"I was trying to help you, Almair," the female tiger snarled, glaring at me. She flicked her tail in annoyance, and I raised an eyebrow in question. "And what do you do? You pulled my tail to stop from attacking the fucking Second. Why the fuck would you do that?"
"To make you stop fighting for me," I replied, scolding softly. "I already had a Horsin do it, and with the Leader's permission, I would like to do it myself." I glanced around to see a couple of tigers had walked onto the path and saw a "high ranking" tiger, whom I was sure was Shardul, looking at me.
"Come on, Almair's don't ask for permission," Marcus taunted, and I looked at him. He flicked his tail back and forth as he started to circle around me. "Why are you, Almair? I thought you were an animal."
I widened my eyes in mock shock. "Am I really that bad that you have to label me as an... animal?" I asked, putting a hand over my heart and acting faint. "Oh, Gods, what will my mother think?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "I can shift into two animal forms; of course, I am an animal."
"What about an animal underneath the sheets?" a male tiger called out. "Are you an animal under them?" There was a sound of growling, and another tiger attacked him. "Ow, Mom, what was that for?"
My face turned a bit red. I was still a virgin, which wasn't that surprising because I never had a boyfriend. And, I wasn't really to... have sex with my mate. I wanted to get at least my training done before then. "If I shift into a wolf and crawl underneath my sheets, then I am," I replied. "For what you are saying, I have no clue and do not plan on finding out with you."
"What? So, he is not good enough for you?" Marcus asked, and I growled in warning.
"No, I have a mate," I snapped, baring my teeth at him. I glanced at Shardul, and Shardul nodded. "So, do you want to have a go or not? I mean, I am injured, so it should be easy for you."
"And what? Are you going to leave this place and not come back if I win?" Marcus asked. He grinned, and I frowned. "That would be so thoughtful of you because we do not want you here."
"If you win, then I will leave you and Mrs. Vanessa alone. I will not go to your house and babysit your children. I will have no contact with you, your mate, nor your children." I did not look at Mrs. Vanessa when I said that, not wanting to see her flinch. My heart ached because I really wanted to be at that house and ensure that Mrs. Vanessa would stay alive. "I can not leave this area because the last time I did, I almost didn't survive."
"I can live with that," Marcus said. He grinned, his razor sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight. He took a threatening step forward, and I shifted my weight ever so slightly. "You sure that you want to do that? As you said, you are injured."
I shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time," I replied. I followed his path, keeping my body relaxed. I was at a slight disadvantage, but it wasn't because I was injured. No, the slight disadvantage was the fact that he razors for claws.
Shardul moved in between us, and Marcus growled out in annoyance. He glared at the Second, and he submitted to him. "We will move into the clearing, where she was supposed to meet us," he narrowed his eyes, and I shrugged indifferently.
"And why not do it here?" Marcus asked, flicking his tail in annoyance. He wanted me to leave them alone and get this battle done. He didn't care that he was basically asking Shardul to attack him.
"Because," Shardul said, narrowing his eyes at the other male. Annoyance came off of him in waves, and I was sure that he would have attacked him if it wasn't for me. "You are not the commander. And, it would be easier for the clan to see the Almair fight."
Marcus narrowed his eyes at his Leader, a sure sign of disrespect. "Fine," he growled, baring his teeth at him. "Maybe you would like to take her position."
I placed my hand on Shardul's shoulder, stopping him from attacking. "I would watch it," I warned Marcus. "You might have two people you need to fight."
Marcus glanced at me, and then he looked at Shardul. "Fine," he grunted and walked towards the clearing.
Shardul looked at me and followed Marcus to the clearing. Annoyance still radiated off of him in waves, and I knew some of it was because I had stopped him from attacking Marcus. He knew, however, that it would be in his best interest not to do it.
One by one, the clan walked away, some glaring at me.
The female tiger that tried to help me walked over. She watched as others glared at me and then glared at her because she was standing at my side. "Don't worry. They will come around. We do need to talk, though. It's good to see you." She smirked at me and walked away.
I frowned and blinked before I followed them to the clearing. I had no idea who that female was, but I was sure that she was someone I had known...
***
"So, can we fight now?" Marcus asked, looking at Shardul. "Or see we going to have to wait until "His Majesty" allows us to?"
