by R. E. Butler
Micah felt as though their only chance for escape was lying in a heap on the floor. He didn’t know where Tristan was or if he could even guess what had happened to them. Surely by this time he must have known that something happened and possibly even found the truck, but what could he do with that knowledge? Yes, the males in King knew about the females living in Twin Pines, but he didn’t believe they actually knew what house they were living in. For all he knew, they could be somewhere else entirely and not even in Pennsylvania.
Layla slapped Melody hard, and the scent of blood filled the air as it spilled from her mouth. “Be still or you die, stranger.”
Melody went very still, but her eyes filled with rage. A few more females came into the room, and two picked up Bella, the one Jilly had knocked out, and carried her from the room. Another lifted Jilly by the arms and looked at Layla, who said, “Put her in the den and tie her up. I’ll deal with her later.”
“She needs to be put down. She’s clearly lost all touch with reality,” Tanya said.
“I said I’ll deal with her later,” Layla said.
Tanya came to stand on Melody’s other side. She fisted her hair and twisted, until Melody gasped in pain. Tanya smiled darkly and then shoved Melody’s head to the side until her cheek rested on her shoulder.
“You let them mark you!” Tanya screeched, jerking her head to the other side and seeing the marks on the other side of her neck. Micah had been proud to see those marks on her, knowing it meant she belonged to them forever. Now, he wondered what it would mean to the females.
Layla bent and peered at the marks. She glanced at Micah. “They’re not human teeth marks. They’re fangs. The males must shift partially in order to mark. I’ve never seen marks up close before. That wolf-bitch who seduced the Fallon twins marked them, too.”
Melody closed her eyes with a wince, and Micah growled low in his chest. Tanya made a face. “It’s disgusting.”
“You think everything with the males is disgusting,” Layla pointed out, straightening.
“True,” Tanya shrugged, releasing her tight grip on Melody’s hair. Melody breathed a sigh of relief but then gasped in pain when Tanya punched her in the face.
“Don’t!” Micah yelled, straining at the bonds.
Layla watched with amusement as Tanya continued to pelt his helpless mate with hit after hit. Blood ran down her face and her head kicked back, the chair rocking, with each blow.
In between punches, Tanya shouted, “You let them mark you! You willingly fucked them for more than procreation. You allowed yourself to feel emotions towards the males who are deserving of none. Only females matter. Only the pride.”
Micah felt the cuffs digging into his skin, but he didn’t care. He would chew off his hands if it meant he could help her. He shouted. Begged. Threatened.
“Are you done yet?” Layla sounded bored.
Tanya slammed her palm into Melody’s face, and her nose broke with a sickening crack as the chair tipped over backward and hit the floor.
“Now I’m done.”
Layla snorted. “All that for some bite marks. You’re walking a fine line of being a psychopath, Tanya.”
“It’s filthy behavior. She needs to be killed so she can’t poison anyone else with her backward, traitorous behavior.”
Layla hummed in her throat and directed Tanya to set the chair upright. Melody’s bloody head slumped forward to her chest as the chair was righted. Micah couldn’t see clearly through the tears that clouded his vision, but he did catch glimpses of the rise and fall of her chest and knew she was still alive.
Layla turned her attention to Micah, and his cat shuddered in dread. “I have big plans for you.”
* * * * *
Jilly awoke in the den with one hand cuffed to the handle of a wooden filing cabinet. She didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious, but she knew that she was in trouble. The females were not going to allow her to live for very long. Gathering her strength, she twisted her body around and pulled the drawer from the filing cabinet and dumped the contents on the floor. Then she kicked and stomped on the drawer with as much force as she could, until the wood splintered and she was able to free herself from everything but the cuffs.
Where had the females found so many cuffs, anyway? Pausing, she tossed the thought from her mind. Looking around the room, she walked to the door and tried the handle, finding it locked. She could kick the door a few times, maybe get free, but by the time she got through, she was sure the females would come for her and she’d be dead in a heartbeat.
