by Jade White
The other guards were already waiting for him when he approached the front gate ten minutes later. He nodded to them, glad to see their weapons. His father had decreed that no group smaller than ten were allowed to go patrolling. Before the Brutal Claws had snooped around, they hadn’t even needed patrols. Just a guard at each gate. Simpler, easier times.
Every time he patrolled outside, he could feel his fury well. He blamed himself for Matthias’s death. How couldn’t he? The were-jaguar had died so Beric could live. While his most recent dream had been more than pleasant, nightmares plagued him ever since the were had been murdered. He still couldn’t fathom how the Brutal Claws had ambushed them.
“Stick close together,” he commanded, taking point. “I don’t have a good feeling right now.”
“Neither do I,” Sam said. He was an older were-jaguar, one who didn’t trust anyone. He tended to swing punches or lash out with claws first before asking questions. Hot-tempered, but a fierce warrior.
“They haven’t killed anyone in a day,” Lionel said. “Maybe they’re moving on.”
Sam snorted. Lionel was far too naïve and green, and Beric had half a mind to send the nineteen-year-old back into the compound, but he didn’t. If anything, he wanted extra men with them, not less.
“Moving closer toward us is more likely.” Beric stared Lionel down. “Be at the ready.”
The teen nodded. “I-I will be.”
“Good. Let’s move out.”
Beric led the way for the first few yards, but Sam quickly overtook him. Beric allowed it, only because he couldn’t be killed, not until after the marriage at least. Yes, it was still on. For his people’s sake and her people’s as well. Not for her. Not for him.
The sun splashed oranges and reds across the sky as she sank lower and lower, readying for slumber. They had made several treks around the perimeter by now, widening their distance from the compound with each loop. Now, they were at least three miles away.
“Another few loops?” Sam asked.
“Yes.” Beric still couldn’t shake a sense of foreboding. Something wasn’t quite right. At least birds were chirping so there wasn’t an unnatural silence to the air, but the hairs on the back of his neck rose, and he felt as if someone was watching him.
It might have been safer for them to return to the compound immediately, but if Brutal Claws were lurking near them and they choose tonight of all nights to make a move, their failure could cost many more Teal Warriors their lives. Better to make certain everything was clear before returning to the compound for a late dinner.
The first loop was also uneventful, but on the second, Beric knew he heard something. Their group had fallen quieter and quieter with each trek around, and now they weren’t talking at all.
He held up his hand to halt them.
An arrow whizzed by, almost clipping his fingers.
And that was when all hell broke loose.
Twenty Brutal Claws descended on them. Most of them dropped down from trees, but a few were creeping up the forested hillside. All of them were in their human form and were armed to the teeth. In fact, one had a blade tight between his teeth. It struck him as curious that they weren't in their savage jaguar forms, but he couldn’t worry about that now.
Within seconds, Beric had out his gun and fired off two shots. Two-to-one odds weren’t horrible. They could manage this. They had the high ground…
But then more Brutal Claws dropped down from trees behind them. By now, there might be forty Brutal Claws there.
Uh oh.
Beric and his brothers attacked and defended themselves as best they could, but the Brutal Claws surrounded them, forcing them into a tight circle. In every direction, wild eyes stared at them. Metal flashed in the fading sunlight as their blades nicked and cut.
While his first gunshots had wounded one and killed another, and some of his men had fallen, as well, it didn’t take Beric long to realize that the Brutal Claws weren’t attacking them to kill them. They were only trying to keep them in line, to prevent their own deaths. Is that why they’re in their human form? What do they want? What game are they playing?
Beric fought back the desire to go all jaguar on them and rip out their throats. Somehow, he managed to not release his fangs. “Leave us be,” he demanded.
The tallest of the Brutal Claws, a hard-looking man, smirked and shifted over to stand in front of Beric. “Leave you be,” he repeated mockingly. “And just why should we do that? You killed some of ours.”
“Yes, but you attacked us first. We were within our right—”
“Your right. What right do you have, boy?” The Brutal Claw brought his face within inches of Beric’s. “You can only breathe if we tell you to. You’re only still standing because we’re feeling generous.”
Beric refused to be intimidated, although he was starting to sweat. His gun was currently out of bullets, and he wouldn’t have time to reload before the Brutal Claw would kill him.
“What you really mean is that you want to make a message of us,” Beric stated as calmly as he could.
“Well… take a message back to that pathetic leader you all call an alpha.”
Beric’s fangs and claws appeared automatically at the threat geared toward his father.
“Ah, so I see I hit a nerve.” The Brutal Claw smiled. With the scar that ran jagged above and below his lips, it made for a chilling sight. “Yes, your alpha is a weak man, one who can’t do anything to stop us. Do you really think you can stand beside him and rise against us? Wouldn’t it be better to lay down your weapons and desist all forms of resistance?”
“And what?” Beric said bitterly. He could feel the rising tension brewing among his men. They were grumbling and shifting their weight, and he saw out of the corner of his eyes that a few also had out their claws or were stroking their weapons. If the Brutal Claws wanted to talk, maybe he could talk their way out of this, but if one of the Brutal Claws, or one of his men, resumed the battle, they might all fall.
