Broken Loyalty (Jacky Leon Book 3)

by K. N. Banet

  Honestly, I couldn’t wrap my head around it either. The concept of anyone attacking our family through me was insane. It was definitely a death wish.

  “Maybe they just hate Jacky,” Davor said. “Young, impetuous. We’ve all had a front row seat to how unpopular she is among the werecats. Maybe they’re fine with our family, but don’t want her in power.”

  “Especially since she has werewolves so close to her,” Jabari said, looking away from the camera with a thoughtful expression.

  “Then all of the European werecats would have tried to kill me ages ago,” Niko growled. “I don’t think it’s just because Heath and his boy are in her territory.”

  “Why?” I asked, realizing I had a chance to learn a little more about Niko. Why would anything like my situation relate to him?

  The call was silent again, and I watched how my siblings discreetly looked away from their cameras.

  “What do you all know that I don’t?” I demanded. “Come on. I might die tomorrow. I think it’s time for at least some of the family secrets to end.”

  “My biological parents were werewolves,” Niko explained with an abruptness that caught me off guard. “Well, my father was, and my mother went through the Change after I was born. They were killed by other werewolves during the War. Hasan found me running for my life, so I wouldn’t be Changed and turned into fodder for the War like the other young males of my pack. He finished raising me, and I decided I would rather be a werecat. Everyone in the family loved me and took me in, even knowing who my biological family was. Everyone except Davor, but then, he doesn’t like anyone.”

  “Oh shit,” I said, leaning back. “Well…fuck.” Then it dawned on me. “Niko, The Traitor.”

  “It’s been said, though less frequently now, that I betrayed my own kind,” he said with a sharp smile. “It’s also led other werecats to be somewhat distrustful of me since I spent much of my childhood with my pack, my werewolf family. I can’t blame them. Both of my biological older brothers were werewolves. I was the youngest of three. They…fought in the War on the other side by their own choices.”

  “I’m sorry for being nosy.” I felt guilty for prying.

  “It was time you knew. You do have a point. You might die tomorrow.” He seemed sad. “Please don’t do that, by the way.”

  “I’ll try my best. Hasan, do you want to tell me anything?”

  “If you live through tomorrow, I’ll tell you one of my secrets. How about that?” He also gave me a sad smile.

  “Ah, going to use it as an incentive. Cool.” I hate this. It suddenly feels like I’m at my own funeral. “I’m going to hold you to it this time, Hasan.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Jabari said sternly. “I know how well you fight. You learned well with Hasan after you were Changed, and you have a good head on your shoulders. I believe in you.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “If you don’t make it out, just know, we’ll come, and we’ll kill every single one of them in your name,” he promised with a snarl.

  “And burn down their homes and take their land?” I asked.

  “If we have to. If these rogues even have anything to their names. This is why I hate rogues. Classless, unruly, and—”

  “Excuse me,” Mischa cut in. “But let’s not treat all rogues like they’re fucking shitheads. These are, sure, but I play by our established rules, and it helps me maintain my region for Father.”

  “Sorry,” Jabari grumbled. “But you can’t deny this is underhanded and mean. This is disrespectful. This is unacceptable.”

  “You’re right, but let’s not write off an entire portion of the werecat population because you don’t agree with their life choices.”

  “Can you two have this conversation after I run for my life?” I asked impatiently. “We never answered Hisao’s question. When do you all come here and help me?”

  “With the full moon so close, we can’t possibly fly out right now. We can leave the moment it’s over and head to Dallas. From there, we’ll converge on your territory.” Zuri seemed confident in her answer.

  “I think we wait even longer,” Davor said softly. “And that’s not because I don’t like you, Jacky. It’s practicality. If we fly out right after the full moon, we’re possibly going in blind.”

  “I must agree with him, my sister,” Jabari said to Zuri. “It would be best to wait for word from Jacky…or the ones who are doing this. They won’t kill a child of Hasan without making it public knowledge as quickly as they can, no matter their reasons.”

  That made my stomach flip.

  “So, I’m on my own until I can get ahold of you, or they do because I’m dead.”

  “I don’t find that acceptable,” Hasan growled.

  “Father—”

  “No, Jabari—”

  “Hasan,” I said, trying to stop the argument. “He’s right, and I don’t want any of you getting killed for me. We don’t know what’s going on, and we need to. If I get away, we can meet up after I call you. If I don’t, you’ll need to worry about how to protect everyone else.”

  “Then we should let you go, so you can prepare,” he said gently. “You could leave right now.”

  “Yeah, I know. Abandon my territory and seem weak. Give the werecats of the Americas and the world the impression a few jokesters could chase me and mine off my territory because I’m young and inexperienced. Because my family wasn’t around to defend me. We all know how that would play out. It would destroy the small reputation I do have with the werewolves in Dallas and in Washington with the vampires. I would be a laughingstock. I can’t leave until I know they’re here to kill me. I can’t do it.”

  He nodded slowly. “I know, but none of us would judge you for it.”

