Once Bitten

“You shouldn't have interfered,” she told Zach. “That was mine to deal with.” She was proud of herself for saying it so calmly, and he had the good sense to look a little nervous.

“Kitten…”

“Don't!” She held a hand up to forestall his excuses and took a deep breath. “Just leave before I decide to beat up on you instead. I need to calm down before I can talk to you.” Caleb snickered, and she spun around to glare at him. “You were in on this?”

“Oh no.” He waved a hand between her and Zach. “This is between you two. A demonstration might be exactly what he needs.”

“You're on her side?” Zach's voice was incredulous.

Caleb shrugged. “You can't protect her by undermining her position in the pack.” Zach growled and pulled his sweater over his head. “Fine. Let's see what she can do.”

Laughing, she flexed her hands and circled him. After the last few days, this was exactly what she needed. She watched him move, studied him before she considered her first shot. He moved with fluid grace, but he favored his right side. It was subtle but there. In a serious fight, she would have taken advantage of it.

Instead she spun around him and hit him in the kidney, hard enough to debilitate another man but just enough to piss him off. She barely avoided his return attack, his heel just grazing her shin.

“Remember what I said about scratches? That applies now too.”

“Well, that's hardly fair,” she said softly letting her voice go husky, letting her powers amplify the attraction that was always there between them. He stumbled and she took advantage of his distraction. She hit him in the chest before he recovered.

“That wasn't fair.”

She shrugged. She'd fight dirty if that was the difference between life and death. Or proving she could take on those fights. But she felt so guilty using her power against her mate that she vowed not to do it again.

They continued to circle each other, to occasionally jab or kick. It was clear they were both holding back. She wasn't sure why. Measuring each other? Wearing each other down? Or was it because, as mates, neither really wanted to fight the other?

She let her thoughts distract her and he caught it, moved in with a quick sweep of her legs that landed her on her ass. She rolled out of the way just in time and didn't realize until that moment that though Caleb had sent the onlookers away, they'd returned.

Ethan yelled at her. “Oh, come on, Liza! If it was me, you'd be beating me into the ground!”

Shaking her head, she grinned at him. He was right. Gabby, standing at his side, slapped him in the chest with the back of her hand. “Shut up. She doesn't need you to distract her.” Ethan snickered. “He's doing that well enough on his own. I don't need to help.” Insulting, aggravating words, but they were absolutely right. She was reluctant to really fight Zach. She was holding back.

“Am I distracting you, kitten?” Zach asked with a grin. “Are you holding back?”

He clearly thought she wasn't. She shrugged and walked around him. “I'd hate to hurt you and have to listen to you whine in bed tonight.”

Caleb laughed. She ignored him, but Zach turned to glare. “You aren't helping.”

“Was I supposed to?” Caleb asked with an innocent look. “Liza, darling, could we get this over with? I skipped lunch.”

“With pleasure,” she answered, smiling much too sweetly. Zach flinched.

Her next strikes were harder, faster, and so were his. She felt a hint of claws on her throat and knew he'd drawn blood, but she also knew by his horrified expression he hadn't meant to. It didn't matter. It wasn't like she hadn't felt claws and teeth in a challenge before. The only thing that mattered was ending this quickly.

But it went on. Neither willing to yield and neither using their full strength. And slowly she came to realize that it didn't matter. The only way she could defeat him was with her full strength, and in a quick decisive fight. If she were lucky.

She was tiring. Slowly wearing down. He hadn't even broken a sweat. She could get really dirty and go for his leg, that bad right knee, but she didn't think even that would be enough. Then she realized. He was born to be alpha, just like Caleb. Only circumstance had him second on the totem pole. That made her panic a little. It was quickly squelched, but still there.

She barely ducked his next jab. Her return punch caught his shoulder as he turned into another strike. His eyes glowed and she grinned. She'd caught him by surprise with that one, but she could tell by his expression he wasn't about to let her get away with it, mate or not. His next series of attacks was fast and furious, his hands and feet making contact twice as often as hers.

Sweat dripped down her neck. Her face was hot with exertion. She jumped back, and again they circled each other. Ethan still called from the sidelines and she caught a glimpse of Caleb's face. Intent. Watchful. As if he was ready to call an end to the match at any moment.

She focused on Zach. He just looked…resigned. Her powers were growing, and she thought she knew what he was thinking. He didn't want to fight her, but he figured it was the best way to prove she couldn't handle being paladin. It pissed her off. Okay. Fine. He was stronger and faster than she was. So was Caleb. But Caleb and Zach were supposed be stronger than her.

You couldn't have pack leaders of equal strength with anyone else in the pack. There would be constant war.

Worry crept into Zach's expression and she took advantage of it. Lashing out with her left leg, she caught him in the sternum. He staggered but kept his feet. His eyes were intent and determined when he circled again. This time he attacked first, the punch hitting her back just high of her kidney.

It stung. To that point, she hadn't really felt the hurts of the fight, adrenaline flooding her system like a shield. This one she felt and other dull throbs were beginning to make themselves known. She didn't want the match to continue until she was