist and tried to shove him away. The nymph sneered and pressed harder, his muscles bulging as he pushed the blade back towards him, and Kin grunted as his back met the wall of one of the buildings.

Not good.

The nymph grinned now and Kin growled as he battled to match his strength, to keep the blade from piercing him as he fought to twist the male’s hand away. He gritted his teeth as he slowly turned the nymph’s hand, refusing to give up when the male realised his intention and shoved the flat of his free hand against the hilt of the dagger.

The point came dangerously close to piercing him.

Kin weighed his options as he wrestled to turn the blade away from his chest, aware that they were limited. He went with the first one that came to mind.

Kneed the nymph in the crotch.

The male grunted, shock rolling across his face, and Kin took advantage of his momentary distraction. He quickly turned the male’s hand towards his chest and shoved, driving the blade deep into his shoulder. The nymph bellowed and stumbled backwards, freeing Kin.

He was quick to kick off and swipe up his fallen dagger, to turn and aim it at the male to finish him off.

Only the nymph disappeared.

One of his comrades came at Kin, lunging wildly with his dagger.

MacKinnon leaped to his right, narrowly avoiding being skewered by him, and huffed as the male’s blade slashed across his left hip, slicing through his shirt and the skin beneath. Pain blazed a path across his flesh and he growled as he pressed his hand to it and leaped back to gain more space.

Placing him right back near the biggest nymph.

That male grabbed him before he could move again, twisting him into a chokehold. Kin snarled as the nymph arched backwards, placing more pressure on his throat, cutting off his air supply. His lungs burned as he hooked his hand over the male’s forearm and dug his claws in. The nymph Kin had stabbed came at him, bloodied dagger aimed at his chest, and his lungs burned for a different reason as he stared at it.

Panic made his wolf wild and he couldn’t stop the shift.

Fur swept over his body as his bones shrank and his face morphed. His vision sharpened, his hearing growing so sensitive he could pick up the heartbeats of everyone in the area, and the scents around him grew stronger. Blood. Sweat. Fear. He growled and twisted as he completed the shift, turning from man to wolf in only a handful of seconds.

His emotions dulled, their range narrowing as his animal instincts seized control. Panic boiled down to fear.

To an urge to survive.

Kin twisted his head and sank his fangs deep into the arm of the male holding him, savagely ripping at his flesh as he pumped his hind legs in an attempt to jerk himself free of his grip. The male who had been coming at him hesitated at the sight of him and Kin used it to his advantage as he broke free and his paws hit the ground. He kicked off, sailing through the air and leaving his jeans and boots behind. Shock shone in the nymph’s eyes as they reflected Kin.

He landed with his front paws against the male’s chest and angled his head as he lunged forwards, his momentum knocking the nymph backwards.

Before he could even hit the ground, Kin had torn his throat open and the male had drawn his final breath.

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