The Royal Alpha, & Loyal Luna

34. The Eyes of the Forsaken .

My impact with the ground was hard enough to momentarily stun me for all of five seconds though it felt like a full minute. When I came out of my daze, I pushed off the ground with my palms and back, jumping up to my feet.

As soon as I stood, I was kicked back down. The initial kick to my ribs didn't hurt, not until I had to stand and stretch my body upright.

"You won't win, Luna Nova Du Val. The halfbreed mutt whose own mother can't even stand to look at.. Why do you think she's changing you?"

I spun around, sending my right leg out for a kick at him, but he was fast as he threw himself backward to dodge it. But I gave him no time to regain his composure, immediately coming down with my right foot to the ground and kicking up my left, successfully hitting him.

I mentally thanked The Karate Kid for that move.

When he stumbled, I advanced.

His blocks were quick, but my punches were a hair faster as I landed each one, right after left. I let my right come faster after my left in order to give me the necessary time to roundhouse him, which proved well by giving me some distance from him.

Grey had trained me well, but I still had a long ways to go. I am no Alpha Krem by any means. But I am an alpha, and I would fight like one.

This time, he wasn't able to catch his footing as he stumbled over the uneven terrain, falling with a hard thud. I seized the opportunity to run, searching for Augustine as I ducked branches at high speed. No matter how badly I wanted to put my fists through Bowman's sockets, he was top priority, I had to get him out of their grasp.

And into ours.

"Augustine!" It was hard to catch my breath, the kick to my ribs now searing with pain. "Where are you?!" My eyes darted through the dark, searching for any sign of him. A silhouette of a shadowy figure along the trees, a trail of blood to follow, something, anything..

And then before I knew it, it seemed the trees themselves sprouted limbs, reaching and grabbing for me.

Minette.. Baptiste.. No!

My brain immediately registered them as a threat. I bended my body back just as those arms went to entrap me, sliding right under them. I turned on my heel, hitting one body with a spinning kick and two-piecing the other. All of my movements blurring and moving as one as I came back to the other figure to knee them in the midsection, twisting their arm around their back just as they doubled over.

"Nova, Nova it's us! It's me!" Gio's large hands wrapped around my forearms, keeping me from continuing to lash out on the pair of them.

"Gio.. Gio?" It was like a fog retreated from my mind as I became aware I wasn't in imminent danger.

"Yes." His hands came up to the sides of my face. "You're safe now, okay? We've got you." I dropped in his hold, now panting to get air past my knowingly bruised ribs.

"Come on." I felt arms from behind wrap under me to hold me bridal style.

"Gabe." I touched the side of his face that blood trailed down. I wasn't sure if I was losing consciousness or his blood was somehow becoming different. Mesmerizing. "I hurt you.."

"Couldn't hurt me, Luna. Unless you send me away." He smiled down at me, starting off at a pace humans wished they could master. "Where are you hurt?"

"I think the asshole cracked a few ribs." I chuckled. "I was too distracted. I let him get the jump on me. Literally." I mentally chided myself for being beat at my own game. It would be the first and I'd damn well make sure it'd be the last. "Where's Gio? Where.. where did he go?"