by M. A. Church
“I thought grabbing ahold of clothes and tugging was a dog thing.”
“You did not just…. Man, that’s wrong. Felines don’t…. We don’t…. Know what? Bite me. Now, listen—Aidric goes first, you stay in the middle, and I bring up the rear.”
“Seriously?”
“Absolutely, or we don’t leave this house.”
“I agree,” Aidric said.
“Fine! Just… let’s go, already.”
We barely got off the front porch when suddenly, Aidric froze. In the silence of the night, I heard a “huph” sound. Soon after, there was another “huph.”
“Oh, shit,” Aidric breathed. He turned, and a dart was sticking out from his left shoulder.
“W-what—” I reached for Aidric.
Remi fell against me, and I stumbled. Holding on to Aidric, I glanced back at Remi. Another feathered dart stuck out from his pec.
“Oh… my God.” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Those were darts. From a blowgun. I’d seen shows on TV where the hunters used those, and I was afraid to remove the dart. Some had barbs so they would stay in the animal that had been darted. Those had to be removed carefully. Whatever the attacker used was working fast. Despite my best efforts, both men went down, taking me with them.
Oh shit, oh shit. What do I do?
“Hide,” Remi whispered, eyelashes fluttering. “Kirk… hide!”
But hiding means leaving them out here totally unprotected. What if… what if….
“You… must… must go…,” Remi stuttered, then passed out.
Grabbing the keys he still clutched, I ran for his car. It was there in the driveway, not that far, but the damn thing seemed like it was miles from me. Panting, I ran, every step a torture.
“Please, please, please.” I prayed to every divine being to keep Remi and Aidric safe. God, it would be so easy to slit their throats.
Five feet… four feet… I was almost to the car, so close I could practically feel the door handle under my fingers, when something whistled past my ear. I didn’t have time to react to the fact that this bastard was firing at me now. I just kept running. Darting me was not an option.
Two feet… and a shrill laugh echoed across the yard. That creepy shit was not funny! One foot… and finally, my hand clutched the handle. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus, Remi didn’t lock it. Jerking open the door, I all but dove inside, then hurriedly slammed it shut. Snick. Okay, got the driver’s door locked, and then I lunged across the car and locked the passenger side. My hand was shaking so bad, it took two tries to get the key in the ignition. Another creepy laugh that was entirely too close froze the air in my lungs. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blurry shape standing by the door, holding a long-ass dart gun.
Tap, tap, tap.
Really? This asshole was tapping on the driver’s side window? Slowly, I turned to face whoever was standing there… and my mouth hit the ground. There stood Kent, naked as a jaybird. It couldn’t be, but there he was, leering at me in all his batshit crazy glory. I thrust the key in the ignition, turned it… and nothing. Fucking car didn’t even turn over.
Grinning maniacally, he point at the hood of the car and slowly shook his head. “You don’t really think it’s going to be that easy, do you?”
Of course not.
“I popped the hood and just started pulling stuff. Remi should really lock his car door. You’d think he’d know that in this day and age.”
Bet he will now.
“Now, why don’t you come on out of there and make this easy on yourself? I’ll even dart you, and you won’t feel a thing when I slit your throat. These darts are mixed according to shifters’ metabolism, so that alone would probably kill you.”
I stared. How could it be him? “Ah… I’m good, thanks all the same.”
He pouted. “You won’t come out?”
Fucking loony tune. “Got it in one.”
Rage flashed over his face, and he slammed his fist against the window. The sound of cracking glass made me nauseous. I was so fucked. He was going to bust the window and drag me out. What the hell was I going to do?
“No. No, that’s too easy. You don’t deserve easy, not after what you did. I’ll be right back.” He sneered at me. “One way or the other, you’re coming out of that car.”
What I did? What did I do? He strolled off toward the garage, holding the dart gun. Dammit, one of the doors was open, and he strolled right on inside. What was he doing in there? He wasn’t paying attention to me, so if I was going to run, now was the time. My hand fell to the door handle, but I didn’t open it. Could I make it to the house? He had the blowgun, though. Right. And in the house that was full of windows, I could… what? Use baking sheets as chest and back plates? A colander for head protection? Right, that’ll work. He’ll probably dart me in the ass.
