The Jaguar's Arranged Mate: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (21 page)

His jaw dropped. “You can’t honestly think you love that guy.” He pointed savagely toward Beric. “He—”

“Charles, don’t you dare talk about me and who I love.” She walked around Beric to better face him. “Just tell us what the Brutal Claws’s next move is. Are you supposed to help them over the fence again?”

“No,” he said sullenly.

“Charles, if you don’t tell me, I’ll die,” she said bluntly. “I’m not running off with you. I didn’t want to before, and I sure don’t want to now. I will stay here and fight them until they kill me. If you really love me like you say you do, you’ll give me a chance to survive whatever you helped them plan.”

A long moment of silence passed, and Miera winced. She shouldn’t have antagonized him. She should’ve continued playing their game. At least he had been forthcoming.

But then he cleared his throat. “They are going to lay low. Make you all think you were safe. And then, in two weeks, I was going to open the gates for them and…”

“And everyone would be slaughtered,” Beric whispered.

Charles nodded.

Beric brought his fist toward Charles’s head. At the last moment, he turned his fist into a paw. The blow was harsh, and Charles dropped to the ground. He was still breathing, but not for long. The council would try him for his crimes, and he would almost certainly be put to death.

They now knew their enemies’ plan. Time to formulate one of their own.

*

Beric
appreciated his wife’s intelligence. He had been blinded by anger and hatred and almost ruined their chances of learning what the Brutal Claws were arranging. To waltz on in and destroy. Typical of the most bloodthirsty and savage group of were-jaguars to ever live.

An hour after they secured Charles in a prison cell, he and the other members of the council—two had perished in the wedding attack—along with Mark and Sam, sat at the table in the alpha’s quarters. In his quarters. It didn’t take long at all for them to settle on a plan—and Beric was both surprised and pleased that her father stepped down and now Miera was alpha as well. Once everything was settled, Beric and Miera quickly gathered all of the fit fighters remaining inside the mess hall.

Miera explained about Charles being the traitor, and for the next half hour, the two of them pleaded with the two sides to come together.

And, miraculously, they did, but only after Beric laid out their battle strategy. “It’s foolish and risky, and we all might die, but it’s also our only shot.”

They roared their approval. They didn’t want to be in the shadows, hiding and frightened. They were more than willing to be led into battle for once, instead of waiting for the battle to come to them.

So the next day, Beric and Miera led a large party out of the fence and toward where Charles claimed the Brutal Claws were living. It didn’t take them long to see that the were-jaguar hadn’t lied. Thousands of tents dotted the grasslands. One, in the center, was by far the tallest and grandest.

“That one there.” Beric pointed to it from their perch on a nearby hill. “That’s where
Andreas the Bloodthirsty will be. He’s our target.”

Not even twenty minutes later, they were in position, and they brought the war to the Brutal Claws. The fighting was vicious and terrible. Even some of the wounded had come along, wanting revenge for those who had fallen. Only those who were far too injured, the doctors and nurses, and the elderly and the very young were left behind.

It was a mighty gamble, and one that could very well ruin them, but they all knew and understood and accepted the risks, Teal Warriors and Blood Roses alike, and Beric couldn’t be more proud of them all. They were truly acting like one pack. If they survived, they would need to come up with a new name.

Beric fought alongside Miera for the first several hours. The Brutal Claws had never anticipated a battle on their own turf, not that they really owned the land they were living on. It was a massive clearing with a few hills but no bushes. Only the tents marred the land, and Beric threw many a Brutal Claw into one. Luckily, because they had taken them by surprise, most of the Brutal Claws weren’t armored, although almost everyone was armed. After all, they were brutal.

After fighting two Brutal Claws and slaying the one, the other turning to find a less aggressive foe, Beric realized Miera was no longer beside him. Before he could try to locate her in the bloody mess, he realized just how close he was to the tent he believed belonged to the alpha of the Brutal Claws,
Andreas the Bloodthirsty. Could he be lucky enough that the alpha was still there? He had to have joined the fray.

