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"Challenger, what the hell do you think you are doing?" Marguerite gasped around the chokehold he had on her throat. Challenger was staring at her, not the man she knew and cared for like a father or brother. His hat was gone, his hair wild and a shock of red hair mixed with leaves and brush. But it was his eyes, a blazing emerald green that was cold. His grip tightened.
"Make a choice, female!" he snapped out. Marguerite tried to gain control but her mind was being taken over.
"You disgust me!" her other side croaked at him as she began to black out. She suddenly felt him kissing her, and she struggled not to gag. Challenger was like a father to her, and she had absolutely no other feelings for him. She bit into his lip, drawing blood. He snarled, backing off and looked at her, his grip tightening again. Marguerite began to black out again, not being able to breathe, astonished at the strength in the older man's hands.
Suddenly, the squeezing was gone, and she was thrown to the ground, coughing hard. She raised dazed eyes to the sound of Roxton yelling at the man. The impact of them crashing into one another was loud and painful sounding; Marguerite's eyes watching with an unwanted fixation. Challenger drove Roxton into a nearby tree face first, and Marguerite whimpered as she heard Roxton's groan of pain. He whirled and blocked a punch made by challenger, and that was the first glimpse Marguerite gained of his face in a long time. Roxton's eyes were normal, but he looked like he was struggling with something.
Challenger threw a kick into Roxton's jaw as he battered the normally stronger man with bruising fists. Marguerite screamed as she saw Challenger whip out Roxton's dagger and slash him hard. A light ribbon of red welted on Roxton's side as he flew back, sputtering as his body screamed in protest.
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Roxton could feel Challenger's blow like they were of a much stronger man, and he struggled to keep a hold of himself. Whatever was infecting him, he couldn't let it through. Challenger's sharp, pointed boot slammed into his stomach with a dazing force, and it was repeated as Roxton tried in vain to prevent the blows. He rolled to his side, facing away from Challenger, and heard him drawing the knife again. He looked over and saw Marguerite, eyes locking with hers for a long moment. He saw the bruises on her neck, and his control fled him like a bird fleeing a hawk.
His blood felt like it was boiling and he gave a growl. He heard Challenger pause uncertainly and whirled, his eyes an angry sapphire blue. He growled again, his control gone now completely. He grabbed the man's descending fist, and squeezed it, feeling the knucklebones close to the breaking point. Challenger howled with pain and pulled back, still holding the dagger. Roxton leapt at him, his sheer weight and size coupled with an agility kept sharp by fighting raptors bowling the older man over. "Come on," he snarled at him, the knife forgotten as challenger struggled to regain his dominance. Roxton threw a wild punch and felt Challenger's fist connect with his back. He growled with pain and this time his fist connected with Challenger's jaw with such a force that it sent the man whirling back, his head slamming into the hardwood tree.
Roxton panted hard, his body filled with adrenaline. By the gods, he had never felt so…powerful or in control, not even when he was a vampire or becoming like an animal for those short spans of time. He nudged the unconscious man with his foot and grinned with satisfaction. He turned his eyes to look at Marguerite behind him, but his senses felt different. She wasn't there. His eyes followed her foot tracks. "Marguerite…where are you?" he called, but there was a strong note in his voice. The hunt was on…
"Challenger, what the hell do you think you are doing?" Marguerite gasped around the chokehold he had on her throat. Challenger was staring at her, not the man she knew and cared for like a father or brother. His hat was gone, his hair wild and a shock of red hair mixed with leaves and brush. But it was his eyes, a blazing emerald green that was cold. His grip tightened.
"Make a choice, female!" he snapped out. Marguerite tried to gain control but her mind was being taken over.
"You disgust me!" her other side croaked at him as she began to black out. She suddenly felt him kissing her, and she struggled not to gag. Challenger was like a father to her, and she had absolutely no other feelings for him. She bit into his lip, drawing blood. He snarled, backing off and looked at her, his grip tightening again. Marguerite began to black out again, not being able to breathe, astonished at the strength in the older man's hands.
Suddenly, the squeezing was gone, and she was thrown to the ground, coughing hard. She raised dazed eyes to the sound of Roxton yelling at the man. The impact of them crashing into one another was loud and painful sounding; Marguerite's eyes watching with an unwanted fixation. Challenger drove Roxton into a nearby tree face first, and Marguerite whimpered as she heard Roxton's groan of pain. He whirled and blocked a punch made by challenger, and that was the first glimpse Marguerite gained of his face in a long time. Roxton's eyes were normal, but he looked like he was struggling with something.
Challenger threw a kick into Roxton's jaw as he battered the normally stronger man with bruising fists. Marguerite screamed as she saw Challenger whip out Roxton's dagger and slash him hard. A light ribbon of red welted on Roxton's side as he flew back, sputtering as his body screamed in protest.
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Roxton could feel Challenger's blow like they were of a much stronger man, and he struggled to keep a hold of himself. Whatever was infecting him, he couldn't let it through. Challenger's sharp, pointed boot slammed into his stomach with a dazing force, and it was repeated as Roxton tried in vain to prevent the blows. He rolled to his side, facing away from Challenger, and heard him drawing the knife again. He looked over and saw Marguerite, eyes locking with hers for a long moment. He saw the bruises on her neck, and his control fled him like a bird fleeing a hawk.
His blood felt like it was boiling and he gave a growl. He heard Challenger pause uncertainly and whirled, his eyes an angry sapphire blue. He growled again, his control gone now completely. He grabbed the man's descending fist, and squeezed it, feeling the knucklebones close to the breaking point. Challenger howled with pain and pulled back, still holding the dagger. Roxton leapt at him, his sheer weight and size coupled with an agility kept sharp by fighting raptors bowling the older man over. "Come on," he snarled at him, the knife forgotten as challenger struggled to regain his dominance. Roxton threw a wild punch and felt Challenger's fist connect with his back. He growled with pain and this time his fist connected with Challenger's jaw with such a force that it sent the man whirling back, his head slamming into the hardwood tree.
Roxton panted hard, his body filled with adrenaline. By the gods, he had never felt so…powerful or in control, not even when he was a vampire or becoming like an animal for those short spans of time. He nudged the unconscious man with his foot and grinned with satisfaction. He turned his eyes to look at Marguerite behind him, but his senses felt different. She wasn't there. His eyes followed her foot tracks. "Marguerite…where are you?" he called, but there was a strong note in his voice. The hunt was on…