Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127461 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 510(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Karol was a thoughtful, methodical man, and his leopard, Duke, was much like him. He didn’t rush his attack. He didn’t try to catch Rogue off guard while he was distracted fighting another leopard. He waited and then circled around cautiously, eyeing his opponent.
Braum waited to see what Rogue would do with this new approach. Gorya’s security had formed a loose circle around them, locking them within the arena so there was no hope of escaping into the swamp. They would have to fight to the death. In any case, Gorya’s leopard was utterly fascinating. Braum had never seen an animal so fast, vicious or accurate.
As Duke circled, he continued growling a warning, the sound growing in strength as he became more and more aggressive. His head was low, eyes on his prey, teeth bared. Rogue was still, seemingly frozen in place, and then he began to pace about six feet from Duke so they were side by side, matching him step for step. For some reason, with the way Rogue moved, he seemed mesmerizing, like a ghost, almost disappearing in the tall grass.
Braum found his heart accelerating. He wanted to call out to Karol to be cautious. Gorya moved with blurring speed. His woman did. That leopard was a demon. They couldn’t be deceived by or hypnotized by Rogue’s disappearing act. The cat was silent. No challenging rumbles. That wasn’t natural.
Krylov’s leopard, Master, was a big Amur leopard. He paced close to Gorya’s security team, his malevolent gaze fixed on the two challengers. He watched them carefully, as if he were trying to absorb Rogue’s every fighting technique.
Duke suddenly turned and leapt sideways at Rogue, striking out at him. As Rogue twisted with blinding speed to meet Duke in the air, Krylov directed his leopard straight at Gorya’s mate, charging at full speed, crossing the six-foot distance in one bound.
Braum’s breath caught in his throat at such treachery—at such balls. Only, the little blond was no longer there. Just a hairsbreadth from the large male cat was a creature, half woman, half leopard. Back claws dug into the dirt to give her purchase and strength as she drove a knife into Master, ripping mercilessly across his entire left side, allowing his momentum to drive the blade deep. The wound ran all the way along his side, down low, close to his belly—close to his genitals.
The woman continued to shift, flinging the knife unerringly straight toward Gedeon, who caught it. Rogue had already abandoned his attack on Duke and slammed into Master, driving him off his feet. Knowing he was dead if he didn’t get up, Master rolled desperately, trying to avoid the vicious claws raking his body and the teeth clamping down mercilessly on his right hip.
The two male leopards rolled over and over, kicking up dirt, leaves and rotting vegetation. The snarling and roaring had to be heard for miles as they fought on the ground. Rogue was enraged. Furious. He was in a murderous frenzy. He shot to his feet and began to circle Master. Methodically, he rushed in, delivering vicious blow after vicious blow, striking with precision, tearing deep lacerations in his enemy without mercy. Each time he jumped away, he delivered a contemptuous plume of dirt and leaves into his rival’s face with a sweep of his giant paw.
Duke grimaced and scowled his displeasure at Master, tail lashing as he stalked back and forth, his roaring adding to the din that was rising to the canopy of the trees surrounding the meadow. Gorya’s security didn’t take their eyes—or weapons—from him, but the leopard made no move to aid the challenger who had tried to take advantage of Rogue’s distraction to attack his mate. Braum admired Karol’s sense of honor even as he knew the shifter’s leopard didn’t have a prayer of defeating Rogue.
Krylov’s leopard tried again and again to rise, but his attempts were decidedly feebler. Finally, he lay on his heaving side, his fur matted with blood, the dirt and leaves soaked in blood, and Rogue backed off to look around him. His muzzle was streaked red. His malicious demon gaze became riveted on Duke, and a chill went down Braum’s spine.
There was no time to shout a warning. Duke hadn’t even begun his charge when Rogue took him down and delivered a suffocating killing bite to his neck. Rogue held the heavy body, shaking it once or twice before dropping it to the ground, casting Braum a malevolent look and then returning to swipe with vicious, punishing claws at the other three downed leopards.
Braum slowly eased his shoes off and removed his shirt. There was no mistaking that look from the ferocious leopard. He despised the three incapacitated leopards he hadn’t killed. Their deaths wouldn’t be quick the way Master’s had been. The way Rogue had looked at him, there was no doubt in Braum’s mind his death would be ugly as well.