give you access.” His brave female tilted her rounded chin upward, her skin pale. “No matter what you do to me, I won’t betray him.”
Nikhil flicked his tail back and forth, back and forth, watching, waiting. I’ll kill Gaur for touching Violet .
“You won’t betray a dead man?” Gaur pulled her backward.
“You can’t kill Nikhil that easily.” Violet leaned forward, digging her boot heels into a crevice in the tile, resisting the male’s attempt to move her. Smoke swirled around her leather-clad ankles, disguising Nikhil’s scent. “Hell, you can’t even hack into his system, and that was child’s play,” she taunted.
“You question my abilities?” Gaur’s eyes blazed with fury, and Nikhil tensed; the bovine shifter’s temper was notoriously hot.
“Everyone will question your abilities after this.” Nikhil’s foolish mate pushed the proud male. “Bested by a female,” she scoffed. “It took me mere minutes to find the weaknesses.”
Gaur glanced at the tablet on the desk; then his gaze returned to Violet. He shifted his grip on her shoulders, his dilemma clear. He needed a free hand to type.
“Can’t handle me without a gun, big guy?” Violet gave Nikhil’s enemy a saucy grin. “Or are you using that as an excuse because your hacking skills are weak?” Her gaze lowered, meeting Nikhil’s, and her eyes widened. She looked away. “Even you know you’re no match for me.”
“You’re a weak human female.” Gaur sneered. He slammed his gun down on the table and grabbed the tablet. “I could --”
Violet drove the right heel of her military-style boot down on Gaur’s instep. He howled, bending over, releasing her to grab his leg, and she flung herself forward, seizing the gun. Nikhil leaped into the air, roaring with rage, his claws extended and his teeth bared.
Gaur bellowed, dropping the tablet and turning in time to protect his throat. Nikhil’s jaws closed around the male’s arm, the sweet taste of his enemy’s blood bursting in his mouth, exciting his animal.
Gaur shook him off, throwing Nikhil to the side. He landed hard on his back, pain jabbing up his backbone. A shot rang out and a screen shattered, sparks lighting up the room.
“Shit,” Violet cursed, the strength in her voice reassuring Nikhil that his mate was angry but unharmed.
Gaur shifted, his clothing shredding and his arms extending. Sharp horns curled from his forehead, and dark brown hair covered his body. His transformation dented the furniture around him, his size doubling, tripling, until Nikhil faced over three thousand pounds of angry bovine. Gaur was well able to kill him or any other full-grown tiger.
Nikhil paced in front of Gaur, putting his body protectively between the animal and Violet, looking for an opening, a weakness. Gaur snorted, lowering his horns, stamping the floor with his deadly hooves.
A shot cracked, the sound hurting Nikhil’s sensitive ears. Another screen exploded, Gaur’s head turned, and Nikhil pounced.
The bovine shifter swung his horns and clipped Nikhil’s hind leg, spinning him in the air. Nikhil contorted, twisting his body, pain racing through him, and he landed on his feet.
“He’s huge,” Violet mumbled, staring at the gun in her trembling hands. “How could I miss him?”
Nikhil growled. His mate shouldn’t have to defend herself. He darted forward, raked his claws over Gaur’s left front leg, and retreated, barely avoiding a horn to the forehead.
Gaur glared at Nikhil, white rimming his eyes. He breathed heavily, his nostrils flaring. Weakened . Nikhil tested the air with his tongue. The scent of their spilled blood mingled with the smoke and Violet’s musk. We’re both weakened . Warmth trickled down his leg, his muscles strained, his body tired.
Gaur lowered his head and charged toward Nikhil, toward Violet. Protect mate . Nikhil surged forward to meet him, facing death, unable to maneuver around his enemy’s horns. For Violet . He
Nikhil flicked his tail back and forth, back and forth, watching, waiting. I’ll kill Gaur for touching Violet .
“You won’t betray a dead man?” Gaur pulled her backward.
“You can’t kill Nikhil that easily.” Violet leaned forward, digging her boot heels into a crevice in the tile, resisting the male’s attempt to move her. Smoke swirled around her leather-clad ankles, disguising Nikhil’s scent. “Hell, you can’t even hack into his system, and that was child’s play,” she taunted.
“You question my abilities?” Gaur’s eyes blazed with fury, and Nikhil tensed; the bovine shifter’s temper was notoriously hot.
“Everyone will question your abilities after this.” Nikhil’s foolish mate pushed the proud male. “Bested by a female,” she scoffed. “It took me mere minutes to find the weaknesses.”
Gaur glanced at the tablet on the desk; then his gaze returned to Violet. He shifted his grip on her shoulders, his dilemma clear. He needed a free hand to type.
“Can’t handle me without a gun, big guy?” Violet gave Nikhil’s enemy a saucy grin. “Or are you using that as an excuse because your hacking skills are weak?” Her gaze lowered, meeting Nikhil’s, and her eyes widened. She looked away. “Even you know you’re no match for me.”
“You’re a weak human female.” Gaur sneered. He slammed his gun down on the table and grabbed the tablet. “I could --”
Violet drove the right heel of her military-style boot down on Gaur’s instep. He howled, bending over, releasing her to grab his leg, and she flung herself forward, seizing the gun. Nikhil leaped into the air, roaring with rage, his claws extended and his teeth bared.
Gaur bellowed, dropping the tablet and turning in time to protect his throat. Nikhil’s jaws closed around the male’s arm, the sweet taste of his enemy’s blood bursting in his mouth, exciting his animal.
Gaur shook him off, throwing Nikhil to the side. He landed hard on his back, pain jabbing up his backbone. A shot rang out and a screen shattered, sparks lighting up the room.
“Shit,” Violet cursed, the strength in her voice reassuring Nikhil that his mate was angry but unharmed.
Gaur shifted, his clothing shredding and his arms extending. Sharp horns curled from his forehead, and dark brown hair covered his body. His transformation dented the furniture around him, his size doubling, tripling, until Nikhil faced over three thousand pounds of angry bovine. Gaur was well able to kill him or any other full-grown tiger.
Nikhil paced in front of Gaur, putting his body protectively between the animal and Violet, looking for an opening, a weakness. Gaur snorted, lowering his horns, stamping the floor with his deadly hooves.
A shot cracked, the sound hurting Nikhil’s sensitive ears. Another screen exploded, Gaur’s head turned, and Nikhil pounced.
The bovine shifter swung his horns and clipped Nikhil’s hind leg, spinning him in the air. Nikhil contorted, twisting his body, pain racing through him, and he landed on his feet.
“He’s huge,” Violet mumbled, staring at the gun in her trembling hands. “How could I miss him?”
Nikhil growled. His mate shouldn’t have to defend herself. He darted forward, raked his claws over Gaur’s left front leg, and retreated, barely avoiding a horn to the forehead.
Gaur glared at Nikhil, white rimming his eyes. He breathed heavily, his nostrils flaring. Weakened . Nikhil tested the air with his tongue. The scent of their spilled blood mingled with the smoke and Violet’s musk. We’re both weakened . Warmth trickled down his leg, his muscles strained, his body tired.
Gaur lowered his head and charged toward Nikhil, toward Violet. Protect mate . Nikhil surged forward to meet him, facing death, unable to maneuver around his enemy’s horns. For Violet . He
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