too late. He’d caught me with my guard down and was taking the opening I’d given him, catching my arm in a hold that forced me down. Sitting off-balance was a lousy position to fight from, but I aimed the heel of my foot at his knee and kicked hard. Five pounds of pressure to collapse a knee. Go for the vulnerable spots; aim to disable.
My free elbow was already heading for his groin, but he blocked me, then levered my body lower. If he got me on the ground, I’d have a hard time breaking his hold. I threw my head back into his jaw and connected with a solid thunk. His hold loosened. I twisted free and brought my hands together, making a double hammer fist to smash the side of his jaw. Even a badass werepanther might stop for a minute if I dislocated the joint.
He blocked me again, moving so fast he blurred, and then his fist caught my temple before I could block or parry and the lights went out.
I opened my eyes to a jolting sensation and realized I was upside down, draped over my abductor’s shoulder in a fireman’s carry. We were still outside, and I saw filtered starlight through the canopy of tree limbs. He’d run with me to the woods visible from the gardens. I thought I may have only been out for a few minutes. We were still on wolf territory. And they’d be coming. But how fast? Did anybody know I was missing yet?
I knew one move that would probably stop the werepanther, a move that could too easily be fatal to a human. Unfortunately, I’d have to reach his throat to do it and my angle was wrong. In fact, short of punching his kidneys, my options were pretty limited back here. Which meant I needed to give myself better options.
Don’t think about it; just do it . I rose up and threw my weight backward, catching him off-guard, making him fight to hang on to me and recover his balance. And in that moment, I had my angle and my chance. The side of my hand struck his windpipe and I didn’t try to soften the blow. Aim through the target .
He dropped me and went to his knees. I kicked his temple as hard as I could, and he went all the way down. No waiting to see if my opponent was disabled. David had healed a broken jaw almost instantly. I took off running, but where to? I didn’t know the woods, didn’t know the way back to the house.
I listened for other sounds, like a werewolf rescue party, but it was hard to hear over the blood pounding in my ears and my shoes striking sticks and rocks as I ran as fast as my dress would allow.
Running blind was only good for putting distance between me and recapture. I’d have to find a safe spot to get my bearings. But before I could find one, a man stepped out into my path and I ran full tilt into him.
The force of impact didn’t knock him back, but I bounced a little and that put a couple of inches between us. I stared at him, trying to make sense of what I saw. A hunter? On private land, at night? He looked like the woodsman from “Little Red Riding Hood.”
“You didn’t give me a chance to rescue you.” He sounded equal parts accusing and disappointed as he plucked me off my feet and swung me up to cradle me against his chest. “I was going to be dashing and impressive. You might have swooned at the sight.”
I blinked. Friend? Foe? Not wolf, whatever he was. But he didn’t feel human, either. He smelled green, like the forest.
“He hit you a good one. I didn’t change fast enough to prevent that. Sorry.” He held me with one arm and with gentle fingers touched the side of my head that had taken the blow.
“Change?”
“I was the entrancing blade of grass you were looking at when our party got crashed.”
The one that had gotten taller and smaller, making me think I was on the verge of passing out again. “So you’re, what, the lawn?”
He laughed, a bright, ringing sound. “I’m a Leshii. Forest lord and friend to wolves. I can be as small as a blade of grass or as large as you see me now.”
“Must be hell on your wardrobe.”
My free elbow was already heading for his groin, but he blocked me, then levered my body lower. If he got me on the ground, I’d have a hard time breaking his hold. I threw my head back into his jaw and connected with a solid thunk. His hold loosened. I twisted free and brought my hands together, making a double hammer fist to smash the side of his jaw. Even a badass werepanther might stop for a minute if I dislocated the joint.
He blocked me again, moving so fast he blurred, and then his fist caught my temple before I could block or parry and the lights went out.
I opened my eyes to a jolting sensation and realized I was upside down, draped over my abductor’s shoulder in a fireman’s carry. We were still outside, and I saw filtered starlight through the canopy of tree limbs. He’d run with me to the woods visible from the gardens. I thought I may have only been out for a few minutes. We were still on wolf territory. And they’d be coming. But how fast? Did anybody know I was missing yet?
I knew one move that would probably stop the werepanther, a move that could too easily be fatal to a human. Unfortunately, I’d have to reach his throat to do it and my angle was wrong. In fact, short of punching his kidneys, my options were pretty limited back here. Which meant I needed to give myself better options.
Don’t think about it; just do it . I rose up and threw my weight backward, catching him off-guard, making him fight to hang on to me and recover his balance. And in that moment, I had my angle and my chance. The side of my hand struck his windpipe and I didn’t try to soften the blow. Aim through the target .
He dropped me and went to his knees. I kicked his temple as hard as I could, and he went all the way down. No waiting to see if my opponent was disabled. David had healed a broken jaw almost instantly. I took off running, but where to? I didn’t know the woods, didn’t know the way back to the house.
I listened for other sounds, like a werewolf rescue party, but it was hard to hear over the blood pounding in my ears and my shoes striking sticks and rocks as I ran as fast as my dress would allow.
Running blind was only good for putting distance between me and recapture. I’d have to find a safe spot to get my bearings. But before I could find one, a man stepped out into my path and I ran full tilt into him.
The force of impact didn’t knock him back, but I bounced a little and that put a couple of inches between us. I stared at him, trying to make sense of what I saw. A hunter? On private land, at night? He looked like the woodsman from “Little Red Riding Hood.”
“You didn’t give me a chance to rescue you.” He sounded equal parts accusing and disappointed as he plucked me off my feet and swung me up to cradle me against his chest. “I was going to be dashing and impressive. You might have swooned at the sight.”
I blinked. Friend? Foe? Not wolf, whatever he was. But he didn’t feel human, either. He smelled green, like the forest.
“He hit you a good one. I didn’t change fast enough to prevent that. Sorry.” He held me with one arm and with gentle fingers touched the side of my head that had taken the blow.
“Change?”
“I was the entrancing blade of grass you were looking at when our party got crashed.”
The one that had gotten taller and smaller, making me think I was on the verge of passing out again. “So you’re, what, the lawn?”
He laughed, a bright, ringing sound. “I’m a Leshii. Forest lord and friend to wolves. I can be as small as a blade of grass or as large as you see me now.”
“Must be hell on your wardrobe.”
Similar Books
