Chapter 30
Carter
Click, click, click, click.
They not only outnumbered us, but they had guns. We’d been forced to leave everything behind when we’d shifted.
One of them stepped forward. “Care to give up now, while you still have your lives?”
Kevin moved toward him. “Not a chance. You can’t have me or my daughter.”
“That’s where you’re wrong.”
The two men stepped even closer to each other, staring one another down.
“Get over here, Josh. Did our captive drag you away?”
Some of the other guys laughed.
“Hardly.” The new kid stepped closer. “I’m done with you guys. I want to live out in the world. Away from your backward rules.”
“Nobody leaves our family and lives to tell the tale.”
“Kevin did.” Josh glared at him.
“And that ends tonight. Last chance, kid. Make the right decision.”
“I am.” Josh stood taller.
“Your funeral.” He aimed his gun at Josh’s face.
I jumped at the gunman, knocking his weapon out of his grasp. He stumbled but didn’t fall. The gun slid away, and Josh lunged for it.
Shots rang out all around.
I leaped toward Katya to protect her.
Bones popped all around as our side turned into jaguars and wolves, then jumped toward our gunned assailants.
I turned to Katya. “Run!”
“Not a chance.” She spun around and pulled off her shirt. “I’m fighting in this battle.”
Trees rustled just behind me. Not more of Kevin’s family. I spun around, prepared to attack with my fists.
Toby and some members of our pack pushed through the trees.
Relief washed through me as I raced over to them. “They’re not going to give up without bloodshed. Typical traditional shifters.”
Toby nodded knowingly. “Gessilyn’s coven isn’t far behind.” He handed me a ten-inch blade. “And we brought weapons.”
Howls, growls, and other sounds of fighting grew louder behind me.
I held the knife in position. “We’d better do this.”
In a blur, we all raced for the other shifters. A new group of men marched over.
We were outnumbered again. I ran toward the nearest one, aiming the knife for his chest.
He punched me across the face. His ring sliced through my skin all the way from my ear to my nose.
I dug the blade in as far as it would go.
He spat on my face before crumpling to the ground.
Before I had time to wipe the spit from my eye, two more attacked me in a flash of fists.
I swung the knife into one neck while kicking the other guy in the groin. Blood sprayed on me as I yanked the blade out.
He sputtered and crashed to the ground, cursing me. His friend threw himself on me, knocking us both to the ground. We wrestled, and I couldn’t dig the knife into any major organ.
“You may as well give up,” he grunted.
“Not until you leave Katya alone.”
“Over our dead bodies.” He shoved my head against a rock.
“If that’s what it comes down to.” I lunged the blade into his side. Blood immediately darkened his shirt and pooled to the ground. His grip on me weakened.
A pistol lying on the ground in the middle of where the shifted jaguars and wolves fought caught my attention. I jumped up, easily escaping the hold of my dying attacker, and scrambled for the gun.
Jaguars leaped through the air and rolled around on the ground, fighting each other. One nearly knocked me over, but I managed to grab the pistol.
A hand rested on my shoulder. I spun around and aimed the hopefully-loaded gun.
Gessilyn.
I relaxed and dropped my arms. “You made it.”
She gave a slight nod and handed me a small vial. “Drink this.”
“What is it?”
“It’ll make your blood sour—whether you’re in this form or if you shift.” She glanced around. “Is Katya here?”
I waved toward the mass of fighting animals. “She shifted already.”
Gessilyn handed me another vial. “Give this to her. Or do you think you’ll shift? In that case, I’ll hang onto it.”
“I’m not sure yet.” I opened and swallowed my potion. It was bitter and bubbled as it went down my throat. “That’s awful.”
“It isn’t nearly as bad as it’ll be for anyone who bites you.”
I wiped my mouth. “How many came with you?”
“Killian and Frida.”
“Can you cast any spells on these guys?”
She glanced around. “It’s going to be challenging with everyone fighting together. Anything I cast on them will also fall on our side.”
A group of ten barged in through the trees. The one in front cracked his knuckles and glared at us.
“I don’t suppose you know them?” Gessilyn asked.
My stomach twisted in knots. “Nope.”
“Good.”
Good?
She pulled something from her cloak and threw it at them, whispering in a foreign language. A pink mist covered the men and settled on them. They all froze in position.
“That won’t last too long, but it’ll buy us some time.”
One of the jaguars yelped.
I recognized that voice.
Katya.
My heart jumped into my throat. Then anger ran through me. Why hadn’t I insisted on taking her away from here? She didn’t have experience fighting shifters.
Yelp! Yowl!
I clenched my fists and prepared to shift.
Just as my bones began popping, Tap arrived with some others. The timing couldn’t have been better, because another group arrived from the other direction.
Gessilyn spun in their direction and threw a pink mist at them, chanting in a foreign language.
Everything became clearer as I looked around with my jaguar eyes.
Katya cried out again. I bolted in her direction and rammed myself into the jaguar who had his teeth buried into her neck.
He let go but barely stumbled before lunging for her again.
I roared as loud as I could.
He froze and turned toward me, his pupils dilating and hairs standing on end.
I bared my teeth and howled, warning him to flee.
Unfortunately for him, he didn’t budge. I leaped on top of him, digging my teeth into his flesh and rolling onto the ground.
We stopped, slamming into a tree. He bit into my back. Pain seared from the wound, but before I could react, he pulled away yelping.
Gessilyn’s potion.
I jumped to all fours and growled. How’d you like that?
What’s in your blood?
Wouldn’t you like to know? I jumped on top of him, tearing into his throat. Blood filled my mouth until he went limp. I spit out the liquid and spun around to find Katya.
She rolled around with a different jaguar. But that wasn’t what sent a chill through me. Behind the fighting animals, at least fifty humans faced off—most of whom I didn’t recognize.
Had Kevin’s father brought in his entire family as well as other jaguar families? We were even more outnumbered than before.
Even with the high witch and a former troll king on our side, those were horrible odds. Deadly, even.
For all of us.
Gunshots rang out.
Yelps and cries sounded all around.
The metallic odor of blood hung in the air.
Another jaguar jumped on top of Katya. The three of them rolled around, kicking up dust. Growling and howling ensued.
A low and furious roar escaped my throat. In one quick motion, I ran toward them, slamming into one of them.
He turned on me, digging his teeth into my side. Before I had time to react, he yelped and scurried off. Mid-stride, he crumpled to the ground.
Was my blood growing more potent as the potion lingered?
I thrust myself against Katya’s attacker.
He flew into another jaguar, who immediately tore into him.
Katya struggled to her feet.
Are you okay?
Never better. She licked a bloody patch of fur. You?
Ready to get you home.
She shook her head. I’m not leaving until this is finished.
Have you seen how many people they have?
I don’t care. Like you said, we have to make it clear they can’t have Dad and me.
To the left, a pink glow covered a group of men.
Katya glanced over then turned back to me. What’s that?
The high witch is friends with your professor.
And she’s here?
I nodded. Something caught my attention.
Just behind her, a jaguar leaped through the air, headed straight for her.
There was no time to warn Katya. I flew over her and crashed into the other jaguar. We fell to the ground. He landed on top of me, and a sharp rock dug into my side.
We rolled around, growling and clawing one another. I just needed him to bite me. He seemed uninterested. Did he know my blood was practically poison?
I turned my head, giving him an easy shot to my neck.
He bit down, but didn’t yelp or cry out.