On second thought, maybe I’d better stay here. Fucking insane cat shifter. Where’s a damn mouse when I need one? He did say the darts were mixed for shifters. That meant the dose must be ungodly high. If he darted me… it would kill me from an overdose. How many darts did he have? I knew some dart guns had kits that could carry lots of darts. Lovely.
God, where was Dolf and the rest of them?
The son of a bitch came back to the car with a gas can and a big grin. We used that one for the lawn mower, and it was full. Oh… shit, he planned to set the car on fire. With me in it. He laid the dart gun down on the ground.
Maybe I could get him to… I don’t know, waste some time while I prayed Dolf came home. “Kent, why are you doing this?”
He looked up at me, frowning as he held the gas container. “Hmm? Oh damn. You think…. Ha! That’s funny. I’m Kyle. Kent is my identical twin brother. Well, except for this.” He pulled his hair away from his face.
Holy cow, there was a scar on his face, right by his ear. “Oh my God, you’re the delivery guy that came to the house that day and gave me shit.”
Kyle smirked. “I also hung around Tal’s work crew so I could keep an eye on you. No one even noticed.”
“I… I remember seeing you there. I knew you looked familiar.” We stared at each other. “So you hate me because I’m human? Is that your deal?”
“Oh, it’s so much more than that. You see, I had Dolf before either you or Tal. Dolf and I were lovers for years, but we knew we weren’t mated. That pull wasn’t there. But we still had a relationship. I cared for him. Deeply. Then he attended a mating at another clowder and came back with a mate. He immediately broke up with me.”
“That was a long time ago. Thirty years, at least.”
“Yes. I was hurt, sure. But I knew that day could possibly come. And Dolf found himself an Omega.” Kyle sighed, pleasure lighting up his face. “Do you understand what a status symbol that was for him? An Omega! I was so proud. Do you know how unique they are, with their blond hair? They are excellent at peace talks with other clowders. They’re so persuasive with their calming influence. Tal will help Dolf so much when Dolf becomes Alpha.”
I decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to point out Dolf didn’t see Tal as a trophy wife. “So, why attack him? I’m guessing that was you? I thought you cared for him,” I asked.
Kyle’s face twisted with pure hate. “Because he mated you! A human. Your species is like a pestilence. You sweep across this planet and destroy all in your path. Your kind should be exterminated. A perfect world would be a world with just paranormals. We should unite and kill all of you! Dolf isn’t fit to have Tal or rule this clowder one day after he fucked you. If he had just refused to mate you….” Huffing, Kyle glared at me.
“I’m curious, have you ever heard of the word Nazi? Because you’re spouting off the same kind of crazy rhetoric.”
“Shut up!” he yelled, hefting the gas can.
“Are you planning to kill Dolf too since he’s not doing what you think he should? For a man you cared for ‘deeply,’ you sure are fickle. If you have feelings for him, how could you hurt him? Or have you just been waiting
for a reason to strike out at him since he dumped you? And who appointed you God? Or should I say, goddess?”
“Shut… up!” Kyle snarled and hissed at me, saliva dripping off his chin. Getting a better handle on the gas can, he proceeded to douse the car and the surrounding ground. Oh my fucking shit. Maybe I shouldn’t have popped off like that. Fumes filled the car. I hated the smell of gas. Already, my head was spinning. He was naked, which meant he had to have been in shifted form at some point, so he couldn’t have matches or a lighter on him.
“You’re going to burn if you stay in there,” he told me gleefully. “And if you come out, I’m going to dart you. I could just attack you again, I guess. Either way, you die.” He picked up the dart gun. The damn thing was almost as tall as him. One end had the dart kit. That held the darts. Kyle winked at me, then untaped a small packet of matches on the kit.
I started praying.
“Once you’re gone, I’ll have to decide if Dolf should die too for mating you. Tal….” Kyle lit the match. “Well, he is an Omega. Maybe I can offer him comfort and get him to join the clowder I’m with. My Alpha would be so proud if I brought in an Omega.”
