Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 139934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 700(@200wpm)___ 560(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 139934 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 700(@200wpm)___ 560(@250wpm)___ 466(@300wpm)
He stopped abruptly as Tenmyy raked at him, hissing a warning. Very gently he put Ashe on her feet. “I need you to get to the house right now,” he said, shrugging out of his sports jacket. He caught the hem of his tee as he toed his shoes off. Ripping the tee over his head, he moved out into the middle of the rolling lawn that stretched between the two houses.
Ashe shook her head. “I can’t, Timur. Don’t ask me to do that.”
He flicked her a cold gaze, noting the agitation she betrayed with the way her fingers twisted together repeatedly. “I wasn’t asking. You fucking do as you’re told.” He counted to three and then stepped right into her, looking down at her face. Eye to eye. Breath to breath. His resolve only deepened. “Now.” He couldn’t watch her as he fought a leopard. Others might take the opportunity to try to take his female.
Ashe nodded, those long lashes fluttering. She turned and started to run back toward the guesthouse. She hadn’t gotten more than a few feet when a large male leopard rushed from the heavy foliage around the garage. He cut off her escape and began a slow stalk toward her. Ashe skidded to a halt and raised one hand defensively to her throat. She looked to Timur for instructions.
“He’s trying to force you to shift, baby,” he said softly.
Timur didn’t recognize the leopard, but knew by the scent that it was Gilbert, Evangeline’s uncle. “Once your female is out, he would try to force her to mate with him. I’ve got this. The moment the fight starts, you get to the safety of the house.”
He stripped the trousers from his body, his eyes never leaving his opponent. The man might be older, but his leopard was in good shape and had seen a few fights. The Tregre brothers might pretend to the world that they were beaten down and timid old men, but they weren’t. This leopard proved that. He was fit and bore scars from numerous fights with other leopards.
“You know where the weapons are, and you know how to use them. If he comes through that door, you kill him. It’s Evangeline’s uncle.” He needed her to know man or leopard, either would try to force her compliance.
Timur called Temnyy and shifted almost instantaneously. Even as he shifted, he launched himself, running full bore at the leopard. He hit him with the force of a freight train, slamming into the cat’s side, driving him back several feet before the leopard lost his footing and was down. Rolling. Snarling. Scrambling for a purchase in the soft dirt with his claws so he could drag himself to his feet.
Temnyy slammed into his side again, in exactly the same spot, hoping to crack the dense bones there. He raked viciously with his claws, tearing at the leopard’s underbelly, teeth ripping at the nearest ear. He spat it out and clawed for the leopard’s nearest eye. The entire attack had only been seconds, but he’d damaged his opponent immediately and severely.
He didn’t back off as most leopards would. He was as ruthless and merciless as his human counterpart. More so. Shifters gave their rivals opportunities to run. Timur knew Gilbert would never have given Ashe the opportunity to say no. If she’d said it, no matter how adamant she was, the man would have forced her cooperation. His leopard would have forcibly taken her female.
The leopard rolled away from him, angling to his left, just as Temnyy knew he would. When the cat started to get to his feet, Temnyy was on him, landing hard on his back, deliberately going for the spinal cord, teeth driving deep at the back of the neck. The neck was thick with loose skin and old scars, but it didn’t stop Timur’s male. He was vicious in a fight. He was used to fighting for his life, fighting to the death, and he didn’t hesitate.
Temnyy wanted the leopard dead, but, even more, Timur wanted the man dead. It would be one less enemy to keep track of. There was no doubt in his mind that Gilbert Tregre was one of the worst, and probably one of the most successful criminals. No one had ever suspected him. Even when he got caught red-handed, he’d acted his way out of his crime. He’d fooled Drake Donovan and an entire lair of law enforcement leopards.
“Stop. You have to stop.” Evangeline rushed toward the two snarling leopards.
Fyodor caught her and held her back. Beau watched as Temnyy bit down hard into the neck of his brother’s leopard, but he didn’t say a word, nor did he try to shift. Christophe began to rip his shirt off, while Ambroise backed away from the two fighting cats.
“Don’t,” Fyodor commanded Christophe. “Timur, take control of your leopard and back off. Gilbert is finished. You’re going to kill him.”