The Jaguar’s Arranged Mate

Snapping out of it, he darted forward and found a Brutal Claw who was slashing at two Blood Roses. Half of the Brutal Claws were in were-jaguar forms. The other half had weapons of all kinds and were busy using them on the helpless guests. Blood Roses and Teal Warriors alike were cut down in the act of shifting.

It was chaos. It was pandemonium.

It was death.

Pure and utter carnage.

There were so many of them, far too many for them to be counted. While Beric had thought it possible that the Brutal Claws would attack shortly after the wedding, that they had dared to immediately after left him trembling with rage. He struck and slashed and bit and suffocated Brutal Claw after Brutal Claw, brutal himself, almost blinded by anger. How could they think this was acceptable? How could they continue to persist on killing their own kind just because they were members of another pack?

He had just killed another one and was looking around to find Miera when a blow to the back of his head made his vision turn spotty. Beric whirled around to face the foe, but before he could lunge forward to counterattack, someone yanked hard on his tail. His nails scraped against the warehouse floor near the green rug. He kicked one of his hind legs to try and free himself and ducked his head to avoid a blow from the first attacker.

Although he had killed several Brutal Claws already during that battle, not one had been an easy mark, and these two were even stronger than the others he had faced. He was taking more of a beating than he was giving one back. For every slash or bite he got in, they landed five more, and soon, he was beaten down, bruised, and bleeding.

Dimly, through a swollen eye, he spotted Miera finally. She was fighting three Brutal Claws by herself. Everywhere he glanced, Teal Warriors and Blood Roses were overwhelmed.

What could they possibly do to stem the tide? Have I gained a wife only to lose her minutes later? Or will she be the one to survive and be the widow?

Or will we all die?

More than anything, Beric wanted to live, to fight, to maybe even love… but his body and strength were failing him. Another savage blow to his head, and he staggered to the ground, spent, waiting for death to come.

Chapter 10

Beric Noca’s life flashed before his eyes, focusing mostly on the last couple of weeks. He had met Matthias Artemis of the Blood Roses, and the were-jaguar had essentially proposed for his sister, Miera. As she and Beric were both heirs to their packs, they could join together and try to unite their people against the vicious Brutal Claws.

Despite learning Miera was pregnant by another and realizing that his future eldest son or daughter would not be able to be his heir, Beric had found it in himself to still marry her.

And they had, just a few minutes ago. As soon as they had finished the ceremony, the Brutal Claws had finally struck. The warehouse the Blood Roses had transformed into a luscious garden for the wedding was now soiled by blood and gore and death. He and the other Teal Warriors, and Miera and the other Blood Roses, were all fighting as best they could, but they had been wholly caught unawares despite their patrols and guards, and many had already fallen.

Two Brutal Claws had targeted Beric, and they had already gained the upper hand. Three were fighting his pregnant wife. His one eye was swollen, and the back of his head ached from a brutal blow. He was on the ground, and he didn’t know if he had the strength to get up. If he didn’t, he wouldn’t last much longer, but he almost couldn’t bring himself to care. Just a moment of rest more… Although that moment could turn into the rest of his life…

A flash of light streaked toward him. A claw. Despite how heavy his arm felt, he brought up his own claw just in time to block the blow. Somehow, he forced his legs to cooperate and labored to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the second Brutal Claw lunging. Beric held his ground against the first then jumped to the side so the leaping Brutal Claw smashed into his pack member instead of Beric. The two of them turned on each other, tussling and fighting, and Beric rushed away as fast as his bruised and bleeding body would allow. If they ended up killing each other, so much the better. The Brutal Claws had no love for anyone, and that seemed to include themselves.

Now, where was Miera? He was slowly feeling less pain. Adrenaline, maybe? He hoped that was the case and not something more serious, but he didn’t have time to slow down. If he stopped once more, he might not re-enter the battle again, and he couldn’t afford that. Maybe he’d actually be able to help her. He had to try, even if it cost him his life.

Beric stumbled over the body of a woman wearing a dress. Obviously a wedding guest. Her glassy eyes stared up at him unseeing. How many of their people had died already, would die before the day ended?

Swallowing hard, he continued searching for Miera. There was a pile of bodies. He walked around it in time to see Miera, resplendent in her fighting style. You really didn’t want to mess with a pregnant were-jaguar. They made for the fiercest of warriors, even if they weren’t normally violent when not pregnant.

And she had always been a fighter, or at least he suspected that of her. There was a lot about her he didn’t know yet, including who was the father of her unborn child.

Before he could reach her, she killed a Brutal Claw, the last of the three who had been attacking her. Without hesitating, she glanced around for another foe and took off, forcing Beric to follow.

But she moved faster than him, as if the few cuts she had were nothing, and he labored a little. If he hid and waited a good twenty minutes, he would heal a little and be that much more ready to fight, but how many more of his people could be killed in those twenty minutes? No. He couldn’t even consider it.