Unable to look into his cruel face any longer, she swept her gaze across the small clearing. What she saw heaved the contents of her stomach. She choked back a sob at the scene of carnage—couldn’t think about it or she’d break down—and glanced around for Molly.
“Are you looking for the cub? She shifted and took off just like you told her to.”
“Well, what are you doing standing here? Aren’t you going after her?” So she could pull the knife in her boot and attack him.
He chuckled, the sound almost normal if not for the crazed edge to it.
“Nah, she’s no good to us now. Stupid thing you did, girl. Us, single-shifters, shouldn’t embrace our animal side until puberty hits. The kid’s dead. Her cat’s in charge and I ain’t tangling with no cub. It’s not worth it. Her little claws are still wickedly sharp. I’ll let the younger pups hunt her down and finish her off.”
The hyena shifter tugged her across the ground. She dug her heels in, not caring about the pain churning her stomach or the blood dripping off her elbow. She had to get to Molly and convince her to shift back. “Let me go. I’m no use to you. I’m not a shifter.”
He scrunched his nose as he glanced down at her hand. “Not to me. You’re right about that. But I know just what to do with people like you.”
Gwen stared at the man, wide-eyed. She didn’t understand what he meant but the way he looked at her promised more suffering. She considered reaching for her knife, dismissed the idea. He held her good hand. It’d be foolish to give up her only weapon.
She glanced over her shoulder once more, gaze locked onto the bloody and tattered clothes. The dead hyenas littering the ground disturbed her but it was the old man’s words that chilled her the most.
She’d killed her little sister.
* * * * *
Devin smelled the horrid stench through the open window. Driving out here, he’d prayed he could give Lena what she wanted and save her sisters but the scent of hyena blood drifting on the breeze destroyed his hopes.
Kade and Vader leapt out of their Jeep as soon as it stopped. He and Xander stayed behind with Lena. With hyenas close, they couldn’t risk her life for even a moment.
He glanced down at the waif of a woman who’d become so important to him over a matter of days—his soon-to-be mate, the female he never thought to find. Needing the skin-on-skin contact with her, he reached for her. His fingers met air. She evaded his second attempt too and stepped closer to Xander.
“Do you smell human blood?”
Jealousy surged that his female would look to another man for answers before him. He cupped her cheek and turned her to him. “No, baby. I don’t smell human blood.”
She pushed his hand away. “I was speaking to Xander. You know, the wolf who has a better sense of smell.”
“Watch you tone, Lena. You might not like the results.”
Desire replaced the irritation in her expression. She licked her lips and her gaze dropped to his mouth. “Oh, I’m quite sure I’ll like it. Mad or not, I want you. But if you even attempt your punishment now, you’ll learn just how bad blue balls feel. I’m in no mood for it.”
He laughed and gave his female a quick kiss. Her confused expression only added to his elation. Although angry, her words eased his tension over the argument they’d had. He tucked her into his side and watched Kade approach.
“No sign of them. Crash happened a while ago. Engine’s cold,” Kade announced. “But I scented several other hyenas. Footprints show Gwen and Molly ran off, but I doubt they got far. The hyenas followed them.”
“Oh, my god.” Lena turned panicked eyes on him. “We’re too late.”
“Vader and I are going to shift and go after them.” Kade tugged at his shirt, exposing his stomach. “You two take Lena to the human’s lodge.” He glanced her way, a look of sympathy dimming the harshness of his expression. “In case they made it there.”
Xander growled. “No. I will go.”
Kade’s confused expression mirrored his. Devin glanced at his friend. Xander met his gaze, flicked to Lena then away. There was longing in the wolf’s eyes.
“Vader is better in a fight. We can’t risk Lena’s life. Besides, I’m better at tracking than my cousin.” A big grin on his face, Xander focused on Lena. “I have lots of little nieces and nephews who love to hide from the big bad wolf.”
Lena shook her head, returning his smile. “Why don’t we all go?”
“It’ll be faster if you allow Kade and Xander to go. Minutes count,” Devin said.
