Sonia had to make the decision fast. She tossed the shotgun on the bed, slung her bag around her neck and ran to the balcony. Shifting was getting easier. Gatita jumped to the ground, making for the swamp fast. Leopards weren't known for sustained speed and Sonia tried to keep hers from using up her energy with too much speed. They were in this for the long haul.
He made love to me, Gatita. There's a difference and I could feel the difference. How could he do that? How could he be so deceptive? How could Sasha? What's wrong with me that I choose men like that? I don't understand it. They have to enjoy seducing and then betraying me or they wouldn't go to such lengths.
I would kill them both for hurting you if I could. Her little female seemed fearless.
She could feel the rage smoldering in the cat as she moved through the swamp. She was sure-footed and light on her feet. Sonia knew the males would scent her, although the female was being careful not to rub her body along the trunks or brush. Their advantage was that Gatita had gone out nightly to run and play. Sonia knew her scent was everywhere.
They angled away from both the road and Joshua's estate, keeping away from the river, although Gatita stayed parallel to it. Once they were past the area where the hunter was staying in his cabin, Gatita wanted to use the water to conceal the direction she was taking.
There are a number of alligators, Sonia cautioned.
I am aware, Gatita returned. We will get away from the bull's territory and I can keep from being attacked by the females.
It's all the bull's territory. Those females are his. We need to get farther upriver before we go in.
The males will know. To get to the escape route I planned, we need the river.
Sonia felt it was too big of a risk. Those alligators were larger than most in the area, and she didn't want Gatita tangling with them despite the leopard's assurance.
Let me take this part. I can run through the swamp and get us to the place you're looking for. Maybe I'll leave less scent for them to find. They won't be expecting that.
She would be naked and barefoot. Not at all practical in the swamp. She didn't care. Joshua had stripped her of all armor and then he'd ripped her apart. Shattered her until she knew she would never be the same. He'd taught her a lesson she would never forget--if she survived.
No, I will get us there. You could get hurt.
Do you think anything will ever hurt me more than I'm already hurting? He gutted me, Gatita. Gutted me. There's nothing left. He didn't even leave me the ability to protect you, and that's the worst hurt.
Gatita kept moving. We protect each other. This is my time to step up when you need me. I know you're hurt, I can feel you curled up in a little ball, in the fetal position, because he took your heart. It's my time to protect you, Sonia. Let me.
I love you so much. Sonia hadn't thought herself capable of loving anyone ever again. She was so certain she couldn't feel. That she would eventually go completely numb. Frozen was what she wanted--no, needed. So far, that hadn't happened.
Gatita picked her way through downed trunks and vegetation, moving through the brush with care. Behind them, they heard an ominous crack, a tree limb breaking. Were the male leopards pursuing them already that close?
If they find us, Sonia, will they kill us?
I hope so. That was the simple truth. I don't want to be tortured by Nikita. I think he's angry enough to use us to teach everyone a lesson about what happens when someone runs from him.
When Joshua turns us over to Nikita, show him me. He will keep us prisoners, but he won't kill us. Gatita sounded certain of that. Together we will find a way to escape.
He'd put us in a cage. He might even skin you and use your fur for a rug. I wouldn't put it past him. She would never be able to stop Nikita from harming the leopard once he knew about her.
We would have to take that chance if he decided to kill you outright.
Gatita had taken them far from the house into a part of the swamp Sonia hadn't yet explored in her human form. She was present when Gatita went running, but she didn't always pay attention. Now she wished she had. Gatita crouched low and entered a tunnel made by a smaller animal. Perhaps a fox? It smelled like fox. The labyrinth was narrow and very low. Gatita dragged herself through it, following the twisting trail that took them very close to the river. Before Sonia could stop her, the valiant little leopard jumped into the water.
Sonia's breath hissed out. She had to stay alert, as did Gatita. The bag around the leopard's neck was waterproof and everything inside had been double protected against water except for her weapon. She'd thrown that in carelessly, a stupid, stupid mistake. It would have taken seconds to secure it, but she'd been panicked.
