Mari's Mistake - Ruby Dixon Page 0,49

Shadow Cat hunter grab R'jaal by one of his horns and pulls him away from the female. She screams, and then R'jaal leaps onto I'rec. Furious, they attack one another, the heavy thuds of fists striking hitting the beach. A few of the females scream, and then everyone on the beach is scattering.

This is bad.

I rush forward with a shout, even as T'shen lets out a bellow of anger. I am on I'rec a moment later, pulling him off of R'jaal even as he pounds his fist into my clans-mate's side. R'jaal's teeth are sunk into I'rec's tail, and both are bleeding and covered in sand. I'rec lets out a growl of anger and lunges at me, his claws striking at my jaw and scoring my skin.

A moment later, he is held back by his own clan.

"What the fuck!" Buh-brukh exclaims. Nearby, T'ia is sobbing, her hands clasped into tight fists against her chest. One of the watching females moves forward as I offer a hand to R'jaal. "Is he okay? I'm a nurse." She pushes me aside and drops to her knees next to R'jaal in the sand. "Your eye looks bad. Does it have grit in it? Should we rinse it out?"

"It will be fine," he grumbles. "If not, the healer will fix it."

"Right, the healer," the female says, and her tone is scathing. "Forgive me for trying to fucking help."

R'jaal gives her a mystified look as I haul him to his feet. "You are bleeding," he points out to me.

"It is just a scrape on the jaw." I watch the angry female march away and notice she casts an ugly look at T'ia. In fact, everyone is giving the female accusing looks. Of course they are. If she did not tease I'rec so, he would not have attacked R'jaal because the female gave him attention.

"You come with me," Buh-brukh hisses, grabbing T'ia by the arm. "You are in some serious shit now, girlfriend. This is a real mess you've created."

"I didn't do anything," T'ia sobs, but she meekly goes with Buh-brukh.

"Didn't you?" Buh-brukh snarls. "You've been egging this shit on for months and it's finally caught up with you. Come on. You're going to talk to the man in charge." With an angry stride, she leads the crying girl away.

"It is fine," R'jaal protests. "Let us game for the knife already. We can get out our frustrations that way." He dusts more sand off his hide and touches the broken skin over his ribs. "I have had worse falling out of a tree."

I'rec—still held back by O'jek and A'tam—just huffs with irritation.

"No games today," T'shen says. His expression is somber. "We must not fight each other."

"You have not been around our island clans," I'rec snipes. "We fight. That is what we do."

"Yes, well, now you are not on the island, and we must all live together," T'shen snaps back. It is the angriest I have ever heard him. He is normally all smiles and easy-going attitude. Everyone is prickly this day. "I will speak to Raahosh and see what we must do. If all of the games will provoke fights, then perhaps no one should get a knife at all."

Groans chorus amongst the men, and R'jaal looks furious. Others are gathering, brought from the shouting, and I see V'za and his mate, and K'thar and his. Soon the entire beach will be here, angry at I'rec and R'jaal and T'ia.

It is a mess.

I swipe at my jaw, and more blood is streaming down my chin. Others are gathering, and I notice that Mari is among them. A mess, just like Buh-brukh said.

"Are you bleeding?" Mari cries out in a high-pitched voice, rushing toward me.

My gut fills with warmth at my mate's concern. Her expression is distraught as she moves to my side, reaching for my jaw. "What happened?"

"It was a small clash," I reassure her. "Nothing more."

Her lips purse and she gives me an unhappy look. "You've got blood all over yourself."

"It is not a deep wound, I promise." My khui may be silent, but my heart sings right now. "It will stop bleeding soon enough. Do not worry."

"At least let me clean it up for you," Mari says, a stubborn note in her voice. She takes my hand and tugs on it, as if she will drag me from the beach.

I go, of course. An excuse to have my mate touch me? I will take every chance I can get. Mari's touch is worth a thousand