“Well, now, it’s been a while, brother.” The beast spoke, deep guttural sounds that made each word grating to her ears.
Malik stood before the Bear, holding his ground and glaring hatefully into the beast’s eyes.
“Kamal,” Malik spat.
“How dare you attempt to take Elle from me?”
“An eye for an eye, is that not what we’ve learned?”
The bear replied, taking several long strides around the cabin, never breaking the stare down with the man.
Elle watched the exchange with growing confusion, unsure how to handle this chain of events.
“You’ve taken everything I ever wanted. Now I take the woman you now desire. Is that not fair?”
“No one’s taken anything from anyone,” Malik replied icily.
“As the eldest, the inheritance is rightfully mine.”
“LIAR!” The bear roared. Elle slapped her hands to her ears, sinking against the wall to avoid being seen. “
You told me you never wanted the empire! You promised me that I would be the one to take your place as heir!”
Malik was unperturbed.
“Things change, Kamal. I stopped running away years ago. It’s time you end this idiot crusade of yours and return home.”
“And then what?” The Bear let out another laugh, vicious and awful.
“To await banishment? We both know father has been searching for an excuse to rid himself of his youngest son. Too much of an embarrassment to the empire, too much of a burden.”
Malik’s expression changed to a pained look, “You know that is not true. Father loves you, Kamal.”
“Hilarious to hear that from the favorite!” The animal roared.
“Never has he been able to tell us apart, until now! But now that I have my chance, I can get rid of you and gain everything you have. Luck is on my side tonight, brother.”
And suddenly, the bear lunged toward Malik, pouncing with such force that they both tumbled out and through the door. The wood splintered hard from the collision.
Elle let out another shriek, watching wildly as man and bear began to wrestle.
Running outside, she watched as the bear tried to bite down on Malik’s neck. Instead, the dark-skinned man threw an arm up, gritting his teeth when his brother’s jaws clamped down over the flesh of his arm. Blood exploded from the wounds, dripping over Malik’s face and staining his clothes.
Elle gasped, throwing a hand to her mouth as she watched the fight proceed. Malik lifted his legs before kicking hard at the bear’s stomach, throwing the beast over his head.
The bear rolled, claws swiping hard in the direction of the man, managing to slash at Malik’s chest.
Four long stripes over his chest burst with crimson and in the darkness of night, Elle could see him double over for a moment, grasping to the wounds.
“Zayn!” Elle shouted.
“Stay back!” He snapped back, throwing his wounded arm in her direction.
And then his body was suddenly writhing as well. “Priya! Take her away!”
Without warning, a small petite figure darted in front of Elle, making the woman yelp in surprise.
Priya’s eyes were wild with focus, grabbing around Elle’s wrists before pulling her.
“Look at me, gori. Are you wounded?”
Elle couldn’t reply, her eyes jumping back to Malik’s figure, unable to tear her attention away as Malik’s body expanded not unlike she had seen the other Malik’s body do. A loud roar escaped Malik’s throat, filling the air with its resonance.
“Gori!” Priya exclaimed, yanking at Elle’s face to look at her. “Stop looking and come with me. We need to get you away from him.”
“But—Malik… What—” Elle stammered, but Priya didn’t give her a chance to protest, pulling the woman with her with surprising force.
Still, Elle turned her head to try to see, her eyes wide as she beheld the two beasts collide with thunderous power.
Claws swiped left and right, and in the scramble, Elle could no longer tell who her Malik was and who was the imposter.
Priya yanked her away from the battle towards Malik’s Mercedes Benz, stopping short when one of the bears let out a particular high roar. Turning her head in the direction of the battle, the woman gave a sound of distress before turning toward Elle.
“You get in the car and you drive away, do you understand me? Get out of here and you don’t come back.”
“Priya—what is happening?” Elle asked gripping to the woman’s hands tightly.
“What is he—who was that other man?”
“Just go, gori!” Priya snapped before tearing herself away and rushing toward the sounds of the battle.
The last thing Elle saw of the woman was her body shift as well before disappearing into the woods. But Elle couldn’t just leave. She just couldn’t.
Another roar burned through the air and Elle felt her stomach fall.
Zayn…
Running back toward where Priya had disappeared, Elle tried to focus on the task at hand, but her body was shaking so hard and stumbling over tree roots nearly made Elle collapse against the earth.
But she pushed onward; she needed to know that Malik was alright.
The firelight from within the cabin was the only thing that cast a light over the area, shining over three bears as they roared and attacked each other. Elle paused to watch, the cold air stinging against her throat.
One of the larger bears was rearing, pushing its weight over its hind legs before slamming down over the earth. The other two bears pulled away from the attack, and Elle noticed one of them—a smaller built bear—dart to the side and lunge toward the bear’s head, jaws snapping hard against its neck.
The third bear was pouncing once more, slashing its claws at the other bears chest. The first bear let out a snarl, slapping its immense paw against the smaller bear and shoving it away.
The smaller bear bounced off the earth before turning to its feet, snarling viciously through a parted maw.
