Claire froze in place, Zack's presence swallowing her whole. Her mind hadn't caught up, but her body reacted first.
Years of muscle memory kicked in, her hands rose instinctively. If she hadn't stopped herself, she might have thrown her arms around his waist.
Adrian staggered back, dust smearing his face, scrambling to his feet without even bothering to wipe it off.
"Who the hell are you? Back off!"
He threw a wild punch at Zack, who dodged effortlessly, yanking Claire aside before countering with a lightning-fast strike of his own.
Fists flew. Claire shouted for them to stop, but neither listened. With a frustrated sigh, she lunged between them.
Zack's fist whistled past her cheek. Shock froze her eyes as he tried to pull back, too late. He crashed sideways into a tree trunk with a
