Page 59 of Bitten Shifter

I step onto the mats, keeping my body loose, arms relaxed. Without warning, his massive fist slams into my face.

Hard.

Pain explodes behind my eyes like a firework, and my nose cracks. I hit the mats with a sickeningthud, vision swimming as blood trickles down my face.

Sloppy, Lark. Real sloppy.

The room goes quiet.

I wipe my face, grimacing as I check my nose. It’s broken. This new body might be incredible, but a broken nose is still a broken nose.

“Stay down!” the kid snarls.

Did that little shit just try to alpha-command me?

Something inside me coils, tight and furious. My body reacts instinctively, strength coursing through my veins. I kick up with both legs, my back arching as momentum jolts me upright onto my feet.

Pinching my nose between my fingers, I wrench it back into place with a sickening crack, fresh blood gushes, streaming down my chin and soaking my shirt.

Around me, the trainees groan.

I glare at the kid through a haze of pain, tears, and rage. The thing inside me roars to life, furious and ready for vengeance. If I were still fully human, I’d be dead—and then he dared to order my animal side to stay down?

It’s on.

Riker steps forward, looking ready to demolish the kid himself, but I hold up a bloodied hand. “I’ve got this, thanks.” My voice is calm, underpinned with cold fury.

The kid freezes for a moment, then glances at his pack of idiots with a cocky grin. “Did you see how far she flew?”

Time to teach this toddler some manners, and I loosen the grip on my control.

I charge forward, a blur of motion. Before he can react, I pivot into him, driving my hip into his midsection. My hands grip his arm and collar, twisting sharply as I sweep his leg out from under him.

His massive frame flips over my hip, crashing to the mat with a satisfyingslap.

I grin and mouth, “Who’s the little bitch now?”

He is back on his feet in a heartbeat, growling as he throws a wild punch. I duck effortlessly, the rush of air brushing past my head. My oldsensei’svoice echoes in my mind.Don’t think. Move.

Spinning on my heel, I drive my elbow into his jaw with bone-crushing force. The sharp crack reverberates up my arm, and blood sprays from his mouth as he stumbles.

“Wow, was that a tooth?”

He lunges, desperate and clumsy, trying to use his size to overpower me. I feint backwards, baiting him. As he barrels forward, I plant my foot on his hip and pivot. My body arcs like a bow, using his momentum to flip him clean over. He lands hard, the impact driving the air from his lungs in a guttural gasp.

“Still think Ken trained me, Baby Alpha?”

He barely gets a chance to breathe before I’m on him again. Sliding one leg over his neck, I trap his arm with the other, locking him into a perfect reverse triangle choke. My legs squeeze like a steel vice, cutting off his airflow. He thrashes wildly, his face turning crimson as he claws at my thighs.

I release him just before he goes limp, shoving him off with a sneer of disgust. He collapses onto his hands and knees, coughing and gasping for air.

I don’t let him recover.

Leaping forward, I bring my leg down in a precise axe kick. My heel connects with his shoulder, slamming him face-first into the mat with a roar of pain.

Chest heaving, I grab hold of his hair, tilt his head, and glare down at him, blood dripping from my nose. The thing inside me stirs, urging me to finish it, to rip his throat out with my teeth.

My hand curls into a fist as I fight the primal instinct clawing at my mind.

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