“Don’t fall for it, girl,” the man snapped at Harpy. “She has gifts.”
Knowing I needed help, I concentrated first on Harpy and then the man. I sent the mental images I built to Chance. I hoped it worked because we needed back up and he was my only chance at getting it.
“Like what?” Harpy spoke from my left.
“More than you.” The man seemed exasperated by the woman Banshee had given a job and thought she could trust. “Why do you think we urged albinos to be killed? They’re dangerous. So use your sight and dart her.”
“Fine,” Harpy replied petulantly.
“You can take your time when you kill the ocelot. Such a disappointment.” The man’s voice was cold. No emotion at ordering mine or Chance’s death. Because that was the only ocelot I knew.
“Koroleva, he’s from the council. That was my mentor when I was a kid.” Chance’s voice cracked inside of my head and I felt the pain in his chest as someone he had trusted ordered his death.
Making a decision, I stood and let my power slip.
“Koroleva, NO!” Chance screamed through our link. But I needed to do this. For my mother, for Chance, and for me. This asshole was going to pay.
“Who the fuck do you think you are to make decisions like that?” I demanded loudly as I faced him.
“Well, look at you,” he cocked his head at me. “You look just like her.”
“Like who?” Curiosity would always kill the cat, I chuckled to myself.
“My mate. Your mother.” His words hit me like a mountain fell on me. His words could only mean one thing… my own father killed my mother and came to kill me.
“Don’t think so,” I muttered.
“It’s true, daughter dear. She was a true disappointment. I selected her because she carried the gene to create you. But when you were born, she disappeared with you. You were supposed to lead my little army of freaks.” The man stroked his chin. “Such a shame. You could have served the Council well.”
“Seriously… I don’t think that would have worked for me.” I raised my hand and allowed my claws to lengthen. Using one of Roark’s intimidation tactics.
As I looked at my claws and flicked them in the air above my flattened palm, I noticed Harpy moving in closer. She held a hollow tube in one hand – it was about a meter long – and a feathered dart in the other.
“My papa told me I was a handful,” I smirked and winked at the dumbass in front of me.
Years of frustration, anger, and training surged through me. My body morphed and buzzed with the power no one had ever understood. Martial arts, gymnastics, boxing, and so many other activities – Roark’s father, my papa, had sent me to them to keep me from hurting myself or others – I now unleashed them all on the two people in the room who had taken and were trying to take everything that had ever meant anything to me.
As I flipped into the air, the door to the club burst open and a very pissed off ocelot came flying through it. Several other large cats bounded in after him.
“Hello, Chance.” I greeted as I landed on the man who thought he could destroy me.
I twisted my body around the man from the shifter council. Using my momentum, I pulled him down to the ground. Flipping free of him, I crouched a few feet away with a grin on my face. The claw marks across his chest making me smile.
“Those are for Chance.”
“Who?” He replied as his hand stroked the marks.
“My mate… you called him Dorain.”
“The ocelot. That explains why he went rogue.” The man rose to his feet and reached into his pocket.
Not caring what he was trying to do, I lunged and crossed my arms over my chest. As I hit the man, I pulled my arms apart and my claws slid against his neck. He gurgled and his eyes widened in shock.
“I don’t play.” I shrugged as he collapsed to his knees. “And you’re the abomination.”
His eyes widened and then he fell backward on the floor. Blood was pooling beneath him and his mouth opened and closed a few times before a gasp finally passed through his mouth and his chest stopped moving. Just like that, the monster from my childhood was gone.
“Koroleva!” Chance bellowed from across the room as he raced toward me.
I laughed as he swung me up into his arms as we spun around.
“You scared the shit out of me,” he hissed and set me on my feet so he could look me over.
I shrugged. “They weren’t anything.”
“Female,” Chance growled. “We are going to discuss this badassness you find you have to flaunt.”
“I can’t help it that my papa wanted me to be perfect,” I chuckled.
“He should have sent the damn MC for the training instead of you,” Roark snapped as he approached. “He made you into a menace and we have no way of protecting ourselves.”
Roark looked down at the man on the floor.
“So, who’s this?” Roark asked as he kicked the dead man.
“The guy from the council…” my words faded as the truths began to hit me. “He killed my mama and he said…”
“No,” Chance wrapped me in his strong embrace. “Your father is the man who protected you, Koroleva.”
“Father?” Roark looked at me and then down at the man on the floor.
“Sperm donor. That’s what the humans call it, right?” Roark asked as he looked up at Boris who was half carrying Flint.
“Yeah,” I replied with a small hiccup as I pushed down the tears.
“Family are those who prove they deserve your love and trust,” Flint grumbled with a gasp as Boris moved him in a way that pulled at his wounds.
“Get him to Doc,” I ordered as I lightly patted the bear shifter
