Savage Claim (Lion Hearts #2) - Cecilia Lane Page 0,1

him. Killer. Rabid fucking dog.

Lindley slammed his head forward, cracking against his opponent’s nose. The crunch and flood of blood that spewed over them were sure signs of a proper break. The bear stumbled, hands going to his face as he shook off the pain.

Lindley danced back, instincts from a thousand brawls guiding him. A ragged roar burst out of the other man as he threw himself back into the fight. He swung meaty fists, but unclenched them at the last second. Sharp claws darkened the tips of his fingers.

Lindley jerked away with a snarl. Asshole wasn’t supposed to shift, even partially. They could beat the shit out of each other until they fell, but they had to stick to their human forms. The motherfucker was about to steal a win from him.

He slid back into the brawl to the cheers of all in attendance. His lion roared through him, powering his blows, adding to his punches. He kept close to the fucker even when his claws lengthened and dug into his skin. The hurts just drove on the need to feed his beast a victory.

Blood flowed from a cut above his eyebrow, killing the vision in one eye, but that didn’t slow Lindley. He’d fought with worse injuries. Survived worse. He’d been close to death the night he left the Levine pride, but beaten wasn’t broken. He just had to keep moving.

Your ruin is coming.

Rage pumped through him with every thump of his heart. The fury of losing everything vibrated every cell of his body. No home. No family. No mate. His lion rippled through him with snarls and roars.

He threw his opponent against the chain-link walls of the cage, lashing out with a hard jab to the ribs. The same move caught the man on the other side. Lindley pummeled him over and over until he lifted a hand and tapped out against the cage.

The crowd cheered and stomped their feet. The wordless noise rolled over Lindley as he backed away, swaying on his feet. He pumped his fists in the air and let the roar of victory wash over him, feeling nothing but cold.

Faster than a viper strike, the bear tackled him to the ground.

They rolled over and over, both trying to gain the upper ground, both punching out where they could manage. Boos mingled with the cheers, but the crazy fuckers in the crowd still called out for more blood.

Lindley straddled the bear shifter, turning his face slightly to see out of his clear eye. He raised a fist as the crowd howled, then slammed it down with a sickening crunch.

And again.

And again.

The bear wasn’t anyone special. Not his father. Not the assholes who made up the Levine pride. Not Jasper or Ira or any of the bastards that tried to put the Crowley pride into the ground. But motherfucker, it felt good to sate the bloodlust of his inner demons.

He loved and hated the damage he caused. Darkness stroked against his insides, eating away at the remains of goodness that’d been fading from the day he took his first breath.

He couldn’t save them. He couldn’t save any of them. Sage. Kyla. His own dead mother. All the good parts of the world died while the Levine darkness remained.

Hands pulled at his arms, his chest, his shoulders. He yanked out of them with ease, swinging back into his savage destruction.

“Lindley, ease off!”

The order sliced through the air and covered him with a thick weight. His lion struggled against the command, slashing at his insides and roaring loud enough to drown out the noise of the crowd.

Fight. Kill.

The beast flashed sendings through him, dark scenes with vivid details of death. Trent’s, though he was sure it’d be a challenge fight of legends. Brutal, bloody, draw out… The lion practically salivated for the chance to prove himself the better.

Fucking alpha power. Lindley didn’t want a damn thing to do with it. Bad enough he’d been strong-armed into acting as second to the Crowley pride. His lion wasn’t content with playing second fiddle. The beast wanted the throne.

He was a Levine lion. Son of the alpha, raised to rule, his inner animal chafed taking orders from another.

Trent grabbed the back of his neck and pressed their foreheads together. “Easy, Lin. Easy.”

The touch was supposed to be soothing. Comforting. Supposed to bring him back from the edge.

His lion raked him with his claws, tail flicking in agitation. A low growl rattled in his chest.

He’d vowed to himself to never come