Chapter Twelve

Killian stopped outside the door and took a deep breath. He knew this was a bad idea, but it had to happen. He was too jumpy and everything seemed to set him off. He had to lose some of his anger and energy. This was the only way to do it. He pushed the door open and watched as all eyes turned to him.

“Killian, you’re back,” Kale called out. He walked over and patted Killian on the shoulder. Killian smiled.

“I need a way to get rid of some of this energy. You babies need a teacher and Kip is going to take the day off,” Killian replied.

“And who the hell put you in charge?” Kip growled, getting up from the mat.

“You really don’t want to mess with me right now, Kip. I’m on edge and need to lose some of this rage,” Killian cautioned. “Plus, this used to by my job.”

“Get the fuck out of my gym,” Kip pointed toward the door.

“I’m not kidding, Kip. You’re making me angry. My tiger would love to embarrass you in front of all these kids.”

“You’re just like this because your mate won’t fuck you. Maybe she needs a real shifter to show her what she’s missing.”

Killian lost it. He’d been looking for a fight and Kip was giving him one. He couldn’t tell if the man was provoking him on on purpose or if he was just being an ass. Either way, Killian couldn’t hold it back anymore. He lunged at Kip, tackling him to the floor.

A bloody haze overtook him and he lost all control. Instead of falling back, Killian fought like his life depended on it. He felt Kip go limp, but he still couldn't stop. It took several of the cubs to pull him off. When he saw what he'd done to Kip, he fell to his knees and stared straight ahead. For some reason he felt no remorse. What was wrong with him? It was like this every single time. He even feared there’d come a time when he wouldn’t stop.

Suddenly he felt an urgency to get to his mate. Something wasn't right. He jumped to his feet. His heart broke a little to see the cubs jerk away from him fearfully. He never meant to take it that far with Kip. He'd warned the other man, but he hadn't listened. Killian wasn't himself and it was all because of one girl!

“Get him to Seth.”

Kale nodded as he and another cub moved forward to put Kip’s arms on their shoulders. They followed him out the door and then went their separate ways. Killian turned to follow them with his gaze for a moment and then moved down the hall.

Blythe was turning his world upside down. He literally ached for her. He couldn't believe his body's reaction to her. He was never supposed to get this attached to anyone. Killian could still remember the first time he caught her scent. He's been roaming around the forest when he'd scented her. Ever since then his tiger was obsessed with her. He'd been hard pressed to mark her and now he only wanted more. She had no idea the effect she had on him. It was driving him mad. If he didn't claim her soon, he could easily kill someone. But she was a virgin and wanted love. He couldn't give her love and had no idea how to react to a virgin.

Killian had only been with one other woman and she'd been no virgin. She was also a cat shifter, but a cheetah. Killian had felt some attachment to her, and had mourned her death. She'd gotten pregnant and died in labor. It hadn't been his child and they hadn't been mated. She’d lost her mate and spent time mourning him by using Killian. He pushed all thoughts of her to the back of his mind.

The urgency was growing in him. Killian picked up speed, almost plowing a couple of guards over. They yelled at him, but he dared them to stop him. He wasn't in the mood to deal with humans.

Blythe's scent came from the cafeteria. Killian threw the doors open and looked for his mate. He knew his eyes were probably black, and his teeth a little sharper. He couldn't shift back and his tiger only pressed harder when Killian saw who Blythe was talking to. His roar echoed through the emptying room, causing all eyes to jerk toward his shifting form. Even after fighting with Kip, Killian’s tiger was out of control. He tried to rein it back in, but it wasn’t working.

Killian leaped on top of one of the tables, causing it to wobble under his massive weight. His tiger's tail twitched with pure menace and the promise of retribution. No man would take Blythe away from him. She belonged to him. They'd promised to try and make this work. Why the hell was she already flirting with another man? A sharp pain hit his heart and he realized Blythe was like everyone else. She couldn't be trusted and he was a fool to try to form a relationship. His human side wanted to forget her and turn and leave. But his shifter side screamed and fought against it. His tiger believed Blythe was their mate and was willing to die for her, even if she didn't deserve it.

