His Prowl

Part 10

Chapter 10

“I need a ponytail holder.”

“A what?” Isaac asked her with a confused expression on his face.

Sydney just kept her eyes on Kris as the woman paced in the ring.  Sydney hadn’t take her literally when she had said they would fight in a ring, but here they were, standing on the dirt ground, rope blocked them from outsiders. 

“Something to hold my hair up with.”

“You expect me to have those just sitting in my pocket?  I’m not a girl.”

She turned towards him, ready to yell, but something hit her forehead before she could utter a word.  Following the object to the ground, she picked up the rubber band.

“I keep them,” Blake called out.  “Ally forgets to put her hair up all the time, and Seb isn’t used to having to take care of people yet.”

“You’re serious?” she asked while tying her hair up.  “Who are you used to taking care of in the first place?”

“Korbin,” he mumbled, sadness crossing his face.  For once, Sydney realized that it wasn’t just her life that had been affected; it was Blake’s too.  He was away from his brother, someone who he had taken care of for years now.

“Sorry,” she whispered.  “We’ll get back fast, Blake.  I promise; you’ll see your brother soon.”

He shrugged.  “The kid is probably driving Ally insane right now.  Especially since he thinks one of the children are his.”

Isaac chuckled.  “I think I would like your brother.”

“Nice chat the three of you are having,” Kris called out, “but if Sydney is done with her hair, I think we should get started.”

“Wait, why are you putting your hair up?” Blake asked as he came closer.

She glanced at him for a second.  “It’s a mental thing.  I know I’m about to shift, but I still need it out of the way.”

“Whatever you say.”

Sydney just ignored him.  Curling her hand into a fist, she pushed her chin to the left then to the right.  A popping noise echoed in the now quiet area.  She was ready.

“No outside parties,” a strong voice called out.  “You are not fighting to the death, only until one of you has the other pinned.  Any magic you possess is allowed in the fight.  Any questions?”

“None,” Kris said with a smile.

Sydney could feel her teeth elongating.  “No.”

“Let it begin!”

As soon as the words left the man’s mouth, Sydney was shifting.  Falling down to the ground, her bones began to shift and pop out of place.  Brown fur sprouted from her body, claws formed where her hands and feet once were.  Before she could finish the change though, a white figure slammed into her body.  Letting out a roar, she flipped the leopard off her.

Shifters were the most vulnerable during the shift, and if she didn’t hurry, she wouldn’t win the fight.  The leopard landed on its feet and lunged at her once more.  Sydney barely had time to dodge the figure as it went sailing by.  How had Kris shifted so quickly?  Was it part of the snow leopards magic? 

Sydney shook her head.  Now was not the time to ask questions.  At that moment, she needed to worry about staying out of the leopards grasp until her shift completed.  It flung itself into the air, and Sydney just watched as it arched down towards her.  By the time it landed, she would be ready. 

Waiting for it to get inches away, she rolled her body.  Finally, in her lion form, Sydney could feel the power running through her.  This was the best part about fighting, the adrenaline that coursed through her body.  Holding herself up on her four paws, Sydney waited for Kris to turn her way before she made her move.

Lunging at the smaller cat, Sydney opened her jaw, ready to clamp down on Kris’s neck, when the white leopard darted out of the way.  Frustration pounded at her, but she kept the emotion at bay.  If she got emotional during the fight, she would become messy.  This was not a fight that she could afford to slip up in, because she needed to win this fight.  She needed to prove that she was strong enough to be here.

The white cat let out a yowl as it circled her.  Sydney stood perfectly still and waited for Kris to make her move.  That was what good hunters did, waited for the perfect moment to catch their prey.  If Sydney waited too long or went too early, she would risk losing her prize, and Kris was a prize that Sydney did not want to lose.

At last, the animal gave in and pounced at Sydney once more.  Stepping to the side, she let Kris land next to her.  Not wasting any time, she swiped her large paw at the smaller animal.  Kris let out a cry as the claw sliced at her side.  Sydney didn’t let the noise affect her.  If she wanted to win, she needed to be heartless.

Kris turned towards her in attempt to claw back, but Sydney was too quick.  Throwing herself at Kris, Sydney slammed into her side.  They tumbled to the ground, and Sydney rolled with the momentum, causing her to land on top.  Clamping her teeth to the leopard’s throat, she waited.

The cat below her didn’t twitch as the crowd began to mumble.  Was this the end?  Would Kris accept defeat?  Sydney didn’t think so.  Keeping her teeth on the animal’s throat, she began to sink her teeth in more.  Blood began to seep from the wound, but still, neither Kris nor the surrounding people made an effort to stop the fight.

Mumbling off to the side began to turn into arguing.  Sydney tried to push the blood lust away in attempt to hear the words, but she couldn’t.  Her teeth sunk in more, the blood from the wound dripped onto her tongue.  The animal in her loved it, but Sydney wasn’t an animal. She was a human shifter.  So, why couldn’t she pull back from the leopard’s throat?  Why did she want to clamp down harder and feel the life seep from the animal?  The more she fought the feeling, the harder it became.  Even if she wanted too, Sydney couldn’t stop herself.  She was going for the kill.