Shardul growled in warning but didn't attack him. He glanced at me, frowning. "Would you like a weapon?" he asked. "I am sure that you do not want to shift into your Wolf form."
"Why does she get to have a weapon?" Marcus asked, glaring at me. "She shouldn't be able to have one."
"You literally have weapons growing out of your paws," I replied. "You also have blades for teeth." I glanced at Shardul. "I do have two daggers on me. Would it be alright if I used them?"
"Wh-"
"Maybe because there was an attack on my pack last night, or have you forgotten?" I asked. "I mean, I still have a bandage on my arm from those stupid Dark Forces that killed a member of my pack." I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes in anger. My whole body was tense, and I had to control myself from attacking him. "Of course, I am going to have weapons on me. Who knows, maybe the Dark Forces will plan another attack on the Wolf pack or the Horse clan, and I need to be prepared." I widened my eyes and opened my mouth wide. "Oh wait, what if they attack an innocent Wolf tha-" I dodged the attack that Marcus had done and growled.
"You bore me, Ms. Johnson, with all of this talking. I do not care about you or the Wolf Pack nor Horse Clan," Marcus said, stalking me. An evil glint filled his eyes, and it caused a shiver to go down my spine. He had power, and it was that power that made me feel uncomfortable. If Shardul died, he became the clan leader, and that could cause my life difficult. "I thought we were going to fight."
I pulled my daggers from underneath my shirt. My shoulder screamed from pulling at the stitches, but I could care less. "I thought it was rather... entertaining," I replied, swiftly moving away from his attack. "My apologies for boring you."
Marcus growled out in anger. His ears were at the back of his head, and I knew that mine would also be if I were in wolf form. He flicked his tail in annoyance before lunging at me.
I knew that he was going to turn at the last minute to attack me in the direction that I was going to go in, so I ducked underneath him and flicked my two daggers at his unprotected underside.
Marcus yowled out in pain and twisted around, facing me as he landed on his four paws. He lifted his lip to show his sharp teeth before lunging again.
This time, I met him in the middle, and both of us attacked the other.
For what felt like hours, but it could have been less than an hour, Marcus and I fought as if our life depended on it. Both of us were severely injured by the time I had wrapped my arms around my throat (my daggers being lost in the trees somewhere) and my legs wrapped around his stomach.
I gasped out in pain when Marcus slammed me against a tree, but I held on. "Submit," I growled out, again, putting more pressure on his throat.
Marcus paused and started choking. He was having trouble standing, but he kept standing, not wanting to show any weakness to the clan nor me. "Never," he gasped out, and I put more pressure on his throat.
I bit back a groan of pain when Marcus rolled over onto his back and started to crush me. I still held on, ignoring the screaming pain of my body. "I am about to make you go unconscious, Marcus," I said. "It is in your best interest to submit. Now." I placed more pressure on his throat, and I knew that he was about to lose consciousness. Please, do it, I begged silently. We had done enough damage to one another.
Marcus went limp, and for a minute, I thought that I had actually made him unconscious. However, that changed when he rolled over, breaking my leg in the process of doing so. "Fine," he growled out, finally. He relaxed and submitted to me. "This doesn't mean that I like you. I will never like you."
I let go of him and sat up. My heart ached when he said that, but I knew that I couldn't let it get to me. "Fine," I muttered. I stood, putting more pressure on my not that injured leg. "I don't like you, but I am still going to protect you. It is my job." I looked at Shardul. "Which way is it to the healers? It might be best if I get checked out here before my mate comes. He'll be pissed if I don't."
Shardul nodded his head and gestured for a female, the same one that had "helped" me, to come forward. "Tygra will take you there," he said. "She and I will help you become a tiger." He gave me a pointed look when I was about to object.
I frowned and nodded my head. "Yes, Sir," I said before looking at Tygra. I knew the name, having heard it more than once at the training center, and wondered if it was the same girl.
"Follow me," Tygra said, nodding her head. She turned in the direction of the healer and started to walk that way.
I looked at Marcus and frowned before limping after her. I was scared of him, not for my life but for the ones that I cared about.
He would be able to hurt the people that I cared about, and I knew that he had no morality that would stop him from hurting them. He could cause somebody's death, and that was what I was afraid of.
I had to get him on my side, but I didn't know how. I prayed to the Gods that no one would get hurt because of him.
If they did, then I had no idea how I would survive...