(MxM) Tales of a Shifter (P3)- The Secret Threat

Chapter 17 - Overwhelmed

Chapter 17

To give himself to the beast was easy and hard all at once. The creature was motivated by blood and violence and the hunt. Not by logic and emotions....but as Ezekiel slid into the back seat of his own mind and body...one thing unified him and his beasts will like nothing before....and it was the urge to see Brandon protected from harm.

Instinctively knowing to keep Brandon at its back, but also in its peripheral sight the leopard stalked forwards.

The leopard instantly pinpointed his attacker, and leapt through the air. Putting all of his might into his voice, willing it to pour into the earth itself. He declared his challenge, even as his claws racked deeply across the face of the male lion that had attacked him.

The Leopard locked in. It sunk its jaws deep into the lions face and nose. Wet and sharp. The sounds the two made seemed unholy as they rolled around. The Lion that the Leopards nails and jaws bit into was not large. He was a slim lion and tall, but his mane barely existed at all. He was one of the younger men that had accompanied Jacob and Ezekiel realized from within the core of the Leopard that it was probably his small size that had made him so fast and quiet.

The young lion finally hopped back from the leopard's fierce attack, shaking its bleeding and gored snout. Blood blinding it in one eye and chocking it as it poured down its gullet. The lion tried to back up but the leopard didn't give him an inch, it launched itself forward and latched its jaws down onto its front calf . With a shake the young lions front femur bone shattered sliding under warm bloody skin and fur in the leopards mouth.

With this the Lion was heavily handicapped, but the lion was not done for.

With one arm useless the lion slammed its other heavy paw into the Leopards head. As the leopard ducked back, nails lacerated its skull and back. The leopard was forced slightly backward but before it could recover two more lions were suddenly there in the forests opening.

The young lion fell back from the fight as the two lager males took their place. With a systematic stalk of the leopard, circling it. The leopard just waited and stalked them with its own cobalt blue eyes, until both lions suddenly pounced and were upon it.

One of the lions was obviously older then the young one Ezekiel's Leopard had just fought.

Its mane was rusted red and its large paws and legs we in size daunting. This was a mature powerful male weighing nearly five hundred pounds. While the second lion, young like the first male, had a smaller yellower mane that barely touched its shoulders and likely weighed half of what the Red lion did.

Still the yellow lion hit the leopard first. He slammed into the Leopards side, and deftly sank its fangs into the leopards back thigh as deep and as viciously as it could, while thick claws down racked its hips and through Ezekiel's underbelly tearing them open. The leopard squealed in agony and rage, before spinning. It sank its own teeth deep into the neck of the lion tasting fresh blood. As its unnatural strength allowed its fangs to cut thorough bone and meat like butter.

Putting all of his power into the bite the leopard heard a horrible crunch and the small yellow lion collapsed instantly. Neck broken in half.

That is when the large red lion made its move. He pounced on top of the leopard before it could recover. Dominating it with size. Mane waving fiercely it sank its own fangs deep into the leopards spine. The Leopard screamed and struggled franticly to escape but in seconds fangs had pierced its spinal cord.

Agony swallowed Ezekiel, he and his leopard screamed as one. Then the Leopard went limp in the lions hold, waiting for that final powerful shake that would kill him, or at least break his back, but it never came. The lions just stopped and sat back on their hunches licking blood from their nails and snouts. Ezekiel and his Leopard lay on the ground unable to move, sides heaving in exhaustion. With agonized cries Ezekiel called to his Clan, to his Brothers, but he didn't know if any would hear.