Leopard Moon

by Jeanette Battista

  "You'll never have me if anything happens to him," she warned. The car was off the main road now, she could tell by the ride of the car. And they were climbing. They were headed into the mountains.

  Sek looked at her, eyes glittering. But he said nothing and they rode in silence. Kess stared out the windows, but could see nothing but blackness. She knew why he had struck tonight--the sky was dark. It was their time, when they would be at their strongest. Her wereblood sang to her, longing for the change, and it would be singing in him too, making him crueler, more animalistic.

  The car was slowing, following a winding road. Sek rummaged in a bag by the door and pulled out a silver knife. She eyed him warily, not liking the look of this. Silver wouldn't hurt her, but it was poison to werewolves. He turned to her. "I can't have you interfering. You've upset me and I'm afraid you need to be punished for that."

  "Sek, no," she began, her voice breaking. "Please, I'll go with you, I'll do whatever you want. Just forget about this, please."

  An arm circled her throat and she felt the sting of a needle as it entered her neck. She tried to struggle, but the arm around her neck made it hard to breathe. As whatever drug they'd dosed her with entered her system, she felt her limbs grow heavy and her thoughts slow.

  "You made your decision," he reminded her. "Let's see if you can live with it." She saw Sek lean forward. "His pelt will be your wedding dress," he whispered in her ear as she went limp in Bomani's arms.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  Cormac came to awareness slowly. Pain was all he felt at first, limited to a few locations. First, and most distracting, was his head. He had a vague memory of leaving the library and being jumped by someone near the old gym. After that there was just blackness.

  Second was the dull ache along his side. It felt like he might have some cracked ribs and he wondered what had been done to him while he was out. He felt upholstery beneath his cheek and heard the low rumble of an engine--he was in a car. He opened his eyes slightly, but could only dimly make out his immediate surroundings, which were the floorboards of the back seat of a large SUV. He found it painful to move his neck.

  This brought him to the third locus of pain: his neck. This was slight in comparison to the pounding in his head which, combined with the motion of the car, was threatening to make him sick. There was something digging into his neck--not metal, more like stiff leather or something like it. It made it hard to move his head and it definitely made it harder to breathe.

  Cormac kept quiet, letting his other senses work. His nose picked up the scent of two men, ones that he had never smelled before. They must be in front. He took greater stock of the state he was in--his arms were bound behind his back, but his legs were free. He saw his backpack was lying on the ground beside him. His cell phone was in there, but he knew he couldn't get to it, let alone dial anything without his hands and without letting the men up front know he was awake.

  He heard the two men talking in low voices from the front seats. He couldn't make out what they were saying. He switched his focus to the car, more specifically the sound of the tires. They were on a paved road, but not going very fast. He thought that the driver was not familiar with the mountain roads and was taking his time. He had no way of knowing how long he'd been out or how far they already were from campus. He had been due to meet Finn after class and then they were meeting Burke at the Barn, but he didn't know if Burke and the others had missed him yet.

  He heard the change in pavement--they were on a rutted road, unpaved with a little gravel. The steep incline meant they were climbing into the mountains and the way the car slid around the ruts, he didn't think they were in a populated area, like a resort. Probably headed toward one of the many private vacation homes that dotted the mountainside.

  They were on it for maybe ten minutes before they stopped. Cormac kept his eyes closed. Perhaps he could gain an advantage by playing possum, though he doubted it. He already wasn't at his best with the moon being in a phase unfavorable to werewolves. The knock to the head just made it worse. Still, he planned to be ready if an opportunity to escape presented itself. If he could make it into the woods, he was sure he'd have a fighting chance until he could get some help--these mountains were his home and they had yet to fail him.

  The door opened. He lay still, trying to be as unresponsive as possible. Rough hands grabbed him, dragging him out into the freezing air. He opened his eyes to see who held him and get an idea of where he was. Two men, darkly tanned and enormous, were next to him. One was talking on a cell phone, the other was holding him up. He noticed Cormac eyeing him and turned away to check the woods. They were in front of massive house done in the Tudor style, but no lights were on. There was no sign of Sek.