She didn’t want to die. She wanted to find her mates and never leave their sides again. Glancing around, she saw a small pile of clothes. It looked as though the clothes had been tossed in the corner as an afterthought. Hope bloomed in her chest as she raced to the clothes and began to search through the pockets. Success! She pulled a cell phone from the pocket of the male’s shorts.
Pressing a button, she saw that the battery was almost dead. She didn’t have Wyked’s and Fate’s cell numbers or the numbers of any of the male pride members in town. There was no Internet access for the phone, so she couldn’t look up anyone’s name. Opening the contact list, she scrolled through the names until her heart leapt into her throat.
John Fallon.
Her dad! She could call her dad, and he could call someone in King and send help. It would happen! It had to happen.
Dialing, praying the battery lasted long enough for the call to go through, she held her breath and waited for the phone to connect.
Chapter 14
John Fallon yawned and scratched his chest. Lazy Sundays. Was there anything better? He watched TV with some of his young nephews, a movie about superheroes. He wasn’t really paying attention to the movie, but just enjoying the kids as they talked about their favorite heroes. His brother, James, sat on another couch in the large family room of the boarding house where they lived, and a few of the other males who lived with them were scattered around the room. Bowls of popcorn littered the table, along with popcorn that hadn’t quite made it from bowl to mouth, and sodas and glasses covered every flat surface.
His phone buzzed and he reached into his pocket for it. Glancing at the screen, he looked at it in shock. “Hi, Micah,” he answered, surprised that the young male would call him. Not that they weren’t friends, but John had been instrumental in locking up the female lion Micah and Tristan considered their mate, and he was still a little miffed with him. Which John understood.
There was a long pause, and then a voice that he had never expected to hear again said, “Daddy?”
He shot out of his seat. “Jilly? Is that you? What are you doing with Micah’s phone? Are you hurt?” The questions tumbled from his mouth without giving her time to answer.
“I don’t have much time, Daddy. The phone battery is almost dead. Micah’s in trouble. The females kidnapped him and his mate Melody. They’re going to hurt them. We live in a town called Twin Pines in Pennsylvania, near King. You have to call Micah’s brother or dad or someone and have them come set us free!” She rattled off an address, and John raced into the kitchen to write it down on a notepad.
“Sweetheart, are you okay?”
“I’m scared, Daddy. I have two mates now. They’re panthers. When they shared blood with me, I wasn’t the same anymore. The females know, and they’ve locked me up in a room. I have…feelings. I’m sorry, Daddy. I’m so sorry for everything. But please help!”
“I will, Jilly.”
He shouted to James, who was standing in the kitchen with wide eyes, overhearing the conversation with his superior hearing. “Call Micah and Tristan’s dad right now!”
James moved to action, and John said, “Jilly? Baby? I’m coming to get you.”
“You will?” Her voice broke, and she started to cry. “I miss you.”
He ran to the front closet and shoved his feet into shoes. “I miss you, too, baby, so much. I love you. James is calling for help right now.”
“Thank you, Daddy, I—“
The phone cut off and he yelled in anger. Trying the number again, it went straight to voicemail.
“James!”
“I’m on the phone with their dad. He says he’s with Tristan.”
John took the phone from James and talked to Oliver, who then gave his phone to Tristan. Tristan filled John in on what had happened.
“We’ll be there as quickly as possible,” John said, heading into the family room. James gathered everyone who was home.
Tristan said, “We’re not going to be foolish, John. The King police are behind us, and we have a lot of males and the panther clan that are going to help us get all our people free. I swear I will do everything in my power to get Jilly to safety.”
“Thank you, Tristan. Keep in touch,” John said.
“Will do.”
He ended the call and turned to look at the concerned faces. His nephew Alek and his mate Lachlyn and her other mate Jericho sat on one couch with several of the nephews. The three cousins — Dylan, Hunter, and Chase — were sitting on another couch, and fraternal twins Ray and Wesley sat on the other couch with John’s own son, Henry.
