Page 76 of Bad Blood Panther

Jenny had shifted back to human form, and she ran over and put her hand on his chest. “Xander, no. You’re hurt.”

He gazed down at her. So amazing. So brave. He leaned in and kissed her cheek, right on her scar. “I have to,” he told her.

She held his eyes, then nodded reluctantly.

He turned to Flynn. “But you better be ready to back me up. I’m bleeding pretty hard here.” He knew Flynn would get Jenny and Brandon out, if things went bad.

Flynn nodded, and clapped him on the shoulder.

Cool blue energy, like water, emanated from Flynn’s bracelet and through his hand, spreading through Xander’s whole body.

For a second he felt dizzy. It was like he was inside his own body, watching it work. Broken bones knit together. Bleeding slowed and then stopped, as muscle and tissue and blood vessels healed.

“Fucking A,” Xander muttered. “What was that?”

Flynn smirked. “I told you I was going to make it a fair fight.”

It was a short, brutal battle. Xander wanted to fight with his head, be cool and calculating. But his cat was fighting for his mate and his cub. And his cat didn’t care that their crew was there to back him up.

Jenny’s bond to Alton would never be completely broken, as long as he was alive.

And Xander’s panther needed to be the one to take him down.

He needed to dominate, to destroy, to prove to his mate and his son that he was worthy.

Their bodies crashed together, claws ripping and tearing. This was it. It was all or nothing; kill or be killed. Alton hammered at Xander—not just with his body, with his teeth and claws, but with his mind.

He was a born shifter, a born alpha, with the mental strength of the obsessed. Xander felt him pushing relentlessly at his will. Submit. You’re not good enough. You’re not a real panther.

You don’t deserve a mate. All you ever do is whine and fuck up.

Loser. Pathetic.

Shit. He was losing. He couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t feel his strength. He needed the rage, and it wasn’t there.

He thought of his family, reaching down deep inside himself, and he found something else.

Power.

Alpha power, to match Alton’s. That sheer force of personality that made people bend to your will. It rose up in him, and he punched it back at Alton. You can’t intimidate me, fucker, he shot back. I’ve spent a year defying the most dominant shifter you’ll ever meet. And now I’m stronger than ever.

I’m stronger than you.

He launched himself at Alton and went for the throat. Let’s finish this.

Alton struggled to the end, but Xander locked his teeth and hung on. He could feel Alton’s lifeblood streaming away, taste it in his mouth. Alton panicked, trying to shake him loose, but Xander hung on. Like Brody. Like Jasmin. Like every damn one of his crew. Like Jenny.

Never give up.

Never say die.

There are good things in you, Xander Fierro. You’ll see. And I’m going to show you all of them.

Their strength kept him going, until Alton was gone.

It was over.