by P. Jameson
Being free meant she was never going back.
A crackle of energy whipped through the air, jerking everyone to attention. Even Felix. It was like static electricity making the small hairs on her arm stand on end.
“Get. Your. Hands off her.” The voice was deadly, and almost unrecognizable. But she would recognize her man anywhere. And he sounded so damn good right about now.
“Ratchet?” Felix sounded confused. But when Ratchet stepped into the light, glowing eyes narrowed on Marlee, furious scowl leveled on the place where Felix had her arm twisted, the Alley Cat leader seemed to laugh him off. “Shit, man. What happened to you? You look like hell.”
“Take your hands off my woman. Now.” The last word ended on a threatening growl as the crowd parted for him and he stalked forward looking for all the world like a warrior intent on leaving a trail of blood behind him.
Animal, she thought.
“Your woman?” Felix scoffed looking more shocked than he probably meant to. “Since when do you have a woman, Ratchet? You steal her from Bastian? Because if you did, I don’t think I can help you. He wants her dead. You fucked up, man.”
Ratchet shook with fury and Felix dropped her arm, throwing his hands up.
“Fine. Shit. I’ll be taking this out of your skin, asshole,” he seethed, eyes narrowed.
Marlee noticed Leah balk. Felix was going to cut him for this.
“No one. Touches. Her. No one touches mine.”
The other Alley Cats shifted nervously, looking back and forth between their leader and Ratchet.
Felix gave him a ruthless smirk. “She won’t be yours for long. I’m giving her back to Bastian. Along with your mother as a peace offering.” He shot Leah a cruel look. “Sorry, Mama, really. But you shouldn’t have betrayed your clan like this. Now I have to fix this shit.”
“Wait,” Skittles said. “We giving Bastian our own? We doing that now?”
“Fuck yeah,” Felix snapped. “You rather die, asshole?”
Skittles didn’t answer. Felix spun to face the others.
“We die at Bastian’s hand if he finds out we have his property and didn’t give it back. Weak fuckers, all of you. Maybe it’s time for another flaying. Remind you all what the fuck you really are.”
Ratchet growled, stepping between Marlee and his leader. She felt the heat rolling off of him, warming the cool night air. So much heat. She wanted to reach out and touch him one more time. But he vibrated with so much emotion it seemed he would break apart.
“She’s going back. Right now. That’s a motherfucking order. Monster, Fang. Grab her. Mama Kitty will go willingly. Won’t you, Mama?”
“Ratchet?” Marlee whimpered.
His fists clenched. Open and shut. Again and again.
And she must have been panic-hallucinating because it looked like they were sparking.
He turned to find her over his shoulder. And his eyes flared that fiery blue. But more. There were… there were… flames.
“Run, lamb.”
It was the last words he said to her before his body exploded into a ripping, snarling, avenging ball of fire.
Chapter Twenty One
We burn. We burn free.
Ratchet glared at Felix. At Skittles and Monster. At his entire clan.
We burn. We burn free.
They wouldn’t be hurting anyone tonight.
We burn. We burn free.
The beast inside chanted the phrase, directing Ratchet’s fury to the heart of him and letting it fuel something brand new. Something amazing. Something that was going to change everything.
Because he knew the truth now.
He was enough for Marlee. He’d only needed to believe it.
Letting her go had finished the curse. The ultimate sacrifice. One done in love. True, unconditional, unselfish love. It was the key.
It was the cure.
For so much more than just the curse. It was the thing that would save them all.
Starting with his mate.
He was enough. He would be her protector for the rest of his days and show his clan the way. Show them how to be human enough to deserve a shifter.
The most powerful shifter of all.
Pain like he’d never endured shot through his limbs. Pure fire hotter than any hell flame, reminding him of his past transgressions. Reminding him this was his new beginning and payment for the sins he’d committed all rolled into one burning purification.
This was his redemption.
The firecat ripped Ratchet’s body to pieces as it roared to a victorious shift. Human skin became rippling lion’s fur. Fisting fingers became deadly razored claws. His golden hair became a mane of fire, flickering around his head, roaring in his ears as it burned. So hot.
But not consuming.
He let off a vicious roar, twisting his massive head in every direction. A declaration to the world.
I am a King of beasts. And my Queen will not be harmed.
“Fuck.” Felix cowered backward, too close to the burst of fire Ratchet spewed from his throat. He smelled the sharp scent of singed hair from his leader’s arms.
It was a warning.
The next time, he wouldn’t miss.
Felix’s hands went up, feigning surrender. “How?” he asked. “Tell me how you broke the damn curse.”
Ratchet paced a boundary in front of the Alley Cats, letting his flaming body lick heat at them as he made pass after pass.
Look on me. Never cross me.
“Son of a bitch,” Felix snarled. “Tell me how you did this.”
Ratchet let off another roar.
“He didn’t,” Skittles spoke up. “The female did.”
Felix glared at his second. “Explain.”
Skittles pulled the photo from his vest pocket and held it up for all to see.
Monster let off a warning growl but Skittles ignored him.
