CONTROL ➳ D. HALE [2]

14 ; times of chaos

14 ➳ TIMES OF CHAOS

"Oh, Elise," Kali clicked her tongue, trailing in circles around the brunette. A crimson sheen passed over the woman's eyes as she spoke again, "Do you really think you can beat me?"

Elise shrugged nonchalantly, matching Kali's pace as she turned, never letting her eyes leave the Alpha. She hoped that the other woman couldn't sense the fear filtering through her veins. Her heart was already racing in her chest, though, and she could only guess that Kali was able to hear it.  "I think I can keep you occupied for long enough to let Derek get Jennifer out of here."

Suddenly, though, the power flickered out, leaving Elise and Kali suspended in darkness. The latter of the two let out a wicked laugh. "Is that so?" Some light still filtered in through the nearby windows, illuminating the hall just enough for Elise to able to trace Kali's movements. She hoped that Derek had managed to get out of the elevator before the power had gone out. "Why are you even protecting her?" Kali wondered aloud.

"Maybe I'm just doing it to piss you off," Elise taunted, the words rolling off of her tongue before she could stop them. "I do a lot of things out of spite."

"I'm more power-motivated," Kali hummed, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Elise wasn't sure why, but the woman seemed to be trying to draw out their encounter. Perhaps she was trying to give the rest of her pack more time to get to Derek and Jennifer.

"As much as I'd love to sit and chat with you, I kind of have places to be," Elise said, drawing her switchblade. "So let's get this over with."

Kali unsheathed her claws, her features becoming more animalistic by the second. "If you insist."

Before Elise had time to react, Kali drove a foot into her stomach, sending her flying across the hall from the fore of the attack. Elise's back slammed into the elevator, but she barely felt dazed. Kali took a step forward, but Elise had already planned her next move.

The woman rolled forward, driving the heel of her boot into Kali's knee and earning a sickening crack. The Alpha growled in pain, stumbling backward and providing Elise with just enough time to drive her knife down, stabbing the woman's exposed foot. 

Kali stumbled backward, jerking away from the other woman as Elise tore her blade free and jumped to her feet. "I'll admit," Kali hissed under her breath. "You're pretty good. For a human, that is."

"Oh, Kali," Elise clicked her tongue. "I'm not exactly human."

The woman tilted her head to one side, the way a hound does when confused. Elise lunged forward another time, her blade arching down toward Kali's shoulder. The other woman quickly recovered, though. She managed to grab Elise's wrist before the blade could hit home. Kali lifted a foot, slamming it into Elise's thigh.

The fabric of Elise's jeans tore open, blood lightly seeping from the wound inflicted by Kali's claws. It wasn't a deep wound by any means; Elise had gotten worse cuts falling from a bike, but it still stung like hell. Elise gritted her teeth, using her free hand to form a fist, driving it into Kali's throat.

Kali barely seemed to notice it. She twisted the pair, slamming Elise's arm into the wall and forcing her to drop her blade. Kali's hands moved at a lightning speed, wrapping themselves around Elise's throat in a choking grip as the woman lifted Elise from the ground.

Elise coughed for air, feeling her eyes widen as she tried to push Kali off of her. Black spots quickly began to dance in Elise's vision and he began to wonder if, perhaps, this would be her final stand. A faint burning sensation ripples through Elise's limbs as the blackness threatened to overtake her.