33. Raptor
Raptor
The guy lunges up out of nowhere. This moron, who wants to die today, has the skills that the others lack.
In fact, in the three seconds it takes to see him, I notice he’s not dressed like the others either.
He looks nothing like them. No tattoos, no thick, heavy rings, no blunt force weapons.
His clothes are expensive but have no identifying features, and they are dark to blend in. This is one of the Flock.
And he’s not looking at King or Rolly.
He’s focused on me.
I rip myself free of King, use his own weight to spin him out of the way, and brace myself for the impact that I know is coming.
He hits hard. He’s nowhere near King’s size, but he’s still much bigger than I am. But you know what they say: the bigger they are, the faster they die.
I roll my weight and flip him hard onto his back. He wheezes, but he’s already rolling, warily trying to locate me.
He is so out of his league that I almost feel like it’s a crime to kill him.
“You have a friend,” Rolly cheers.
“Rolly,” I growl. “I don’t want a commentary.”
“But you’re going to get one.”
I sigh heavily and whirl in, moving in a spin, showing off just a little bit, all my fancy footwork and speed. It did take me years to get this skilled. A lot of pain, but I know I look damn good, and judging by the way Rolly cheers, I have outperformed myself.
“Oh, that was gorgeous.”
“You’re just trying to get in my pants.”
“Always. But you still look good kicking his ass.”
I smile and find the assassin staring at me, his expression distorted with rage.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you know how to have fun?”
“You need to go back to where you belong,” he spits. “Your master summons you.”
I sigh heavily. “You know, I thought that too for a long time, and then there’s the whole torture and abuse and dark rooms with concrete floors, and I suddenly realised, fuck that shit, I like beds.”
“And cock!” Rolly adds helpfully. “Look at our girl, all grown up,” Rolly says to King.
“You have a purpose. A reason. He gave you everything.”
I stand up straight, dropping my fighting stance. “I see, I see. So, when did you start reaming his ass? Was it before or after you let him use you like a cock sleeve?”
He roars.
“See, that there. You are so dramatic. I don’t want to go back. Obviously, I won’t go back. I am doing things. Tell him I’m busy.”
He dances in, jab, jab, strike. All his attempts fail to land. I’m much better trained. He’s had me in a dark room all my life. How can I not be?
“Give up already. Tell him you couldn’t find me, I mean it’s not far from the truth.”
“Selfish, horrible, disgusting traitor.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “My feelings are hurt.”
“You’re going to be hurt when I get through with you.”
“Oh, that was really clever. I am visibly cowed.”
King and Rolly laugh.
I don’t see them, but I feel the rest of the pack’s approval. But like Rolly and King, they stand back to the side, listening intently. Not interfering. It makes my heart warm.
He snarls and kicks, pulling out a blade, and I think I might have managed to get him angry enough that he may want to hurt and/or kill me.
We spin, kicking, punching, blocking, me staying one hair ahead of that knife, not letting him touch me but letting him close enough that he thinks he has a chance.
I flip back, five times over and over, and land in a crouch.
“Is it my turn now?”
I don’t give him a chance to react, I rush him, stabbing my fist into his pudgy side. He’s not got the muscles he should have. Someone doesn’t practice very much. I hit him on the shoulder, a blow that should deaden it for a second, then I clap both hands hard to his ears.
He screams.
I dance back, watching as he howls and rushes around.
“He’s not one of you.”
“A Nightingale? No, he’s not. I would guess he’s one of the idiot converts that Father uses when he’s causing mischief. One of the Flock,” I say with scorn.
“Are you going to finish this?”
With a sigh, I study the wailing idiot, then shrug. “I guess so. I was just enjoying watching him struggle and suffer.”
“Aww, you are the most adorable omega I’ve ever met,” Rolly purrs.
King kisses my cheek. “Go take care of this. I’m hungry.”
“Well, you did work up an appetite.”
He brushes a hand down my back, and the anger fizzles and fades before I turn and look back at the guy who is walking towards me.
Okay, back to angry.
He pulls out a gun.
“That is cheating!” I hiss.
He doesn’t care, he just keeps walking.
I haven’t moved, I’m watching to see how this is going to play out, but then Pix swings in and shoves his arm up. The gun goes off, but Pix snaps his neck.
His chest heaves, he glares down at the body. “No one touches my omega.”
Swoon.
I lick my lips and walk towards him, nervously reaching out and taking his hand. He whirls on me and yanks me into his arms.
“I was scared,” he growls. “He was going to shoot you.”
“I was fine.”
“You were not. He was going to, a second or two more.”
I step closer, looking through my lashes. “You really were scared, weren’t you?”
“Yes,” he growls and grips a handful of my hair, yanking my head back. “Yes, I was. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
I look up into his eyes. “Raven has been fighting him for years. I think…I think I finally believe her. We can beat him. He is human. I can be more than just me.”
Pix stares, his dark eyes piercing but warm, seeing all the things I don’t know how to say.
“We can defeat him. Look at everything we’ve done. How far we’ve come. We can do it, I know we can.”
I sound hysterical, and I know he can hear it, but he doesn’t comment. He just stares at me before pulling us together so we’re chest to chest.
“Thank you.”
“What?” I protest into his shoulder.
“You finally said we. You’ve accepted that we’re together. One pack.”
My eyes widen. I had, I have. We have, but in particular, I have.
“Okay, let’s get food and get out of here before King summons another gang to come and start a war with us.”
I laugh softly and pull away. When I glance at where the body was, it’s gone. There is nothing there to indicate what happened.
The street is as quiet as it was when we arrived.