I want Clarissa, more than anything. But how could I force her to be with me now that I’ve had the chance to know her?
Before I can answer, Sebastian swipes at me with his fist. I jump back.
“Let me make your decision for you,” he says. “You are no friend of mine. You never have been and you never will be. You’re a coward and you don’t deserve Clarissa.”
I wince. I can’t say I don’t deserve that.
“As long as I live, you will not lay a hand on her,” he promises, stepping in closer. Preparing to swing again. The next time he’ll use claws.
I meet his eyes. The look he gives me pierces right through me.
I wanted Clarissa to choose me, but if Sebastian won’t even let me be in the running, if he won’t give me a chance, why should I give him a chance? Why am I holding back?
I snort, extending my claws. “Then you give me no choice but to kill you.”
Sebastian bares his fangs, growling and in the next instant, he turns into a wolf, charging at me. Hissing, I turn into a cat, climbing up the wall to avoid him and then pouncing at him. He leaps at me, our bodies colliding and then falling on the floor with a loud crash, me on top of him. As I bury my claws in his chest and try to slash his face with the rest, he tries to bite my head off, mouth gaping open, fangs ready to sink into my skin.
From the corner of my eye, I see the other Cats already almost at full strength, attacking Theo and trying to take Clarissa from him. At first, Theo just wards them off one by one but when several of them swarm around him, he turns into a bear, setting Clarissa down on the floor so he can fight. One of the Cats he hurls flies above me.
Distracted, I lose the upper hand, Sebastian pinning me down. The positions may have changed but not the intent. I try to claw at his throat while he tries to snap my head off, both of us getting cuts and nips. Only this isn’t like the fight earlier today. Neither of us are pulling our punches, we’re both out for blood this time.
I bite Sebastian’s leg. Hard. Whimpering, he gets off me and I pounce on his back, biting him between the shoulders. He tries to shake me off and when he can’t, he pounds me into the wall, which cracks and breaks, allowing more Cats to charge into the room.
Great.
I let Sebastian go after some of them before pouncing on him again, our battle continuing. Some of the Cats help me, biting and clawing at him. Two of them manage to pin him down, giving me the chance to inflict a killing blow but just as I’m considering it, I hear a voice.
Clarissa’s voice.
Don’t...Toshi.
Lifting my head to look at her, I see Syllas walking towards her, Theo too busy to stop him.
I pounce on Syllas instead, biting his shoulder. He throws me off.
“Stupid kitten,” he grumbles, rubbing his shoulder. “I’ll teach you a lesson.”
I charge towards him but he turns into a Cat, larger than I am. And stronger. With one swipe of his paw, he sends me to the ceiling and when I fall, he impales my stomach with his claws, drawing blood and sending ripples of pain throughout my body. My body shudders and falls.
Afterwards, he sends me flying through the wall, the sound of my cracking bones just as loud as the sound of concrete shattering beneath me when I hit the ground.
Chapter Twenty-Four
~ Sebastian
FENDING OFF THE HORDE of Cats around me, I spot Toshi as he crashes through a wall.
I shouldn’t feel sorry for him. He’s a traitor. I don’t trust him. Still, he did try to protect Clarissa from Syllas.
Syllas goes after Toshi, the look in his eyes that of a predator going for the kill. I go after him but feel more claws burying into my skin.
Fucking Cats.
By the time I’ve thrown them aside, Clarissa is grabbing Syllas’ tail, trying to stop him. Syllas turns, burying his fangs in Clarissa’s arm without hesitation.
Clarissa!
I let out a growl as she collapses on the floor, clutching her arm, then throw the Cats around me away like they’re made of straw, rushing to her side.