The two large bears faced off, rising to their hind legs and shoving at each other, enraged roars echoing through the woods and making Elle brace herself against the nearest tree.
She had no idea what to think, no idea what to do, until one of the bears slammed into the other, forcing the animal on its back. Its jaw was instantly on the other’s neck, aiming to kill. The smallest bear tackled the big bear away, and the two spun and tumbled over the earth.
The other bear turned, letting out pained grunts, one of its legs was bleeding, dragging dark trails of crimson. Elle remembered how Malik had been biting in that same arm, and gasped when she saw the bear stumble.
The small bear must be Priya.
Finally gathering her bearings, Elle tried to figure out what to do, but she could only sit back and watch as the bears battled it out.
It seemed to go on for forever until the smaller bear was suddenly thrown against a tree. A sharp whine escaped through its throat and the sound revived the bear that Elle knew to be her Malik.
It whirled and attacked the opposing beast that towered over Priya’s still body. Elle felt a gasp lodge in her throat.
Priya… no…!
Hurrying, Elle ran around the zone of battle, hoping to reach the small bear. When she arrived, Priya’s body had already shifted back to its familiar petite and very human form.
Haggard breaths escaped the woman’s body and Elle was happy at least to note she was still alive, but wounded. Gingerly, Elle grabbed the woman’s body, pulling her from the battle with some effort. Priya may have been small, but she wasn’t very light. Falling to her knees, Elle pulled the woman close against her chest, her eyes jumping toward the battle.
One of the bears made a last tackle, throwing the other against the cabin walls. The wood split with a mighty crack.
The bear let out a last snarl, pushing itself back up to its paws amongst the rubble. It began to scramble away, but was stopped when the roof of the cabin shuddere
d and snapped, caving over the bear’s head and swallowing it whole.
Elle let out a cry, hoping that that hadn’t been her Malik. The lone bear watched the cabin collapse, haggard breaths escaping it as the last of the rubble settled into silence.
Darkness found its way around them once more and when Elle’s eyes adjusted, she could see the bear begin to shift and groan.
The large figure dwindled back into a familiar body, yet Elle dared not make a move, gripping to Priya’s unconscious frame tightly.
Finally, she saw dark liquid drip from his arm into the earth, and the sight alone made her gasp out in relief, before she was shouting.
“Zayn!” She called, and she saw him turn around.
“Elle…?” He called back, before he stumbled and fell.
Elle cried out when he fell over the earth. Placing Priya back over the ground, Elle hurried toward where Malik had fallen.
She reached around him, tried to help him stand from his knees.
“Are you hurt? How bad is it?” Elle asked, her hands shaking as she searched his body for more wounds.
“I’ll…I’ll be alright,” Malik said gently, before looking up at her.
“Are you alright? He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Elle shook her head.
“I’m fine. But we need to get you out of here.”
“Where’s Priya?” Malik asked, suddenly sounding desperate to find the other woman.
“I’m alive,” Elle heard and when they turned around, Priya was standing just feet away, holding a hand to her ribs.
“She’s right, Zayn… we need to go.”
“Right.” Malik said, before turning his attention back in the direction of the fallen cabin.
“Kamal…” Priya spoke, voice sounding small. “Is he…?”
Malik turned away, pushing himself up to his feet with the help of Elle.
When he spoke, his voice was small and pain filled. “Let’s go home.”
The walk toward the car was strenuous as both Priya and Malik were injured, and despite Elle’s insistence, Priya took the wheel and drove them far away from the cabin.
The drive back was silent and heavy and for that entire time Elle could only stare out the window at the sky above before the gentle hum of the engine lulled her to an uneasy sleep.
Chapter 17
Three days later
“The matter is settled,” Priya’s voice was strong with conviction, her hazel eyes staring into the digital eyes of impressive figures of state.
One of them, was covered in special robes that signified his alliance to the Malik family, and his eyes narrowed at Priya’s announcement.
“Sheikh Zayn Abd al Malik is no longer in danger. His brother, Kamal Abd al Malik has been disposed of. So the biggest threat to the heir and the empire is no longer around to cause any more issues.”
“You are certain Kamal is truly gone?”
One of the men questioned in Arabic, looking uncertain.
“Please pardon our incredulity, Sheikha Priya Abdul al Hamik,” another man said this time in English.
“But this is not the first time Kamal has disappeared only to reappear to cause more havoc.”
“I can assure you,” Priya spoke, eyes flashing.
“Kamal is dead. Zayn himself slew him.”
A series of gasps followed at Priya’s revelation.
“If the council is pleased, then I must be excused. I must go see to the Sheikh’s well being.”
“He was wounded in the battle?”
“Yes, but it was nothing he cannot handle, Respected Sirs. I have already spoken to the Sheikh’s father, and he has been made aware of the matter.”
“What of the gori?” The first questioned.
“Can we be certain she can be trusted?”
At this, Priya smiled.
“There are few people here that I can trust with the Sheikh’s life, Master Mualim. Elle Roberts, surprisingly, has certainly proven herself to be one of them.”
