Leopard's Spots 2: Oscar (20 page)

“Yes, and we need to make sure everyone else is okay. We should have heard that bullet, would have if I hadn’t just fucked you until we were both about dead to the world.”

“Let’s not mention death in any aspect, Jo.”

“Right. Let’s crawl or…shift, baby. I know it takes you a few minutes, but I’ll watch over you. You go first. I’ll shift after you and our asses are out of here.”

“Fine.”
Actually, shifting was getting less painful and a little quicker since he was doing it a couple of times a day. It’d been Josiah’s idea, and so far it was working.

Oscar shifted and didn’t even mewl like he normally did. His thick fur kept the glass from getting to his skin and going any further. For that matter, he hoped the fur sprouting out pushed all the glass slivers and shards away. Felt like it. This shift had hurt in an entirely different way.

Josiah shifted, and Oscar didn’t miss the widening of his eyes. It hurt Josiah this time, too. They bolted from the room, then Josiah changed back into human form and grabbed Oscar’s cell phone. He fired off a text and waited, tapping the screen impatiently. The phone buzzed and he tossed it down after reading the message.

“Everyone else is fine, it’s just us who are under attack.”

Lucky us, Oscar thought, unable to share it because the only time they couldn’t use their mental link was in instances like this, where only one of them was shifted. He mewled at Josiah, who shook his head. “I have to wait for more messages. I feel bad that I’m not out tracking down whoever shot at us, but being in here with you is good. Better.”

Oscar bared his teeth. Better, his ass. He turned to the back door and Josiah did the same. “Who’s coming?” Josiah sniffed and Oscar nudged his thigh to let him know it was okay. Josiah petted his head, scratching behind his ears. Someone pounded on the door and he loped over and unlocked it.

Henry, Clark and Chris ran inside. Henry had a gun in each hand. Josiah’s eyebrows shot up, but he locked the door. “Go ahead and shift back, Oz.”

Oscar didn’t want to shift in front of the two C’s, so he went into the hallway for a modicum of privacy. He finished shifting quickly, for him, and reached in the bathroom for a pair of dirty jeans from the hamper. As he put them on, he listened to Josiah and Henry as they fretted over the rest of the family, including Grandma Marybeth, out hunting for a would-be killer. He thought Chris and Clark were being entirely too quiet, and shared his opinion with Josiah, who agreed, but waited until Oscar came into the kitchen, where they were all sitting on the floor with their backs to the cabinets.

“So,” Oscar began, dragging the word out. He pinned Clark with a dark look. “Who’s taking bad shots at us?”

Clark flushed guiltily and Chris let loose a sob that startled just about all of them, except maybe Clark.

“Devon?” Josiah rasped. “Really? He’d turn like this?”

Clark shook his head, but Chris kept sobbing, and damn it, Oscar felt bad for the guy.

“Me, too,”
Josiah thought.
“I really thought Devon was on the level. But…
”

“But nothing. Devon fooled us all. I just don’t know if Chris and Clark are with him or with us on this. I don’t feel like I can trust my judgement anymore, not where they’re concerned. Their misery sure seems sincere and intense.”

“It wouldn’t be betraying his brothers if he killed us,” Henry, ever the voice of reason, pointed out. “After we were dead, he’d get Chris and Clark back, and the other two, Gregg Jason. Or he’d kill them and have two less brothers to compete with.”

“Or, he’d miss his shot on purpose, to warn you that he was here, and he wasn’t alone,” Chris whispered. “Devon’s a crack shot, always bulls-eyed when we went to the range. Please don’t kill him when you catch him. Please, let him have a chance to explain.”

“Chris is right,” Clark said, as he rocked his brother gently. “Devon wouldn’t have missed. So either it’s Devon trying to warn us, or there’s someone else out there. We won’t know unless they show up here or they get caught.” Clark jumped up and brought Devon with him. “The others, Marybeth, Levi, Lyndon, even Cheryl, they’ll just assume Devon’s gone bad if it’s him and they find him. We have to find him first!”

“Sit down!” Henry roared, surprising everyone, especially Oscar. He’d never heard his father lose it like that. “You two aren’t going anywhere. Try it and I’ll chain you up in a room like I’ve had to do the other two.”

“We’ll go,” Oscar offered, already pulling his clothes off. Josiah was in agreement, he could feel his eagerness to get outside and put an end to this.

Henry didn’t argue, but he didn’t look happy. He pointed his guns at Clark and Chris. “If I lose anybody, rest assured me not being a shifter won’t stop me from exacting justice.”

“Jesus, I’ve never seen Dad like this!”
It was frightening, really.