The Brutal Claw smirked. The one standing beside him nudged his shoulder, and a few of the others started to laugh.
“You don’t want us to join you, that much is clear.” Beric was having a hard time talking around his fangs, but he couldn’t bring himself to rein them in.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you wouldn’t have attacked us at all. You wouldn’t have killed our scouts. You wouldn’t have shed one drop of blood.”
“Now, now, we never met a scout we liked, isn’t that right, men?”
The other Brutal Claws cheered.
“So you can’t blame us for killing them.” The scarred Brutal Claw smiled again. “A public service, really.”
Beric couldn’t help himself. He spat in the were-jaguar’s face.
The Brutal Claw didn’t flinch as the wad of saliva dripped down his cheek and fell onto his shirt. “Is that any way to treat our hospitality? Given that you’ve obviously heard of our reputation?”
“You don’t scare me.” Beric stood straighter. He was shorter than this Brutal Claw by two inches, but he was taller than the rest of the crew at least. “Tell us the real reason why you want us to desist. Is it because you’ll find slaughtering us that much easier?”
“Do you mean to suggest that we need to cheat in order to conquer?” The widest Brutal Claw, from muscles not fat, pushed his way over to Beric. “We could kill you all without breaking a sweat.”
“You do still outnumber us,” Beric pointed out evenly.
“And we always will.” The scarred one glowered at Beric. “When we mean to fight, we fight and we kill. When we offer terms—”
“I still don’t see how our desisting would benefit us.”
“Either you desist or you die. Is that plain enough?”
“Slaves,” Lionel the teen blurted out.
Beric was so shocked his fang retracted. He shifted slightly so he could see both the scarred Brutal Claw and Lionel. “What?”
“Th
ere’s been talk… they’ve been saying… rumors that they can’t feed them all, they’ve grown too big and—”
The scarred Brutal Claw snatched Lionel by the throat and lifted him into the air, the teen’s lean legs dangling helplessly. Just by flicking his wrist violently, Lionel’s head dropped. He tossed the limp body away from them.
Beric started forward, but the Brutal Claws tightened their circle around the Teal Warriors.
“We gave you the message. You had better deliver it. It will not be any sweat off our backs to kill you all. We don’t need you alive. We don’t.”
“What is your game plan?” Beric demanded. “Kill us, don’t kill us, kill the Blood Roses, don’t kill them, or the next pack and the next… what is your end game? To have one large pack of all the were-jaguars together? For what purpose?”
“To know that, you would have to be a Brutal Claw, and believe me, you don’t have what it takes to be one. You have to be driven and ambitious and willing to obey orders. Our alpha is strong. He is powerful. He will never lead us astray. Can you say the same about your alpha? Will he recognize that he cannot win if he tries to fight us? So much blood could be shed… or not a single drop more.”
Wordlessly, the Brutal Claws stepped back. One at a time, they slipped away, slinking into the shadows of the trees. Soon, only the muscular one and the scarred one remained, but then they, too, left.
For a long moment, Beric stared down at Lionel. He had so wished the teen had kept silent as the others had. Maybe then he would still be alive. If only I had sent him back like I had thought about…
With a grunt, he kneeled and picked up the teen’s body. Not a single drop of blood covered his body. A chill ran throughout his body. They can kill without bloodshed. Everything he said could be a lie or the truth.
The slow, long trek back to their compound was a silent, somber affair. Slaves. Is that why they want us? To plant fields for them, to grow them food?
Or do they mean for us to be their food? While the animal jaguars were only carnivores, most were-jaguars also ate plants and herbs. They are more vicious, more in tune with their animal side than their human side. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are cannibals.
All the more reason to not give in. All the more reason to fight for their lives.
All the more reason to marry Miera so they might have a fighting chance.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Miera wanted to go out scouting by herself, but she wasn’t that stubborn and bullheaded. To do so would be foolish, so she recruited Lisa and a few other Blood Roses to come with her, even though she would have preferred solitude.
Lisa chatted nonstop as they armed themselves and even as they started their expedition. Eventually, Kevin snorted. “You might want to be a little quieter.”
“Fine,” she huffed. But then she knocked her hip into his. “Although you were singing a different song last night.”
Kevin’s face turned bright red, and he moved to the other side of their group.
“You and Kevin?” Miera asked. “Since when?”
“Since last week. He’s fun and a little wacky, and right now, I need someone who loves life like he does. Most everyone is too serious right now, too afraid for the future.”
“His wanting you to be quiet seems like he’s being serious.”
“He’s just concerned, that’s all. And aren’t you? You should be.” Lisa rubbed her arms as she walked beneath a tree, ducking to avoid a low branch. She glanced sideways at Miera. “So… speaking of guys…”
Miera flushed. Her stomach churned whenever she thought about Beric, and she couldn’t afford to be sick right now. For a little while, after she had learned she was pregnant, she hadn’t been quite as hungry all the time, but now her appetite was returning with a vengeance. She was hungry for both food and for blood. Some said there was no were-jaguar more fearsome than a pregnant one.