The leopard swam through the river, staying close to the shore. Sonia expected her to swim toward the island, but the cat avoided the other side altogether.
They will expect that.
Of course they would. You're so smart, Gatita. Thank you for helping me. The panic and shock she experienced at the betrayal were beginning to recede enough that her brain was starting to work. The problem with that was now she had to cope with the intensity of her pain. It was brutal and she wanted to retreat into a catatonic state, but she didn't have that luxury, not with Joshua and the others on her trail.
Gatita moved a little faster, but still stayed at a safe, steady speed. Running would get her out of breath and she couldn't sustain it for long. Swimming was equally as difficult. Already, she was beginning to breathe hard, her sides heaving with every breath she drew.
Almost there, Sonia encouraged her.
It was a good thing that Gatita had been running every night in the swamp. Not only had she explored extensively, but she was in good shape. She had to be. The males were larger, and if anything Joshua had told her was true, they were kept in fighting shape. She didn't want Gatita to have to fight them. She wasn't about to let that happen. Better her getting torn apart than her leopard.
It wasn't Gatita who had fallen in love. Sonia felt another rush of pain, of bile. She'd sat across from Joshua, doing everything he asked. She'd wanted to have that egg inside her. Not just because of the pleasure it had brought her, but to see his face. She'd liked watching him watch her. The sensual lines had deepened, his eyes had darkened and become heavy-lidded with passion. She knew what she did to him and it felt powerful and wonderful. Sexy as all get-out. She'd done that to herself.
Joshua had made certain every step she'd cooperated with him had been her choice. She'd loved him all the more for that. He'd made it clear he would stop if she didn't like something he did. He'd made her feel safe and loved. All along he'd been playing her. A sob escaped and bubbled in her mind. Hurting. It was more than hurting. It was agony.
She had to stop, not think about it. Not think about him. Nothing had been real. It was all a ruse, including after dinner, when he'd made slow love to her. When he'd touched every inch of her skin so reverently. She should have known.
Nikita had said it. She just had refused to believe it. Girls like her were for fucking, not marrying. She was trash. That's what Nikita had meant. Evidently, Joshua had read that in her as well. Bastien was a good man. He'd looked right past her to Molly. Molly wasn't like her, the type of woman one fucked and then threw away.
She tried to jam her fist figuratively into her mouth to prevent any more sobs from making it into her mind. It hurt too much. Still, they were there along with the silent screaming.
We're close. We're coming out of the water to the place near the road where I think you can get us a ride. Gatita sounded elated.
They'd made it. Triumph surged through Sonia. Even with the leopards on them, they had outsmarted the males. Well, Gatita had outsmarted them. She had planned an escape route just in case.
I learned from you, Sonia. You always have a plan for us. You're always prepared.
She hadn't been prepared this time. Joshua had taken her off guard. Thank you, my beautiful and intelligent Gatita. I don't know what I'd do
without you.
Gatita swam for shore and when the river was shallow enough, walked out of the water. Every step was slow, and she padded a distance from the canal to ensure an alligator didn't spot them and come looking out of curiosity.
Need to rest for a moment, Gatita explained as she powered forward the few more steps that took her back into heavier swamp. She flopped down beneath the shade of a black gum tree. Sonia remained alert, scanning the area, her heart beating hard.
I can take us to the road.
No. Gatita was adamant. It will take me less time and be easier.
She got to her feet just as they heard a twig snap. Then another. And another. Seven twigs snapped. Each sound came from somewhere around them, as if they were surrounded.
Heart pounding, despair hitting hard . . . Sonia thought each move out. She would have to shift fast, hands first, reach for the bag, unzip it, pull out her gun and be ready to fire before the males could do so. If the men didn't shift as well and their leopards attacked, it would all be over fast.
14
GATITA took all decisions from Sonia's hands. As the males came out of the swamp, ringing them, making it impossible to escape, the little female charged. She didn't snarl or slap at the leaves with her paw to show displeasure. There was no ritual to give her away, she simply rushed her mate before Sonia could stop her, slapping at his face and slashing at his neck as she went past, intending to break through the circle.
