Hyena Moon, page 23
Mebis looked at him curiously, and then subsided. He looked thoughtful. "You really like her, don't you?"
Finn nodded, eyes front. "Just don’t tell her that."
Mebis snorted.
"What are we going to tell the docs once we get you to the hospital?"
"I got mauled by a dog." Mebis edged around in the seat, clearly trying to find a more comfortable position for his leg.
"Think they'll buy that?" Finn looked over at the Keeper.
Mebis gave him a look that conveyed just how stupid he thought Finn was. "You'll want to clean up before we get there."
"Huh?"
"Unless you want to tell them you ate the dog that mauled me, you might want to wipe your face." Finn's face was liberally smeared with hyena blood.
He took a look at himself in the rearview mirror, then grinned. "Oh. Right."
Chapter Forty-Two
Kess waited while Laila dispatched the final hyena. Kess had killed two, but Laila had racked up an impressive body count. The Keeper leaned over her knees to catch her breath, hands full of sword. The blades dripped dark blood onto the soaked earth. Kess had no idea how they would ever be able to hide this. So much for low profiles.
“Thanks for the assist,” Laila said when she got her breath back.
Leopard Kess nodded, then took off. Laila knew what to do, they all did. Now it was Kess’ turn to face Samara. She would put an end to all of this stupid, pointless bloodshed, one way or another. Kess was stunned at how many hyenas Samara had summoned. She hadn’t even known there were that many in the state, let alone Samara’s city. And they were dying because their pack leader was too damn obsessed to know when to stop. Samara and Sekhmet had been perfect rivals. Both of them were headcases.
Kess made her way back to the appointed meeting place, knowing that Samara would still be there. She thought superior numbers guaranteed her the win and she would want to savor her victory. Plus, Kess had done something to ensure the werehyena stayed, if only to lord it over Kess when the leopard was brought back by her pack.
They had spoken earlier in the evening and Kess had once again offered Samara the rite of challenge. But the werehyena had refused. Kess knew she was waiting for Rafe and Teresa to show up with Lenore. That was when Kess had told her about the death of her daughter.
Kess changed back into human form before she entered the clearing. She wanted to give Samara one last chance to stop of all this before anyone else had to get killed. She was not going to give the werehyena Miami under any circumstances, but maybe Samara would realize that it came at too high a cost and give up. Kess hoped so, but she doubted Samara would be so reasonable. Not after all of this.
“Samara,” she said, meeting the icy blue gaze of the older woman. “We can end this now, without anyone else getting hurt.”
Samara laughed at her. “I want you to hurt. I want everyone to hurt.” She paced the clearing. Kess waited.
“Which one of you did it? Which one of you killed my daughter?” The words weren't said with grief over the loss of a family member; Samara sounded angry over losing a possession, like a child who's lost a favorite toy.
Kess didn’t answer, didn’t know how to answer. Part of her felt sorry for Samara. How do you tell someone that their son killed their daughter?
The werehyena smiled, and it was an ugly thing on that pale, beautiful face. “Rafael. Traitor child.” She took a deep breath. “I should have slaughtered him at birth. I’d considered it, but his father was against the idea.”
“He’s what you made him,” Kess said softly. She would never tell Rafe what his mother said about him.
Samara shook her head. “He’s nothing. He’s dead.” Her eyes met Kess’ and they were empty of everything except hate. “Just like you are.” Kess had left then, knowing terms would never be reached. It would have to be a fight to the death.
Six hyenas came through the trees; Samara’s reserves. Kess backed up against a tree while they surrounded her. She hadn’t expected the woman to fight fair. She had a plan in mind. “One last time. Rite of challenge: just you and me.”
“Stupid girl. Why should I fight fair when I can take what I want?” She jerked her head and the ranks closed around Kess.