“Wait!” He glanced down at Lena’s bellowed command. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kade and Xander do the same. She gripped his shirt. “You need to go, not Kade.”
Like hell he was. He covered her trembling hands. “Kade will go. I’m staying with you.”
Her jaw cracked as she ground her teeth. For a moment he expected her to start yelling at him, but she hissed out a breath. “You’re the one who’s been with me.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, my scent is on your skin, right?”
He saw where she was going with this, thought about denying her, but nodded.
“Molly will recognize it and hopefully feel safer with you.” She raised a hand. “Before you start arguing, listen to me. Okay?”
Reluctantly, he inclined his head.
“Molly has been experimented on.” She glanced over her shoulder to look at Vader.
He shook his head. “I didn’t tell them yet. You might as well, but make it quick.”
She faced him. “They…the scientists did something to her when she was only an infant.” He heard her heart racing and his picked up the runaway pace. She licked her lips and lifted her gaze to capture his. Sadness and pain dimmed the warmth he’d grown used to seeing in her brown eyes. “Now she can’t die.”
He stared at her in disbelief. While the single-shifters were stronger and lived longer than humans, they were mortal. They didn’t hold the spark of the divine royals did. It was that tie that gave them immortality.
“You must be mistaken. Molly—”
“Has been electrocuted, drowned, and burned, yet she’s still alive.” She leveled pleading eyes on him. “Please, Devin. She’s been through too much. If smelling me on you helps…”
He pulled her into his embrace and pressed his cheek to her hair, needing her scent to soothe the pain her words stirred. While he didn’t fear a breakdown, the memories still sickened him. He knew exactly what it felt like to suffer those fates. Once the horrors faded, he yanked off his clothes and looked over at Kade. “Protect my female.”
Kade inclined his head. “With my life.”
With that vow, Devin embraced his jaguar and ran off into the woods, leaving the best part of him behind.
Chapter Twenty-One
Devin panted, his sides heaving. He leapt over a fallen tree and slid down the hill, not bothering to slow his descent or avoid the stream at the bottom. Water splashed around him and his paws slipped on the moss-covered rock. He dug his claws in and scrambled out, shaking droplets from his fur. With his gaze locked onto Xander’s wolf form, Devin followed him across the moonlit forest, the scent in the cool air acting as their guide.
He shifted mid-step from jaguar to tiger so he could maintain the intense pace. In front of him, Xander did the same—red fur replacing the gray, body thinning to match the smaller animal—as he also took advantage of another wolf’s energy reserve.
The animals they housed were separate entities, each offering unique traits, skills and personalities. For royal cubs especially, learning to separate and control each spirit was a lesson in patience and endurance. Cats were stubborn and often loners. Housing three predators who’d rather not share the same soul with another feline let alone the man made it difficult to master their primal sides. By the time maturity hit, most royals had a firm handle on their felines and the alphas utilized them as a well-oiled team.
The canines, on the other hand, didn’t have the same problems. Wolves were pack ani
mals. They were intensely loyal which was why this disaster hit Xander hard. The male considered Devin a pack-mate, hence Lena and her sisters were a part of his family too.
Xander shifted and snarled, “They fucking have them!”
Devin parted his mouth and inhaled, tasting the scents on the breeze. He smelled it now too. Human blood but that wasn’t all. He trotted forward, following the stench, then shifted and stared at what had the wolf’s hackles raised. The brutal scene was one he’d never expected. Gwen Burnett, it seemed, was an amazing woman, much like her sister.
Xander knelt and sniffed the ground where blood had soaked through the decayed leaves. “She’s been hurt, but the amount of blood spilled doesn’t suggest a mortal wound. No evidence of rape either.”
Relief swept through him.
Xander motioned toward the impressions in the soft soil. “She walked away from here.”
Devin zeroed in on the ripped clothes scattered near the tree line. He cursed. Xander followed his gaze. A matching expletive carried through the night. He leapt over a dead hyena body and ran into the woods. After a few moments, he returned, a hint of relief on his face.
“The cub took off but wasn’t followed.”