“You and Beric. You said he’s hot, but you haven’t talked much about him aside from that. A few of us have been wondering…”
“Wondering about what?”
“If there’s something wrong with him. If that’s why you two haven't married yet.”
“No. We were waiting for them to finish their defense. Their fence. It needed repairs.” A convenient excuse. “I know we need to get married and we should have before now, but they only just completed the fence.”
“What’s the hold up?”
By now, the two were lagging behind the others, enough for Miera to consider her friend. Her father knew. For all she knew, her father was telling everyone about it. The secret would only keep for so long anyhow.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered, her lips hardly moving.
Lisa’s eyes widened. “Wow, you two just jumped ahead of the whole wedding and… Oh, wait, is it his?”
“No.” Miera shook her head. “That’s part of the hold up. I’m not sure if Beric can forgive me.”
“Who is the father?”
She shook her head again. That was a whole other issue she wanted to avoid. Nothing would come of it. She had no feelings for the other man. He had found her when she had been vulnerable, and what had happened had only been lust.
Another reason why she did not wish for her marriage to be built on the same emotion. Not that there was time for her to fall in love with Beric or for him to forgive her, let alone love her.
We’re forced into this, but we can’t be forced into love.
The thought saddened her.
“Aw, cheer up. Beric will still marry you, I’m sure.”
“Out of duty for his people.”
“Duty, yes, but that’s better than nothing, isn’t it?”
Duty. Obligation. What if Beric would one day come to hate her? Or what if he even resented her child?
Well, she would have no one to blame but herself. She could only hope he would marry her and that their combined clans would provide enough of a basis of support that the Brutal Claws would rather not risk their numbers to take them down.
It was a gamble, but it was the only chance they had.
My worrying might be moot if he or I die.
“Stop frowning so much,” Lisa scowled. “You have to practice smiling more.”
“Why?”
“So that Beric will have no choice but to give into you. You’ve always been able to have your way with men whenever you smile at them.”
“That’s not true,” Miera protested.
“Maybe not, but just humor me.” Lisa glanced away but not before Miera saw her always smiling friend frowning herself.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“I… You know how I’m impulsive, right?”
“Yes.”
“Well…” Lisa glanced around. “Kevin and I got married yesterday.”
“What?”
“Shhh, not so loud! I was feeling a little depressed about the future, and he was talking about how we should live for today, and one thing led to another and… yeah, were-jaguar and wife.”
“You’re kidding me.”
“Nope. Ever since, he hasn’t been quite as spontaneous and free-spirited, which is what I need right now, so I might be regretting it a little.” She knocked her hip into Miera’s. “Kinda like you’re regretting your romp with the guy who knocked you up.”
Miera sighed. “Geez, thanks.”
“Sorry. It’s just… misery loves company.”
The two were-jaguars looped arms and hurried to catch up to the others. There was almost a warmth in their unified lines, that they could support each other and stand beside each other. That they could be together and yet separate, that they were one in their desire to be safe and were willing to risk their lives so that they could worry more about what to eat for dinner that night instead of whether or not they would live to see another sunrise.
These were her people. For them, she would marry Beric. And if he would not marry her, she would find someone else. She would do whatever it took to better their chances o
f survival.
For an hour, they scouted their perimeter, and all seemed safe. Then Kevin noticed paw prints. “Jaguars, definitely, and recent too.”
“We should follow them.” Miera led the way. At first, the prints obviously only belonged to one jaguar, but as they moved farther away from their home, the more prints they found. She shifted her nose to pick up the scent and quickened her pace.
All at once, pairs of cold yellow eyes peered at them from the surrounding underbrush. Miera, with her nose already her jaguar’s, shifted fully, relishing the feeling of her fingers turning into long claws, of her teeth lengthening, sharpening into points as fangs. She growled a warning to her people.
With slow deliberateness, she stalked toward the closest jaguar. The creature was far too large to be an animal. This was a were-jaguar, and not just any were-jaguar, but a Brutal Claw. She could smell blood, and a speck of meat was stuck between his front fangs when he bared them at her.
She halted just in front of him, staring him down. There were as many Brutal Claws as there were Blood Roses… if none of the Brutal Claws were hanging back in the shadows.
A flash of light was the only warning she had as the were-jaguar brought up his claws to swipe at her. Her claws caught his, a screeching sound echoing throughout the forest at their connection.
That’s when the fighting began in earnest. Her other Blood Roses also shifted their forms, and the sounds of grunts and whimpers and roars filled the air. The stench of blood only grew, and Miera soon tasted it, too, when she bit down hard on the ear of the were-jaguar she was fighting.
Despite the whimpers, Miera noticed, in between ducking blows and trying to scratch at her foe, that none of the were-jaguars had killed another. They were rather evenly matched, the two sides. We might not have “warriors” in our pack name, but we are already warriors in battle.
Fighting while pregnant was almost an agreeable experience, and she found her reaction time to be a little faster than normal, which surprised her. Her blows were just as strong, though, or maybe even stronger. For every blow she landed, her foe landed one in retaliation.