“These are Bastian’s dolls. Like this one, we have to free them. They are the answer to healing our beasts. Or… some of them at least. One is mine. She calls to my beast. Whatever happened to Malcom, Ratchet… it can happen for all of us. But we have to change. That’s what the Sorcera said. The curse only breaks with a change.” He turned to Felix. “You want to know how? His girl made him feel. Changed him. Like the fathers did with us, except pure. She made him fear something bigger than… you. Bigger than this clan.”
Felix shook his head, glaring, but Ratchet saw the wheels turning behind his eyes. The hunger for power. The desire to be strong again. Feared again.
“Fear what?”
Skittles stared at the photo. Squinted hard. Swallowed until his throat bobbed.
“Life without her,” he muttered.
He shook his head, looking uneasy and stuffed the picture back in his vest. Edging forward, he drew near to Ratchet, head bowed in deference to the beast. When he was close enough that the heat from the firecat could burn him, he dropped to his knees on the gravel… and bowed.
Ratchet growled warily, smoke chuffing from his nostrils as he stared at his brother.
What was this?
“I want to fight for the future,” Skittles rumbled. “This is the way. I pledge to you.”
One by one, Alley Cats took to their knees, following Skittles’ lead. Half of them were drunk, but you couldn’t tell it from their sobered expressions. Hopeful even. Plenty would want the firecat for the wrong reasons. But the best part of the curse was that they couldn’t get it unless it was for the right ones.
A failsafe that had almost cost him his future. He was so glad he chose right. Chose freedom.
Ratchet needed to thank the Sorcera someday. With or without the curse, he might’ve found Marlee. But without it, he wouldn’t have become the man she needed.
The fire of the beast faded as he stared at his brothers. They wanted him to lead them out of the darkness. But it wasn’t his job.
He found Felix desperately trying to hide the devastation of seeing his clan bow before another
. One more powerful than him.
Ratchet shifted, letting his new animal fall away until he was human again. Skin and bone reforming, and he stood, taking in his brothers. The raw feelings rushing at him as they struggled to make sense of all that was happening.
“I’m not your leader,” he bellowed. “Felix is. He put you here. He’s your fucking Moses. I’m only here to make sure he does right by you. Understand?” Ratchet turned to the broken man with the broken beast. With his crippled, fucked up heart that maybe could never be redeemed. “You lead your people. Do it fucking right. And we will all follow.”
Felix stared him down, jaw tight. Stared for so long Ratchet wondered if they would battle. He didn’t want to put Felix down. He knew the man had been formed with cruel and vicious hands like they all had. But if Ratchet could change… if Skittles could, or Monster… then there was still hope for the cruelest of them all.
The savage heart.
Felix nodded slowly. His eyes went dull and he stared across the lot at his people before turning back to Ratchet.
“Fine. You want war with Bastian? You better be prepared for the fallout.”
With that, he stalked off toward the warehouse.
Little by little the cats scattered until only Skittles, Monster, and Fang remained. They got to their feet, none of them looking unshaken.
Fang eyed Ratchet. He still had his beer in his hand and his fly was down. “So, uh… cool trick, bro.”
“Shut up, asshole.”
Fang shrugged. “What? Just saying.”
Ratchet turned to find Marlee, but she was nowhere to be seen. His mother stood in the door of the shed, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Where is she?” he asked.
But she shook her head sadly. “She left. You said run, Thomas. She did.”
Wait. Marlee was gone?
His breath stalled imagining what she must have thought when his beast came out. Shit, she probably thought he was a monster. But the monster was who he used to be. The thing he was now could protect her. Would guard her like the most precious treasure.
He could finally keep her safe and now she was running from him.
Fuck.
He had to find her.
Hunt mate. Track her scent.
Ratchet’s lips twisted in a satisfied smirk. He could do that now.
“Spread out. Find her. But don’t fucking scare her.” He gave Fang a warning glare. “I need your pants.”
It wasn’t a good idea, wearing Fang’s pants… shit, nasty bastard… but he couldn’t go looking for his mate buck-ass naked.
“Excuse me, what?”
“Your pants. Give me your fucking pants.”
Fang laughed. “Not happening. These are mine. Go find your own drawers.”
“Hand ‘em over or I take your nuts.”
“What would you do with them though? That’s the question.”
Ratchet let off a smoky growl and Fang jumped back.
“Okay, okay. Barbecued nuts don’t sound like my kind-a fun.” He dropped his jeans, hopping on one foot to get them past his boot. But he was too wasted and ended up on his ass while seconds ticked off and Marlee got farther away.
Ratchet sent Skittles and Monster ahead, following when he was finally in Fang’s nasty jeans. He left his mother to deal with the cat.
He had a mate to catch.
He ran, barefoot across the lot, letting his new beast be his guide, feeling the freedom of being whole. He’d never take his power… his gift… for granted again.
Mate is close, the beast purred.
He’d follow her scent like a fucking bloodhound until he found her and kissed her silly. He’d explain his firecat. Show her he was safe. Like he had before. With gifts and soft touches and patience.
Then he was keeping her.
Forever.
***
Marlee paced the darkness of her small hiding spot with only the flashlight to keep her steady, trying to make sense of what she’d just witnessed.