Kess waited, watching the hyena’s mouths, the teeth that gleamed behind the snarling rictus. She waited until they were close enough, planning on…
A huge bellow filled the air and an enormous brown bear lumbered into the clearing, followed by a large silver wolf. Kess saw the hyenas all turn and took this moment to leap up, triggering her own change back to a leopard. Her claws caught a low branch and she hoisted herself up, and then looked out of the leaves to see what was going on.
The bear roared again, swatting the hyenas and sending them careening away like bowling pins. The wolf had latched on to one of the pack and they were rolling, each trying to get a grip on the other. But Kess needed to find Samara. The woman was slipping away through the brush, leaving her packmates to die. Kess followed after on silent feet, moving through the trees like a ghost, tracking her.
Kess leaped down to land in front of Samara. The older woman jumped back, her own change hitting her and Kess prowled, ready to get this over with. She’d had enough of Samara and her schemes, of her recklessness and hatred.
The hyena that looked at Kess was easily as big as she was. No wonder she was the leader—she was the largest hyena Kess had ever seen. They circled each other, the black leopard and the spotted hyena. They would be evenly matched, Kess could tell. Both had powerful jaws, both were strong and fast. She'd have to careful.
Samara lunged at her in that weird gait the hyenas had. Kess jumped back with a growl, slashing at the head of the beast. She caught her with her claws, but barely enough to draw blood. Samara made that noise the hyenas did, halfway between bark and laugh. Kess crouched low, carefully watching her opponent to see when she'd make a mistake, leave her an opening.
The hyena came at her full force this time, not trying finesse moves. Kess dug in her paws when Samara tried to bowl her over with momentum and pushed back, her jaws open to bite at whatever was available. The hyena juked away, but Kess pursued, slamming into her so they rolled. She tried to find purchase, digging claws into the hyena's back, stomach, anywhere she could in the hopes that it would enable her to get a deathgrip on Samara's throat, but she was bucked off.
Kess regained her feet lightly. She was tired from the running and the fighting while Samara was fresh. Hmmm, that might prove interesting. She let her leopard instincts come to the fore, looking at the hyena like a predator, a hunter and not like a human being would. Overthinking wouldn't save her; instinct would.
She allowed the leopard side of herself free rein and found her focus narrowed to scent and sight. Kess countered Samara's attempts to put her in a vulnerable position, using the trees as springboards to change direction quickly. Samara snapped at her in frustration, her attacks becoming more reckless. Leopard Kess understood that the hyena hoped to take her out using brute strength. Without the pack to back her up, the fight was taking longer than she had thought it would and she was trying to end it before she became too tired. But that meant Samara was taking risks that she shouldn't.
It came to her in a flash--throw the fight. Samara was blinded by her desire to control Miami. She didn't make good decisions; just look at how tonight had gone. Her entire pack had been almost completely wiped out and still the werehyena thought she could win the city. If Kess could make her think she'd be an easy kill, then Samara might get sloppy. It was worth the risk.
Kess watched Samara circle her, ears flat against her head. She had to make it look believable, which meant that she'd have to leave her flank open to an attack. The thought of those teeth closing on any part of her made her want to shudder in revulsion. Still, it made the most sense. Kess started trying to figure out which body part could sustain the most damage and not get her killed.
She engaged the hyena again, making sure that she exaggerated her breathing and moved slower than she actually could. Samara raked her with claws, but Kess could stand that. Sek had done worse when they were playing hide and go seek when they were younger--his claws had been like knives. But she played it up, like it was one more injury that tired her. She put a hitch in her step, a kink to her walk; not much, but one Samara was sure to notice.
Samara came at her fast and Kess struck with her claws, catching the hyena's throat. It wasn't deep enough to kill, but it did hurt and that was what Kess had been going for. She was hoping to drive the hyena to take chances, to see the easy opportunity and not be cautious. The hyena gave out a surprised yip and backed away quickly.
Last time. Kess steeled herself for what was coming as she circled Samara, making sure that the hyena saw the little roll in the otherwise smooth stride. Samara came in low again, trying to bowl her over and this time Kess let her, rolling with her. Samara's teeth snapped at her, but she evaded them and then leaped away, but a fraction of a second too slow.
