His body shook and shuttered with the pain. It told him to give in, lie down and just let it happened. Though he was a point of defeat, then male was a creature of survival. His instincts would not allow him to roll over and give her his neck. This was no dance of dominance, where an exposed belly would satisfy the bigger beast. This was one of death. Heath would not survive, if he submitted. She wanted him dead (being quite a protective pet owner). She no longer just wanted to teach him a lesson, but end him all together. He fought to breathe, but kept standing. The female moved forward with force, and male stepped to the side, using the tree as a barrier.
Gold eyes did not look back. His lean form slipped into the undergrowth and through the flora with a slender ease. His paws moved, while the rest of his body grew numb from the pain. He couldn’t feel anything, thought nothing. He could only run, in any direction at all. The black-gloved male couldn’t turn to see if she followed him, letting that place and time fall away behind him. The blood wept from his wounds, leaving a splattered trail as he ran. Muscles’ scream had died, leaving nothing but a dull numbing hum. He would run until his light form collapsed, but for this moment willed his body to move with a speed that matched that of his recent flight.