  “Sure.” I played with my computer mouse. “I’m going to go. I guess I have a lot to think about until tomorrow. I gave Heath your number in case he hears from me, and you don’t. I’ll text you his contact information in case the reverse happens. Good night, everyone.”

  “Good night,” Hasan barely got in before I hung up.

  I quickly texted Hasan Heath’s number and added Landon’s, just in case.

  Then I went to my room and waited.

  13

  Chapter Thirteen

  The full moon was only an hour away when I stepped out onto my front porch. I knew they were coming. I could feel it in my bones that come sundown and the moon rose high, I would be called by the curse, and they would come.

  I had no idea why, and I probably wouldn’t learn any time soon. I texted a few people, hoping they would appreciate knowing I was still okay, then put my phone away in the duffle I planned on carrying while escaping my territory. I could only hope I held onto control well enough that my feline didn’t decide to do anything dangerous, like fight any of them.

  I knew they were coming, and so did my cat. I figured it was my cat that understood the threat better than my human mind ever could. Maybe the animal mind was more knowledgeable and had been trying to send me this message for weeks.

  My territory wasn’t safe, and they were going to attack.

  I just wished I knew why. What was going on, and why did they telegraph their intentions for nearly a month? What was the objective?

  I stared into the woods and said words I needed to get off my chest one more time.

  “Goddamn it, I didn’t sign up for this. Why did Hasan have to choose me for a daughter?” Frustration, anger, and fear rolled around in my chest and gut, making me want to be sick. This was what they had been doing for weeks—throwing me off balance with an unknown purpose.

  My phone buzzed in my bag, but I ignored it, watching how the sun fell slowly. I was already nude with a fresh pair of clothes in my bag for dawn. Everyone knew the plan was for me to run until I thought I was safe, then contact everyone to let them know I was alive. There was nothing to do now but wait.

  When the full moon’s power claimed me, I Changed but didn’t move from my
front porch. Picking up my bag with my teeth, I dropped it in front of me, making it easy to grab and run with when they arrived.

  I flexed my paws, extending my claws and scratching the wood of my porch as the stars began to twinkle, and the moon rose high. A couple of hours after nightfall, I finally felt them come into my territory.

  They covered the four cardinal directions, and to my horror, they covered the intermediate directions.

  Four to five to eight werecats—more in their numbers than I could have ever considered. I didn’t know all of their scents, blind against four of them, not knowing if they were male or female, old or young. Nothing.

  It was all I needed, though, to know without a doubt what they planned tonight.

  They’re here to kill me.

  As I grabbed my bag and started to move, I quickly decided I should run northwest and try to get through there, which would put me on the road toward Dallas. While the Dallas pack might not consider Heath a friend anymore, they would let me pass through. There wasn’t any reason for them to tell me I couldn’t be there.

  I ran, knowing where the other werecats were every step of the way. I skidded to a stop and sank into a creek when the one in my way of escape was close, only a hundred yards away. I used the noise of the running water to cover my sound as I went upstream, letting the water wash my scent away. It wasn’t a perfect technique, and most predators were smart enough to scour the banks of any water source to find where the trail would continue, but it would give me a little bit of an edge.

  I jumped out of the water close to my territory border and heard a roar from the south. The werecat I passed must have encountered my scent. They were moving more erratically now, and the others were converging faster.

  I didn’t take the time to see what would happen next, making a mad dash for my border and escaping my own territory. The immediate feeling of blindness, losing my idea of where my enemies were, was an uncomfortable one. I never liked leaving my territory, and tonight, that dislike was amplified into a general hatred and fear of the unknown.

  It made me slow down, move more cautiously, keeping a watchful eye out, and my ears open for anything out of the ordinary. One thing I almost never did was leave my territory in cat form, with only a couple of notable times I’d had to. I didn’t know the land well, and the area wasn’t unpopulated, so avoiding human homes was a necessary part of my plan.

  I heard them before I saw them, two werecats coming fast behind me, not nearly as cautious or careful as I was. With a snarl, I moved into a full sprint, trying to leave them behind.

  I wasn’t fast enough. Like any smart cat, one was able to get on my heels and swiped at my back legs, causing me to miss a step and stumble, losing my run. I let go of my bag and rolled to catch one of them as they tried to land on me. Claws out, we rolled in the dirt, snarling and biting.

  “Let’s go, bitch,” I snarled into the other werecat’s head, smelling it was a female. She was stunned for only a moment, and I sank my fangs into the soft place between her neck and shoulder, shaking hard, trying to tear a chunk out of her.

  The other werecat grabbed my back-left leg and yanked, making me fall off balance, but I didn’t loosen my grip on the female.

  This is fight or die, and I have no fucking intention of dying tonight.

  The werecat I was holding onto pawed my face hard enough to make me dizzy. I tugged harder, feeling and hearing the flesh rend from bone and tendon as the blood began to pour. The female screamed an unholy yowl I knew I would have nightmares about.

  If I survived the night.

