Beasts Within (BBW Shifters) Page 10

  The sound of footsteps nearby made him pause, though, ears twitching as he tried to pick up the direction of the sound. Unfortunately, he had hesitated for too long, and whoever it was walked up behind him. Karic turned around and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. It was held by a wiry looking young woman with red hair and hard eyes, and from the way she held it, Karic could tell that she knew what she was doing with it.

  “We don’t take kindly to trespassers around here,” she said, and her voice was light but firm. “Or dogs, for that matter. I’d ask you what your business here is, but it seems like you’d have some trouble answering.”

  Fuck. This was not going according to plan. The two of them were locked in some kind of staring match for the moment, and Karic’s mind raced as he tried to think past the animalistic urge to defend himself. She had a gun, and he didn’t want to hurt her. There were very few ways this would come out in his favor. Especially considering the fact that she looked like she wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him if he breathed the wrong way.

  Fighting her wouldn’t lead to anything productive, but maybe… Karic took a gamble. He lowered his head in a sign of surrender, sitting back on his haunches to make it clear that he had no plans to attack her. If she brought him inside then there would be a much better chance for his plan to still work.

  Karic peeked up at her and saw that she was hesitating, clearly trying to decide the best course of action. Come on, he urged silently. You don’t want to shoot me. You want to take me to Paul. He has to decide what to do with me.

  “It’s your lucky day, dog,” she said with a sharp grin. “Or unlucky, depending on how you look at it, I guess. Either way, it means you’re not gonna die out here. Instead, I’m going to take you in to see our leader. He can decide what to do with you from there. I’m just security.”

  Perfect.

  She motioned him to his feet with the gun, keeping it trained on him as she backed up a bit. “Don’t even think about running away or trying anything funny, either. I can take you out before you make it to the trees. Now let’s go.”

  Karic didn’t doubt that was true. If the things that he’d heard from Camilla and the rumors were true, then there were several members of this pride who were deadly and could harm him before he managed to do anything. Since dying was definitely not a part of his plan, he decided to play it safe and follow her.

  They didn’t go far, just around a corner and then down for a few feet until they reached another side door. There were more cars parked on this side of the house, and a few humans milling about, which didn’t make a whole lot of sense to him. Why would humans be so close…?

  Before he really had time to puzzle through it, he was being led inside.

  The inside of the manor was actually quite beautiful. All of the outdated furnishings and what not had been replaced with newer looking things, but it still had an overall elegant feel to it. The ceilings were high and the floors looked like marble of some sort, and his claws clicked as he walked along. Everything was done in pale golds and dark woods, and there were people walking around as they passed, shooting curious and somewhat fearful looks at him.

  It was probably a first to have a wolf in a den of cats, and Karic laughed mentally at the way they were reacting. He kept his guard up, though. It was impossible to tell how many of them were in the house, but he knew he was more than outnumbered. He wasn’t going to attack unless he had to, and even then, he didn’t really want to hurt anyone.

  Well. That was what he thought, anyway. At least until he was led into a large, circular room. It was done in the same colors as everything else he had seen, and there were plush couches and chairs along the sides of the room, a carpet running up the middle that led to a high backed chair that resembled a throne. And of course, on the ‘throne’ was Paul. But that wasn’t what riled him up. At his feet, curled up on a cushion was Camilla. She was still wearing the robe, and her eyes were closed, though as soon as they got closer, her eyes shot open and she stared at him. Anger burned through him at the sight of her at Paul’s feet like she was some kind of prize pet to be displayed, and he had to hold himself in check. This was not the place to lose his cool.

  Camilla had never seen him as a wolf before, but from the look on her face, she had already worked out that it was him. Something like horror flared in those amber eyes, and Paul looked down at her curiously, most likely at the change in her scent, and then up at the woman who was leading him along the carpet to stand in front of the chair.

