Nature is not a place to visit 27

Chapter 27
*“There is only one way to fight, and that’s dirty. Clean gentlemanly fighting will get you nowhere but dead, and fast.
Take every cheap shot, every low blow, absolutely kick people when they’re down, and maybe you’ll be the one who
walks away.”*
*Jeaniene Frost*
There was no time to come up with a plan, to even think, before they were on us.
I heard the sound of thumping footsteps somewhere in the darkness, and then there was a flash of movement.
Screams followed.
My feet moved on their own accord toward the source of the screams, but I didn’t make it more than a step.
Something large and heavy barreled into me and pain ripped through my side. My mouth opened in a silent scream, but
no sound made its way out of my throat. I bucked under the weight as hard as I could. I managed to throw the heavy weight off me, relief immediately singing through my veins.
It wasn’t until I heard a loud crash that I realized it hadn’t been some heavy object that had fallen on me, but a Blood
Moon soldier. He smashed into the wall in front of me – a large, bulky man easily twice my size. My side still burned with
fresh, stabbing pain.
He was on his feet again before I got the chance to examine what kind of damage he’d done.
He growled at me before he charged again.
Every fighting lesson I’d ever received in training flashed through my brain.
*He’s a bigger opponent.*
*What was it that Hudson used to say about bigger opponents?*
My brother’s voice rang through my mind: *stay light on your feet, and get in close enough where you can use their
strength against them.*
He barreled toward me, but I was quicker. I flew out of the way, narrowly missing his large fist by inches. If he had landed
that hit, I had no doubt he would’ve broken every single one of my ribs.
I didn’t miss a beat, jabbing his lower back as hard and as fast I could. He grunted in pain, and I knew I’d hit the right
spot – his kidney. His hands moved instinctively to cup the injury.
That small opening was all I needed.
I leaped, my fists headed straight for his jaw.
Unfortunately, what I hadn’t counted on was the piercing pain that ricocheted through my injured side when I stretched
my body upwards.
Instead of landing a hit, I collapsed onto the dirt floor, grasping at my side with my right hand. Wetness coated my
fingers immediately.
It was all-consuming, the worst pain I’d ever felt in my life. I didn’t need to examine the area to know that he’d ripped
my side open with his claws when he’d first attacked me.
The Blood Moon recovered from the kidney hit and straightened up. He was even larger than I’d thought.
His angry eyes found mine.
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*Shit. I’m done for.*
My entire body went cold as he growled, taking a big, resounding step towards me.
*Yeah, I’m definitely done for.*
*I’m going to die.*
His eyes turned yellow, a sign that he was on the verge of transforming or letting his wolf take over. There was nothing in
those eyes but rage and animosity. No humanity.
Only bloodlust.
My eyes darted across the room, searching for a rock, a weapon, anything I could use to defend myself with. My empty
hands grasped at nothing but the dirt floor. Instead, I caught a glimpse of how my friends were faring.
Luke and Marcus were pressed back-to-back, three Blood Moons surrounding them. Marcus fought with one hand,
keeping his shredded arm tucked close to his chest. I couldn’t tell if Luke had been injured, but he was still on his feet
and throwing punches, which was a good sign.
Rae was fending off two Blood Moons on her own, blood dripping from her forehead. From the way she was stumbling
around, I could tell she was having a hard time staying on her feet. The fact that she hadn’t been knocked out was just
dumb luck.
The rest of our small group wasn’t looking much better – I could see two crumpled bodies on the floor, and I knew they were ours. We hadn’t even taken down a single Blood Moon, and they’d already taken out two of ours.
*We’re so dead*.
*I’m so dead.*
It was the last thought that ran through my head as I saw the large Blood Moon stomp closer to me, his large canines on
display.
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A scream tore through my throat before he could reach me.
I prepared myself to feel his large claws sink into my flesh, to feel his large hands wrap around my neck and strangle the
oxygen from my lungs.
But I didn’t feel any of those things.
In an instant, a large, booming roar thundered through the cell block.
It was so loud that it reverberated through the stone walls and the dirt floor, even to the point where I felt my own chest
vibrating with the sound. For a moment, I wondered if we’d been interrupted by some sort of earthquake. Deep down, I
knew better. That wasn’t an earthquake.
Every single person in the cell block – including my attacker – froze at the sound.
Familiar, raw power permeated the air, so suffocating that I could actually feel my chest become heavy.
I watched as the rage disappeared from my attacker’s eyes, replaced by fear.
He let out some sort of strangled sound. Not a scream, but a gasping breath like the air had been stolen from his lungs.
And then the light in his eyes disappeared altogether.
Slowly, like a cardboard cutout blown over by the wind, he collapsed forward.
His body fell at my feet with glassy eyes and still hands. He was dead.
My breath caught in my throat when I looked up.
Ambrose stood there in all his glory, his multi-colored eyes gleaming with rage and the bloody heart of my attacker in his
hands.