  The second man ended the call, and gestured to the other one. Each of them took one of Cormac's upper arms and forced him to walk away from the house and into the outlying woods surrounding the property. Cormac lost an idea of how long they walked—the pounding in his head getting worse, the nausea harder to manage. He knew he had a concussion and it was all he could do to stay upright and not revisit his dinner.

  When they reached their destination, they threw Cormac against a tree, where he was content to sit for a few minutes and catch his breath. The thing around his neck chafed and he could feel blood trickling down his back from where it cut into his skin. He tried to get some slack in the ropes that bound his hands, but they were tied well. He had to be content with watching his captors and waiting to see if a chance to escape presented itself.

  He knew escape was unlikely, especially since he couldn't change. The ropes he could probably deal with, but whatever was around his neck would probably strangle him during his transformation. And that was without the Alpha's edict forbidding him to change until the month was up. When his dad gave him his punishment, he had used the Alpha voice, effectively binding Cormac to obedience. He couldn't disobey, at least not without incapacitating pain.

  Cormac heard the sound of someone coming nearer through the trees. Sek walked into the small clearing, followed by the man Kess referred to as his right hand. That made four wereleopards and Cormac knew the likelihood of him making it out of here without help from his pack was effectively nil, especially when what Sek carried with him caught the light. He held a long silver knife in his hand and when he saw Cormac looking at it, he smiled.

  Kess' brother beckoned his men to bring Cormac closer. He struggled when they hauled him up, which only earned him several vicious punches to his midsection and a hard cross to his face. He spat out blood and was forced to stand face to face with Sek.

  "I'll never understand what my sister sees in you." Sek circled Cormac, venom in his voice.

  "Where is she?" Cormac demanded, fear icing through him at the thought of what he would do to Kess. "What have you done to her?"

  Sek punched him in the kidney, sending him to his knees. He panted for a moment, then staggered back up. Sek was in his face, hissing, "She is no longer your concern, dog. She's back where she belongs now and it's going to stay that way."

  "Whether or not she wants it? How do you plan to keep her with you when you know that she despises you?" Cormac paused, weighing his next words carefully. "It must really be pissing you off that she ran as far as she could from you, only to wind up with someone like me."

  Sek hit him again, this time in his jaw. Cormac's head snapped back, the collar digging in to the flesh at his neck. "She'll be made to see my side of things." The undertone of something dark and twisted in his voice made Cormac shudder. "But there's still the problem of you."

  Cormac felt the shirt he wore rip as the two men who held him up tore it in two. He shivered involuntarily as the frigid air hit his skin. Sek came closer, brandishing the knife. "My sister has formed an unhealthy attachment to you. It clouds her judgment and she needs to be taught the error of her ways." He smiled a hangman's smile. "I'm afraid that will be extraordinarily painful for you."

  Sek slashed with the knife, open
ing up a long gash in Cormac's chest. He cried out, the pain from the silver weapon burning like a brand along his skin and down into his blood. Silver wasn't fatal to his kind, but it was painful and poisonous to them, weakening them to a dangerous degree. He saw Sek smile, the expression perverse as he took great pleasure in the agony he caused.

  The wereleopard stepped back, surveying Cormac in way that made his blood run cold. "It's a pity I can't force you to change," he mused. "I had promised Kess your pelt as a remembrance." He stepped in, slashing again. Then he grabbed Cormac by the hair, pulling his head up at a painful angle. Cormac forced himself to meet the maelstrom of Sek's eyes, as he said, "I suppose your head will have to do."

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Kess didn't know how long she lay there, half in and half out of a twilight state of consciousness. She knew somewhere deep inside her that something was wrong, that she needed to move, to go. But a languid heaviness filled her limbs and she seemed unable to muster up the physical energy for the urgency that battered at her mind.

