The air expelled from her lungs in an almighty wump, and she gasped to refill them.
The sound of the snowmobile continued away from her until it sputtered and died. Kitt struggled to breathe and tried to rise. The world spun, her head pounded, and her vision swam.
“Well, now,” Leon’s voice slurred from somewhere nearby. “Talk about the right place at the right time. I knew that old fool would send you this way.”
He’d been watching the lodge. Kitt opened her eyes and reached up to the pain in her forehead. Her hand came away wet and sticky. She struggled to sit and Leon forced her back with his foot on her chest. He stood over her, a large naked branch in his hand.
Her head still swam, though the pain abated and a spark of fear replaced her confusion. He’d used a tree branch to knock her from the speeding snowmobile.
Leon fell down to his knees, straddling her. “You come back here. Mock me in front of my wife. Make me look a fool.”
“I didn’t do anything,” she said, fear pitching her voice slightly higher.
He heard it. His smile deepened and his lips peeled back from his teeth.
“No matter,” he said. “It’s not a total loss.” His gaze dropped to her chest and he shifted his weight, forcing her legs further apart.
Pain shot up from her hip and she almost blacked out. The fall had dislocated her hip. She screamed as his movement popped it back into place. This only seemed to encourage him, spur him on, and he ground his erection against her groin.
No!
He would not do this to her again. She curled her fingers and forced the heel of her palm up and into his nose. He rocked back enough for her to struggle out from under him, then she turned and kicked him on the side of the face. Her head still spun and she stumbled, falling to her knees.
He snarled loudly. The sound drove her to her feet and she ran blindly forward, struggling to get out of the heavy anorak and pants so that she could transform. She looked over her shoulder as she ran.
Leon shredded the clothes on his body, claws turning into large powerful paws. The full red-gold mane spread over his shoulders and down the center of his back. He dropped onto all four paws and tossed back his head in a full-throated and deafening lion’s roar.
Kitt was no longer in danger of being raped. If Leon caught her now, he would kill her. She finally managed to shed her jacket and kept up her stumbling run to put as much distance between them as she could. She struggled out of the pants and fell backward.
His flat yellow eyes burned as he dropped his head and charged forward on powerful legs, his mane rippling with the speed.
Chapter 21 - Return from Oz
I’m going to die.
As the thought ripped through her head, two blurs whirred past her straight into the path of the charging lion. Leon skidded to a stop, growling with frustration as he met the wall of tigers. Jericho and Joshua had come after her.
Leon padded back and forth, his throaty rumble occasionally becoming a snarl. The snow and chill seeped; her teeth chattered loudly. Leon finally stopped pacing and transformed back to human. His chest rose and fell, the visible fog of his breath panting into the cold night air.
“This has nothing to do with you,” he growled at his transforming brothers.
“She’s under our protection,” Jericho said and crossed his arms over the black-and-orange tiger-patterned Abeolite suit.
Joshua fetched Kitt’s discarded anorak and wrapped it around her shoulders. She smiled her thanks, and not just for the jacket.
The snowmobile had crashed nose first into a snowbank, so she wouldn’t be riding that home.
Jericho led Leon in the other direction, talking in low tones.
“Can you make it back to the lodge?” Joshua asked.
Kitt shivered. “I think so.”
“Good. We’ll pick up a truck there and take you back to the village,” he said and watched as his brothers walked away. “Don’t worry about Leon. Jericho is going to stay and watch over him until the Alpha works out what to do.”
Well, at least she didn’t have to worry about him getting to Rainbow.
The helicopter rotor blades whirred into life behind Kitt as she held tightly to her mother’s hand.
“It wasn’t enough time.” Serena swiped away a tear that spilled onto her cheek. “I wish you could have stayed for longer.”
“So do I,” Kitt said, holding back her own threatening tears. “Maybe Tyrone will allow me to return soon.”
Serena just nodded, more tears sliding down her rosy cheeks. Kitt’s heart contracted at the sight of her mother’s red-rimmed eyes.
“Take care of Rainbow and those precious babies,” Kitt yelled above the sound of the rotor blades as they picked up more speed.
Serena nodded, fresh sobs wracking her shoulders as she buried her face in her gloved hands. The snow swirled around them from the down draft of the chopper blades, and Jericho tapped her on the arm.
“I have to go,” Kitt cried and her mother seized her into a frantic hug, as if she couldn’t bear to let her go. She returned Serena’s embrace with just as much fervor. The thought of letting her go now was almost too much.
“We have to leave now, there’s a storm headed this way,” Jericho spoke into Kitt’s ear.
She released her mother and nodded, wiping away the tears that she could no longer hold back. They turned icy in the bitter wind kicked up by the swirling rotors.
Her mother clutched her hand in desperation one last time before finally letting go. Kitt ran to the helicopter and turned to wave just before she climbed into the cockpit behind the pilot.
Serena blew her a kiss with both hands as the machine lifted off the ground, and Kitt returned it. Then she sat back and let the tears fall as she watched her mother’s lone figure grow smaller the higher they climbed.
Jericho handed her a handkerchief, his sad eyes reflecting her sorrow.
