Her throat closed, felt raw and burned, or maybe that was her heart. She couldn’t lose him, her last living relative. “I won’t have anyone at all to love me, Dad. You said you wouldn’t leave me. You promised.” Her voice changed, came out a whisper. “You promised me.”
Antosha’s eyelids fluttered and then suddenly flew open, as if he heard her, but his head was turned toward Mitya. Whatever Mitya saw, he ordered very low and calm, but it was an absolute command: “Ania, leave the room now.”
Ania shook her head, holding on to her father’s hand, desperate to hold him to her. Her heart hurt, and her stomach knotted. Her lungs were raw from trying to catch her breath. She blinked. Looked up at Mitya, but her mind refused to comprehend what he was saying to her. She shook her head slightly. “Daddy”—her voice was soft, coaxing—“you have to fight back to the surface. Don’t let your leopard control you.”
“Ania. Leave this room.” Mitya was implacable. “I won’t tell you again.”
“I’m not ready. He isn’t done yet, Mitya.” There was panic in her voice. “He’s just confused after all the commotion. Anyone would be.”
Antosha’s face contorted. Beneath his skin something alive, something vicious, began to push to break free. The hand Ania was holding suddenly turned in hers, and razor-sharp claws struck at her before Sevastyan could yank her away from the bed. A red streak appeared along her arm, but she didn’t cry out. The rake was deep and went from wrist to above the elbow. Blood dripped steadily onto the bed.
“Dad,” she whispered. “Please don’t do this.”
“Get her the fuck out of here now, Sevastyan,” Mitya snarled. His voice had gone low, an animalistic growl more than a human voice.
Her pleading gaze clung to Mitya’s as Sevastyan circled her waist with one arm and lifted her off her feet. Mitya’s eyes had gone fully leopard and he was already ripping off his jeans.
She exploded into fury, angry at everything. At everyone. Mostly at whatever would take her beloved father when he was all she had. She was leopard and her female was strong. She punched Sevastyan and tried to kick him as he dragged her to the door, knowing if she left that room, there would be no chance. No saving her father. No saving herself. She would be forever damned. Forever alone. She fought Sevastyan all the harder, punching, kicking, trying to bite him.
Her father began contorting, writhing on the bed, shoving off covers.
“Get her out of here!” Mitya snapped. “I don’t care what you have to do.” The words were barely discernible.
Antosha’s jaw elongated, teeth filling it. Fur burst through thin skin. Those eyes fixed on Mitya and then shifted to Sevastyan and Ania. Mitya roared a challenge, staring into the crazed leopard’s eyes, wanting the animal to feel the threat to him. Clearly, he wasn’t taking a chance that the cat would leap toward his cousin and Ania.
The golden cat fought off the covers and leapt from the bed straight at Mitya. Ania screamed. “Dad! No!”
Sevastyan yanked Ania like a rag doll, turning her away as Mitya’s powerful leopard met the smaller cat in the air, roaring back his own challenge. Sevastyan was enormously strong, and he wrapped Ania up with his arms, locking down her own arms, holding her in a way to render her feet useless when she tried to kick him. He managed to get her out of the room and kick the door closed behind them.
“Stop it, Ania. You can’t save him, and he wouldn’t want to harm you.” He punctuated each word with a shake of her body as he half dragged, half carried her farther away from her father’s room.
She fought harder as a crash signaled the two leopards hitting the floor and rolling around, claws scrambling for domination.
Sevastyan didn’t make the mistake of letting her go. He carried her down the hall, stepping over the dead leopard lying in the way, continuing as if the carcass wasn’t even there. Behind them, the roar of a leopard nearly shook the house. Immediately a second leopard, its voice a powerful saw, answered the challenge.
“Ania, stop fighting me. Stop fighting the inevitable. You knew your father was going to lose his fight and his leopard would break free. Be thankful Mitya is a strong enough man to face this for you. He gave his word to your father, and he’s a man of honor. No matter the cost, he’ll carry it out.”
Once inside the great room, he set her on her feet. “I’m sorry about your father. I really am, but you’ve had plenty of time for good-byes. For last words. For all of it. When Mitya comes out of that room, he’s going to think you won’t even look at him because he did what your father asked.”