by Jade White
“What would you have us do?” Beric finally asked.
“We must heal and recover and regroup—”
A sudden shriek rang out. Then a dozen or more cries and screams joined the first.
Beric and his father raced to the window. Thirty were-jaguars were on all fours, tearing through the streets, heading straight for the…
Hospital.
Just as he had feared.
Beric reached the door first and fled out of the alpha’s quarters. As soon as the sun touched him, he shifted into his jaguar and bounded for the hospital. His father was all wrong. The despicable, vile ones were the Brutal Claws. What could be lower than targeting the weak and the injured?
Only two other friendly were-jaguars were also running toward the hospital. Were so few uninjured or healed enough to fight? What were they going to do? Three against thirty was suicide.
Still, Beric couldn’t think about doing anything but defending his land and his people. He was the first to reach the last Brutal Claw, and he bounced on top of him. They fought, mostly using claws, and Beric earned new ribbons of bloody streaks on his shoulder and upper foreleg before he managed to slice the Brutal Claw’s throat.
One down.
By now, the other two were-jaguars were also fighting Brutal Claws. His father had joined the battle as well. But four were-jaguars weren’t enough to stop all of the Brutal Claws, and at least ten, if not more, barreled their way inside the hospital.
No. Never. Not on his watch.
Beric darted around the battles, ignoring the Brutal Claws as best he could, trying to avoid being drawn into fights. That became much harder to do the closer he got to the hospital. Maybe the Brutal Claws realized what he was trying to do, because four of them rushed him, a wall in front of the doors.
He released a low rumble from the back of his throat. Before the first could swipe him, a paw came out of nowhere and swiped the would-be attacker instead.
Miera. She and a few other Blood Roses had joined the battle.
It almost pained him to see her fighting, especially when she wasn’t ready for it. Her neck was still healing yet, and one good slash could easily kill her. But as much as he hated himself for it, when he spied an opening that gave him clear access to the hospital, he had to take it. Miera would be all right, he tried to reassure himself. She was a more than capable fighter. Her people would never allow her to be killed.
As much as he wanted to also defend her, there were too many innocents and weakened were-jaguars within the hospital for him to turn a blind eye away from them. As soon as he entered the hospital, shrieks and gargles and wails filled his ears, some abruptly cut off as the Brutal Claws killed one after another.
The male nurse Beric had spoken with earlier was just struck down. Beric thundered down the hall and slammed the Brutal Claw into the wall head first. Dazed, his foe shook his head and turned around to face him. Blood dripped from his snout and mouth, his claws leaving streaks of red against the tiled floor. His fangs glistened with saliva as he darted toward Beric.
He held his ground then darted to the right at the last moment. The Brutal Claw anticipated that, however, and his claws dug into Beric’s shoulder. Beric answered by slashing upward, and he caught the Brutal Claw in the mouth. He tore lip and gum. A strangled cry came from the Brutal Claw, but Beric wasn’t done yet, He yanked out his foe’s claws from his shoulder, flung his paw down so hard the Brutal Claw fell, and slashed at his face again. Slash after slash after slash. Blood flew everywhere. Beric only stopped when the Brutal Claw ceased moving.
A quick peek behind him at the front door revealed he would have no backup for some time, if any were to come. The Brutal Claws still outside were more than holding their own against the few were-jaguars who were opposing them. Miera and his father…
A piercing scream had him rushing into a room down the hall and to the right. The sight inside halted him in his tracks. Kathy Clearwater—the were-jaguar who acted as his father’s secretary—was staring down at a dazed Brutal Claw. It appeared to Beric that she had smashed a monitor onto the Brutal Claw’s head, but he was trying to get to his feet.
Killing him was almost too easy. Beric changed his mouth to be able to talk to her. “Are you all right?”
She nodded once, twice, a hundred times, her eyes wide.
The female was clearly in shock.
“Get in bed. Stay there. I’ll lock the door behind me.”
Her unfocused eyes looked up above his eyes, and they widened. A trembling hand came up, and she pointed behind him.
That was all the warning Beric had. He felt the teeth a moment later, as he was trying to turn around. Two Brutal Claws were entering the room. Already Beric was feeling worn down. Battle after constant battle… his body wasn’t made to survive suffering through so much strain. Maybe this was how the Brutal Claws always dominated. They would send small groups in, day after day after day, until their enemies collapsed at their feet, dead. They certainly had the numbers to afford losing some of their warriors that way.
Well, Beric would ensure they would lose more right now.
He backed away from the two so they could enter the room entirely and jumped over them to shut the door. Two was more than enough for him to handle right now. He didn’t need any more to join in the fray.
The first darted toward Kathy, while the second circled around Beric. A long paw swiped toward him, and Beric jumped to avoid the blow. He raced across the room and then backpedaled toward the door. The wall beside it he jumped onto, his claws allowing him to walk up the wall. The Brutal Claw stalked toward him, and Beric dropped, landing hard on his back, his claws digging deep. He tore into his fur before pressing two paws against the back of his foe’s neck, suffocating him.
One down.