Chapter 18
When Elle woke, she found herself over a large and comfortable bed, covered in a thin nightgown and fresh linens for sheets. It took her a moment for her to reorient herself when she spotted the tall figure standing feet away from the bed and staring out a long glass door.
A black robe settled over his shoulders, and in the dying light of day, the last of the sun’s rays curled over his figure like something out of a fairytale.
Elle sat up on the bed, not entirely sure how she got there.
“Zayn…?”
He gave a small start before turning to face her, his dark eyes now a piercing amber beneath the sunlight.
“Forgive me, did I wake you?”
Elle shook her head, frowning slightly.
“How did I get here?”
Malik smiled at her as he turned and approached her. The black robe fell over his chest, not covering much of his torso and exposing his powerful figure.
Her eyes fell over the ripples of flesh, remembering heatedly how that same body had pressed itself against hers in hard passionate friction.
“You fell asleep outside my waiting room,” Malik explained.
“So I had a couple of servants bring you here.”
The reminder of the battle made her rise to her feet, her eyes searching for signs of the wounds that Kamal had placed over his body. Instead, her eyes found none, surprising her.
She approached Malik, her hands reaching the skin of his torso worriedly. He remained still for her, watching her with a warm gaze as she trailed her fingertips over his skin.
“You were injured,” Elle said, meeting his eyes with a searching expression.
“I remember you being injured.”
“I was.” Malik said, nodding before lifting his hands to take hers.
“But… as you can remember, I’m not exactly a regular person.”
Elle glanced away, recounting her last conversation with Priya when they had arrived.
Elle had been treated for a bruise over her face and a few cuts on her body, and she was curious that they hadn’t been taken to a hospital. Priya soon appeared to explain that they had their own team of physicians and that Malik would be taken care of.
“You remember everything, do you not?” Priya had questioned, hazel eyes digging into her own.
Elle had nodded solemnly.
“Yes. Could…could you tell me what is going on?”
To her surprise, Priya gave her a nod before taking a seat ahead of her.
“The first thing you need to know is that we are not the only ones of our kind in this world.”
“Priya told me of what you are,” Elle said after a moment, swallowing slowly.
“That you are known as Shifters.”
“That is correct.” Malik said.
Elle peered up into his eyes, taking in the curve of his jaw, the curl of his dark hair that teased his dark eyes.
“You are not a monster,” she said, but it wasn’t a question.
She was affirming something within herself, and Malik’s expression tightened somewhat.
“In a manner of speaking.” He said.
Elle shook her head, lifting one of her hands from his hold to gingerly place over his cheek.
For three days, she had been torn between a myriad of emotions. Anger, betrayal, confusion, heart-break, misunderstanding…
She had been furious over everything that had happened, and so she had been unable to do much aside from sitting down and listening to Priya’s explanation. For hours, Elle had contemplated through everything, had cried tears of such torn pain that she had half a mind to turn and run away.
But she couldn’t run away. She couldn’t hide anymore.
She would not hide from him.
Elle may not know much, she may not understand any of this, but in the time she had spent together with Malik, she felt like she had gotten to know him fairly well.
Even though all of this threw her for such a tailspin, now that
she stood before this man and stared into his eyes, she wondered why she had doubted him so much these past couple of days.
“You may be an absolute and arrogant bastard, Zayn Abd al Malik,” she said, pronouncing his name with the same trill Priya had taught her.
He raised his brows at her words, but then she smiled, “You may be an infuriating idiot, but… you are not a monster.”
His eyes widened, lips parting for a disbelieving sigh to escape past his teeth.
Elle’s smile widened, she was probably in over her head, but she knew that there was no going back now. She didn’t want to go back anymore.
Reaching up, she pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss, one he returned with some caution. When she pulled away, she sensed a question in his eyes.
“Does this mean you have a crush on me, Miss Roberts?”
He asked and he was back to being the same Malik she had met and found herself falling for.
Rolling her eyes, Elle brought him back down to kiss her once more.
“Just kiss me, you moron.” She muttered against his mouth.
He chuckled against her mouth, but at her words, he suddenly dipped down to sweep her into his arms, yanking her body firmly against his.
Elle gasped against him, feeling their hips rub delightfully with the motion. Malik walked ahead, leading her blindly towards the bed in the large room.
When they collapsed against the covers, Elle let out a soft moan when she felt his hands run down her sides to hitch her legs over his hips, rubbing a clothed erection against her dampening heat.
She ran her fingernails up and down his back, peeling off the linen robe from his skin to expose him to her.
Malik followed suit, finding the hem of her nightgown before pushing the thin fabric up over her hips to expose her bare flesh to the cool air around them.
She felt her nipple harden in anticipation, her body shaking as he dipped down to worship gentle kisses over her neck and collarbone, paying special attention to the bruises Kamal had caused.
“I should’ve been there sooner,” Malik said, pausing to look down at her flesh with something akin to regret.
“You saved me,” Elle replied, fixing him with a reassuring smile.
“That’s all that matters.”
Romance: Auctioned To The Dragon: BBW Dragon Shifter Romance Standalone (Wild Shifters Book 1) Page 15