Blythe's eyes widened and she stared right at Killian. His tiger roared again at the fear in her eyes. He leaped from table to table until he was but feet away from her. The guard jumped across the table and pushed Blythe out of the way. She winced as she landed on her hip on the ground. Killian snarled and leaped. He saw the gun being pulled, but he was faster. He bit down on the guard’s arm, immediately crushing the bones. The guard screamed in agony. Killian shifted their positions so that he stood between the guard and Blythe. She was breathing heavily and stunk of fear. It was causing his tiger to want to kill the guard, but he knew it would only take Blythe away from him as he'd probably be killed or locked away.

"Killian, stop!" Blythe screamed. His tiger roared in fury that she was defending the other man. She was his!

"Killian, she's safe. Shift back before they shoot you," Shayne called from behind Blythe, his hands in the air as he tried to show Killian he meant Blythe no harm.

The guard was lying on the ground cradling his arm. There was no immediate threat, but Killian could hear boots on the floor as guards rushed to the cafeteria. He quickly shifted back. Shayne threw him a pair of shorts, though Killian had no clue where he'd gotten them.

"What were you thinking?" Blythe gasped, getting to her feet. Killian turned to face her, but kept his attention on the doors and the guard on the ground.

"Why are you talking to him?" Killian spat, his eyes blazing. Blythe blinked at him in shock. “I told you to stay away from them. Do you want him, Blythe? Are you really going to leave me for him?”

"Don't tell me you're jealous! I was only asking him if he could get word to my parents! What is your problem? I’m not leaving you, you stupid man!"

"I warned you, Blythe. I told you to stay away from them or I’d lose it. This is on you! You are mine." Killian cupped the back of her neck possessively and snapped his teeth. "He could have stolen you away."

"You're ridiculous! It was simply two people talking. I kept my arms down and sat on the opposite side of the table. He didn’t touch me. Can you smell him on me? No! Because I didn’t let him touch me! Do you even think before you act sometimes?" Blythe jerked back from Killian, knowing he allowed her. "Ben, are you okay?"

"You dare speak to him in front of me?" Killian was pissed. He was being irrational as he let instinct overrule his common sense. He moved too quickly for anyone to stop him. He scooped Blythe up and tossed her over his shoulder. He was furious and was going to show her who she belonged to. His tiger was riding him hard to mate with her. He’d waited long enough.

“Put me down!”

“Hush,” Killian snapped, smacking her on the ass.

He made it halfway back to the doors when they burst open and ten guards entered. Guns were pointed at him and he froze. He couldn't attack in this position and feared that Blythe would be in the way of fire if he set her on the ground.

"Move out of my way," Killian growled.

"What the fuck is going on?" asked one of the guards. "What happened?"

"He fucking broke my arm!" Ben called, slowly getting to his feet. His face was pale and his arm was cradled against his chest. “Shoot him and get the girl away. He’s out of control!”

"He was near my mate," Killian replied. “You all know shifters are protective of their mates.”

"Put the girl down," the same guard demanded. He kept looking over at Ben and back at Killian, keeping his gun pointed at Killian’s chest.

"She's my mate!" Killian yelled. "Get out of my way."

"Please don't hurt him!" Blythe called, pulling her upper body up and spinning to look at the guards. "He thought he was protecting me!"

"He broke a guard's arm. He must be punished," the guard answered.

"What are you going to do to him?" Blythe asked nervously.

"He will be tied up and beaten," the guard replied.

"No! He didn't mean to!" Blythe argued.

Killian set his mate on her feet. He knew that even if he tried to push his way through, they'd be stopped and Blythe could get hurt. As much as the girl frustrated and annoyed him, he didn't want his mate hurt.

"I'll take my punishment," Killian said, placing his hands up and stepping around Blythe.

Blythe moved in front of him, stopping him with a hand on his chest. "No," she shook her head. “You can’t do this.”

"Move out of the way," a different guard spat, moving forward and jerking Blythe backward and away from Killian.

Killian snarled and moved forward. Something hit him in the leg and he stumbled in surprise. He looked up and saw one of the guards with a stick. Killian growled and got back to his feet.

"Let me go! You can't do this," Blythe called. She was being dragged out of the cafeteria and into the kitchen. Killian raced toward her, only to feel something hit his shoulder and then immense pain. He'd been shot, the ringing of the gun still echoing in his ears. He stopped moving, not wanting a stray bullet to hit Blythe. They weren’t real bullets, but they still hurt. The guards had been overheard saying they were basically shooting paintball guns or airsoft guns with as much damage as they caused. Killian had no idea as to what they had been referring.