Because she’s worthless now. Devin fisted his hair, tugged until the bite of pain tingled across his scalp. He peered from one trail of tiny paw prints to the shuffling human footprints. Two females he’d sworn to protect. The choices pressed down on him until his cats whined. They were just as torn. There was a chance they could save Gwen before she was killed, maybe even raped. The bloody skirmish hadn’t happened that long ago. But Molly was out there too. Alone.
He glanced at the tiny paw prints. No single-shifter who ever allowed their animal out before maturity ever returned to their human form. The little girl was lost. The cat ruled now.
His throat squeezed as Lena’s words came back to him. Please, Devin. She’s been through too much.
“I’m going after Molly.”
Xander gave him a small smile. “Then Gwen is mine.”
“Be safe, my friend.”
“And you too.”
Devin embraced his lion and followed the cub’s tracks. And as he left the wolf he considered a brother, he couldn’t shake the feeling that his choice sealed Xander’s fate.
* * * * *
Devin stilled. He tilted his head to the side and listened. There. The rapid heartbeat betrayed Molly’s fear. She was sneaky and faster than he’d expected. He hadn’t been around very many cubs, so hunting Molly had become a lesson in patience. He didn’t want to frighten her but this game was ridiculous. He wanted to return to his female’s side. The time spent away from her wore on his sanity. Only Lena’s scent on his skin kept him from falling into a lapse. It was waning though. All the shifts he’d had to make took their toll on her lingering signature.
In a surprise move, the cub darted behind him and nipped his flank. He spun. No cub. Only a few fluttering leaves marked the path she took. Before he could follow, Molly leapt on his back and bit his neck before once again running off. He grinned, and yeah, lions looked demented when they smiled, but he couldn’t contain his amusement, especially when the little cub charmed his cats too.
He lay on his stomach, his paws stretched out in front of him, and waited. His stomach rumbled and his tail flicked as impatience mounted. The cub darted out, jumped on the tuft of hair then scrambled back into the woods. After a few minutes, she inched closer and swatted at his tail, this time not retreating.
He flicked the tip and she playfully pounced at the moving target. Whenever she captured it, tiny sharp baby teeth gnawed on it. He bared his fangs, not to frighten the cub, but to let her know he could stop her if he wanted. It was an, ‘I’m in charge and I’m only allowing you to use my tail as your teething toy because I want to’ display.
Molly growled, eyes on the tip of his tail, then advanced in a crawling stalk, stilled for a long moment in front of his face, head lowered and bottom in the air. He grinned again. He couldn’t help it. Her antics were about the cutest thing he’d seen in a long time. Another rumble crawled up her throat. She bounded onto his back. And promptly tumbled over the side. The thump to her head didn’t dissuade her. Within a moment, she was right back, snapping at his flank and snarling as she playfully attacked him—lionesses were the hunters of the pride. Play fighting was just as important for female cubs as it was for males.
As Molly continued her mock assault, he opened the common telepathic pathway all royal felines shared. He was some distance from Kade and didn’t know if he could connect to him but wanted to tell him he’d found Molly.
Kade, I found the cub.
The faintest flicker of life teased the edges of his psyche. And it didn’t come from Kade. His pride leader was out of range as he’d feared.
Devin peeked at Molly over his shoulder. She turned her small nearly white head and met his eyes. Ice replaced the youthful spunk in the pale blue orbs locked to his.
Impossible.
Molly was mortal, a single-shifter. She did not carry the blood of the gods. She couldn’t have heard him. Yet, her unblinking eyes watched him as if she had.
He pushed his disbelief back. Molly? He waited, didn’t get a response. Molly! Answer me, little one.
The cub slowly turned her head away. She clamped her mouth over his tail. He waited a moment more but when she started chewing on him, he sighed. Coincidence. That was all. Or had that look she’d given him been a reflection of her cat’s irritation over hearing his voice in her head?
Once more, he tried. Molly, we have to go home. Lena is waiting for you.