  “Danielle, what is that?” he asked, and his voice was just as commanding as his presence. It was obviously something he had worked on for a while, and every person in the room was paying attention.

  “Something I found sneaking around the house,” Danielle replied. “Figured I’d let you decide what to do with him.”

  Karic glanced at Paul and then looked back at Camilla who was twisting her hands together nervously. She dropped her eyes, clearly trying not to make eye contact with him, but it seemed that Paul had already figured something out.

  “Do you know this mongrel, my pet?” he asked her, arching an eyebrow.

  “I…” Camilla was obviously fighting to keep her composure. “What makes you think that?”

  Paul sighed and leaned down, gripping her face between his fingers and turning her head to make her look at him. “It won’t do for you to lie to me, little one. I expect an honest answer.”

  One of the men in the room frowned and stepped up closer, and Karic recognized him as one of the two who had come to take Camilla away the first time. Bastard. “Wasn’t there a dog with her at the station?” he asked, looking to a lion who Karic could only assume was the other one.

  The lion nodded its head, and Paul frowned. Camilla gave a soft cry, and Karic looked back to see that Paul’s fingers were digging into her chin. “So you went and found yourself a pet did you?” he asked, and there was nothing about his deadly calm voice that didn’t put Karic on edge. “What did I tell you about mingling with others, my dear? I am the only one who knows how to look after you properly.”

  A growl echoed around the room, and it took Karic a few seconds to realize that it had come from him. His hackles were up and his lips were pulled back, teeth bared in a snarl. No one spoke to Camilla that way. No one treated her like she was just some common pet. Not in front of him, and not ever. She was one of the brightest, kindest, best people that Karic had ever had the pleasure of meeting, and even if it had only been less than a week, there was a part of him that was always going to be drawn to her. He knew that now. And it was that same part that seemed to be reacting now, pushing past his human consciousness and making him more feral.

  Paul laughed, but looked uneasy, and Karic remembered the humans outside and the fact that Paul sometimes made deals with humans and other shifters, using Camilla as a tool for his advantage. Clearly he didn’t want there to be a scene here right now, not with them outside. Well, too damned bad. He should have thought about that before he tried to treat someone Karic cared about like she was something to be used.

  Another growl ripped out of him, and a few of the lion shifters actually were starting to look alarmed. Clearly no one fought back around here, but it was time for that to change. Paul looked bored, but there was something wide about his eyes that gave Karic a smug sense of satisfaction.

  “Danielle, shoot him. It will be a mess to clean up, but better that than having a rabid dog acting like he can threaten us,” the leader said, making a lazy motion with his hand.

  “No!” Camilla had wrenched herself free from Paul’s grip and was on her feet. “Don’t you dare. Danielle, please!”

  Clearly there was some kind of bond between the two women because Danielle hesitated just long enough for Camilla to move and put herself in front of Karic. “No. You can’t shoot him. Just let him go. You have what you want, Paul. I’m here; I’m not going anywhere. Just let him go.”

  “You try my patience, Camilla. There have to be cons
equences. Perhaps your punishment for running away in the first place should be having to watch your precious puppy die in a pool of his own blood in front of you. Does that sound fair?”

  “How is that fair!?” Camilla demanded. “For my whole life, I’ve done nothing but what you asked of me. I’ve never complained or refused up until now. I’ve never asked you for anything.”

  “And I gave you a roof over your head and a place to call home,” Paul countered. “Food to eat, clothes to wear. Were it not for me, then you would have been left to die in the streets when your parents abandoned you. And this is the thanks I get for my kindness? Perhaps this is my fault. I have spoiled you for far too long.”

  Camilla’s hands clenched into fists, and Karic could see that she was shaking. Carefully he inched forward and pressed his nose against one of her hands, silently offering her his support. As much as he wanted to rip Paul’s throat out, this was her fight, her score to settle, and all he could do was be there for her while she did it and jump in if she needed help. Until then he would watch and wait, and keep anyone who tried to interrupt at bay.

