Page 50 of Beauty and the Alien Beast
“That’s some pretty nice fighting, Gladiator,” he growled. “It seems I’ve underestimated your dedication to keeping this female.”
One of his men took a step forward, and Belland immediately raised a hand. “No. Leave this to me. He’s too dangerous.”
You have no idea.
Inside, I was aflame. The mating urge had burned up in a fire of this cyborg’s making. I felt the killing fury race through me uncontrollably. My beast pushed against my skin, fighting to get out. I shoved him down deep inside. The Wulfaen was hard to kill, but a shot to the head by the cyborg’s weapon would be fatal.
I was a skilled warrior—the strongest and best in my pack. I could kill them all with ease. I could see the fear in his eyes. He did not want to fight me. But I was the only obstacle in his way, preventing him from snatching Ella.
“We’ll see how useful you’ll be to your pack once I hew off a few of your arms,” Belland replied with a sneer and stowed his stunner. I watched him move toward me slowly, blades emerging from the bracers on his wrists. “I may not have your showmanship, but I’ll still cut you into pieces!”
Highly unlikely.“You are welcome to try, you faceless beast.”
I set aside the rifle and moved forward eagerly, aware of the threat of his shorter blades but refusing to let that stop me. His weapons did not have the reach or the quality of mine. The right-hand blow from one of my swords would snap, or at least badly damage, one of his. Once I had him partially disarmed, I could go on full offense.
The cyborg lunged forward, and steel rang against steel. He grunted in surprise as I dodged and parried my way around his attacks. And then I kicked him hard in the stomach. Belland staggered back. I slashed at his head, and he barely managed to block clumsily.
“You don’t even train daily anymore, do you?” I chided him as I pressed the attack. “All those metal implants don’t make up for lack of skill.” I turned aside from another set of his attacks and then used leverage to steer him into a tree.
He caught himself and turned back on me, fumbling for the pistols on his belt. I lunged for him, forcing him to counter hastily—and drop one of his weapons. I pressed in again and propelled him away from it, then kicked it off into the bushes behind me.
“Are you that insecure in your melee skills, slave catcher? Are you perhaps unaccustomed to quarry that does not cower and cry at your approach?”
My eyes darted to Ella, ensuring she was safe. Surprisingly, her eyes were open, and she was stirring slightly. Maybe I had absorbed some of the energy of the blast for her by trying to shield her with my body. But whatever it was, she looked back at me, and her hand crept toward the pistol in the dirt beside her.
“Shut up!” Belland snapped, slashing at me again.
I deflected three of his blows, grabbing his arm as he went for the lunge, twisting his limb brutally with my upper arms. He hissed with pain as the bone broke. One arm and weapon down.
I threw him backward against a tree. “Enough of this. Submit and die an honorable death,” I ordered.
“No deal.”
I heard hoverbikes overhead as another handful of exhausted-looking men started dropping from the canopy on lines. When they landed, they stood with the others and watched. They probably feared the repercussions of interfering in their leader’s fight against me.
I knocked Belland away into a tree again and checked on Ella while he recovered. She winked at me, her eyes gleaming with pride.
Heartened, I turned back to my opponent, who had recovered more quickly than expected and was already lunging toward me again. I grunted in pain as his blades slammed into the flat of mine. He tried to tangle my legs up at the same time, and we lurched across the tiny clearing together, struggling and cursing.
I felt one of his blades score my ribs, and I growled, shoving him off me and then slashing him across his chest armor. The shoulder belt across his armor’s front snapped apart, fell, and sparks flew from the chest plate beneath. Belland grunted.
“Boss?” asked one of the others, stepping forward.
“Stay back. I’ve got this animal,” Belland growled warningly.
His subordinate nodded and stepped back.
I heard a rustle near Ella, and I trusted that she had her sidearm back.Good. If I fall, she at least has a chance of defending herself.
“Answer me this,” I demanded in a clear tone as Belland panted for air. He was a bully, not a warrior, and therefore not fit for prolonged fights.
“Even if you beat me, my warriors will cut you down and take her anyway,” the cyborg gloated. “And they’ll patch me up good as new.”
“Will they give you a whole new head, then?” I retorted, lashing out with my blades and forcing him to duck and stumble back. “I’ll put my blade through your brain to make sure they can’t just stick it in some other abomination.”
I lunged again, whirling my blades, targeting his other arm. He didn’t quite get out of the way fast enough. Blood sprayed as his flesh splayed open.
He yelled with pain and fury.
