Page 55 of Love the Way You Lion
Imagining Sari’s face on the unfortunate woman's body, I dart forward, knocking her to the ground and as I slash and slice. Ironically, her pitch is better as she screams. I might be onto something here: death choirs. Quite groundbreaking, if I say so myself. Pulling her guts out, I hold them up to the whimpering cadre that were her friends. “I said to be truthful. You might be the worst nuns I’ve ever met.”
They look like they’re going to make a break for it when the shadow of my mate darkens the door. He takes in my bloody, gore covered form and his face brightens. “Oi, love, you started without me. I had a welcoming committee with a suspicious amount of weaponry for a church.” He looks at the cowering choirs and beams. “That’s two to four, love. Your arse is mine.”
Rolling to my feet, I smirk, shaking my head. “The evening is young, my love.” Winking, I pounce into the crowd of idiots who supported their friend, using claws and fangs to rip, tear, and shred mercilessly. He heads for another group in the back corner that seems intent on running through a door they pried open while I was distracted, and I stop, lifting my head. “Wait!”
Snarling, he turns to me with yellow eyes. “Costing me kills, love. Hurry it up.”
“Not the short brunette with the green eyes. Looks Irish. I have plans for her. Everyone else is fair game.” I send him a mental stroke and go back to feeding. I’ll need the energy if I’m going to be running through this enormous maze of a bloody medieval church.
I fuckinghatewhen they run.
The Bird And The Cat Compare Notes
TAURUS
“Come out, come out, wherever you are, kitty…”
I grin to myself, turned on by this entire outing. I’ve been like sodding granite since she kicked that door down. It was impressive given she’s only had two weeks of training. I’ve never asked what kind of experience she had in her ‘dead life’—that’s how I think of the lives the full-time residents of the Rift led before they moved here—but she sure as bloody hell must have had some training. The constant cracking and loosening of her joints points to it, though it could get explained just as easily by her status as a shifter.
That was some MMA shit, and she looked hot as fuck doing it.
My mate hasn’t discussed the extent of her shifter physical aspects with me, mostly because she knows that nothing about it bothers me. I wouldn’t give a flying fuck if she could turn into a big cat, but I’m not sure if she even knows. I doubt she’s tried. Between learning control of the Beast inside, her magick, and everything elsegoing on in our lives, my guess is she’s never considered taking her powers for a test drive beyond what happens automatically.
After I dealt with the unexpected amount of firepower of the Columbian gang members at the door, I found her toying with her food in the choir room. I watched for a bit before I made my presence known and I swear to Satan, if I didn’t love her with every corner of my rotten heart, I would have fallen for her again. I’m uncertain if she would have let that flat bint live if she’d hit the note, but I think my kitty knew it would never happen. Humans are nothing if not predictably arrogant and self-serving, so she played their egos against their common sense.
I’ve caught three more altos since we split up, and my total is now seven. After her stunt, she was five and I bet she’s nailed a few along the way. My woman can be deadly efficient when she’s in the mood; tonight is no exception. Either way, I come out a winner—literally—because I’m going to pound her into the goddamned ground when I catch her. Who’s on top is merely a matter of competition.
A chorus of harmonized screams echo along the high ceilings. “That’s eight, my love…”
She sang that part and it makes me laugh as I scent the air. Christ, if she were anymore perfect for me, I’d swear we were part of some mystical destiny bullshit. “Keep lying to yourself, minx. You’re mine tonight,” I call back, chuckling when there’s no response.
Her rage is dancing along our connection, and it makes my demon snarl in happiness. She’s not only feeding, but using this trip to clear her mind of the anger at her so-called mate. It’s a good plan and since it’s going to end in some monstrous sex, I’m all in.
The competition and the chase are bonuses.
Three tattooed gits with MP5s jump out of the next corridor and I smile widely, dropping into a deceptively lazy fighting stance. I’m unconcerned with their weapons and even less with their angry shouts in Spanish. Disapparating behind them, I tap one on the shoulder and he screams as I tear his throat out before he can get his bearings. The other two whirl, bullets flying as their trigger fingers react without noticing that I’ve disappeared again.
“Oi, gents, I’m over here now,” I taunt, watching the panic in their eyes grow. They look ready to run and I sigh, knowing that idiots like this are cowards at heart. No playing with my food for me.
Popping in between them, I grab them and knock their heads together, dropping one to feed. Blood spurts everywhere as I tear messily in frustration. The one on the floor has a large Bowie and I grin. My girl loves souvenirs, and what better souvenir than weaponry? I tuck it under my belt and hoist the moron up to finish him, whispering in her mind as I drink.~Eleven, my ferocious feline. You’re falling behind. ~
Her laughter tinkles in my mind as I feel the sensation of her ripping the arm off of a victim and clubbing him over the head with it.~Never, darling. I’ve got a roomful here. ~
I shake my head, ripping the throat out of the last of the morons who dared to attack me and pick up one of the MP5s, considering. Is it cheating? We didn’t discuss rules about weapons outside of ourselves. She doesn’t have any, but if she taps her magick, she won’t need them to keep up.
~That changes the rules, baby. Consider me suited up. ~
Feeling the air in the entire building shift, I curse, knowing that I’ve given her permission to let loose. “Fuck me,” I mutter.
~Planning on it, ~she rumbles into my mind and I get a picture inmy mind of a room that’s now filled with dead women in various states of carnage.
The bad news is that I’m going to lose; she just annihilated fourteen people in one swoop, bringing her total to twenty-two. I don’t know how many more people are hiding in these buildings, but she’s going to wipe this place off the face of the planet if I don’t find her and distract her first.
“I’m coming for you, kitty cat. Be ready!” I shout, dropping the gun and disapparating to the first place that feels like her. Using our connection to end our hunt might also be cheating, but I don’t fucking care.
I’m done playing.
I findher leaning against a wall, draining the Mother Superior on the altar. Moving to her side with a speed that clones are born with, I sink my fangs into the other side of her neck. Our eyes meet as the last embers of life burn out in the woman and I swear to hell, my bloody soul—or whatever passes for it—sings.
