The Hollow Moon (Downworlder Series, #2)

Chapter Sixteen: Part Two: Meltdown

"You kill her? She wasn't screaming." It was his confusion that brought us focus.

I lifted my face slowly, eyes narrowing as I zeroed in my prey. He was trying to get at a better angle to view my female and what I had done to her. I pushed up from the ground, purposefully blocking Emily from his view as I swept my tongue over my lips which were still covered in her rich essence. The bond was burning like a hot coal in the center of my chest, a mix of pleasure and pain. Emily let out a soft moan as she tried to lift herself up, only to fall back onto the ground with a pained gasp.

"She's still alive?" He looked between me and her and I grinned at him, showing off my teeth as my wolf gave a deep and resounding growl and raised his hackles at our new prey. He had harmed Emily, defiled her flesh, it was his death sentence.

"Yes." The word was garbled and he looked confused before he took a step forward, trying to see around me to where my female lay on the floor. I bared my teeth in menace. He would not look at her ever again. I would take his eyes for every instance he had.

"What the hell did you do then?" His confused eyes landed on me and I moved towards him lazily.

"Something I wanted to do." Never again would she run from me, never again would we be parted. She was mine. "I don't like sharing." I narrowed my eyes at him. He had touched her, hurt her. I would take the hands of the males who wanted to have gasping moans spilling from her lips but he had harmed her and that demanded so much more.

"What are you talking about?" His confusion delighted me. By the time he figured it out he would be too late to escape me. "You don't have to share with me. She's yours." He waved in her direction.

"She is." I gave a short nod as I continued my slow advance, watching him for any twitching movements, any tension that showed he would try to escape.

"I don't understand..." His voice trailed off as he looked at me before glancing towards where she lay on the floor. Realization flooded his eyes."...wait. She's not your-" His face paled rapidly and I grinned, pointed teeth lining my mouth as I came closer to him. Such a foul male. He had defiled my little female, hurt her now and before. My vision flickered with red at the implications the thoughts brought. My female... forced to cater to this male.

His muscles bunched as he shifted his feet, his eyes darting back and forth. "Shit!" He darted to the side and I kicked out with my leg, sending him sprawling. He hit the ground hard and went to scramble away when I stepped over him. I pressed the back of my ankle to the side of his calf as he wiggled on the floor.

"Stay still." I grinned at him as he froze on the floor. With one harsh move I kicked the side of his knee. I could feel the joint dislocating as I followed through, his tendons tearing from bone and his muscles ripping as I rendered the leg useless. He let out scream as he tried to use his elbows to get away from me. I crouched down, watching him struggle across the floor. I tilted my head, my amusement and enjoyment leaking into into my form and my wolf as we watched him.

"Fuck you!" He glanced back at me and snot and tears ran down his twisted face.

"Did that hurt?" I grinned at him as I moved a fraction closer, watching his eyes go wide as he tried to scramble away, dragging that useless leg behind him. "Cause that looked like it hurt." If his whimpering was anything to go by.

I stood up, walking towards him lazily. He was going to suffer for what he did to her. "Emily is mine." I grabbed his good leg, sinking my claws into his ankle as I dragged him back towards me. "And you touched her." He scrambled, trying to kick me off through his pained grunts. I wrapped my arm around his good knee and yanked upwards as I shoved down with my other hand. The joint snapped and he gave another scream that rolled delightfully down my spine. "Did you expect me to just let you crawl away like the cockroach you are?" Never. He would be punished for what he had done to her. I would defile his flesh like he had Emily's. I was going to give him physical wounds to make up for those I knew lingered on her soul.