Samara's jaws closed around her right rear leg, high up on the flank and bit down. Kess roared in pain and ripped away before Samara could crack bone, but the damage was done. She staggered a few steps and tottered, dropping onto her side, panting out in great gasps of air. Her head lolled back, as if the pain were too much.
Kess whined in the back of her throat, trying to bait the trap a little more. Let Samara hear her whimpering, let her think she had her beat. Her leg was damaged, the muscles in it ripped and torn by the hyena's teeth. The smell of her blood clotted the air. Here I am, her human thoughts echoed in her head. Dinner time!
Samara came forward slowly, head down. She sniffed around Kess, still too far away. Kess batted at her weakly, still giving a token resistance. Come on, come on. You know you want to come eat my insides, Kess thought, trying to stay patient. She tried another pain-filled call and let her head drop briefly to the ground.
The hyena was closer now. Kess made it look like she was trying to move her back legs under her and couldn't. She could, but it hurt like hell and frankly, she was happy for the rest. Samara made a noise in the back of her throat, almost a loving purr and she slid closer. Kess lifted her head, clawing with her front paws, but languidly, as if she didn't have the energy for it anymore.
She was close now, the jaws nipping at her stomach almost playfully. Almost there! Something was crashing through the scrub on their right. A silver wolf came barreling through and Samara threw her head up and to the side, startled. Kess saw her chance and didn't hesitate. She reared up, using her back legs as leverage and latched onto Samara's throat.
The hyena was strong, Kess had to give that to her. She tried to shake her off, but Kess wasn't about to go anywhere. She had her now. She got to her feet, pushing the hyena over, trying to end it quickly. She didn't want to risk relaxing her grip for a single moment. Samara was dangerous. You didn't give the dangerous ones the chance to slip away. Samara was thrashing about, but slower now. Kess kept her hold.
She heard more crashing and saw the brown bear come near. He looked at her curiously, and then dropped down into a sit. The wolf paced before her, watching out for other hyenas. His muzzle was coated with blood. Kess hoped that he would forgive her for putting Lenore in danger.
For ten long minutes she held on, her jaws so tight that they ached when she finally let go. The heartbeat had long since stopped, but it never hurt to be careful. Samara was a monster. You had to be sure with monsters. Kess lay back and waited for her own heartbeat to return to normal.
Laila strolled up then, followed by the horrible smell of burning. The swords she carried still dripped blood off the blades. She took one look at the scene and said, "Nice job, kitty."
Kess shifted back to human--there wasn't much pleasure to be had in it but a whole lot of pain with her leg laid open--and lay back against the flattened grass, utterly exhausted. Her leg was a throbbing mess of torn tissue, but at least she wasn't spewing blood like a geyser. That counted for something. The pain was becoming more immediate now that the adrenaline was fading.
Laila was filling them in. Mebis and Finn were on their way to the hospital--Mebis' wounds were too severe to treat at the safe house if they hoped to save his hand. Griff and Burke were putting the dead leopards in the back of the SUVs; Bomani hadn't made it, nor had Nyla. A few others were injured, but not badly. She spoke some more but Kess found that all she wanted to do was sleep for about a thousand years.
Cormac was beside her then, his warm body next to hers. She sighed. He had come, which was unexpected. They'd been at odds so much these last days, she wasn't sure if he would. "Kess, can you hear me?'
She nodded, feeling like she was a long ways off. "I'm cold," she said and saw him lean down to hear her. She thought she'd spoken normally. Odd. The sound of the surf was in her ears but she didn't know where the ocean was. That was weird, she didn't remember them heading to the beach. She felt him gather her in his arms and the pain in her leg made everything go red behind her eyes. She gritted her teeth and tried to think about the ocean some more.