"Shayne, watch her," Killian called.

"Of course."

Dropping to his knees, Killian placed his hands on his head. A guard came up behind him and struck him across the face with his stick. Killian jerked sideways, but made no sound. The man stuck two round circles of chain around his hands and connected it to his feet. Killian was strong enough to break out of it, but wasn't going to endanger Blythe. And he definitely didn't want to die and leave her alone.

"I'm going to enjoy this," the guard whispered in his ear before jerking him to his feet.

Killian ignored the heavy chains on his arms and legs. He had been in this situation plenty of times before. He knew the outcome and what would happen if he fought back. He let the guards lead him down the hallway, past his room and toward the room where they kept unruly shifters.

He looked for Blythe, wondering if he could at least catch one more glimpse of her, but it was to no avail. If they hurt her, he’d kill them. He thought back on the situation he’d found her in and realized he had indeed acted without thinking. He’d seen Blythe with another male and had acted on instinct. He could have handled the situation better. Approaching them and asking what was going on would have been better. Instead, he’d frightened his mate and attacked a guard for no reason. He was turning into a monster. Why would Blythe defend him? She’d never want to be his mate. He was unlovable and hated being weak. Blythe made him weak. He’d taken most of his anger out on Kip. Then, when he’d seen Blythe with that guard, it all came flooding back.

“If you fight, we’ll only hurt you for longer,” the guard told him. Killian glanced at his nametag.

“Whatever you say, Finley.”

“You know the drill,” Finley told him as they entered a room. Killian raised his hands and felt the shackles dig into his flesh as they placed a different set of chains on his wrists. Next, his feet were spread wide and shackles were attached to his ankles. He always hated this position. It made him feel exposed and his nuts were in the perfect position to get hit.

“You hit me in the nuts and I’ll rip out your tongue and shove it up your ass,” Killian threatened, his eyes flashing black.

Finley laughed.

“Don’t make threats you can’t keep, pussy cat,” Finley replied.

“Hit me there and we’ll see if it’s an idle threat,” Killian dared him. Finley nodded for the other guards to keep watch outside the door and then began the punishment once they’d left and closed the door behind him.

The first hit didn’t hurt. Finley only swung a punch to his stomach. That kind of stuff he could handle. But Killian knew that Finley was one mean bastard. He’d heard of him from other shifters. He was prepared to hold back his pain, though, not wanting to give the man the satisfaction of knowing what he was doing was hurting Killian.

The next swing hurt a little worse. Finley had hit him right in the kidney. He followed that up with a kick to the side and another hit in the same kidney. Killian sucked in breath, but kept his face neutral. Finley smiled.

“Don’t hold back. That just makes me hit harder and longer. I want a reaction and I won’t stop until I get one. That’s a promise,” Finley told him. Killian didn’t even acknowledge him.

A punch to the face broke Killian’s nose and had blood gushing down his face. A punch to the side of the head had his brain rattling. Still, he made no sound. Finley walked over to a cabinet and opened it with a key. He pulled out a few things and then locked it back. He turned to face Killian and Killian felt dread hit.

“Are you ready for my toys?”

Finley was holding a whip with razor tips; probably about fifteen strands of pure pain. The other toy was a club with barbed wire wrapped around it. The last toy was a two-inch blade. That one didn’t seem that bad, but the other two, Killian was dreading. He’d been punished before, but only by punches and kicks. This was taking it to a whole new level. He knew that he’d heal, but it was going to hurt.

“Let’s get that reaction now, shall we?” Finley smiled. Killian clamped his mouth shut and tried to relax his mind. He wanted to be anywhere but there and thought of all the places and things he’d rather be at and doing.

The first swing of the club hit him in the back. Blood gushed from the spots where the barbed wire dug deep. The next swings hit both his calves and then his thighs. He bit his lip to keep from crying out.

“I think it’s time to try another one of my toys. Let’s see if this will get a reaction from you.” Killian didn’t even open his eyes to see what Finley was talking about. He tried to prepare himself, though he knew not what to expect. He could easily rip out of these chains and kill Finley. It was on his mind to do so, but he knew that if he did, Blythe would be mateless and someone like Diego could end up with her. He wouldn’t leave her alone. He’d done this to himself and he’d take his punishment. This would be a reminder of what happened when he acted too rashly in the future.