  “Spoiled me? You used me. Every single day, forcing me to rip secrets from people’s heads so you could use them against them. You made me feel like I was a…a freak! Like I wasn’t good for anything other than doing your bidding. Well, I’m finished, Paul. I’m done. You’re not getting anything else out of me, and I’m not going to let you hurt the one person who has shown me true kindness regardless of who or what I am. So if you want to shoot someone, you’re going to have to shoot me.”

  The silence in the room was stifling once Camilla was done with her rant. No one moved, and it seemed like no one breathed either. All eyes were on Paul and Camilla, though a few darted to Danielle who was standing off to the side with the gun held loosely in her hand. No one seemed to know what to do.

  Camilla was shaking and staring Paul down, and Paul looked like the picture of composure, but Karic could smell the sour scent of fear coming from him. He obviously wasn’t used to being challenged, and he didn’t seem to know how to react to it. But there was one constant thing with men like him, and that was that they never stayed off guard for long. In some ways, he reminded Karic of his father and the way he would never back down from something even if he was definitely on the wrong side of it.

  “You dare to speak to me like that?” Paul demanded, and he rose from his chair, stalking towards them. “You ungrateful little bitch! I’ve put up with your nonsense for long enough!” His dark eyes were intent, and Karic could already tell that this wasn’t going to end well for someone. He needed to get Camilla out of here, but she wasn’t even paying attention to him anymore.

  Her eyes were locked on Paul, and as soon as he was close enough, her hand shot out, grabbing his arm. For a moment, nothing happened, but then there was a sharp inhale from Camilla, and a low growl burst from her throat. “You bastard!” she screeched. “You said they abandoned me! You said my father left me here because he didn’t want me! You killed him!”

  And now Paul did look frightened. He jerked his arm back, but it was clear that the damage had already been done. Apparently Camilla’s strange talent only got stronger when she was feeling threatened. And what a horrible thing to have learned.

  There was a swirl of energy in the air, and everyone in the room seemed to be reacting to it. Growls and hisses echoed through the room, and Karic took a step back, unsure of what was happening. It all seemed to be coming from Camilla, and one minute she was standing there in her robe looking livid, and the next she was exploding out of her skin with a scream and lunging at Paul in full lion mode.

  Karic had never seen anyone transform that fast, but with the way Camilla was feeling it made sense. Shifters were creatures of emotion after all, and there was no telling how many conflicting feelings were warring in Camilla right now.

  Paul seemed to be trying to fight her off, but while he was in human form there was little he could do.

  “Get off of me!” he cried, trying to get his hands around Camilla’s neck, but she snapped her teeth down on one of his hands before he could even get a grip, causing him to howl in pain. “Shoot her!” he ordered breathlessly. “Shoot her and be done with it.”

  No one in the room moved. It was plain to see that the loyalty that Paul enjoyed only really extended to fear, and now that it seemed like there might be a chance that someone else was going to come out on top, most of them weren’t so keen to throw their lives on the line for their leader. Which was yet another reason why packs were a waste of time in Karic’s opinion.

  His eyes followed the movements of the two on the floor, Camilla trying to get her jaws around Paul’s throat while he fended her off. He managed to get a foot under her body to kick her away for a bit and then he too was shifting, snarling as dark golden fur took the place of skin and a thick mane sprouted around his head. He was much bigger than Camilla, and he bared his teeth at her, roaring loudly.

  Even though Karic wasn’t a lion, he could tell that was the roar of a king, the roar of a leader, and from the way the others in the room were slinking around and trying to leave, it was hard for them to disobey such command. Camilla didn’t seem to have noticed, though. She was still standing her ground, her own teeth bared. There was nothing conscious in those amber eyes, instead feral wildness drowned out any traces of the person she had been mere minutes ago. All Karic could hope was that it wasn’t going to be hard to get her back.

  Well, that and that they both made it out of this alive.