She looked back at the moonlit clearing as Cormac carried her away. Laila stood there looking down at the dead hyena, swords still in her hands. Kess heard her say, "Oh, hell no," and then one of her blades caught the moonlight and fractured it into a million shards of glass as the werejackal brought it down on the hyena's neck.
Kess nodded slightly, in approval. After all, you had to be sure with monsters.
Chapter Forty-Three
Rafe woke up to bright sunshine streaming around the gaps of the dark curtains set in the large window. It was like a weird, outlined box of darkness in the middle of the bed. One of the bars of sunlight was shining right in his face. He wanted to move away from it, but something told him it would be a bad idea. He took stock of his surroundings instead.
His left arm was wrapped in a cast. He had an IV in his other elbow. He vaguely remembered when they set his arm last night, but after that, came nothing. He was lying in a strange bed, covers pulled over him. It felt like someone had fixed his leg too. The back of his neck and his shoulders felt tight and he thought there might be some stitches there. The only real way to tell would be to get up and Rafe felt that was well beyond his power right now.
Someone had cleaned him though. That was good, until he thought about who it might have been. Oh God, please let it have been anyone but Lenore. That would just be too embarrassing for words—he could almost wish Teresa had killed him.
The door to his room opened a crack. Kess stuck her head in to check on him. When she saw he was conscious, she smiled. “You up for a little company?”
He nodded slowly, not wanting to hurt his neck. His head felt fuzzy, but he thought that might be the pain meds they were giving him, because he knew he should be hurting more than he was. He used his good hand to wave her inside. She slid into the room and closed the door. She wore shorts and a faded t-shirt. Her entire right thigh was wrapped in bandages and she walked with a crutch. His amber eyes narrowed as he counted the other marks on her exposed skin, most of them already healing.
“Is she…” he began, then broke off, not sure if he could say it. She was his mother. “Did you?"
Kess gimped her way to the edge of the bed and sat down with a relieved sigh. She looked at him carefully, as if she was weighing how much was good to tell him, and then made her decision. "Yeah. I did. She's dead, Rafe."
Rafe looked down at the blankets, waiting to feel something. He'd expected sadness, and that was there—a little. Certainly not the level he expected. Relief was there too, but again, not at the level he expected either. He'd lost his entire family in one night, with one dead by his own hand. He expected to feel more than just numb.
"How are you doing with all of this?" Kess' voice was quiet but steady, like she knew something of what he was trying to process.
"I'm not sure." He looked up for a second to find her eyes on him, the green-gold mesmerizing in the watery light from between the curtains. "I feel like I should feel more, you know?"
She nodded. "It'll come eventually. Nobody can tell you how you should feel." Her eyes slid to the side and she amended, "Well, they can tell you, but it doesn't mean you actually will." She smiled slightly, as if remembering something.
He wasn't sure how to ask his next question. Up and asking who's dead? was kind of blunt. He flailed around in his head for a moment, before deciding on, "How is everyone?" He knew Lenore and her parents were okay since they had all been at the safe house, but everyone else was unaccounted for as far as he was concerned.
Kess' face grew still, to the point where it almost looked like a mask. He'd only see her do that once before, when he had asked her about Sek. "A few of ours didn't make it."
He doubted she'd be so calm if one of them was her boyfriend, but he asked anyway. "Cormac?"
"He and all of his family are fine. Maybe a little banged up but nothing that won't heal." Her fingers twisted around themselves, coming together and breaking apart in an endless knot. "Mebis is in the hospital getting his hand worked on. Laila and Finn are there now."
Rafe watched her quietly for a few minutes. She looked like her mind was very far away. "So what now?"
Kess' head came up and she forced a smile. "Now," she said, getting awkwardly to her feet. It was odd seeing her move without her usual graceful slink. "You get all healed up. And I think there's someone who'd like to see you very much." She clunked over to the door and opened it.
Lenore was on the other side, waiting. "Hi." Her voice was shy, but the blinding smile she gave him was anything but.
Kess gestured Lenore inside. "He's all yours." She closed the door behind her.
