Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
K ira growled.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the famous Kira Moonbeam or should I say Cress,” he drawled, his voice dripping with disdain. “The half-breed abomination, thinking she could play with the big cats.”
Kira lifted her chin, refusing to be cowed by his taunts. “What’s the matter, Dupont? Too much of a coward to face me yourself? Had to send your goons to do your dirty work?”
Anger flashed in Dupont’s cold gray eyes, but he quickly masked it with a humorless chuckle. “Oh, I’ll deal with you myself, don’t you worry your pretty little head about that. But first, I thought you might like to know a little secret.”
He stalked closer, circling her like a shark scenting blood in the water. “You don’t recognize me because you were a child, but I know you.”
She frowned, not recognizing his features. “What-”
“My father is a pride leader. And I am part of the pride that rejected you all those years ago. The one that saw you for the mongrel you are and tossed you aside like the trash you are.”
Kira stiffened, old wounds tearing open at his words. She’d been a toddler when her father’s pride had turned their backs on her, disgusted by her human mother’s blood running through her veins.
She’d tried so hard to forget, to move on and build a life for herself. But the pain of that rejection had never fully healed.
Dupont’s smile widened, sensing her inner turmoil. “That’s right, little girl. You never belonged with us, and you never will. You’re nothing but a pathetic half-breed, not fit to be a part of our pride.”
Kira’s hands curled into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. She welcomed the pain, used it to center herself. She wouldn’t let him get under her skin, wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“You’re one to talk about being pathetic,” she spat, her eyes flashing with challenge. “A grown man so threatened by a woman’s success that he has to resort to underhanded tricks and lies to bring her down. Gerri is twice the shifter you’ll ever be.”
Dupont’s face contorted with rage, his polished veneer cracking. “Gerri is a sanctimonious bitch who doesn’t know her place! She dared to reject me, to deny me what I wanted. Me! No one tells me no, especially not some meddling old crone.”
He advanced on Kira, his eyes wild and fevered. “She brought this on herself. I’ll destroy everything she’s built, burn her precious dating agency to the ground. And you? You’ll be the message I send her, a warning to anyone else who might think to cross me.”
Kira’s heart raced, adrenaline surging through her veins. This was it, the moment of truth. Dupont had shown his true colors, and she needed to act fast.
She reached for the small knife she’d strapped to her thigh, thanking the moon for Nash’s foresight in insisting she be armed. But before she could draw it, one of Dupont’s thugs grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her back until she cried out in pain.
“Ah, ah, ah,” Dupont tsked, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “None of that, my dear. We’re going to take our time with you, make sure Gerri gets the point loud and clear.”
Kira’s lioness roared to life within her, desperate to break free and tear Dupont limb from limb. But she was badly outnumbered, and she needed to be smart about this.
She closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind for the bond she shared with Rex and Nash. They would know something was wrong by now and would be moving heaven and earth to find her.
All she had to do was buy enough time for them to get here.
Kira let her body go slack in her captor’s grasp, feigning defeat. Let Dupont think he’d broken her, that she’d given up. It would make her next move all the more satisfying.
She watched through lowered lashes as Dupont gestured to his men, no doubt preparing to dole out her punishment. She braced herself, muscles coiled and ready.
And then, in a blur of speed and fury, she struck.
Kira shifted in a heartbeat, her human form melting away as her lioness burst forth with a deafening roar. She lashed out with razor-sharp claws, tearing into the throat of the brute holding her.
Hot blood sprayed across her muzzle as he collapsed, gurgling his last breath. But Kira didn’t pause, didn’t hesitate. She whirled to face the others, a snarl ripping from her throat.
She faintly registered Dupont’s enraged shout, the pounding of heavy paws as his lions shifted to meet her challenge. But she was lost in the heat of battle, her focus narrowed to the enemies before her.
She dodged and weaved, her smaller size giving her an advantage in speed and agility. She tore into her opponents with a savagery born of desperation, determined to fight her way out or die trying.
But even with all her skill and ferocity, she was outmatched. There were too many of them, and they were all far larger and stronger than her.
She felt her strength beginning to wane, her movements growing sluggish as exhaustion and injury took their toll. Blood matted her fur, both hers and her enemies’, and each breath was a struggle.
Just as she was about to succumb, a deafening roar split the air. Kira’s heart soared as two massive wolves burst into the fray, their hackles raised and teeth bared.
Rex and Nash had found her.
They tore into the remaining lions with a fury that matched her own, their movements perfectly synchronized. Rex’s massive black form was a blur of teeth and claws, his eyes glowing with an icy rage as he ripped into their foes.
Nash, his sleek gray coat streaked with crimson, fought with ruthless efficiency, each strike calculated and deadly. Together, they drove the lions back, forcing them away from Kira’s battered form.
Kira struggled to her feet, every muscle screaming in protest. But she couldn’t rest, not yet. Dupont was still out there, and she had a score to settle.
She scanned the chaos of the battle, searching for any sign of the treacherous lion. There - a flash of tawny fur streaked toward the far side of the warehouse.
Kira gave chase, her paws pounding against the concrete floor as she closed the distance between them. She could hear Rex and Nash behind her, covering her back as they had from the very beginning.
Dupont spun to face her as she cornered him, his lips curled back in a vicious snarl.
Kira responded with a roar of her own, leaping for his throat with claws extended. They met in a clash of fur and fang, rolling across the floor in a deadly embrace.
Dupont fought with the strength of madness, his attacks wild and erratic. But Kira’s resolve was unshakable, her purpose crystal clear. This ended now, one way or another.
She buried her fangs into his shoulder, feeling bone crunch beneath the pressure. Dupont howled in agony, thrashing violently to break free. But Kira held on, pouring every ounce of strength into her grip.
With a final, wrenching twist, she heard the sickening snap of his spine. Dupont went limp beneath her, his eyes glazing over in death.
Kira released him, stumbling back on shaking legs. It was over. She’d done it.
Strong arms caught her as she swayed, lowering her gently to the ground. Kira blinked up into Rex’s worried face, Nash hovering anxiously behind him.
“I’ve got you, baby,” Rex murmured, cradling her against his chest. “You’re safe now.”
Nash’s hands were gentle as he checked her for injuries, his touch soothing her battered flesh. “You scared the hell out of us, Kira. Don’t ever do that again.”
Kira managed a weak chuckle, wincing as the movement pulled at her wounds. “No promises. You know trouble seems to find me.”
Rex growled low in his throat, his arms tightening around her. “Then we’ll just have to make sure we’re always there to get you out of it. No more going off on your own, you hear me?”
Kira nodded, too exhausted to argue. In truth, she knew he was right. She’d spent so long relying only on herself, pushing away anyone who tried to get close. But Rex and Nash had proven time and again that they were in this for the long haul, that they’d stand by her side no matter what.