  Camilla and Paul were circling each other, but Camilla was lunging again and getting clawed across the belly for her trouble. Karic growled and leapt in front of her, eyes trained on the larger animal, everything in his posture and snarls was telling Paul to back the fuck down before he got hurt.

  He could smell Camilla’s blood, and he wanted to get her out of here to make sure she wasn’t badly hurt, but they had to take care of Paul first. They had to make sure that he wasn’t going to be free to come after them. Even if that meant that he had to be removed from the picture all together.

  There was some kind of commotion going on at the door, but Karic wasn’t bothered with that. He kept his gaze locked on Paul, waiting for him to make a move. The lion stepped forward and then it was Karic’s turn to lunge. Paul was favoring the paw that corresponded with the hand that Camilla had bitten, and Karic lunged for that leg, biting down hard enough that he tasted blood. An anguished roar ripped through the room, and Karic let go, blood staining his teeth. He’d do it again if he had to.

  A quick glance behind him told him that Camilla was breathing hard and half curled on the floor around her belly which was bleeding profusely onto the marble floor. Something tightened in Karic’s stomach, clearing away most of the rage and replacing it with worry. If she was badly hurt then he didn’t know what to do.

  “Everybody freeze!” The order was loud and enough to get everyone remaining in the room to follow it. Karic looked up and saw that the sheriff had finally arrived. A gun was trained on him and Paul, and really, Karic had definitely had enough of that for one night. Summoning the last dregs of his control and strength, he shifted back to his human form, exhausted.

  “Please don’t shoot me,” he said weakly. After this he just wanted to sleep for a week and not leave his house.

  “Jacobs!” the sheriff looked relieved. “I thought maybe you’d gotten eaten.”

  “No such luck. Can you do anything here? I haven’t had a chance to sniff anything out.”

  The man nodded. “We got a confession. There was a group of people outside, angry because they’d come here to talk to the leader of the pride and they hadn’t been able to see him yet. Apparently they were going to make a deal about protection, and then a,” he paused to check his note. “Danielle Spivey came and confessed what had been going on and asked us to help.”

  Karic let out a low sigh. “She’s not going to get into trouble, is she? She was just following orders. That
’s all any of them have been doing, it seems.”

  “Depends on how involved she’s been. We’re gonna have to question all of them before we can make any real arrests, although this one,” he nodded at Paul who was trying to limp away. “He’s gonna see some jail time if even a fraction of the reports are true.” The sheriff motioned three men forward. “Inject him and get him in the van.”

  He’d heard about the serum that had been created to turn shifters back into their human selves, and with his leg and paw hurt, Paul couldn’t run away when the cops stuck the syringe in him. And when he shifted back, it was easy to see Paul for what he was. A twisted man who was nothing more than a coward. He was bleeding profusely, and someone brought forward a blanket to wrap around him so they could take him away.

  “How’s your friend?” Parks asked, and Karic sucked in a breath and moved over to Camilla’s side. She was still a lioness, and he stroked a hand through her fur, even though it was matted with blood. “That doesn’t look good. We’ve got an ambulance outside. Can you get her to shift back, or should we inject her, too.”

  “No, don’t. I…I’ll handle it.” Karic knelt beside her on the cold floor, stroking her head. “Camilla? Can you hear me?” A low whine was the only response, but that was a damned sight better than nothing. Her breathing wasn’t shallow, and he figured she was just worn out and hurting. A lot had happened to her, after all. “It’s gonna be okay now,” he said. “They’re taking Paul away, and I don’t think he’s going to be coming back any time soon. You’re safe. Can you shift back for me, Cam? Please? We need to see how bad you’re hurt.”

  Her eyes blinked open, and Karic watched the wildness recede. Pain and weariness eclipsed the anger that had been there before, and in a rush of energy the fur turned back to skin and bones shifted and Camilla lay on the floor in a small pool of her own blood.