  But there was something else in her mind, something apart from the human fear and worry. There was a need crouching there, an instinct that twitched muscles she didn't have, an other that had waited for weeks and now knew that its time had come to act. Kess understood on a deeper level what it was, and that it was her only hope of surviving this night and she gave herself over to it completely.

  The change swept through her, easier than it had ever been. She didn't fight it on any level. Clothing ripped and tore as her form twisted and morphed, the drug coursing through her human system burning off as her leopard self took primacy. She came back to herself, fully aware of Sek and his final promise. Her eyes saw the driver, still in the seat, turning towards her and she scrambled over the seats, claws ripping through the leather as she drove forward into the front.

  She heard the driver hit the door locks, and he fumbled at the handle, yanking it open. She was on top of him, the two of them falling out of the car. She landed on top of him, growling. He was were, but young, and obviously not used to changing quickly. He had reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun, but Kess latched onto his arm, digging in with teeth. He yelped in pain, but didn't let go of the gun and Kess bit down harder, hearing bone crunch. The gun fell to the ground, but now she smelled something beyond the fear scent of the man in front of her. She lifted her eyes to see a wolf standing before her.

  The wolf changed and Burke stood in front of her. She released her hold on the driver and changed shape herself. They stared at each other for a moment and then Kess ran to the back of the car, searching in Sek's bag. She found rope, and a spare change of his clothes. She pulled on the pants, rolling them up and slid into the shirt before running back with the rope.

  "The others are on their way," Burke told her as he bound the driver. She tried not to look at him; even focused as she was on the danger her brother posed, Kess was still uncomfortable with his nudity. She was grateful when he ran back to his car and pulled on pants. "Finn freaked when Cormac didn't show up and Dad had me watching the parking lots—I saw you get into the car and tailed you, then called them when I saw where you were heading. They should be here in a few. "

  "Sek has Cormac. I'm going after him. Follow the scent, but do not change unless you have to."

  "How will we know when that is?"

  "When I die. Look, I don't want a were war and neither do any of you. I want to keep this within the clan. You and yours are not to engage them unless absolutely necessary. Tell the others when they get here. I'm going to keep this between me and my brother." A cry of pain split the night and Kess bolted into the woods. Burke was pulling out his phone.

  She was running, tearing through the forest, not waiting for Burke and the others to catch up with her. Sek was out here and he had Cormac. It was the time when no moon lit the night sky, when the wolves were at their weakest and leopards were at their peak. Kess followed scents she knew like her own: the warm cypress, juniper and pine resin of Cormac and the vetiver and musk of Sek. There were other scents too, all human. Sek didn’t travel alone. His contingent of muscle went with him.

  Far behind her she thought she heard Burke as he ran to save one of his packmates. She hoped he heeded her warning and hadn’t transformed, at least not yet. She was hoping she’d be able to handle Sek on her own. Even if it meant going back with him; she’d do it to save Cormac.

  The scents were stronger now. She was getting close. Another cry of pain split the night’s quiet. Kess was flying over the ground, ripping off clothes and pitching them behind her, intent on only one thing--getting to Cormac before Sek could kill him. She ran silently, bare feet making no noise. She picked up speed again, shucking off the last of her clothes as she came across the clearing, eyes already sharpening to wereleopard precision in the darkness.

  Cormac was held between two huge men that Kess had never seen before. His hands were bound behind his back. He had been badly beaten, blood seemed everywhere and he struggled weakly in their grip. He was stripped to the waist and wore a spiked choke collar fastened around his neck that was so tight it cut into the tanned flesh there. Kess could feel the snarl rising in her. It ensured Cormac couldn't shift and Sek would find it amusing.

  Sek and Cormac were of a height, but Sek was all sleek muscles and lean build and sharp angles. He stood in front of Cormac holding a huge silver knife that dripped with blood. Cormac’s chest and back had been laid open in a number of places already. Silver wouldn’t kill a werewolf, that much Cormac had told her, but it did significantly weaken them and it hurt like all hell. Another werecat--Bomani--stood behind her brother.