“Where’s Joshua?” she asked behind a sniffle as she wiped her cheeks dry.
“He stayed behind to mind Leon until his fate is decided by the Alpha and the council,” the twin said, his eyes taking on a rare animosity. “This time he’s gone too far.”
Ya think?
But Kitt kept the retort to herself. She remembered how Jericho and Joshua had always been loyal to their brother, the last of their Pride. While the Tiger Twins were large and proficient bodyguards, they also didn’t suffer the same aggressive tendencies as Leon. To hear him talk with such bitterness about Leon was something she never even contemplated.
Oberon pulled the Harley up outside her building. Kitt climbed off and slapped him on the back, then walked inside, straight past the doorman without her usual friendly greeting. She just didn’t have the energy.
He followed her into the elevator and pressed her floor. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, just tired.” She glanced at him and placed her hand on his arm. “Thanks again for picking me up.”
The elevator stopped after two floors and the door opened. An elderly woman stood frozen and slack-jawed on the other side. Her hand flew to her mouth as she took a step back and stared at Oberon.
“Evening, ma’am,” Oberon said and stepped aside.
She gave a nervous little smile and gingerly stepped in, throwing anxious glances at the seven-foot male in leather. Any other time, Kitt would have found it amusing.
After a couple more floors, the old woman stepped out in a hurry, throwing worried glances over her shoulder as she raced down the hall.
“Have a nice day, ma’am,” Oberon said cheerily and gave the old woman a friendly wave.
The poor thing almost dropped dead from fright as she looked at him with alarm and hurried away even faster, clutching her bag close to her chest. Oberon chuckled as the door closed.
“What?” he said with an innocent shrug of his shoulders when he caught her scowl. “I was just being friendly.”
“I have to live here you know,” she said.
> The elevator finally reached her floor and they stepped out into the hall. Kitt just wanted to curl up and go to sleep. As soon as she entered and closed the apartment door, she threw her bag on the counter and turned to Oberon.
“Thanks for seeing me home.”
He walked in and pulled back the curtain to look down onto the street. “I just wanted to make sure you were safe. What happened up there?”
“I’m very tired,” she said. “Can we discuss this later?”
“Sure.” He nodded and turned to the window. “Here come your babysitters.”
The large SUV pulled up across the street. She could make out the tiger-striped hair on the driver and smiled.
“What does he expect you to do?” Oberon finally asked.
She knew he meant her father. “He wants me to spy for him—tell them everything I know about the campus murders. In return I get to see my mother and I also get two hours alone with the twins.” She looked up at his face, bracing herself for the tirade she was sure would follow.
“Good.” Oberon simply nodded as if he’d been expecting her answer. “That will give us time to evaluate them.”
Suddenly the past thirty-six hours hit all at once. Everything Leon had done—or should she say, had almost done . . . Her legs collapsed and she found herself sitting on the floor, looking up at Oberon.
He was by her side in a flash. “Are you okay?”
“I had a bit of a run-in with Leon,” she said as he helped her stand and move to the sofa. “He’s so much stronger and I felt so helpless. Please promise me you won’t tell Raven. He’ll want to kill him.”
“He’ll have to stand in line—that evil bastard deserves everything he gets.” Oberon’s obsidian eyes grew even darker. “He should’ve been taken care of years ago for what he did to you.”
She sighed and lay against the back of the sofa. “Everyone knew I had a crush on him. I was young. No one would’ve believed it was rape.”
“So the only punishment he gets for nearly killing his wife and children, and assaulting you, is a demotion and a slap on the wrist.” Oberon’s hands curled into white-knuckled fists. “What’s to stop him from hurting them again?”
Joshua had relayed the verdict to the helicopter before they landed in New York.
“If he does, I will kill him myself,” she said, meaning, every word of it.
Antoinette waited in the gymnasium for Kitt’s twins. Tonight she would see what they were made of. A few people were limbering up on the mats. She’d picked some of her top students to help evaluate Raven’s training.
The twins came through the door looking a little confused.
And right on time.
“Umm . . . hi, there. We were supposed to meet our mother here.” Antoinette recognized Cal from the Shadow-combat match.
Seph crossed her arms with attitude. “Yeah, we’re looking for Kathryn Jordan.”
Interesting. Not ready yet to call her Mom.
Antoinette held out her hand. “Thanks for coming. Seph, isn’t it? Cal and I already met at your game the other night, which I thought an extraordinary match.”
“Thank you,” Seph said, her expression improving. “And I’m impressed you can tell us apart. Most can’t.”
“Actually, you’re very different. Cal has light in her eyes that’s hard to miss and, Seph, you have the carriage of a warrior.”
Both girls puffed up under her observations.
“Your mother will be here soon,” Antoinette said. “I work with her and Oberon. We just want to see what you’ve got—what training you’ve had.”
Seph straightened. “So this is just between us; you’re not telling our uncle or grandfather about it?”
“Hell, no,” Antoinette said. “This is definitely between us. We just want to see how well your father taught you.”
Cal glanced at her sister, then turned back to Antoinette with a cautious tilt of her head. “What do you know about our father?”
Antoinette smiled and crossed her arms under her breasts. “I work with Raven too.”
