I hit the ground hard, knocking the wind from my lungs. It took me a second to catch my breath and get back up on all fours. My neck ached and there was a sticky wetness dribbling down my fur. I hoped the wound wasn’t too bad, but with my heart racing and the adrenaline pumping through my system, I doubted even the loss of a limb could stop me. I had only a moment to spot Diana barreling toward me and full speed. No rest, no time-outs in this fight. She wanted me dead at all cost.
I braced for impact, baring my fangs at her and snarling. She might have been bigger and stronger, but I wasn’t going to show one ounce of fear.
Just as expected, she slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. I threw my paws up as I rolled onto my back.
All of her sharp white teeth were showing. Her lips were pulled back as far as they could go and a line of saliva dripped down on to me.
Her two front paws dug into my chest, sharp nails breaking through my thick coat of fur and slicing into my skin. She pressed down hard, stamping me into the ground.
Still I growled and snarled. My ears were pinned back against my head. She had the upper hand, but I was a scrappy little thing and that might work to my advantage. I looked for a way to squirm out from under her grip.
She bent her head and lunged for my neck. I twisted and jerked sideways, tossing my paws up and pressing them against her with all of my strength. That worked, and I was able to roll onto my side. I tucked my back paws and tail and tried to twist around as quickly as I could and roll onto my paws, but I wasn’t fast enough. I felt the brush of teeth again, catching my paw. I yelped as I felt the skin rip open but did not stop my momentum. Twisting my head to nip at her, I threw my legs around and flopped over, quickly pulling myself up, and then used my back and tail to block. Her teeth were sharp, but I’d much rather she hit my hind quarters than find the sensitive or vulnerable spots up front.
She was vicious. I didn’t have a prayer in the world of winning this fight. As I blocked more of her attacks, I glanced around, hoping to find someone who might help. Then the reality hit me. No one would dare interfere in a fight like this. I caught a glimpse of Aiden and Micah still tangled in their own battle. You couldn’t tell on Aiden’s dark fur, but Micah’s lighter coat showed many bloody stains.
I should have stayed focused on my own fight. That brief glance over cost me, and I felt the sharp fangs plunge into the side of my neck. Diana clamped down hard, forcing my head sideways. Currents of pain ran through my body. I yelped, but her clamped teeth cut off most of the sound. From the corner of my eye I saw Aiden turn toward me, and Micah, not missing a beat, took that opportunity to strike and lunged for Aiden’s neck.
I didn’t get the opportunity to see what happened next. Diana began jerking me side to side. Her teeth firmly entrenched in my neck were ripping and shredding my skin with each movement. Stars danced in my vision from the pain, but I held firmly to consciousness, my heart pounding with the desperate need to stay alive.
It hurt more than words could say, but I managed to maneuver out from her toothy grasp. The cost was high, though, and as the blood began running down the side of my neck, the lightheadedness set in.
I had to stay alive. That was it. Death was not an option.
But I was too weak to really put up much of a fight now that I was losing so much blood. There had to be another way to defeat her.
She lunged again at me.
I barely got out of her way in time. I felt a tug on my tail and realized she had a mouth full of fur.
Like a common cat fight among drunken women. I realized then that Diana was bluntly attacking me, pulling hair and taking swings at me. She had no real skill. Lunge and bite, lunge and bite. She’d been lucky so far in catching me off guard and using my disorientation against me, but after a few moments of this, her moves were becoming predictable.
It was then that I decided to stop avoiding the fight. I turned and faced her, snarling and baring my teeth. She met my eyes and if I wasn’t mistaken, smiled. Blood coated her white teeth. My blood.
My heart pounded. I hoped I was doing the right thing. If I was wrong, this would be the last mistake I would ever make.
I lunged forward, aiming for her throat, mouth open, teeth bared, and snapped them shut at the first sign of fur. She dodged and turned her tail toward me. I wasn’t missing that opportunity. I clamped down on it and tore out a chunk of fur. She turned and snapped her jaw at me, but I did not retreat. I clamped down on the closest bit of fur I could find, and when my teeth sank into tender flesh, the taste of blood invigorated me. Warm and salty, rather than repulsive, it seemed to give me a boost as well as satisfy some deep-rooted instinct inside.
I continued the attack, ripping and biting and tearing away at any bit of skin I could get my teeth into. I needed to wear her down a little bit. Diana yelped and barked and started to run, leaving a trail of blood in her wake.
Oh, no, you don’t.
I kept right on her tail, nipping at it as she ran us into the pack.