Page 100 of Robb

Third time lucky, he thought, and launched himself forward once more.

This time, he latched on to the boar’s upper leg with his teeth, driving them deep into the flesh and holding on tight, doing his best to – if he was honest with himself – rip the leg right off.

While he wasn’t quite succeeding in that, he was succeeding in causing James a world of pain, if his bellowing was anything to go by, as well as severely hampering his ability to toss Tahnee off his back.

Robb clamped down even harder with his jaws, shaking his head about to do maximum damage. Hot blood flowed down over his muzzle, and he felt the crunch and snap of bone beneath his teeth.

The boar bucked wildly, thrashing about, and Robb let go reluctantly – but only for a moment.

Because Tahnee had taken flight as well, perching on top of a hedge, and Robb took advantage of the opening as soon as James had all four feet on land again.

With a snarl, he sprang into the air and landed on the boar’s back. His natural flexibility – far greater than a regular dog’s – allowed him to find a position where he could easily dig the claws of all four feet into the boar’s torso, while he once more sank his teeth into flesh, this time on the boar’s neck.

It wouldn’t be enough to fully defeat James – Robb really needed to get at the throat or belly for that – but if he could do enough damage here, it would be enough to incapacitate him so that Robb could either knock him out cold or call for backup.

He dug his claws in deeper.

This fiend would harm our mate, the dingo growled. We should show no mercy.

A large part of Robb was inclined to agree… but he had to keep his cool. He couldn’t just go around murdering the Agency’s enemies if he was able to incapacitate them instead.

Robb suddenly found himself slammed into the ground as the boar hurled itself onto its side, and he lost his grip, tumbling along the ground.

As he pulled himself to his feet, he saw Tahnee swooping the boar as it also struggled to right itself and regain its footing, coming at him in a flurry of wings and beak, and Robb was reminded of nothing so much as a cranky plover protecting its chicks.

He almost felt sorry for James… but not quite.

Entering the fray once more, he leapt on top of the boar’s belly and dug his teeth into its throat, wrenching his head about with all his might. Blood flowed freely, but it was still not a mortal wound for a shifter – Robb knew that he had not pierced any major arteries.

But he also knew that he could change that very easily.

Surrender already, he thought vehemently. Don’t make me kill you. I don’t want your death on my conscience.

Beneath him the boar thrashed wildly, its eyes agleam with an inhuman fire.

Go on, it almost seemed to be daring him. Do it. I bet you can’t.

Robb snarled, blood flowing freely beneath his teeth and claws… but he couldn’t bring himself to push his teeth that millimeter deeper, where he knew a major artery pulsed.

I’m not a cold-blooded killer, he thought, even as a deep, dark urge within him told him to make his final move – an urge that he didn’t want to prove correct. Death has always been the absolute last resort. There must be another way.

Robb struggled to hold on as the boar flailed its legs suddenly, and he felt a flash of pain through the mate bond at the same time as he heard the brolga’s squawk.

Tahnee! he thought wildly.

We are out of options, the dingo snapped harshly. We must do it.

There was no more time to try to arrest James in a tidy fashion – it was now kill or be killed. The absolute best that Robb could hope for was a completely disabling wound that would take James out entirely, while still leaving space for his shifter healing to kick in – but Robb wasn’t going to rely on it.

He steeled himself.

Okay.

And, then:

I’m sorry, James.

The apology was to the James he’d known a very long time ago, the one who he’d known was a good agent, a good man, not the one who was causing havoc now. Maybe there was something that Robb could’ve done in the past to prevent things turning out this way… but he had to deal with the James that existed in the present.