The whip wrapped around his leg and ripped skin out in chunks. Killian gasped, but didn’t cry out. The next time, the whip wrapped around his stomach and ripped out more of his flesh. Blood was sprinkled over the walls and was pooling on the floor. Killian’s body was trying to heal itself as fast as it could, but with every hit and the loss of blood, it was becoming harder and harder to stay awake.

Killian’s head jerked back from a punch. He jerked his eyes open and glared at Finley. Blood coated his teeth and tongue. He spat it out, surprised there weren’t teeth mixed with the blood, and then smiled. “Is that all you got?”

Finley’s face went red and he punched Killian again and again in the face. The whip cracked in the air and then landed on his back. Next, his legs took the hit and then his chest. A jab of the knife punctured his lung and it became hard to breathe. He knew that they were filling with blood and wondered if he would truly die this time. He may have pressed Finley too far. He was past the point of being able to break free. His strength was gone.

Sadly, the only person that would probably care if he died was Seth. No, he had Blythe. She would mourn his loss. He pictured her in his mind, tracing her image with his eyes. He longed to hold her one more time and tell her that he was sorry. She probably wouldn’t forgive him. He’d said sorry too many times. Why would she still care for him? There was nothing about him worth saving. He could never succumb to love and the weakness it brought with it. She wanted the one thing he could never give.

“Enough!” someone’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts and breached the pain.

“I’m not finished,” Finley spat.

“I said enough. If you swing that one more time, I’ll fire your ass,” the man said.

“Carter, you’re a fucking animal lover.” Finley walked back to the cabinet and unlocked it, throwing his toys in. Killian was disgusted that the man didn’t even clean them. He could barely see out of one eye, but with his good eye, he studied the man that had stopped the beating.

Where Finley resembled a bird with his tall skinny figure and protruding long pointy nose, this man was the complete opposite. The only similarity was the brown hair and clean-shaven face. Carter was shorter than Finley, but still tall. He was round but not all of it was fat. He seemed to be able to handle himself in a fight and his stance said he was ready for one if Finley tried anything.

“Get out of here before I change my mind and actually fire you this time,” Carter snapped. Finley rolled his eyes, but locked the cabinet and fled the room. Carter’s eyes snapped to Killian’s and Killian stared at him. Carter cleared his throat and awkwardly rubbed his neck. He seemed to be nervous in Killian’s company. It made his tiger growl in appreciation. The man should fear him.

“Are you going to free me, or leave me here to die?” Killian asked after an uncomfortable amount of time in silence. The man shook himself and walked toward Killian.

“I’m going to trust that you’re in too bad of shape to give me any trouble. My men are dealing with another rowdy shifter and are unavailable to help me. If you tell me where your room is, I will drop you off there. Or, if you like, I can take you to the medical room.”

“Take me to my room. I’ll be fine,” Killian lied. He really had no idea if he’d be fine. This was one of the worst beatings he’d had and his lung was still drowning in his own blood.

“You don’t look so fine. I’ll take your ass to the medical center and you can thank me later,” Carter argued. Killian didn’t fight the man. When his feet were released, it was only his hands that kept him up. He was literally dangling and all his strength seemed to leave him.

Carter wrapped his arms around Killian’s waist and then let his hands go. Killian slumped against him, making Carter bear most of his weight. “And you think you’re fine. You can’t even fucking walk.”

“I’m fine,” Killian argued, knowing he wasn’t. He was losing consciousness and didn’t trust the man he was with. Yes, he’d stopped Finley, but so what. He could still kill him. He tried to keep his eyes open but it was like weights were pulling his eyelids closed.

Carter started moving and every step caused immense pain for Killian. It started in his toes and went all the way to his head. He ached everywhere. It didn’t seem he had a clean place on him. Blood was sticky and clinging to what was left of his shorts. It ran in his eyes and down his throat.

His stomach, chest, and back hurt the worst. He couldn’t even feel his legs anymore and breathing was becoming more and more difficult. He knew that they were walking, but he couldn’t even tell where he was. Was Carter taking him to the medical room? Or was he taking him to his death?

He heard the sound of voices and then doors being pushed open. The voices stopped. And then he heard a scream of horror. It was Blythe. He could smell her scent. It gave him a sense of peace. At least if he died, he’d gotten to imprint her scent on his mind one last time. Then everything went black and he collapsed.