Instantly two heavier males closed on her from either side, slamming her to the ground. One had her throat in his mouth while the other held her. Her heart beat wildly. Air sawed in and out of her heaving lungs. Her tail swished. Hot breath blasted in her face, making her narrow her eyes to slits.
Kai and Gray, Sonia identified, another sob bursting through her brain like a heated missile. I liked them. I really thought they liked me. Could she shift just one paw and get to her gun before either stopped her? She doubted it, but was she going to just lie there and hope they didn't kill her? She could get off one shot. Maybe two. It had to be Kai and Gray, the two men she was closest with. She wanted it to be Joshua, but she wasn't certain she could pull the trigger. She loved him, and that didn't just go away because he was a liar.
"Don't hurt her."
She couldn't see him because at the angle Kai had taken her down, he was blocking her view of Joshua. But that voice, filled with command, made her body jerk in protest. That was Joshua--the boss.
No, she couldn't kill Joshua for herself. Not for self-preservation. But she could kill him to save Gatita. She used the leopard's radars, taking in all the information coming from whiskers and hair to find Joshua's exact location. While Gatita appeared to be refusing to submit, she practiced what she would do in smooth order, over and over again until she felt she could do it in her sleep.
Now, Gatita, submit. Relax.
Every ounce of fight went out of the female leopard at once, the tension draining from her, leaving her limp, staring up at Kai's big male while he had his teeth around her throat. His big head had pushed the pack up, which meant Sonia would have to reach farther than she'd hoped, but the gun was loose and would be easy to grab.
She waited a heartbeat. All the leopards turned their attention--and their heads--toward Joshua for further instructions. Sonia took a breath and exploded into action, one leg and paw shifting. Her arm wrapped around the head of Kai's male and zipped open the bag. She dropped her hand inside, and for one heart-stopping moment thought she'd lost the gun. Then it was in her fist. She thumbed the safety off as she drew it from the bag and shoved it into the side of Kai's neck.
Triumph and despair mixed again. She didn't want to kill anyone. That wasn't in her nature, even though she'd learned sometimes it was the only thing to do that stopped monsters. She had to shoot him while she had the chance, and the next target would be Joshua, not Gray.
Movement caught her eye, and Joshua stood in front of them. He was naked. Totally naked, every muscle on display. His genitals were heavy and impressive. Blood streaked his thigh, chest and face. Blood dripped but he did nothing to stop it.
"Sonia, baby, you didn't give me a chance to explain everything. I asked you to hear me out. You don't want to shoot Kai. He had nothing to do with what's true between the two of us. Point the gun at me if that makes you feel safe, and we'll talk."
If she did, she'd lose all advantage and she knew it. Still, his voice was so powerful that before she could think it through, she'd started to turn the weapon away from the huge male. Something hit her arm from behind, dragging it at an odd angle, wrenching it. The gun was yanked from her hand, leaving her defenseless. There was no way out and these leopards weren't killing Gatita; she was going to force them to kill her.
She tried to take control and her leopard fought her for supremacy. She detested Joshua in that moment. He'd deliberately distracted her, coming close while naked. Exposing himself in his most vulnerable form in order to give his men a chance at stripping the gun from her.
Gatita, let me shift.
No, I won't let them kill you. The cat had her most stubborn tone, the one that told Sonia all the best commanding and pitiful whining wouldn't budge her. She shifted her arm and hand back, leaving the playing field to the little cat.
Kai and Gray slowly let Gatita up, but stayed close, boxing her in to keep her from having room to attack. She snarled at Joshua as she came to her feet, but made no move toward him. What would be the point? She had to conserve energy.
"Sonia, you can't win. There are seven of us and one of you. You don't want your cat torn to shreds. Head back to the house with us and don't do anything crazy. I know you're scared, but there's no need to be. I'd protect you with my life. We can't stay here and talk. There's a hunter just across the river and he isn't local. I'm asking you to think about what that could mean and do the right thing, just come with us quietly."
