Chapter Sixty-Five--How The Mighty Have Fallen

Chapter Sixty-Five--How The Mighty Have Fallen
Clara's face hardened, she fingered her gun, pulling it out of her jacket, holding it loosely at her side. “You ain’t normal anymore, baby.”

“Wow. Just like that, you write me off. You don’t know me, have no idea what I’ve been through. What you put me and everyone who loved you through.”

“Oh, I get it. I went to the house in town today. Told people I was my sister from across country. You know small town folk, they love to gab and gossip. I know all about how you turned out. How much your grandma messed you up.”

“Do not ever talk about her like that!” I roared. “She was a better woman then you could ever be!”

“She was a crackpot.”

Not the first time I’d heard that about grandma. I’d defended her till I turned blue, and changed no one’s opinion of her or me. Emotional agony and hatred unleashed in my mind, spilling out as I screamed. I was little more than an abused, forgotten kid. The teenager who tried to take her own life. The adult who wished it would all end. Rolled into one.

“She ruined you, Katrina. So badly that you willingly sided with the cats. Do you know how much of a traitor you now are? How pathetic?”

I stalked to Clara. I grabbed her hand, gun and all with strength she couldn’t match. I put the barrel to my forehead. “Then fucking shoot me mommy,” I said with scorn. “Kill the woman I became, the woman who was fated to become the moment you walked out on me!”

Clara stumbled back. I let her go. Mr. Quiet caught her, set her on her feet.

I glared at him. “You got her into this mess, didn’t you? You were probably fucking her before she ever left my father.”

He lit another cigarette with causal ease, then ran a hand down my mother’s side. He started at me with dead eyes. “What’s it to you? You’re not nothing to me, little girl. So why don’t you get your little fucktard boyfriend out here, and can we kill all three of you, call it day.”

I smiled, feral and mean. My gaze swung to the Jeep’s roof. My cat growled out of my mouth. My teeth lengthened. “What three you talking about? You gone blind old man? I only see little ol’ me, and a bunch of retards who are about to die.”

Gunman swung around. “The bitch is gone!”

“No shit, Captain Obvious. Hey Syber, darling, want to give the man a prize?”

“You got it, Alpha.”

The hunters startled.

“Did he just call you Alpha?” Clara shrieked. She turned, to see the cats lined up, jaguars, two leopards and a tiger.

Syber swiped Gruff Man across the neck with a knife I hadn’t known he was carrying.

The gun went off, and nicked my thigh. Pain blazed, but my adrenaline was too high.

So many things happened at the same second.

Mr. Quiet pulled a gun from the waistband of his jeans, and pointed the barrel at my head.

My mom left a shot fire.

Kalvyn roared, dropping from the tree in front of me, just in time to take both rounds to the chest.

Hero Boy came too and scrambled to his feet, but he was too late.

The cats launched at everyone.

“That bitch is mine!” I snarled just as Sadie about tore Clara’s throat out, stopping just in the nic of time.

I dropped to my knees. Blood poured from Kalvyn’s mouth. “Syber!”

“I’m here.”

“O…okay. Kalvyn, baby, you’re going to be fine,” I stuttered.

“Can’t…die.”

“I know, baby. I’m sorry, I forgot.” Blood coated my hands as I tried to staunch his wounds. “Actions definitely speak louder than words.” I jerked my head at Syber. “Watch him. If for some fucked up reason he does die, I will kill you.”

Syber grinned like an animal. “Right, Alpha. Go get your cat on.”

I jumped, whirled and screamed, all at the same time. Bianca and Sadie chased Clara around, allowing her to think she could get away as she emptied her clip, before nipping at her heels, drawing her back to the center again. I whistled, and their ears pivoted.

They charged Clara, who stupidly ran right for me.

“Baby, stop this! You’re Alpha and…”

“You shot my mate, you bitch!”

She pulled up short. Bianca and Sadie weaved around us.

“No, they’ve brainwashed you, Katrina. Stop this, and we can get out of here. I’m sorry I shot at you,” my rage burned so bright, I was blinded by it, “I was shocked and scared.” She whimpered as Dorian took Mr. Quiet down by the throat. “You can still save us. More of us will come for them. Join us, we’re family.”

“No. You’re not my family. They are.”

“You think that dead cat can ever be your family? Have you lost your mind?”

“I love him!” Oh-my-God, I just said that. Out loud. In that moment, I knew it absolutely. “He would never leave me, not like you. I can trust him, not like you.”

“He doesn’t love you!”

“He does. More than your human mind could ever comprehend.” As I said, I didn’t doubt myself, or him. And it had nothing to do with his angered speech. It was so much more than that. He meant everything to me and my cat. Fate or not, he was mine. And damn it, I’d believe even if fate hadn’t happened, we’d still have found each other. This still would’ve happened.

Tomorrow, we would be here. In Hell’s Gate.

They would not. Today, a new breed of hunter was born. And I would see a new movement into the dawn.

I snapped. My cat burst from my consciousness full force. Horrible pain launched through my body, contorting my limbs, drawing them closer to my body, breaking, reforming. Rich black fur waved over my skin, as my nose and mouth elongated. I jumped, finished shifting in midair. Clothes fell to tatters as I landed on her.

My cat thrust me aside them, so far into my head, I couldn’t fathom what happened. But I could hear. I understood.

Later, I’d deal with what we'd done. Later, Kalvyn would be there to catch me, if I should fall.