  I knew the wound on the female was fatal, but I didn’t have a chance to turn and go after the larger male holding my leg. He pulled me off my feet just as a third werecat barreled into the side of me, knocking the wind out of my chest. The impact twisted my leg uncomfortably, and I had to use my free leg to try to kick the male off as my fangs searched for the new combatant trying to pin me down. I hit something and heard a yowl as the male released my leg. I brought my back legs up and raked them against the werecat over me, but not before the new male was able to give me several scratches on my chest and sides.

  A feline scream greeted me as I felt my back claws tear through flesh. I rolled, taking my attacker with me, and got him on his back. Instead of continuing my attack, I took my chance to hop off him and started running again.

  I can’t win this.

  I darted into the woods, this time not caring where I was going or who I might run into. Even the cat that lived within me decided this was a losing fight, and consequences be damned, running was the best choice.

  I heard them pursue, an innumerable footsteps racing behind me, trying to catch me. I dodged trees and logs as I ran, panting as the pain of my injuries began to settle in.

  I wasn’t fast enough. Two fresh werecats gained on me, and one leaped. I tried to get out of the way, but several hundred pounds of feline landed on my back, taking me down. We slid for a few feet as I rolled to try to knock off the female werecat.

  Fangs grabbed my shoulder and sank in, taking hold. Another werecat caught up, grabbed one of my back legs, and yanked hard, forcing me out of my defensive position.

  “I’m not dying tonight,” I roared in their heads, swiping a paw at the side of the head above me. Bone crunched, and the cat was knocked unconscious, slumping to the side. With a snarl, I clawed at the one on my shoulder, trying to knock it loose. It eventually let go, but I could see more ready to join the fight.

  “You’ll pay for this,” I growled.

  I knew I could have asked why, but I wouldn’t have gotten a response. There was only one werecat who could properly communicate in feline form—me.

  The one holding my leg released his hold, and I scrambled to stand, turning wildly to see the seven living werecats around me. I was blocked in.

  “You’ll never get anyone who lives in my territory. I sent the wolves away. I sent my humans away. They’ll be under the protection of my family until the day your bones go to dust.”

  One of the larger males snarled. He was nearly as big as Jabari or Hasan, a testament to his age. He had to be a few thousand years old to reach that size.

  I faced off with him as he prowled into the circle. I had no intention of fighting him. I knew the others would only wait a moment to join in, especially if I was winning. There was only one way for me to live through the night—I needed to get out of the circle of death they had made just for me.

  He left a gap, and once he was ten yards away from it and I was closer, I turned and went for it.

  I’m not dying tonight.

  I made it through the hole, but not very far as the two werecats closest to me gave chase. One knocked me with a painful slap to the bites I already had on my back leg. The other rammed his shoulder into me, sending me twisting and falling into the dirt. I didn’t spare a moment to think, fighting to get to my feet and keep moving. One of the werecats jumped on my back and clawed me open in several places. When a loud snarl echoed through the trees, the cat jumped off, and I staggered from blood loss as I walked.

  No. I’m not dying tonight.

  I wanted to get back to Carey. And Heath. I wanted to see my family again.

  I tried to keep moving, but with a lazy nudge, the biggest male knocked me off my feet and snarled in my face. I weakly snarled back.

  Huffing in my face, the big male brought up a paw and hit me across the jaw. It didn’t quite knock me unconscious, but it was close, making my head spin. He did it a second time, and I was driven closer to failing. I tried to get on my feet, and he slammed me back down, snarling viciously in my face. He put his weight on his front leg over my neck, and my air was nearly cut off.

  “Don’t do this,” I said desperately.

  He didn’t stop, and soon, black spots filled my vision, and I passed out.

  14

  Chapter Fourteen

  I woke up feeling as if every part of my body was in pain in some way or another. I was still in we
recat form, and I could barely move, thanks to stiffness and pain. I was almost certain none of my bones were broken, but I didn’t discount the possibility of small fractures in my bones where enemy fangs had hit them.

  “She gave us a real fight last night,” a man said, his words colored with a deep southern accent from somewhere like Georgia or Alabama.

  “She did. Smart one, too. She knew she couldn’t take us and based everything she did on the chance of getting away,” a deeper male voice said. He didn’t have an accent, and for some reason, that bothered me more. Most old cats learned how to speak languages fluently, cover up old accents, or even speak in new ones. All good skills to have when someone had to blend in for centuries on end as humans changed. It also destroyed any ability to place the person with any reliability unless you knew more about them.

  “She has fucking pack magic,” someone snapped, this one female. “Tell me I’m not the only one to notice that.”

  I opened one eye and realized they weren’t in the room with me. I was in a basement, and the cage around me was well built and probably had silver in it because anything else wouldn’t do. I didn’t immediately Change, deciding to remain in my werecat form for a time. If I didn’t move or try to return to my human form, they wouldn’t know I was awake.

  I spent the time taking in the room, knowing I needed to be able to describe it later when I got out. The ground was concrete, and the walls seemed to be barely finished unpainted plaster. The bars of my cage were built into the ceilings and floors. On one wall, there was a shelving system, holding the normal things that could be found in a basement or garage—cleaning supplies and construction hardware. Across the room was a door, probably the only exit.