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But he was well trained and on his feet just as quickly as I did.
The kreecat growled from nearby as Vivv called out, “That’s him! That’s the guard I told you about.”
The one who’d bruised her.
Red washed my vision as it tunneled, the rest of the world fading away, leaving only him.
A snarl pulled at my lips, baring my fangs. “You dared to touch her, harm her.”
“What does it matter? She’s not Zaarn.”
“Oh, it matters.” I circled left, making him turn away from where Vivv crouched. “She’s my soul’s breath.”
His eyes widened, darting toward her. “Impossi—”
I used his distraction, my fist slamming forward to plow into his jaw. Pain flared across my knuckles as he staggered backward.
But he caught himself and refocused on me.
We traded a series of blocks and blows. The guard was annoyingly well trained, and unlike my sparring partners of the past years, he had no compunction about harming me.
It was just as well. Because I wanted to kill him for what he’d done to her. Beyond the bruising, he’d made my fated mate doubt the integrity of the Zaarn before I’d ever gotten the chance to meet her.
But still, the bruising haunted me. The memory of the dark marks marring her skin made a feral possessiveness well in my chest.
I roared, an ancient wordless battle cry tearing from my throat.
A jab to his ribs made him drop his guard. My fist pulled back—
Pain flared across my shoulder.
When he’d dropped his hand, he’d palmed a second blaster. The bolt skittered energy along my nerves. Not a direct enough shot to stun, but it still threw me off for several seconds. Seconds I couldn’t afford when faced with such a well-matched fighter. His blaster rose. If this next shot didn’t kill me, it would at least knock me out, leaving Vivv unprotected.
But I’d forgotten my fierce little mate had claws of her own.
Just as he had.
“Frek!” he yelled, his voice hitting a high note as she buried her blade in his back.
He spun, ready to lash out, and everything started moving in slow motion, including me.
His fist moved through the air.
Vivv’s eyes latched onto it, her expression flashing from triumph to determination.
I jolted forward, my hand outstretched, reaching for his shoulder.
Max darted in from the side. He planted his front paws and swiveled his hips, and his tail sailed through the air to plunge the stinger into the guard’s thigh.
He screamed as that knee buckled, the paralyzing venom working quickly.
Then I was on him, my fist pounding into his face over and over until I’d driven him into the ground. Still, I didn’t stop. My breaths were ragged, my heart thumping in my ears in time with the sounds of my blows striking flesh.
“How dare you,” I yelled. “How dare you touch her!”
The guard’s features smeared into pulp as I continued to hit. I’d never lost control like this. I was a wild thing, manic and unstoppable.
Until small hands curled around my biceps, tugging on me. Vivv’s voice came to me from far away at first, barely heard over the thunder in my ears.