Nothing. She didn’t acknowledge him, merely hopped onto his back and bit at his shoulder. Foolish hope anyway. Molly was unlikely to ever come back from this. It might be better if he got her to Vader without Lena seeing her. He’d have to tell her about Molly’s fate, eventually. If the cub was already put down by then, she might not be as devastated.
The memory of Lena’s pleading eyes came back to him. He sighed. Who was he kidding? Losing Molly, whether now or later, would crush her. No, he couldn’t do it.
For Lena, he held the tiny spark of hope close.
He stood and the cub slid down his side, taking a good chunk of hair with her. He nudged her with his nose, took a few steps. The cub didn’t follow. She stretched, spine arching and tail swishing in the air. A full body wiggle shook her torso before she sprawled in the leaves as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Droopy eyes focused on him. She yawned.
Great. Was he supposed to wait for the cub to take a nap? He stepped closer and peered at her, gave her another nudge. She didn’t move. Okay. He’d seen lionesses carry their young all the time. How hard could it be?
After the third try, he decided there was a reason male lions didn’t do this. Molly kept squirming and too afraid he’d hurt her, he couldn’t get a good grip. There was only one thing left to do. He shifted and scooped the sleeping cub into his arms. It would take longer walking on two legs but he didn’t have a choice, not unless Molly decided to wake up and follow along.
He stroked her head. The little bundle in his arms was adorable. He only prayed that the child hidden deep within was salvageable. If the Council learned of Molly’s early shift, they’d send the enforcers out to put her down. She wouldn’t even get the option to go to the evaluation center. Dammit, he didn’t want to see that happen. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a hell of a lot he could do to stop it. Except keep her hidden and pray. Not the greatest option but at the moment, he’d take any he could get.
Hope was a bitch.
* * * * *
Devin glanced at the cub as they walked. Molly had woken after the first fifteen minutes, a little catnap, and leapt from his arms. He’d shifted and had been prepared to chase her but she hadn’t taken off. She’d stayed with him except now the trek back to the road was taking longer than he would’ve like. Everything amused her and she kept stopping to play.
Her paws cr
unched on some dry leaves, enough of a distraction to halt her pace. She backtracked and pounced on the brittle pile. He dropped to his belly and watched her. She acted like a cub, not a child. The knowledge threatened to extinguish that flicker of hope but through his lion’s eyes, he saw the more.
Molly was…different. There was no other way to describe the vibe he got from her. Yet no matter how long he looked at her, the reason eluded him.
The scientists had done something to her when she was only an infant. Now she couldn’t die. That was what Lena had said. As Devin studied Molly, he feared Lena was right. That worried him more than getting Molly to shift back. As an anomaly, she’d be both feared and prized. Both would ruin her childhood, not that she’d ever had one to begin with. A happy one, anyway.
Molly and her twin, Megan, were kidnapped shortly after birth. Megan’s whereabouts for the next two years were a mystery but then she’d ended up with Josh’s brother, Tony, who’d adopted the little girl. Molly on the other hand, vanished without a trace. Now they knew her fate and it sickened him. She’d been sold as a lab rat and lived the majority of her young life in a cage—tortured and experimented on.
A growl rumbled his chest, thoughts of vengeance surfacing. Molly paused in her play to peek at him. She didn’t cower. She looked from him to the woods around them, one lip raised in a silent snarl. Her tense body spoke of rage, not fear. He was glad, yet not. He hadn’t meant for the sound to escape. But her reaction bothered him. It wasn’t the response any child should have. She appeared ready to attack whatever threat hovered close. The sight angered him more. This time, however, he kept the emotion in check.
Those who’d turned the innocent girl into…whatever it was she’d become would die. Simple as that.
He pushed the need for revenge aside and nudged her, hoping to reassure both cub and child. Pale blue eyes locked to his for a long moment before she shifted her focus back to the leaves. He gave her another gentle shove and trotted forward. The pitter-patter of her paws in the nosiest path she could find assured him she followed. Although he didn’t like having her behind him, she refused to walk beside him. He didn’t worry. His animals were on alert.
Beautiful Mistake: 2 (Royal Pride) Page 27