As quickly as he could, John explained Jilly’s phone call and the dangerous situation that involved her, Micah, and Melody.
James said, “I’m going with John. We would hope by the time we get there that everyone will be safe and away from the females. It’s about an eleven-hour drive, but we’ll go as quickly as we can and come home as soon as we’re able.”
“I want to go,” Henry said, standing with a determined look on his face.
John put his hand on his son’s shoulder. “First, it could be dangerous. And second, Son, I will bring her back here to see you. If I can’t do that, I’ll come and get you myself.”
Henry’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “Promise?”
“I promise.”
Henry hugged John fiercely. “Bring her home, Dad, please.”
John’s eyes stung with tears. “I will, Henry. I will.”
With a few instructions to the others, he stuffed a few clothes into an overnight bag, and he and James headed for King. He didn’t know what lay ahead for them, but he prayed that Jilly would be safe.
Chapter 15
Melody slowly awoke a second time. At first, she couldn’t hear anything over the roar of blood in her ears. Gradually, she heard strange sounds. Muffled. Pained. Furious.
She opened her eyes and lifted her head. Micah was still cuffed to the bed. But something terrible was happening. His legs had been tied to the footboard of the bed. He was gagged and struggled against whatever Layla was doing to him, bent over his waist with her long, blonde hair covering her actions. Micah’s wrists were bleeding from his struggles.
Melody knew instantly that Layla was using her mouth on Micah. Rage coursed through her like fire, and she bit her tongue to stop herself from screaming at the female to stop touching what belonged to her. Closing her eyes and lowering her head so she still appeared to be unconscious, she called on her lioness and let her fangs elongate and her nails lengthen and sharpen into claws. They’d threatened her with Micah’s death if she shifted, but now she knew that time was running out, and she had to take any opportunity to free them. With as little movement as possible, she used her claws and sawed at the ropes binding her. She wanted to tune out Micah’s anguished sounds, but he deserved better than her ignorance to his situation, and she used her growing fury to shred the ropes.
She heard the door open and stilled her movements. It would be better if they believed she was still out of it.
“I called that human male who works at the drug store, and he sent over this stuff that’s supposed to be some kind of topical hormone cream for males. He said it would make most any guy hard.” The female named Tanya spoke as she walked into the room. Tanya snorted. “You must really suck at oral, Layla. He doesn’t even have a semi, and you’ve been tonguing him for half an hour.”
“It’s that bitch,” Layla snarled. “He’s resisting me.”
Melody felt one loop of rope slacken as she cut through it and was able to twist her wrist around. As she began to wiggle her wrist free, her only thoughts were of getting to Micah and protecting him. No one put her mouth on him but Melody.
Rage built up inside her until all she knew was white-hot fury. Her lioness paced in her mind, her fur tickling Melody’s skin as she pleaded to shift so she could better protect her mate.
Melody lifted her head and saw Layla open a silver tube and knew that time was running out. Just as she began to shift, the lights went out and the room was bathed in darkness. Melody used the momentary confusion from the females to her advantage and shifted completely, not caring what noise she made as her bra and panties shredded. The rope fell to the floor and the chair clattered behind her.
She saw quite clearly in the darkness. The females stood motionless, clamped onto each other as panic made their hearts race. They saw as clearly as she could, but weren’t paying attention to her.
“Intruders!” a female shouted from somewhere inside the house.
Melody’s back legs tensed as she settled on her targets and she sprang towards them. Barreling into the females, she knocked them to the ground, sinking her claws into their flesh and tearing. They screamed and shoved at her, but Melody caught them off guard and had the advantage. Tanya managed to roll away, but Layla had borne the brunt of Melody’s weight and struggled underneath her.
Melody pressed a paw into Layla’s face, flexing until her claws sank into her skin. Layla screeched in pain. Something sharp slammed into Melody’s shoulder, and she realized that Tanya must still have had a knife on her. Melody howled in pain as the blade sank deeply into her shoulder. She fell off Layla and rolled to the floor.