A burning lion.
Her man was a burning lion.
Okay.
No. Not okay.
What the hell.
Ratchet told her he had an animal inside him. He’d warned her. But couldn’t he have done more? Like… like…
She sighed.
Right. How did you put a warning label on that?
She recalled what he’d said to Skittles and Monster when she was hiding in the bathroom. To heal our animals, break the curse the witches put on us, we have to change in our hearts.
It had all seemed so symbolic. She thought they were talking their clan speak.
Or when Ratchet sensed she was pregnant. My animal, it’s in me, and it knew.
Which made her wonder…
She pressed a shaking palm to her belly. Was this baby a burning lion too?
Or when he set her free because he had no way to keep her safe. I wasn’t enough. I can’t bring the firecat out, no matter how much I love you. I can’t protect you.
But now he could. He had.
Ratchet stood up to his clan, to Felix. And he would do the same against Bastian.
This meant she could stay. It meant they could be a family. That she didn’t have to do things alone.
It meant…
It meant she’d be living with a beast. And while that worked out for Belle, this wasn’t a fairytale. This was somehow real life.
Ratchet was a burning lion. And she was a lamb.
Did she trust him enough to swallow all this down like it was nothing? To be with him in this strange existence. To fight for the dolls with him and the others.
For the first time in a long time, she had a choice.
What will you do, Marlee?
She gripped the flashlight to her chest as she paced in the dark. The dark she so hated.
She stared at the light. It was one of those hard metal ones that was bright as day. It lit up her entire hiding spot.
Ratchet packed it for her. So she’d have it for a time just like this. In case she was forced into the darkness.
He’d done that. Thought of her fears and made a way to battle them back.
The breath eased out of her chest as she realized… he always would.
Because that’s who he was. What he was didn’t matter.
Treasures from the trash. “Glitter” Girls and chocolate cake. Holding pinkies and taking her no as law. That was the Ratchet she knew and loved. The one who cared so much about her safety he’d set her free. If he happened to have a burning beast in him, then yeah, fine. She loved a beast.
And now she was using her freedom to return to him.
Chapter Twenty Two
Ratchet slammed his bedroom door in frustration. He couldn’t find his lamb. She was nowhere. They’d searched the property and followed her trail out to the alley. Where it disappeared at the street. Now the guys were driving around the area looking—with the warning that Ratchet would fry anyone who touched her.
But it was pointless, he knew.
She was gone. Fucking gone.
He shucked Fang’s pants and tossed them in the basket. Then he thought better of it, and threw them in the garbage.
Stalking to the bathroom, he gave the shower faucet an angry twist and stepped under the spray, not waiting for the water to warm up. The cold wouldn’t bother him now.
His mom had come clean about her plan to have Skittles take Marlee back to Bastian. And Skittles had told him he’d only considered it because he hoped she would tell him the name of his girl. And maybe help him find a way to get her free.
But his mom had a change of heart and took Marlee out through the shed where Felix and Skittles had put a fucking alarm.
Ratchet’s suggestion, Skittles reminded him.
No matter what their intentions were, the idea that he’d almost given Marlee to the wolf-in-sheep’s clothing sat all wrong with him.
He wouldn’t make that mistake again. His beast would guide his instincts
. And he’d trust no one with his mate’s safety.
If he ever found her.
He cranked off the water and stepped out of the shower, snapping a towel free and wrapping it around his waist.
In the room, he stood staring at the bed. He didn’t want to get in it. Not ever.
He’d take the chair. The fucking chair.
But he wasn’t sleeping anyway. He just needed to think. About Marlee and where she might go. And come morning, he was going after her. Maybe she didn’t want to see him, but he had to explain things.
He pulled on his own jeans, not spending the effort to button them, and grabbed a beer from the fridge, popping it open and gulping half of it down in one swig. He put his ass in the chair and reached for her pillow, bringing it to his nose to breathe her sweet scent. It was a thousand times stronger now with his sharper senses.
Oh, shit. He missed her so much already. He drew in a trembling breath and brushed away the fucking wetness from his eyes.
His beast whimpered inside, pacing and demanding he do something.
“Like what?” he growled.
He gripped the pillow in his fist, hard enough to rip the fabric. But he didn’t want to ruin it. He needed as much of her scent as possible to keep him sane until he found her. Instead, he threw it against the wall.
Ratchet frowned as a slip of paper fluttered free of the pillowcase and landed on the floor.
The hell?
Pushing to a stand and setting his beer on the floor, he walked over, bending to retrieve it. In rushed scribble, were the words:
I’m coming back for the marble. In the meantime, look for me in the stars. I’ll be the one holding your pinky.
Ratchet blinked, reading Marlee’s message again.
She’d planned on coming back. Maybe not right away, but she had wanted to battle her way back to him when he’d made it safe for her. She hadn’t realized without the firecat, it never would’ve been safe enough.
And now that it was…
He stood, unable to take his eyes off her message.
Shit.
His beast chuffed at the pain lighting up his chest.
He swiped at his tears again. He was really crying. Fuck, whatever. This was who he was now. Half a man without her.
