Page 88 of Bearing Secrets
Tonight, he unleashed his rage, filling the torchlit circle with a bellow that wavered the flickering fires of the staked lights and caused the wolves to pause. The noise tore at his throat, but as he shifted it grew deeper. More powerful.
Angrier.
Kirell pawed at the ground, his claws digging massive furrows in the earth, a promise of what he would do to his victims. Bone-white teeth flashed in the dim lighting as he growled and challenged the trio of wolves, who had also shifted. His eyes flickered with a fevered red as a crimson haze descended over his vision, blocking out everything but the three living Canim.
Time to change that number to zero.
He roared a challenge once more, then charged. He wasn’t going to win the fight by being on the defensive. It was time to attack, to show them the true speed and power of a battle-enraged Ursidae. These opponents were old; elders, yes, but unused to combat anymore, and he was banking on them not being ready.
They weren’t.
Closing with blinding speed, Kirell swiped at the slowest moving one. The wolf shifter darted away, but not without a line of red marks along his side. They were still fast, managing to avoid an instantaneous death blow, but it left no doubt that he’d drawn first blood.
Come on, you mangy flea-bitten mongrels. Let’s see what you’ve got.
Kirell didn’t have much energy and fighting in his animal form was going to sap it even faster than normal. He had to end the fight, and soon, or else the wolves would be able to use their numbers against him.Unless I can do something about that.
He spun as one of them darted at his hind legs. Claws sliced through air, barely missing the wolf. Even as he did that, another came in from his blind side. Kirell was ready. In fact, he’d counted on them doing this.
In a move completely unexpected of any bear, he dropped his weight onto his forelegs and did his best to mimic a donkey as he kicked out behind him. The wolf didn’t stand a chance. A paw nearly the size of a manhole cover slammed into the powerful beast’s skull with the force of a moving vehicle.
Bone crunched and the snout collapsed back into the animal’s brain, killing it instantly. Kirell whirled and smacked the creature across what remained of its face, ripping fur and spraying blood everywhere as he reveled in the kill, bellowing his victory to any and all that might hear.
Something clamped down wickedly on his flank, followed moments later by blinding pain as the massive wolf ripped a chunk of flesh from him, darting out of the way of his defensive swipe. The other one came at him from behind, leaping on top of him. It bit down and used the clenched bite to hold itself still as claws ripped through Kirell’s thick fur, opening cuts that drew blood.
He roared in pain and rolled swiftly, dislodging the wolf lest it be crushed by his weight. The canine leapt free, howling in a combination of success and frustration. It had hurt him, but not enough.
A quick glance showed that Natalia was still safe, having moved to the far side of the SUV, keeping it between her and the raging battle. His anger spiking at the danger she was in fueled him on again.
Howdarethese washed-up never-was pieces of dung threaten his mate? He couldn’t wait to rip the throat from Klebra, assuming his Queen didn’t beat him to the punch. The traitor had not only betrayed his own household, but he’d dared to put a hand on Kirell’s mate. He was going to kill him for that, staring into Klebra’s face as he delivered the fatal blow. Kirellwantedto watch him die, so that he would leave this earth seeing nothing but triumphant victory on his hated rival.
He squared off against the remaining wolves, trying to set them up for a killing blow. Two on one, he would have had the advantage in most situations. But he was weakened, and his energy fading fast. The wounds they’d inflicted were more than the nuisance he would normally classify them as. Kirell just didn’t have that much blood left to lose right now.
This had to end, and soon.
He rushed at one, then the other, backing them up without actually committing—not until the one on the right backed into the wall of the stone mausoleum. The contact with the outer wall surprised the beast, and for a split second it looked behind it, to see what it was.
Too late, the wolf realized it was all a ploy, and that Kirell had tricked him. But it didn’t matter. It was caught between a stone wall and a two-ton bear, its attention focused behind it instead of in front.
Kirell slammed into the beast, practically picking it up and pinning it to the wall. The wolf fought back, snarling and snapping, blood-stained teeth sinking into Kirell’s shoulder at one point, while its claws splashed blood from his exposed chest.
But it didn’t matter. The fight was over for this one. Kirell’s jaws closed around its neck, and with a thunderous display, Kirell literally whipped the huge beast back and forth until its neck snapped and the creature went limp. Then he turned and hurled it at the lone remaining wolf, forcing it to abandon the attack on Kirell’s hind leg that it had been worrying at, trying to force him to release his friend.
Victory was in his grasp, and Kirell turned to the final wolf, eager to finish it off.
Then, the world spun and he was suddenly over on his side.
What the hell?
Angrily he tried to get to his feet, but like before, his back left leg failed him, collapsing under his weight, spilling Kirell to the ground and leaving him exposed.
The wolf darted back in and ripped at his stomach without hesitation. Kirell roared in pain, unable to defend his most vulnerable spot. He tried to strike out with his working leg, but the wolf was too quick, falling back and then darting forward again.
Kirell was in trouble. Bad trouble. Rolling onto his stomach, he protected the most vulnerable area for the time being, but without the use of one of his hind legs he wasn’t going to be able to strike back unless the wolf screwed up.
Kirell deemed that possibility unlikely.
The wolf came back in from the other side, hunched over low, jaws spread wide as it sank its fangs deep into his already disabled leg, ripping more flesh from him.