Layla and Tanya shifted into their lioness forms. Before they could attack, Melody rolled underneath the bed, and the knife dislodged from her shoulder with the motion. Grunting at the sharp pain, she knew that if the females caught her, they would kill her. She had to protect herself and Micah. Forever.
She slipped out from the other side of the bed and climbed onto the mattress. She watched them as they prowled in front of the bed, their attention underneath where she had been. Silently, Melody leapt into the air, her jaws open wide, her heart singing for vengeance.
* * * * *
Micah watched in amazement as a female lion climbed up on the bed. He knew it was Melody because the sweet scent of her was strong even in her lion form. He wished to hell he wasn’t restrained.
Melody leapt off the bed silently, and there was a howl of alarm and a sickening crack, and then a female raced from the room.
Panic infused him. He wished he could speak, but the damn gag prevented him from doing anything but grunting.
A soft yowl, sad almost, came from the side of the bed as Melody leapt up next to him. He strained against the cuffs, desperate to touch her.
She reached a paw across him and hooked a claw on the blanket, pulling it across his body and covering his nudity. He blushed sharply, angry that she’d had to see another female touching him. Her perfectly shaped, lovely head swung towards him, and she stretched forward, nipping the side of the gag with her teeth and pulling it free of his mouth. She licked the corner of his lips with a soft, questioning purr.
His throat was raw and dry, but he managed to say, “Thank you, sweetheart.”
She sniffed at him, growling in her throat, and he knew she scented Layla. The damn woman had put her hands all over him in an attempt to get him hard. He wasn’t entirely sure what their plans were, but he’d heard one of the females in the hall say that they were all going to take a turn with him and hoped that one of them would carry a cub soon. The females had apparently decided to turn him into some kind of mountain lion stud.
He shivered at the thought.
Footsteps pounded down the hallway, and Melody moved until she was standing over him, her head lowered and her fangs bared as she snarled a savag
e warning.
“Fuck, Micah! Melody!” Tristan raced into the room, his flashlight bouncing wildly around the walls as he jolted to a stop.
Melody’s Uncle Jax nearly crashed into Tristan as he came into the room. Micah said, “Melody, it’s okay. You can relax.”
She looked at him and yowled what sounded a lot like no.
“Are either of you hurt?” Tristan asked, finally approaching the bed as Melody stretched out on her belly next to Micah, lying against his legs.
“She was stabbed in the shoulder after she shifted, and I’m handcuffed.”
“We’ll find the key. How many females were there here?” Jax asked.
“I don’t know. Not a lot, maybe a dozen. Jilly is locked up. Someone needs to find her and set her free, too. I don’t know what happened to her, but she’s on our side and tried to set us free before she got beat all to hell by the females.”
“I know about her. John Fallon called Dad because Jilly found your phone.” Tristan rubbed Melody’s head.
The lights flickered and then stayed on. Micah squinted at the brightness.
“Shit, man,” Tristan said.
“You have no idea how happy I am to see you, though,” Micah said.
“There’s a dead body on the floor,” Jax said.
“I think it’s Layla, but I’m not sure. Tanya was the other one who shifted. I don’t know where she went.”
“One of the panthers grabbed her,” Tristan said.
“Panthers?”
“Yeah. It’s been a really strange day.”
“Tell me after I’m free and dressed,” Micah said.
It had taken awhile, but after some creative questioning by one of the panthers, a female named Claire revealed the location of the handcuff key, and Tristan unlocked the cuffs and cut off the ropes around Micah’s ankles. Jilly had been set free by her twin panther mates and seven females were captured and arrested by the King police in conjunction with the small police force of Twin Pines. One of the female lions was dead, and four females had escaped the house and were in the wind. A part of Micah wanted them hunted down until they were found and locked away forever. But the larger part of him just wanted an end to the violence between their people.