Devlin was shaking, both with rage and from lack of blood. He still felt like he was close to death, but he was energized, not paralyzed. Something inside him was singing with joy, with eternal strength.
This is the power of an alpha. I cannot be defeated when my mate is in danger!
Devlin watched Phil with wide, predatory eyes. It should be obvious to Phil that the only way to survive this was to give up. As the man’s eyes hardened, though, Devlin knew Phil would not submit.
With a short, sharp cry, Phil shifted back into his tiger shape. Devlin took a quick look around to make sure Kate was safe. He wasn’t happy to see her still slumped on the ground, but at least she was not unconscious. Devlin hoped that she took this opportunity to run to safety.
He barely had time to look around at his enemy before Phil charged. The wounds that Devlin had left on his shoulders were deep but superficial. They were nothing like the wounds Devlin had across his belly and throat.
As Devlin caught the tiger’s charge, he felt Phil’s claws scraping desperately at him, trying to rip open his existing wounds. Devlin’s shifter metabolism was working as hard as it possibly could, but it hadn’t managed to fully heal his injuries yet.
If Phil managed to slice open one of his existing wounds, Devlin wouldn’t have much time. He twisted in the tiger’s grip, trying to keep his wounded belly away from the tiger’s powerful claws.
Devlin managed to roll to the side and throw Phil off. The big, tawny cat hit the wall and howled, grunting as he fell to the street. Devlin pounced, slashing at the tiger’s face.
Phil struggled and threw him off, but not before Devlin got in a long, deep swipe across his face. As Phil struggled backward, blood pouring from his cheek, Devlin growled in satisfaction.
Phil was now blind on one side. The furrow made from Devlin’s claw stretched from the tiger’s forehead, across his eye, and all the way down to the whiskers.
Devlin circled, and Phil turned to follow his movements. Phil was slowing down and beginning to shudder with pain from his damaged eye.
Phil paused, panting. He lowered his head and looked at the ground. Devlin approached cautiously.
When the tiger looked up, his eyes were wide and dark. Devlin saw defeat there, and his own heart surged with triumph. Phil knew he couldn’t beat him. The fight was over.
Just as Devlin looked over his shoulder to check on Kate, Phil attacked. The tiger was on Devlin before he could swing back around. Phil pinned him to the ground, slashing wildly with all his claws and snapping at Devlin’s face.
Devlin roared and writhed under Phil, feeling the big tiger’s claws ripping into his sides again. Fresh blood flowed, and red clouds began to float across Devlin’s vision. He struggled against Phil’s grip with everything he had. He could keep the tiger from biting into his throat, but he couldn’t throw him off.
Suddenly, Phil reared back, taking the pressure off Devlin’s shoulders. For a brief instant, Phil’s underbelly was fully exposed. Devlin slashed upwards and heard the roar of the tiger as his belly was torn open.
Phil landed on the hard concrete with a small squeak, rolling across the lot. He tried to get up, even as his blood poured out onto the road.
The tiger looked at Kate, who was still sitting on the ground with her arms wrapped around herself. Phil’s eyes were full of longing, burning with infatuation and insanity. Even though he was mortally wounded, he made a run for Kate.
Devlin charged, moving faster than he ever had in his life. He had not expected the tiger to keep fighting, and the last thing he’d expected was for it to go after Kate. He realized that Phil might actually kill her.
If he can’t have her, he wants to make sure no one else can, either.
Devlin hit Phil just before the tiger leapt at Kate. She screamed and flattened herself to the ground as the cats fell into a wriggling pile right beside her. Devlin could not believe the other cat’s strength. They struggled until Phil’s movements began to slow as he finally succumbed to the lack of blood.
With a roar of triumph, Devlin swung his head up and sank his fangs into Phil’s neck. The tiger made a strangled cry as Devlin snapped his head to the side, tearing out the tiger’s throat. Even though the body fell against the road immediately and went still and stiff, Devlin did not let go.
He stood over the body, his fangs buried in the tiger’s throat until he was absolutely sure that it was dead. After a few minutes, Devlin managed to loosen his hold on the other cat and take a few steps back. He glared at the body as if daring it to move. All his senses stayed focused on the dead tiger, both the man and the panther needing complete assurance that the threat had been eliminated.
“Devlin?” Kate’s voice was so soft that Devlin could barely hear it, even with his shifter ears. He turned slowly, still not comfortable putting his back to the tiger.
When Devlin saw his mate crumpled on the ground, her face a mess of tears, he forgot everything around him. He forgot the threat, his wounds, even the alley itself.
She’s hurt!
His mate was injured, and the panther could smell her blood. He shifted as he leapt through the air, coming down in front of her in his human shape.
“Are you all right?” he demanded.
She nodded. “I’m okay … I think.”
“No, you’re bleeding,” Devlin cried, looking her over. Kate’s wrists were raw from Phil’s grip, and she was covered in scratches and bruises from fighting with him. Devlin was enraged all over again.