With even more determination fueling him, despite the new wounds he’d acquired, Beric fought his way over to it. He would do this. He would take on the asshole who had made their lives miserable. He would make him pay.

“Looking for me?”

Beric whirled around to see a man who stood almost seven feet tall. Muscular, built like an ox, stripped naked. This could only be
Andreas the Bloodthirsty.

He had been fighting in jaguar shape, but Beric now shifted to his human form. He rolled his neck from side to side to work out the kinks. “I am.”

“And you are?” Andreas the Bloodthirsty had a deep, booming voice that echoed somehow. Even more impressive were his eyes—black as sin, brimming with anger, and full of hatred.

“Beric.”

“Ah, yes, the little alpha who married in a vain attempt to save his people. I commend you for having loyal people, but I’m afraid you’ve brought them here to die.”

Beric’s fangs popped out. “I’m afraid you’re mistaken. If anyone is going to die, it’s going to be you.”

Andreas the Bloodthirsty threw back his head and roared with laughter. He continued to laugh as he shifted his form. Only he didn’t become a jaguar. He became a lion.

He truly was a berserker, able to take on any form just like the rumors had claimed.

Refusing to be intimidated, Beric hunched down, slowly circling his foe. He wanted to preserve his energy, to see and learn Andreas the Bloodthirsty’s battle strategy. Very quickly, he realized it was chaotic and fierce, brutal and killer, dangerous and deadly. It was all Beric could do to defend himself, to jump out of the way and block blows.

“You can’t win through defense,” Andreas the Bloodthirsty mocked.

Damn him, but he was right. Still, Beric remained cautious, although he did try to land a few swipes of his own. The first time one landed, he almost couldn’t believe it. But then he landed a few more and even drew blood.

Andreas the Bloodthirsty fought even more savagely now, but Beric wasn’t worried. The fight had changed his goals. He wasn’t trying to kill Andreas the Bloodthirsty anymore. He was only trying to wound him. It made for a much easier fight on his end. The pressure was gone, and he enjoyed watching more and more blood speckle the alpha’s coat.

It didn’t take long for Andreas the Bloodthirsty to change form, but it didn’t matter if he was a wolf or a tiger. Beric had taken the alpha’s advice to heart. Yes, he was taking more hits, but he was landing just as many.

But then Andreas the Bloodthirsty became a bear, a massive one, and the first blow that connected with Beric’s head left him staggering. A few more hits like that and it would be all over.

A blur of fur ran past him, jumping over him. Miera. She attacked Andreas the Bloodthirsty as if she had no concern for her own life. Together, they landed more and more blows, although Andreas the Bloodthirsty deflected a great deal more. He fought back, seemingly tireless.

Andreas the Bloodthirsty lumbered to stand on his hind legs and grabbed Beric by the throat with his paw. Beric gasped for breath, his front and hind legs both clawing at the alpha.

Miera bounded over and swiped at Andreas the Bloodthirsty’s genitals. Down he went, dropping Beric. Without hesitating, Beric climbed onto Andreas the Bloodthirsty’s back and lifted his head to expose his throat.

His wife held a claw to Andreas the Bloodthirsty’s throat. She shifted her mouth, but her teeth remained fangs. “You lost,” she said, the words surprisingly clear.

Beric shoved all of his weight down to make sure Andreas the Bloodthirsty didn’t try to wiggle free. The alpha was still strong. They might not have won yet.

Even if they had, how many of their people had survived the battle?

*

Miera
was gasping for breath. Her lungs were burning, but for the most part, she never felt more alive. She was positively humming with energy. They had brought down the mighty Andreas the Bloodthirsty, she and her husband.

Without moving, keeping her claw at his throat so that she could end him if he did anything they didn’t want, she glanced around. The battles around them had stopped. Everyone—Blood Rose, Teal Warriors, and Brutal Claws—were watching them.

“What are you going to do now?” Beric asked. “It would be so easy for my wife to kill you.”