  Sek was gesturing to his men to force Cormac to his knees. Cormac struggled and one of the men punched him in the side of the head. Cormac reeled and dropped.

  Kess saw Sek raise the knife for a killing blow and her change took her in mid-stride. Her screamed protest ended in a full-throated leopard roar. The shift blasted through her like a lightning strike and she bounded forward on cat’s feet, leaping to put herself between the knife and Cormac. It sliced into her side, dragging across her sleek coat, but she was already slashing with her claws at Sek’s face.

  She twisted, landing between Cormac and Sek, growling at her brother in warning. The wound along her side would do little to slow her down; silver had no effect on leopards. Sek had his hand clapped to his face and when he took it away, she could see the marks from her claws across his cheek and jaw. "Little sister," he hissed at her, then motioned for his men to let Cormac go. The young werewolf staggered back to his feet slowly, backing away until he rested against a tree and Kess paced him, carefully keeping herself between Sek and Cormac.

  Kess could hear the rest of them arriving. Alaric, Burke, and Finn moved slowly into the clearing, inching their way over to Cormac. The odds were still slightly in the werecat’s favor, Kess knew. The wolves would be concerned with protecting the wounded member of their pack and at a fraction of their full power. They’d be hard pressed to fight off four wereleopards at the height of theirs. Even with Kess on their side, it still meant the risk of injury or death. Kess was hoping it wouldn’t come to an all-out fight.

  She faced Sek, who was smiling, blood running down his face. "Let’s see how badly you want to keep your pet, Kess." He looked at his men and gave a warning. "No one intervenes." He was changing, not even bothering to remove his clothes, just letting the transformation shred them.

  Sek circled her, ears flat against his blocky head, canines on display. She did the same, mimicking his movements. Sek launched himself at her, powerful jaws trying to catch her around the throat. She twisted away, feeling his teeth graze her nape and shoulders, as she kicked back at him and leaped away.

  She lunged at her brother. They were evenly matched--Sek had only a few pounds on her and he would be as fast and agile as she was. Sek danced out of the way, but not before she got the chance to smack a paw against his head. She hooked her claws into the flesh she caught and
heard him growl in pain.

  He tackled her. They were tumbling, each of them struggling to find purchase, to get a hold on the other. The sound of their growls and spitting echoed through the clearing. Sek was a blur, his black coat blending with the darkness, but Kess could see just fine. She came in low, angling for his throat. Sek dodged, snaking out of the way.

  Kess made sure to keep an eye on Cormac. His father was helping him up, releasing him from the ropes and collar. Burke and Finn flanked them. Unbound, Cormac was mobile at least. Burke, Finn, and Alaric should be able to get him out of here.

  Sek tried to bowl her over, but she surprised him. Instead of fighting his momentum as he smashed into her, she went with it, flipping over backwards. She grabbed onto him with her front claws and pushed off with her back paws, sending him over her head. Blood flew, the iron scent of it thick in her nostrils.

  Her brother was on her again, on top of her, trying to dig his teeth into the fleshy part of her nape. His weight hampered her. He shook his head back and forth, trying to disable her. Kess rolled, pinning him for a second. The hold on her broke and she leaped away. Sek managed to smash her in the face with his paw, but he didn't claw her. They went back to circling each other.

  She realized that she had the upper hand in this fight. Sek was fighting to disable, not kill. He didn't want to hurt her if he could help it. That gave her a distinct advantage, since she didn't have that problem.

  Sek tried to take out her flank. He drove forward, aiming for her back legs. Kess flung her body sideways, out of the way of his teeth. She hit the tree she was aiming for, using it as a springboard for her back feet and propelled herself right back at him. He wasn't expecting it. She hit him with her full weight, sending him flying.