Page 21 of Bad Blood Alpha

Chapter 8

Flynn hit the gas. They bounced over the last couple hundred yards of gravel, and pulled into a big clearing full of lights and chaos. Through the downpour, Kira got a confused impression of a two-story log cabin with a bunch of outbuildings and a crap-ton of people and animals in the front yard, fighting and screaming at each other.

In the center of the grassy lawn, a snow leopard, a spotted jaguar and a black panther faced off, hissing and snarling. The panther rushed the snow leopard with a bloodcurdling scream, raking at him with three-inch claws. The jaguar leaped at the panther just before he slammed into the snow leopard, knocking him aside. Blood dripped from claw gouges on all three cats, pink and diluted on their wet matted fur.

Overhead, a soaked and very angry snowy owl screeched and dive-bombed the panther, who ducked aside and gave a furious yowl.

Between the brawl and the house paced the hugest fracking grizzly Kira had ever seen—or even imagined—glowing with a faint silver-blue light and looking way too agitated for comfort.

Flynn hit the brakes so hard Kira’s seatbelt restraint kicked in, making her gasp for breath as it cut across her chest.

“Jesus fuck,” he muttered. “What now?”

He slammed out of the truck and strode towards the fight, not even bothering to close the truck door behind him. The rain and the thunder were so loud Kira could barely hear the screaming and snarls, but she could sure as hell hear Flynn’s pissed-off roar.

“That’s enough! Everybody stand down!”

They all froze except the panther. He leaped at the leopard again, but somehow Flynn was there between them, moving so fast he was a blur. He bitch-slapped the panther right out of the air with his bare hands and stood over him, hands on hips, thundering, “Xander! Get a fucking grip! NOW!”

Flynn was still shirtless, and his chest muscles rippled in the rain, making Kira swallow hard. Blue light flickered around his body, and alpha dominance rolled through the clearing. Kira almost lost her breath from the force of it.

Xander rolled to his feet and crouched, giving out a frustrated panther scream. Everyone else just stood there, panting and bleeding.

Flynn glanced over toward the porch. “Lissa?” he called. “What the fuck is going on?”

Kira rose to her knees on the seat and strained to see past the giant pacing grizzly. Behind him, she could just catch a glimpse of the top of a woman’s head. The rest of her was obscured by the bear.

“Short version?” she yelled back. “Sloan was practicing coaxing his leopard out during the storm. Brandon did a ninja escape so he could watch, big crack of thunder, leopard goes wild, Brandon freaks and takes off into the woods. Xander tries to kill Sloan for scaring his kid, etcetera, etcetera.” She paused, then added, “Jenny and Brody are looking for Brandon.”

Flynn rolled his eyes and glared at the panther, who was still snarling at the leopard. “Xander,” he snapped. “Forget Sloan. Get your fucking dad shit together. Brandon and Jenny need you.”

The panther looked back and forth between Flynn and the leopard. He made a plaintive growling sound in his throat, and Kira could see him struggling to get himself under control. Finally, with a last angry yowl at Sloan, he turned and bounded off into the woods.

“Caitlyn, go with them.” The giant owl, now perched on the tailgate of one of the pickup trucks scattered around the clearing, ruffled her feathers and shook her head.

Flynn sighed. “I’ll take care of Sloan,” he said.

Kira’s intel flickered through her mind again. The leopard and the owl were mates, which explained her concern. Caitlyn screeched in protest, but she took off and glided into the woods.

“Tank.” Flynn turned to the bear. “Can you go too and—”

He broke off, staring at the bear, who was still pacing back and forth in front of the log cabin, flickering with silver light and growling. “What the fuck is wrong with Tank?”

“He won’t leave me,” Lissa said. “He’s gone all Protector mode.”

“Hell,” Flynn said. “I don’t even want to know. I guess the rest of them can handle it.”

A bright flash of lightning ripped through the clearing, and another huge crack of thunder. The snow leopard bolted under the porch.

“Fucking thunderstorms,” Flynn muttered. “Fucking Xander. Fucking fucked-up leopards.”

He looked around and his eyes lit on the truck. He dropped his head back and sighed, as if he’d forgotten about Kira and was not happy being reminded.

Awesome. Back from the dead, and she was still forgettable. She waved. “Yep,” she said. “Still here.”

“Well, get out of the truck and go the fuck inside, Princess,” he said. “Or are you expecting me to lay my cloak over the puddles and carry you across?”

She gave him the finger. He might be alpha, but she was a goddamned princess. She didn’t have to take his shit.