the fight in front of her
was a mess of black fur and furious howls.
Devon changed, his clothes ripping off his body when he
turned into a large black jaguar. Raul didn’t hesitate but ripped his shirt off
and quickly unzipped his jeans.
Angela struggled against Ran. “Let me get his clothes,” she
cried, twisting in his arms until he let her go.
The second she grabbed them, Ran lifted her backward, once
again tucking her in closely against him.
Rafe shifted from foot to foot. “If that motherfucker drops
one bit of blood from my litter, I’ll rip his throat out.”
Jaguars didn’t fight in packs. They were lone killers, and
one of the deadliest beasts on the planet. Her kind could shatter a skull with
their jaw, clamping down and ending a life with one powerful bite. In spite of
feeling confident Raul would triumph over the larger jaguar, who was older and
stockier, there were many surrounding them.
Would they jump in and attack once Devon fell?
Raul moved quickly and effectively, leaping on Devon and
screaming his warning seconds before his long, deadly teeth flashed in the
darkness. What moonlight there was flashed against the white incisors moments
before they sank into flesh. Their black fur and the dark shadows made it
impossible to see who hit the ground first. But the crash of bodies against the
rocks shook the side of the mountain.
Raul raised his head. Devon lay still on the ground. The
metallic smell of blood filled the air. Raul’s green eyes scanned everyone
surrounding them, and the moment of silence didn’t last long enough. Someone
leapt to the ground from a perch above them and sent Raul rolling down the
rocks.
“No!” Angela screamed, freeing herself from Ran and running
into Rafe’s backside.
“We follow his orders,” Rafe hissed, grabbing Angela before
she could scurry past him and jump in to help Raul. “Let’s go, now!”
Angela didn’t understand. And Ran turned, meeting his
brother’s gaze with a worried look that turned Angela’s stomach upside-down.
“What orders?” she asked, her mouth suddenly so dry the
words barely squeaked out. “He didn’t give me any orders.”
“He’ll follow us.” Ran almost made it sound more like a
question.
“You know he will.” Rafe sounded confident and already
dragged Angela away from the others and deep into the shadows where larger
rocks made the ground even more uneven.
“What are you talking about?” She struggled to free herself.
“He might need our help.”
“No one in Colony can outfight Raul.” Rafe’s confidence
increased, and at the same time, he dragged her around a corner of rocks and
heaved both of them up to another ledge.
But all of Colony fighting against him, if that were to
happen…
She didn’t want to think about it. And she didn’t get why
Rafe continued to pull her away from the others.
“What are you doing?” She turned, pushing against his chest
until she was free. “You wouldn’t fight to save your own littermate?”
But the moment she turned, Ran grabbed her arms and pulled
her into a tight embrace. When she struggled, he clasped his hand over her
mouth.
“Don’t bite, little cat,” he whispered, continuing to move
with Rafe.
Were they both insane? Their litter didn’t strike her as one
who would turn on their own. And Raul needed them. She let her teeth grow and
tried biting his hand. Ran grabbed her hair and held her tighter, giving her a
firm shake.
“Raul told both of us that if Colony turned on our litter,
we were to take you and run to the next mountain south of us. There aren’t any
humans there. We wait for him there. He’ll join us soon.”
His words didn’t sink in, and they made no sense. Why would
they run to the next mountain? And who said Colony turned against them?
“He never said anything about this to me.” She continued
struggling, baffled by their behavior. She doubted she was heard with her mouth
covered and when she tried biting, they moved out of her
was a mess of black fur and furious howls.
Devon changed, his clothes ripping off his body when he
turned into a large black jaguar. Raul didn’t hesitate but ripped his shirt off
and quickly unzipped his jeans.
Angela struggled against Ran. “Let me get his clothes,” she
cried, twisting in his arms until he let her go.
The second she grabbed them, Ran lifted her backward, once
again tucking her in closely against him.
Rafe shifted from foot to foot. “If that motherfucker drops
one bit of blood from my litter, I’ll rip his throat out.”
Jaguars didn’t fight in packs. They were lone killers, and
one of the deadliest beasts on the planet. Her kind could shatter a skull with
their jaw, clamping down and ending a life with one powerful bite. In spite of
feeling confident Raul would triumph over the larger jaguar, who was older and
stockier, there were many surrounding them.
Would they jump in and attack once Devon fell?
Raul moved quickly and effectively, leaping on Devon and
screaming his warning seconds before his long, deadly teeth flashed in the
darkness. What moonlight there was flashed against the white incisors moments
before they sank into flesh. Their black fur and the dark shadows made it
impossible to see who hit the ground first. But the crash of bodies against the
rocks shook the side of the mountain.
Raul raised his head. Devon lay still on the ground. The
metallic smell of blood filled the air. Raul’s green eyes scanned everyone
surrounding them, and the moment of silence didn’t last long enough. Someone
leapt to the ground from a perch above them and sent Raul rolling down the
rocks.
“No!” Angela screamed, freeing herself from Ran and running
into Rafe’s backside.
“We follow his orders,” Rafe hissed, grabbing Angela before
she could scurry past him and jump in to help Raul. “Let’s go, now!”
Angela didn’t understand. And Ran turned, meeting his
brother’s gaze with a worried look that turned Angela’s stomach upside-down.
“What orders?” she asked, her mouth suddenly so dry the
words barely squeaked out. “He didn’t give me any orders.”
“He’ll follow us.” Ran almost made it sound more like a
question.
“You know he will.” Rafe sounded confident and already
dragged Angela away from the others and deep into the shadows where larger
rocks made the ground even more uneven.
“What are you talking about?” She struggled to free herself.
“He might need our help.”
“No one in Colony can outfight Raul.” Rafe’s confidence
increased, and at the same time, he dragged her around a corner of rocks and
heaved both of them up to another ledge.
But all of Colony fighting against him, if that were to
happen…
She didn’t want to think about it. And she didn’t get why
Rafe continued to pull her away from the others.
“What are you doing?” She turned, pushing against his chest
until she was free. “You wouldn’t fight to save your own littermate?”
But the moment she turned, Ran grabbed her arms and pulled
her into a tight embrace. When she struggled, he clasped his hand over her
mouth.
“Don’t bite, little cat,” he whispered, continuing to move
with Rafe.
Were they both insane? Their litter didn’t strike her as one
who would turn on their own. And Raul needed them. She let her teeth grow and
tried biting his hand. Ran grabbed her hair and held her tighter, giving her a
firm shake.
“Raul told both of us that if Colony turned on our litter,
we were to take you and run to the next mountain south of us. There aren’t any
humans there. We wait for him there. He’ll join us soon.”
His words didn’t sink in, and they made no sense. Why would
they run to the next mountain? And who said Colony turned against them?
“He never said anything about this to me.” She continued
struggling, baffled by their behavior. She doubted she was heard with her mouth
covered and when she tried biting, they moved out of her
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