Her shoulder hit his middle. The breath pushed out of his lungs as he staggered back. He rocketed two punches into her midsection, now treating her like a shifter, meeting her on her level so she could fight out her pain.
He hit her again, smiling at her grunt.
She punched him in the face. His head banged off the wall. She stepped back, and then her other foot sped toward his nose, her form perfect. But not fast enough.
He caught her leg against his side before hammering his fist into her upper thigh. Her bruise would be enormous.
She leaned around him and brought an elbow down in the center of his back.
Agony flared. His bruise wouldn’t be half bad, either, for the short while it lingered.
“Don’t hit the alpha!” Yasmine’s voice cut through his fighting haze.
“Not your fight!”
Out of the corner of his eye, Devon barely caught sight of Andy sticking his arm out in a clothesline to intercept Yasmine. The bottoms of her feet flashed Devon right before she fell flat on her back.
Devon dropped Charity’s leg, blocked a punch, and threw a punch of his own. His fist hit Charity square in the chest. She staggered backward, bending over and sucking in agonized breaths.
Possibly that had been a bit too hard…
“I screwed up tonight, all right?” she said, straightening with a red face. “I know I did. I won’t ever forget it. But I don’t need you hovering over me, rubbing it in my face. I’ll take my chances getting to school.”
“There are no buses within miles of here. How will you get there?” Devon growled, his whole body poised and tense.
“I’ve never owned a car. I’ve always made it. Now is no different. Back off.”
Devon took a step toward her, daring her with his eyes to throw another punch. “It is my duty to make sure you stay out of harm’s way. I can’t have you traipsing around the city with no way to get help. Not with an elder vamp interested in you.”
Charity gave him a condescending look, so near breaking that she seemed like she could barely hold herself up. Devon’s resolve weakened.
“It’ll be daylight,” she seethed through clenched teeth. “And I’m not interested in what you feel you can or cannot do. I’m telling you what I will do. I don’t need—”
Her words cut off and she set her jaw defiantly.
“A babysitter? Is that what you were about to say?” Devon asked.
Charity pulled herself up, tall and proud, her back straight and her chin raised. The effect was ruined by her trembling lips. Without a word, she about-faced and strode away toward her room.
Devon swore under his breath as he watched her go.
“Should I go after her?” Andy asked, ignoring Yasmine’s scowl as she got up off the ground. “She probably needs a hug, right?”
Something foreign and uncomfortable squeezed Devon’s vitals. He barely stopped himself from issuing a threat to keep Andy at bay.
“Although,” Andy went on thoughtfully, “I’ve always done more harm than good when I try to comfort pretty girls. They heave when they cry, and their breasts are just…right there, you know? I don’t mean to, but I get turned on every time. I can’t help it! And they can always tell. I have no idea how—it’s not like I rub anything against them or whatever—but they always get pissed off. Charity might kick my ass. She’s fast. No wonder she was able to get out of that turning party with her skin intact. She’s no joke.”
“Leave it,” Devon finally managed. “She doesn’t need you rubbing up against her.”
“I said I don’t rub anything against them. Jesus, bro. You know I’m not that kind of guy. What happened, anyway?”
Devon rubbed his hand over his face as Andy grabbed something to wipe up the spilled beer. When Andy was done, Devon relayed the events as he knew them. He shook his head. “I can’t understand why she went for that vamp. She was a rock star with that elder, but this one… It didn’t look like she put up any kind of fight. Just gave in to him.”
“Bro, she was crushing after him. She probably never thought she’d get him, but always wanted to, you know? And then here he is, all dreamy and stuff, and he’s sitting all close, and he’s doing that weird googly-eyed thing—she fell into the dream, bro. Sex can mess with the mind.”
“Yeah,” Devon said in a noncommittal tone. “I didn’t want it to go down like that.