“You fucker, leave my mates alone!”
Kyle sadly shook his head. “Better worry about yourself. Good-bye, Kirk.”
He threw the match at the car.
Chapter 25
Kirk
THE GROUND caught first, flames eating the dry winter grass. The fucker had dumped a whole can of gas on and around the car. Smoke seeped in through the vents, the heat building. God, something had already caught on fire. The rank smell of burning plastic was strengthening. The car wasn’t completely on fire yet, but it would be. Poor Remi, he was going to be pissed about his baby.
Like having me burn to death wasn’t a buzzkill too. Coughing, I glanced out the driver’s window to see Kyle standing off to the side, arms crossed over his chest, grinning as the flames and smoke grew. Shit, it was getting harder to breathe. Outside of burning to death, toxic smoke was my other worry. More smoke filled the cab, making my eyes water and lungs burn. Thanks to my enhanced senses, I was really struggling, and there were hissing and popping sounds. Shit, that couldn’t be good.
No hope for it. I had to get out.
Unlocking the door, I threw it open and jumped out, coughing madly. Get away from the car! Eyes burning, I stumbled away from the smoking mess behind me. Wheezing, I fought to draw clean air into my lungs.
“Told you staying in there wasn’t a good idea.”
Freezing in place, I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my eyes so I could figure out where he stood.
“Over here.”
I wiped my eyes.
“Like shooting monkeys in a barrel,” Kyle muttered. “Oh, what the hell. Tell you what. I’ll count to five and give you a head start. Give you a fighting chance. Aren’t I nice? You might be able to reach either the house or the tree line before I start firing at you.” Kyle smirked. “Better pick a direction and start running, Kirk.”
The bastard was toying with me, playing a game of cat and mouse. Fuck if I was going to be the mouse. If he was going to kill me, he was going to have to do it face-to-face, not in the back.
“I’m not running. I’m not giving you that pleasure.”
His sudden benevolence fled under an onslaught of anger. If this guy didn’t hold my life in his very unstable hands, I would’ve been dumbfounded at the ongoing shift in personality. How had he managed to hide how unhinged he was?
“I was trying to be nice!”
“Hardly. You’re trying to terrorize me, and I’m not playing.”
Kyle yanked up the blowgun and fired before I had time to think. Or panic, since the dart landed inches from my foot. I didn’t breathe, I didn’t blink… I didn’t scream fucking bloody murder.
“Run,” he hissed. “Or the next one goes in your cheek.”
I ran.
One thousand one, one thousand two…. Is he really going to count to five? He’s insane. Why think he’ll play by the rules? One thousand three…. All I heard was the thump, thump, thump of my heart pounding in my ears as I ran for the house. One thousand four…. My foot hit the front step. I’m so close. So close, but it’s not going to be close enough. One thousand five… I jumped over the two men passed out on the porch while I waited for the dart to slam into me, bringing death. I never told Dolf and Tal how I feel. One thousand six…. O-o-okay… maybe the twisted shit couldn’t count. My hand landed on the doorknob, I turned the handle, and… the shrill scream of an enraged cat sounded behind me. I jerked around.
“Holy shit!”
Heller. It was Heller, covered in blood and fighting with Kyle in shifted form. The blowgun lay off to the side at an odd angle, broken. As I watched, Heller shifted too. The vicious sounds as bodies hit and the shrill, angry screams echoed around the yard.
I dropped to my knees, shaking Remi’s shoulders violently. “Wake up! Fucking hell, Remi, you have to wake up. Heller needs help!”
The sweetest sound I’d ever heard was his moan.
“Oh, thank God. Come on, come on!” I shook him again, then leaned over and shook Aidric. “Get off your lazy ass and help Heller! Swear to God, I’m the only nonshifter around here—am I going to have to do everything?” I glanced back at the two fighting. It wasn’t going well for Heller.
“Fuck,” Aidric groaned.
That snapped my attention back to them.
“Bite… me,” Remi whispered, opening his eyes. I leaned over him more so he could see me. “Dude, you’re leaking on me.”
