His target’s arrogance soon vanished as Julian once more crashed into him, this time prepared for the shock of pain. His claws dug in, clinging to the weird feel of him, and he ignored the fire that spread along his body as the man’s arms closed around him.
He staggered back—his enemy—his legs nearly buckling under the weight and pressure of the large spotted jaguar. The two of them clung together in a macabre dance, and Julian snarled, exposing his deadly canines.
He strained against the man’s hold, his eyes focused on his head and neck. The need to crush and destroy was so strong in him that all else faded away.
The scent that rolled off him was definitely otherworld, but it was unlike anything Julian had come across in the last year.
“Brave little cat, aren’t you?” the man spit out, smiling sharply, though he grunted at the effort it took for him to contain the jaguar. “I will crush you, then eat the heart of your mate.”
Julian snapped his jaw wider and threw his weight at him full force. The two of them struggled for several long seconds, each trying to best the other in a game of pure brute strength.
The man dug his fingers into Julian’s side and Julian grunted in pain as the phantom’s fingers penetrated fur to rip into his flesh. Julian twisted sharply, feeling a keen sense of satisfaction when his claws sunk in farther and he was able to push until they both crashed to the hard ground.
Julian landed on top, but the man was able to hold him off, and the jaguar’s deadly canines were not getting any closer to his opponent’s jugular. A groan from behind caught his attention.
Jaden? He stilled for but a second, yet it was enough for his enemy to shift and throw him off.
Julian rolled to the side, his powerful paws digging in and propelling him forward once more, but the man was no longer there.
A loud blast bounced off the walls and he looked toward the entrance in shock. Smoke and dust nearly choked him as the ceiling near the doorway crumbled downward, forming a large pile of crap that blocked the only way out.
The tall man grinned back at him, licked his lips, and snarled. “Now we get down to business.”
Julian’s powerful body was still. Declan looked like he was in a trance, his fingers feverishly weaving symbols into the air as sparks of energy flew from them.
Another groan sounded to the side of him, soft and feminine. He chanced a quick glance and felt relief at the sight of Jaden sitting up. She looked dazed, but when her eyes connected with his, something sparked deep within their depths. An understanding.
She rolled to the side and jumped to her feet, a long deadly dagger clutched in her hands.
Nico roared behind him, and Finn’s cry of rage followed; they were pretty much cornered by the shadelike creatures.
Julian kept his eyes on the leader and slowly backed up until his body was next to that of his woman. He felt her warmth, heard the beating of her heart, and when her hand fell to the fur at his neck, for that one second, the pain, the anger . . . everything that was mad inside him faded away.
“Well, my eagle knights, looks like our evening has been enriched in ways we’d never expected.”
Julian’s instinct was to attack, but the hand on his shoulder prevented him from doing just that, and he remained in place, though his body trembled.
“Just wait,” Jaden whispered. “Declan is up to something.”
Julian’s mouth hung open, harsh pants falling from within, his canines exposed and deadly. He forced himself into somewhat of a state of calm. He needed to be smart.
He stared at the man before him. Who the hell was he?
“He’s Nanauatl, the eagles’ sun god.”
Jaden’s voice whispered close to his ear. It was eerie, how much the woman anticipated his every move and thought.
The sun god stared down at him, his superior attitude plainly evident in the arch of his brow, the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth.
He snorted and looked behind them, and as his expression changed subtly, Julian moved against Jaden, pushing her slightly to the side so that he could better view the entire scene.
Nico hissed viciously, spitting and growling at the crew who had him cornered, while Finn stood tall and met the gaze of their leader with a calm that surprised Julian.
He had no f
ear, and Julian felt a spark of admiration for the eagle knight as the powerful shifter came forward, passed the two of them and stopped just in front of the leader.
“You are one of us,” Nanauatl whispered hoarsely, his nostrils flaring as he bent forward slightly. “A Knightly no less.”