He shook his fur, trying to force the animal to be steady. Murder-Lion wasn’t how he wanted to introduce his mate to the big beast. She may have seen his animal before, but she’d not seen his beast in full murder mode. “Do not watch what I do,” he pleaded.
“You are my mate,” she said simply.
He heaved a frustrated bark, but he had no time to say or do anything except charge the males coming for him. No way did he want them close to his mate and her goat. Roaring a battle cry, he met them, slashing the first to reach him, opening up his underbelly deeply, spilling his internal organs to where he dropped dead on impact. The next lion was on him instantly.
Thadd fought viciously without mercy, taking out throats and stomachs, cutting off the Pride one-by-one. He knew Kiplagat would hang back, wait until he was injured before making his move. He didn’t know how many he’d killed, six, seven? They seemed to be coming out of the darkness, but he wouldn’t stop until he reached the king.
Finally, sides heaving, he stood facing the last two that were blocking him from his goal. He swiped his tongue across his face, the coppery taste of blood fueling his anger. His breath sawed in and out; each inhale and exhale hurt from injuries, but he would not fall until he killed the last one standing.
Movement to the right caught his eye, making him snarl.
“You did not think I came with just a dozen enforcers, did you?”
Thadd glanced back to see Kiplagat had shifted back to man, his fist wrapped in the white lion’s fur. He whipped his head back toward the ones stalking closer. Five more were coming at him, plus the two in front of him. He bunched his muscles, preparing to leap over the two to reach his goal.
“You think you can kill me before we kill your whore?”
He froze, reaching for Torrance through their connection. “Get out of here now.”
“They have the truck surrounded.”
“Drive over them,” he growled.
“I can’t.”
“Use your magic.”
“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” The king laughed, slapping his hand against his thigh.
Thadd shifted though not as smooth as before, he still did a lot easier than the others.
The king snorted, nodded his head toward Thadd. “What is that you wear?”
He looked down at the silver shorts. “These? They’re a gift from a friend.” He didn’t miss the wounds marring his body from the lions he’d fought, many of which looked to be pretty bad. How he wished his fairy dragon was there to help him.
A bright light appeared to the right where he’d seen the males stalking closer.
“Yoohoo, your fairy dragon has come. Ack, what has happened to you. Oh, hello, bad kitties.” Lula in her smaller dragon form walked between the lions, her tail knocking them out of her way. “Oopsie, did I do that?” she asked as the five lions went flying, ass-over-head.
“Hey, Lula, long time no see.” He coughed, wrapping one arm around his middle when talking hurt.
Lula placed her larger body in front of him. “You’re bleeding on my favorite pair of booty shorts, Lion.” She tsked. “Must fix that immediately.”
A roar behind them made Lula whip her head, a very large dragon head, around. “Excuse me, but I’m busy here, bad kitty. I’ll be with you momentarily. Oh, look at that pretty kitty,” she squealed.
“Um, Lula, a little help here. I think I’m dying,” Thadd wheezed. He didn’t want to startle the dragon or freak Torrance out, but yeah, he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to make it.
“Such a drama kitty.” Lula put her snout in his face, huge purple eyes blinking.
Time became fluid as he got lost in their depths, his worry for Torrance and Mr. Bixley, his own life not worth anything if they didn’t survive.
“Your mate is safe. There is a strange group of kitties killing other kitties. Mayhem is reigning there. Or something. Come on, breathe, drama kitty.” Lula blinked, releasing him from her hold.
Thadd took a deep breath, trying to puzzle who the hell she was talking about as he took a deep breath that didn’t hurt.
“Ah, my work here is done. Unless you want me to kill him.” She jerked her head behind her.
He looked at the lions she’d decimated with her spiked tail, then at the king who had shifted again. “Where is my brother?” he whipped his head around, searching for the white lion.
“You mean the pretty kitty?”
“Yes,” he bit out.
“He is in the truck with your mate. I thought he would be safer there. That bad kitty was going to kill him. You’re not going to let him go, are you?” Lula bent her head back down, purple eyes staring into his.
“On my life, I promise you, he will not see another sunrise.” Thadd pounded his fist on his chest. “Kukutana na mtengenezaji wake by my claws.”
Lula gave a nod, stepping back. “You are a worthy king, Thadd. Sending him to his maker will be a justice to all. Be well, Thaddeus Winchester. Oh, um, I also don’t think he’ll be going to that maker.” She pointed upward.
Her dragon flashed away as quickly as she came, leaving him facing off with the bastard. “It’s just you and me, mwanaharamu. You have no more uchis to hide behind. Come, fight me like a true king.”
Baiting him would’ve been akin to suicide as a young lion. Calling his enforcers pussies would’ve been like waving a red flag in the face of a bull. Yet he stood there, unafraid. Where Kiplagat smelled of fear.
“Uchis?” he spat the word.
Thadd inhaled, letting the other lion know he smelled him and his stink. “Shift, basha.”
“You dare call me a fucker, when it is you who is not worthy of fighting me?” Kiplagat yelled, his fist beat against his chest. “I will not lower myself to fighting a malaya’s son.”
Even knowing the