So many scenarios ran through her head. She didn't have a gun, but she could make him kill her right there. If they took her back to his house she would have a very small chance that she could escape again, but if she couldn't escape he'd turn her over to Nikita, and she didn't want to be tortured. Nikita wasn't going to just kill her outright. Still, going to his house might be better than getting torn to shreds.
Gatita snarled, showing her teeth. She slapped her paw at the ground, sending a long trail of leaves into the air to show her displeasure.
"Boss, back away. They aren't going to let her move until you get to safety," Evan said.
Sonia shifted her gaze to him. The man had partially shifted so he could speak. She had thought him a friend as well. She'd worked around these men. They'd meant something to her. She waited while Joshua studied her little female.
"I would never hurt you, Sonia. Not. Ever. I can understand why you think I might have sold you out. I can understand why you think I've betrayed you. Think about this rationally. Right now, you're in fight-or-flight mode. You aren't thinking. You have to know what we have between us is real. All the same, even knowing how fucked up your thinking is, it's still fucking insulting." He turned his back on her and shifted as he walked away.
She felt small. He made her feel that way. In front of his men, he'd reduced her to the aggressor with him as the victim. He'd even looked and sounded hurt. She didn't want to think about the honesty she heard in his voice. He'd sounded honest when he'd told her he loved her--but then so had Sasha. What explanation was there for that?
Is it possible you can't tell a lie from the truth, Gatita? She relied heavily on her leopard's senses.
I am very confused. Shadow says I am his mate and cannot leave him. His male thinks the same of you. He seems sincere, although he is very, very angry with me for hurting Joshua.
Gatita was slow in starting. She stood without moving, just staring at Joshua's big male as if he might have all the answers. That made Sonia uneasy. If Joshua could get his male to convince her female he intended them no harm, he'd be able to do almost anything.
Shadow approached. The moment he did, every male went on high alert. The big male shouldered her to get her moving; she snarled, turned her head and raked him with her teeth. Shadow leapt away so the teeth barely scraped his shoulder, but he whirled around and slammed his body hard against Gatita's, sending her to the ground.
Fury raged through Sonia. She took control immediately, taking advantage of Gatita being stunned at her mate's actions. She burst to the surface, driving Gatita back to take her own form. She didn't care how naked she was or how many men saw her that way. She was a shifter and shifters didn't care. How many times had Joshua said that?
She kicked the large leopard hard with the ball of her foot, a perfect front kick, snapped out hard and fast to his side, followed by a heel hook. She drove her heel into his side in the exact same spot, hoping to break his ribs.
"Fuck you, Joshua. You want me dead, you kill me, not my leopard!" She shouted it, so angry she kept driving toward the furious leopard with her feet.
The leopard sprang back, but already he was shifting, and Joshua was coming at her, his face a mask of anger. Those crystalline eyes glittered at her, every bit as turbulent as the most violent storm. Her breath caught in her lungs as he blocked her kick and stepped inside, one hand catching her fist and twisting hard so her body slammed up against his.
"What part of 'we don't know who that hunter is or what he wants' didn't you understand? He isn't local. He could be Nikita's man. Is that what you want? To go back to Sasha Bogomolov? To a man who agreed to kill you?"
He held her too tightly, and she knew she'd have bruises. The bruises on her skin didn't matter, it was what he was doing to her mind and heart with his snide tone. She raked the edge of her foot down his shin and then stomped hard on his foot, wishing she was wearing steel-toed boots. She'd found the perfect reason to own a pair.
"You are not going to endanger yourself one more minute. Not one. We're going back to the house and you're going to listen to everything I say. Out here, we're all in danger. What your female did, attacking me, put both of you in danger from every leopard here. And kicking my leopard? What if I didn't shift fast enough? What if I couldn't control him and he'd ripped your heart out? She's throwing a tantrum and you're letting her."