Another tear splashed on his cheek. Hell, when had I started crying? “Sorry,” I whispered. “Thank God you’re okay. I was afraid he… never mind. Now get up, Heller’s getting his ass kicked.”
“W-what?”
“The attacker is a shifter named Kyle. Kent’s twin brother. Maybe we can do the play-by-play after Kyle’s taken care of?”
Remi and Aidric struggled to sit up.
“Twin brother? Kyle? Shit, I forgot about him and…. W-what the hell is that smell?” Aidric made a nasty face. “Damn. What’s burning?”
“Oh, fuck me! Fuck me!” Remi shouted once he sat up and saw what was burning on the front lawn. “My car…. That’s my car!”
“Um, about that—”
What was there to say? It was engulfed now. I was trying to help them to their feet… until a pure-white cat came out of nowhere, throwing itself at me. I grabbed hold of the furball meowing furiously at me and fell over.
“Holy shit!” They seemed to be the words of the day.
The sounds of the fight increased, gaining in volume to ear piercing. Now there were three cats out there, and one in my arms purring madly while trying to head-butt me.
“Tal? Cutie, is that you?”
“Meeeeeeoow!”
“And Dolf?”
Remi squinted at the fight. “He’s out there in the middle of that. Wow, he’s pissed.”
I held Tal, petting him, trying to soothe the aggravation I felt from him while I watched the fight. Claws flashed as blood spilled. Heller was now off to the side while Dolf and Kyle fought. They were nothing but a blur of fur and snarls. But even to me, it was obvious Kyle was outmatched. Dolf was sound and fury in motion. I sank my fingers in Tal’s fur when Kyle landed a good hit on Dolf and blood spurted.
“He’s fine, Kirk,” Remi said, seeing my reaction. “Dolf’s an excellent fighter. Plus, he’s fighting for you. His mate was attacked. No way he’s going to let that go.”
Two more cats joined us on the porch steps.
“Brier? Monty?” I asked. One cat in particular was huge. Well, they all were, but this one was bigger than most. Both meowed at me. The bigger one must be Monty. I was relieved Monty was still in shifted form. I’d gathered they weren’t too bashful about nudity, but I really didn’t need the sight of Dolf’s dad’s naked ass seared in my brain.
A harsh cry split the air, drawing my attention back to the fight. On
e cat lay on the ground, not moving.
“It’s done.” Aidric’s softly spoken words blanketed us. “He’s dead.”
The smell of blood was already thick in the air, but this was different. A little smelly. This was…. Yuck. What was that?
Remi sniffed. “Dolf gutted him.”
“Ugh.” I swallowed. “No wonder it smells rank.”
A black cat came flying up the steps, and then the human side of Dolf took over. Paws became feet, and there was my tall, sexy mate. Tal jumped down from my lap and shifted too. I threw my arms open, and my two naked men hurled themselves at me. Over I went, Dolf’s hand behind my head so I didn’t crack my head on the porch floor. I ended up on my back, the two of them over me. I had an arm around both of their necks, holding them close.
A three-way kiss. My God, I didn’t know whose tongue was in my mouth, who was licking at my lips. Then it was gone, and another thrust inside. Tongues, teeth, and lips were all mashed together, their hearts beating frantically against mine. It was insane, beautiful, and hotter than hell. Especially since two very naked cocks were poking me.
They finally let me up for air, my arms falling away from around their necks and flopping on the ground. I noticed we were the only ones on the steps. I laughed. We’d cleared everyone out, and apparently they’d put out the fireball that was Remi’s car.
I reached up and cradled Dolf’s face. “Are you okay?”
“He got me a few times, but nothing a few more shifts won’t fix.”
I turned to my other mate. “Tal?”
“He darted me earlier, but I’m fine.”
“Jesus.” My eyes threatened to tear up again. “Thank God. I was….” I started shivering. “I was so scared.”
“Tell me….” Dolf pressed his forehead to mine, taking a deep breath. “Why was Remi’s car on fire?”
This wasn’t going to be easy. “I only want to do this once, so let’s go inside. I’ll tell what I know, and you guys tell what happened while you were gone. Okay? Let’s do this, then get them out of here. I need you both.”
“Deal,” Dolf said.