Beric glanced up to see that Kathy was holding up her IV stand, using it to ward off blows from the other Brutal Claw. The Brutal Claw stopped lashing at her, focused on the stand instead, and easily cut it in half.
Kathy, having obviously recovered from her shock, scrambled onto the bed. The Brutal Claw tore after her.
Beric was on the other side of the bed. He jumped on top of it, one of his claws scratching Kathy accidentally, and dropped onto the ground to prevent the Brutal Claw from following after her. He and the Brutal Claw clashed, meeting and blocking blow after blow. Beric backed him up step by step. He was bleeding and sore, and this foe was fighting him harder than some of the others had. He had to finish this, and finish it soon, or else he would be the one to fall.
To fall. He wouldn’t but maybe…
He nipped and swiped and continued to force the Brutal Claw back until he darted forward and lifted the Brutal Claw up and through the window. The Brutal Claw fell. Yes, it wasn’t far, but he landed on rocks, and he got up limping. He tried to jump but couldn’t get nearly enough height to be able to re-enter the room.
Kathy was gasping for breath. Beric turned around to face her and again took on his human mouth. “I’m sorry.”
She frowned at him as she ripped the sheet into strips. “For what?” she asked as she began to bind his wounds.
“For…” He winced as she tied one too tightly.
“Sorry.” She swallowed hard. “This isn’t going to ever end, is it?”
“Don’t say that.”
“But there’s so many of them, and they… they’re attacking our wounded!” She shook violently and grabbed her head.
“What’s wrong?” He couldn’t see why she was confined to bed yet.
“Brain bleed,” she murmured. “It sometimes affects my vision and…” She jerked around and reached for a bucket. Kathy held it up to her mouth in time to catch her vomit.
“Stay in here. Lock the door. I’ll come back for you.” He darted to the door.
“Yes. And, Beric?”
He glanced over his shoulder at her.
“Thank you.”
Beric nodded. He had to change a paw into a hand to be able to open an
d close the door. Several Brutal Claws were running in and out of rooms, but now there were more were-jaguars fighting them. Some were wounded, maybe from this battle or they were patients in the hospital well enough to fight. Regardless, they fought as if possessed, and Beric joined them. One by one, they cut down through the Brutal Claws, although there were casualties on their side, too.
Finally, when it seemed like everything was contained, Beric made his way back outside. Twenty were-jaguars were in a circle, all friends he believed. He pushed his way through the crowd to see what was going on.
His father was in the center.
Dead.
CHAPTER 13
Miera had fought as if her life, and the life of her unborn baby, depended on it. A small part of her wished she had never left her bed, but she would never be able to live with herself if she had been a coward. She was heir. She would be alpha one day. She wouldn’t run away and hide. Fighting was in her blood.
Was she more cautious than she had been during the battle in the warehouse? Absolutely. She didn’t have a death wish. In her weakened state, it would be easy for her to be killed. Hell, the Brutal Claws could strike down were-jaguars who were in their prime.
But she still fought. Fury that they would attack the hospital filled her, and she channeled that into energy. At first, there were so many Brutal Claws facing against her and the few were-jaguars who had turned up to fight them, but as they slowly cut down the Brutal Claws, more and more Blood Roses and Teal Warriors joined them.
Just when it seemed like they had won, that all of the Brutal Claws had finally been killed, more showed up, and they were bigger and stronger and taller. Monsters instead of were-jaguars. Plus, they wore armor.
Battling them was a nightmare. Even though they outnumbered them for once, and they could team up to fight them, the armor made it so hard to land any blows. To her right, Teal Warriors tackled one and stripped him of his armor to kill him. A sound tactic, and it helped to kill another one.
And the last, but only after that Brutal Claw had ripped out the throat of Beric’s father, the alpha of the Teal Warriors.
Miera rushed to his side. He stared at her, then closed his eyes.
Cold washed over her, and she shivered. Where was Beric? She dimly recalled him heading inside the hospital. Was he still alive, or had he fallen too? Numb. A part of her felt numb, and she couldn’t move, rooted to the spot.
And then Beric was standing beside her, nuzzling his father, and she wanted to weep. She could feel Beric’s pain, although she also couldn’t imagine what he was going through. If her father had been the one to fall, would she be able to handle the mantle of being alpha right now? With the Brutal Claws breathing down their necks, who knew how much longer any of them would have?
Beric’s body shuddered, and he transformed from jaguar to human. He stood and twisted around to see all of them there. “I’m alpha now,” he said, his voice odd, almost detached.
She also shifted and went to touch him, but he didn’t seem to even realize she was there.
“Gather everyone to the mess hall, everyone who is healthy enough,” he instructed a Teal Warrior.
The were-jaguar rushed off.
Beric stared down at his father.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
He shook his head, gaze remaining on his father. “I’m beyond needing help,” he said, his voice still detached.
What was that supposed to mean?
“We’re married now,” she said. “Let me—”
“You need to heal. And to stop fighting.”
“Stop?” She couldn’t have heard him right. “How can you expect—”
“I expect you to listen to me.” His gaze finally landed on her face. His expression was unreadable. “I outrank you now. I’m alpha. You’re—”
“Just an heir,” she said bitterly. “We’re married, but we aren’t equals, is that what you’re saying?”