The twins locked eyes again and something passed between them. They turned as one and nodded in unison.
“Are we to fight you, then?” Cal asked.
Antoinette shook her head. “I’m here to observe and referee. I’ll evaluate your technical abilities and your reaction. Besides, I’m still learning to control my Aeternus capabilities and don’t want to hurt you.”
Both girls laughed. There was no arrogance or cockiness in it; they just truly believed she couldn’t hurt them.
“First we are going to try hand-to-hand combat, one on one. Do you want to change?”
They nodded, looking at each other with excitement. It was infectious—a tingle fluttered in Antoinette’s stomach. And it made things easier that they were willing to do this.
“There’s Abeolite in there,” she said, showing them to the change rooms.
As the girls disappeared, Antoinette approached her people. She’d handpicked her best, all proficient in various forms of martial arts.
“Mike, Jasper,” she said pointing to her two black belts. “You’re first up. Start off slow, but don’t be afraid to push them.”
The students bowed from the hips.
The twins returned dressed in black and red Abeolite and approached the middle of the mat. They stood with feet apart and hands behind their backs. Antoinette’s four students lined up opposite, in the same stance. There was also an Aeternus that Oberon had arranged to participate in the evaluation; he was leaning against the wall. She hoped they didn’t need to use him because something about him didn’t feel right.
Antoinette walked down the two lines. “Today we’ll go through a number of bouts to see what these newcomers are capable of. I want each of you to give your best at all times. The first round will be hand-to-hand, unarmed combat—one on one. The second round will be weapons capabilities, using staffs and Animalian abilities. The final round will be all in, anything goes, but I will reserve judgment on final combatants after the first two rounds.” She looked from one side to the other. The twins stared straight ahead, like soldiers. The students watched her.
Hmm, this could get interesting.
“Okay, first-round combatants.” Antoinette moved to the side. “Please take the mat.”
Cal and Seph stepped forward and maintained their previous posture as they watched their opponents limbering up before them. Antoinette put the whistle to her lips and blew.
It happened so fast, Antoinette almost missed it. One second the two highly proficient black belt students began their attack, and the next they were both on their backs, stunned and staring at the ceiling. The twins had barely seemed to move.
So much for taking it slow.
Antoinette blew the whistle again to stop the bout. The twins moved in unison, this time holding out their right hands and helped their opponents to their feet.
She wanted to see if they could do it a second time now that Mike and Jasper were ready for them.
“Shall we go again?” she asked.
The two students bowed at the hips and took up a more aggressive stance opposite the two girls. She blew the whistle again. While not quite as fast this time, the result was the same. Antoinette’s students attacked, the twins countered in perfect unison, and the boys ended up on their backs staring at the ceiling.
Oberon stepped out of the office behind the mirror-lined wall and stood beside the door, signaling Antoinette over.
“Everyone stand down,” she said and crossed to meet him.
“Did you see that?” she whispered. “They laid out two of my best like they were yellow belts.”
“I know,” he said in a low voice. “I think we’re wasting time here—go straight to the final round.”
“Okay.” She glanced over her shoulder. The two who’d just had their asses kicked, twice, didn’t seem worse for wear as they endured the ribbing from their classmates. “I’ll use your guy and one of my other stu
dents.”
He pierced her with her obsidian eyes. “Use them all.”
“I watched Seph in the Shadow-combat match. She was good, though nothing extraordinary.”
“I have a theory,” he said, half distracted, then he focused again. “Trust me. I want you to push them. Hard.”
“What about Kitt?”
“Leave her to me,” he said and returned to the office.
Antoinette rejoined the rest. “Okay. Change of plans. We’re going to go straight to the final bout.”
“Excellent.” Seph smiled, her eyes lighting up. “Bring it on.”
Antoinette hid a smile. She was really starting to like this girl.
“We’re going all in,” Antoinette said. “It’s anything goes, to a point. You can use weapons, bare hands, and abilities. But if you hear the whistle, you stop immediately. Is that understood?”
“Hai, Sensei,” her students chorused and the Aeternus pushed himself off the wall to join them.
“Right, choose your weapons if you want them.”
The two boys who’d been shown the ceiling, twice, moved to pick up weapons. One took a staff and twirled it around his body with precision, and the other chose a katana, her personal favorite. The two others, both canian from different Packs, remained unarmed and so did the Aeternus.
She signaled over the squad of five she was about to send against the twins. “I want you to really push these two. We need to see what they are capable of.”
“Are you sure?” said the Aeternus male.
Antoinette didn’t even know his name, and she was now certain she didn’t want to. “Within reason. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”
“Right,” he said as the corner of his lip twitched.
I don’t like him at all. Where did Oberon find this guy?
She considered dismissing him altogether, but that would mean she’d have to step in to see how they went against an Aeternus. No matter what Antoinette had seen the girls do, she was still genuinely afraid of harming them.
“Okay, let’s go free-form.” She blew the whistle and hung back.
Jasper attacked first, swinging the staff at Cal’s head, who ducked as Seph grabbed her hand and somersaulted over her back, striking him in the chest with a sidekick that sent him across the room. Such strength, while in full human form.
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