Andreas the Bloodthirsty stared at her. The hatred in his eyes was gone now. The anger remained, but he looked at her with almost… Was that… It couldn’t be. Respect?

“Allow me to stand,” the alpha said.

Miera bristled. “You’ll kill us.”

“Allow me to stand.” His voice was quiet but full of power. He was not someone who was ever denied.

She glanced at Beric. He caught her gaze, nodded reluctantly, and then stepped off of the alpha.

Andreas the Bloodthirsty shifted to his human form. After a moment, Miera and Beric did the same, although the both of them retained their fangs and claws instead of teeth and fingers.

As Andreas the Bloodthirsty stood, Miera gasped. She hadn’t thought that any of their blows had been that severe, but one gash on the left side of his chest was particularly deep and blood still gushed from it. They had seriously injured him.

“We are leaving,” Andreas the Bloodthirsty said. He wasn’t speaking that loudly, but the silence was so profound that everyone gathered around must have heard him. “And we are not returning.”

Miera somehow refrained from gasping again. Had they done it? Had they won?

Beric crossed his arms, and she noticed that he still had his claws, although his fangs had been replaced with his perfect, albeit bloodstained, teeth. “We would like to speak with you more before you leave.”

“Very well.” Andreas the Bloodthirsty actually sounded weary. “Pack up. We march within a half hour.”

Without waiting to see if his people would listen to him, Andreas the Bloodthirsty turned around and rushed into his tent.

Miera and Beric followed. Andreas the Bloodthirsty was easing himself gingerly into a chair, wincing. He hadn’t showed any weakness in front of his people, but he had to be feeling faint from the lack of blood.

“While we’re glad you will be leaving our pack alone,” Beric said, and a thrill went through her that he said “pack” and not “packs”, “I would like to know what you plan on doing next.”

“Regrouping. Recovering.”

“And then?” Beric demanded.

“You’re going to pick another pack to take over, aren’t you?” Miera asked. “Why? Why can’t you just—”

“Be happy with what I have? The largest pack in the history of the world. Yes, that is quite a feat. But as the only living berserker… I don’t think I can be happy.” He took a deep breath and coughed. Blood flew out of his mouth. “Doesn’t matter. You’ve shown I’m weak. I’ve never been bled before and now…” Andreas the Bloodthirsty glanced down at his chest. The flow was only slightly less now. “Now they have all seen I am capable of being wounded, and they will come after me. I’ve turned them into little berserkers. They might not be able to change into any animal they wish, but they share my bloodlust, and they will destroy me. My strength garnered their loyalty. Without it, I will be dead. Maybe in a few weeks, maybe in a month. A year if I am lucky. But my days are numbered.”

Miera couldn’t feel badly for that. In fact, she hoped that was the case. Until Andreas the Bloodthirsty was dead, she wouldn’t be able to sleep completely easily. And once he did fall, that monster pack wouldn’t be able to stay unified without him.

They really had won.

***

It was a joyous trek back to the compound. Blood Roses and Teal Warriors helped each other to carry their wounded and their dead. Seeing them work together warmed her heart, but nothing made her feel better than Beric’s arm around her waist. Every few steps, he would bend down and kiss the top of her head. Everything was looking up. Everything was falling into place.

She was happy.

Once they returned, they instructed their people to do whatever they wished, and from the talk she had heard on the walk back home, she knew they were planning on a feast, now that they could freely hunt and replenish their food stores. A celebration would only help to further unite them all.

And they deserved a celebration.

Some went to hunt immediately, and others headed for the hospital, but Beric guided her to his quarters. As soon as he closed the door behind them, he embraced her, their bodies pressed tight together. “Are you all right?”

“I’ve never been better.” She lifted onto her toes and kissed him deeply.

He groaned against her mouth, and she could feel his erection against her. Carefully, tenderly, they stripped each other of their clothes and fell into bed, their arms wrapped around each other, still kissing, again and again. Miera couldn’t get enough. It hadn’t been this way with Charles or anyone else. This was magical. This was right. She had finally found herself a home.