“I have work to do.” After one last look at his father, Beric pressed his way through the crowd.
Now that the battle had ended, Miera could feel the burden of her new injuries, and her old ones, weighing her down. Beric did have a point to some extent. She did need to rest more. She was pushing herself almost too hard, and considering she was pregnant, she had to watch and be careful.
Even so, she ordered for all of the bodies to be gathered together, separated based on their packs. The Blood Roses they would bring back to their home to be buried. Beric could determine what to do with his dead. As for the Brutal Claws, they would all be burned.
She waited to see the fire burning and watched the flames for a long while before she stirred herself to go to the mess hall. She’d taken too long, however, and no one remained inside. With a sigh, she turned to leave.
“Miera.”
She stilled, recognizing the voice. “Charles.”
Turning around, she spied the were-jaguar approaching from the back of the mess hall. His body was covered in small bandages and bruises, but he walked easily enough. He stopped a few feet from her. “You saved me.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
“It…” Her stomach cramped uncomfortably, and she rubbed it.
Charles stepped toward her.
She glowered at him. “Don’t you touch me,” she snapped.
He held up his hands and backed up a few paces. “I don’t understand,” he protested. “You seemed to be quite insistent when you told me you wouldn’t ever see me again, but then, the first time you do, you rush to my rescue—”
“I already regret saving you,” she retorted. Another cramp, this one so painful it took her breath away. She really did need to be more careful.
“No, you don’t.” He grinned.
“I’ll wipe that smile off your face if you don’t knock it off,” she warned. Her fingers twitched, curling and uncurling into fists.
“Now, now, is that any way to treat the—”
“You may have supplied the sperm, but that’s it. You will never have anything to do with the child.”
“The child is half mine.”
“No.” She shook her head, her fingers changing into claws before she even realized it. “The child is half Beric’s.”
“He might be your husband, but he didn’t impregnate you.”
“What the hell do you want, Charles?” she all but roared.
“I just want you to admit it.” He held out his hands as if he was defenseless. She knew better.
“Admit what?” Miera really was regretting saving him. Her head started to ache. She should be lying down and resting, trying to recover. Being pregnant and fighting so much wasn’t doing her poor body any favors.
“Admit that you miss me.”
The gall! “Of course I don’t!”
“You miss me,” he insisted.
“How can you think that?” He was delusional. One time and he acted as if he had a claim on her.
“Why else would you be so insistent on staying away from me unless you feared you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off of me?” His grin was leering.
It took all of her self-control to not slash him across his face. “You have it all wrong,” she said, trying to keep her voice level and not reveal that he was getting to her.
“Do I?” He stepped closer, gripping her wrists, holding them tight by her side. “You can’t tell me you feel something for Beric. Not after what we shared.”
She kicked his kneecap, hard. He stumbled back, his grip loosening enough for her to yank her wrists free. “What we shared meant nothing.”
Charles rolled his eyes and stared pointedly at her swollen midsection. “Oh, it means something all right, and you’ll never be able to forget that.”
“Charles, if you ever—”
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone about us.” He stepped closer to her. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be thinking about us all the time. You’re always on my mind, Miera. You might not have
been my first, but I want you to be my last.”
“Then you’re looking at living the rest of your life celibate,” she retorted.
“Oh, I think you’ll be singing a different song soon enough.” He leaned forward as if to kiss her.
She jerked backward. Her feet stumbled, and she fell. Her balance was off. Damn pregnancy.
He reached down to help her up, but she tossed his hand aside and got up by herself. “I’m married now. To your alpha! Don’t you know that Beric is your leader now?”
“For the moment.” Charles shrugged. “If one alpha can die, so can another.”
“Yeah? Well, so can I. And so can you.”
“I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not going to die anytime soon.”
“I don’t see how you can be so certain.”
“I’ve gotten everything I wanted out of life so far.” He smiled. This one was almost tender, and it reminded her of that one time when she had given in to her body’s desires, when she had been foolish. Regret would always fill her to some extent. She knew she would love her child, that she would never blame him or her, but the child’s father? He she could hate all she wanted, and right now, she did hate him. She hadn’t previously, not immediately afterward, and not even when she had learned she was pregnant. But for him to come up to her here, now, with so much chaos going on around them…
Actually, that was probably why he was here in the first place.
“Charles, your life will be very short if you don’t leave me alone. I promise you that.”
“You’re worried and anxious that I will—”
“I’m not worried or anxious about anything.” She brought a claw up and touched it against his cheek, digging hard but not pressing with enough force to cut his skin. “You will stay away from me, and the child, and Beric, or else I will kill you myself.”
The crestfallen look on his face was real, she knew it was. He might have been acting a little during their conversation just now, but his eyes revealed how hurt he was. He swallowed. “Miera…”
“Go ahead and say goodbye. This will be our last conversation.” She forced herself to press with her claw a little more. She didn’t really want to hurt him, but he had to realize his place, and his place was not by her side.
