⚠️ Violence Warning: This story has a violent fight scene. Only continue if you’re comfortable with the bloody details!
Read Part 1 of this story first, if you haven’t yet
Drake caught up with Freja, and they quietly raced in the direction of the cow’s distressed bellow. But suddenly, the night went quiet. Dead quiet.
Whatever it was must have killed it. It had hunted their livestock and thus sealed its fate.
An evening breeze carried the familiar scent of fresh blood, an iron tang that made their mouths water. But… there was something else. A musky aroma hung in the air, somewhat reminiscent of a mountain lion, but off. It was unsettlingly different.
They now knew they weren’t dealing with an ordinary local predator. Cautiously, the werewolves slowed as they approached a grassy meadow ahead, which was dimly visible in the faint starlight.
Drake and Freja glanced at each other, and—without a sound—they split to circle through the dense forest quietly. A low rumbling noise emanated from the darkness, punctuated by the sound of tearing hide and flesh. The bloody scent hung heavy and hot in the air now.
As he drew closer, Drake could see the animal more clearly. It did look like a mountain lion, but it was much larger than normal. Enormous emerald eyes glinted as it dipped its head to rip out another chunk of fresh, steaming meat.
Scanning the dark forest on the other side of the clearing, he thought he saw the reflection of Freja’s eyes through the pine trees. Now, they only needed to wait for the right time to attack. Once it had fully fed, the lion should become lethargic and move more slowly. Patience was on their side.
Unfortunately, Freja had other ideas. Her temper was at full boil, and her blood rage reached a crescendo.
A furry flash erupted from the brush as the werewolf dashed to the attack. Freja closed half the distance in the blink of an eye before the lion realized what was happening. Then, with a guttural roar, it spun to face the threat in a defensive crouch.
Damn it!
Drake flowed like black liquid lightning from his hiding spot to join the fray. But, before he could reach Freja, the lion lashed out with a massive paw, tearing its immense claws down the werewolf’s side.
A shrieking scream echoed into the night as the Were spun away and tumbled across the grass. Her blood sprayed into the sky and across the meadow, sending Drake into a panicked fury.
With the force of a fur-covered freight train, the 800-lb werewolf slammed into the immense lion, sending it rolling away from the cow’s bloody body. A surprised yowl erupted from the beast, followed by whimpering wheezes as its cracked ribs slammed into the hard ground.
With impressive speed, the lion dug its hind legs into the dirt to spring back towards Drake. It leaped into the air with razor-sharp claws outstretched, only to meet the werewolf’s massive mitts closing around its throat.
As he held the squirming monster in midair, it jackknifed to bring its rear paws into his belly, trying to disembowel Drake. But, those claws met reinforced layers of the nanofibrous biomimetic mesh just under his skin.
Drake continued squeezing the creature’s throat with his immense strength as it panicked and lashed out with everything it had. Blood streamed down his arms and chest, coursing in hot red rivers down his thick legs. But, he held firm.
Freja returned to the fight and launched into the lion’s back, clawing and biting with fury. With a rumbling roar, Drake shouted, “No!” He twisted, swung the animal into the air, and brought it crashing down to the ground with a bone-crunching thud.
The lion shuddered and went still. Freja leaped onto its helpless form, but Drake grabbed her by the fur on the back of her neck and pulled her away. He stood between her and the unconscious creature, his chest heaving as the adrenaline left him shaking and quivering.
Slowly, he shifted into human form but continued holding Freja at arm’s length. With a shudder, she flowed back into her nude body, shook her blonde hair, and pushed it back from her face.
They watched the senseless animal panting and shivering. Then, its body began shrinking, and its fur slowly retracted into the skin—deeply tanned human skin streaked with dark blood.
A Were. A fucking werelion had been hunting on their land.
He’d heard of them, but they were rare, solitary creatures. This one must have come down from the northern mountain range. Strange. Very strange, indeed.
Freja spat on the female’s nude body. “Fucking bitch. Let’s kill her now before she wakes up.”
The woman’s wounds were already gradually healing. She wouldn’t stay unconscious for long.
Drake shook his head. “No. We need to know why she’s here. This isn’t normal. Something drove her down into our land, and I’d like to find out what that is.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Freja narrowed her golden eyes. “Her kind doesn’t like to cooperate. They have no sense of pack or loyalty. You know that.”
“Go back and bring my Jeep. Let’s take her home to the ranch and get some answers.”
Freja rolled her eyes. She wasn’t exactly thrilled with the newfound confidence her mate had acquired since his recent transformation. She might have to deal with him soon.
She sighed and sadly shook her head. "Uh-huh. First, you fuck a vamp. Now you want to fuck a lion. Curiosity killed the cock. It's gonna be the death of you someday."
Turning from him, she shifted and dashed off into the forest. Drake watched the amber werewolf disappear between the pines, then turned his attention back to the woman on the ground by his feet.
For the first time, he wondered if he could still trust Freja to be their alpha. She had always had a bad temper, but now he was beginning to doubt her judgment.
Continue for Part 3 of this story…