Josiah took his hand and led Oscar back into the hallway. “He’s worried for his family. I don’t blame him, but your dad is a level-headed man. He won’t do anything rash.” Josiah kissed him, lapping at every inch of Oscar’s mouth. When he finished there, he kissed Oscar’s forehead and the tip of his nose before stepping back. Already nude, Josiah shifted in seconds and waited patiently while Oscar stripped off his jeans and did the same.

They bounded down the hall and into the kitchen. Henry stood and unlocked the front door. “You both come back to me healthy and happy. Healthy, anyways. We’ll get you happy again if there’s a problem.”

In other words, if Oscar had to kill again.

Josiah nudged Henry’s hip then touched his nose to Oscar’s and they were off, deciding to run full out instead of trying to sneak. They reached the tree line and paused, listening and sniffing the air. As one they turned and headed to the left, in the direction the shot had to come from.

“I smell him! Devon’s nearby!”

“That’s not a good thing, Oz. He has a fucking gun, remember?”

Oscar slowed down, because Josiah had a damned good point. He led Josiah towards a clump of thick undergrowth beneath a pine. The trees were also good at helping to mask a scent, although they weren’t a total odour neutraliser. Still, every little bit helped.

Oscar started to growl, impatient to keep moving, when they heard footsteps coming from further up the hill. Human footsteps, two different sets. Oscar looked at Josiah, who sniffed and gave the wolf equivalent of a shrug.

“I think it’s Devon, Oz. I can’t smell much besides this damned tree and you and me.”

Devon came bursting through the trees, and he was panicking, fear obvious in his expression. He glanced back and Oscar peered through the branches that way too, waiting to see if one of his family members was running Devon to ground.

He couldn’t see anyone yet, but a whistling sound rent the air. Maybe it wasn’t perceptible to human ears, or not nearly as loud but, he knew what it was, and so did Josiah, who growled low beside him.

And Devon heard it just before his features twisted into an agonised picture Oscar would never forget. The bullet tore into Devon’s back, cutting off his scream mid-breath, flinging him forward from force of the shot.

“Stay. I want to help him, too, Oz, but we can’t. Not yet.”

“Chris…Clark…” Devon moaned softly. He started to cry, repeating his brothers’ names in a broken, pain-filled voice.

“Shut up about your stupid fucking brothers already, Devon.”

Oscar had never heard the man’s voice before, but it offended his senses and set them all on alert. The urge to protect what was his, who was his, rose inside him, strong and true. Josiah tried to argue, but Oscar blasted him with the depths of his feelings, his instincts and love of Josiah and his family.

 Cole Tavares stepped into sight and levelled the gun at Devon. “Come on out, leopard. I saw you and your wolf through the scope. Devon wanted to warn you, which is why he’s fixing to die. Well…” Cole chuckled, and handsome though he might have been, Oscar thought he was the most hideous creature on the face of the earth. “He’s fixing to die because he shouldn’t have ever been born.” Cole aimed the rifle at Devon first before turning it on Josiah. “Come out, or your wolf is dead.”

Oscar knew he was going to kill Cole Tavares for that threat alone. He snarled at Josiah.
“Stay here in case you get a chance to help Devon. Or me, but I will kill him, Jo. I will. And I will never lose a moment’s sleep over it.”

“Be careful, Oz. I love you.”

Oscar stopped and scowled at Josiah even though his heart soared with joy, an odd combination with the fury boiling in his veins.
“You tell me that now! I love you too, Jo, but jeez!”
Oscar touched his nose to Josiah’s before urging him to get lower to the ground.
“Move immediately when I distract Cole!”

As soon as Oscar came out from the underbrush, Cole fired a shot at him. Oscar had expected it, but it still pissed him off. He yowled and leapt to the side, and felt the burn of the bullet hitting the ground right beside his paw.

Josiah howled and burst from the underbrush, and Oscar knew he had to act fast, before Cole could aim or get another bullet ready. He didn’t know enough about guns to know what to expect. So he charged, and as he did, Cole dropped the gun and shifted, faster than Oscar had ever seen anyone shift.

The cougar lunged, and Oscar twisted to the side. He felt the scrape of claws down his flank and bit back a cry of pain. It was bad enough Josiah knew he was hurting, felt Oscar feel the wound, but he didn’t want to torture his mate with the sounds of pain as well.

“Stay back, Jo. Don’t intervene unless I fail.”
He had to do this on his own, in the way his cat felt was honourable. One on one, unless Cole violated that or killed him. If either happened, Oscar would just want him dead so he couldn’t hurt his loved ones.

They faced each other and Cole pawed at the ground. Oscar wondered if he could roll his eyes at the ridiculous show of…what? Claws? Yeah, well, he had claws too, and he intended to use them.

Oscar yowled, pissed as hell when Cole leapt at him. He had to get his head out of his ass, now! Oscar avoided being swiped that time, and he even pivoted quickly and caught Cole’s tail in his mouth. Oscar hoped he had an evil kitty grin as he bit down and heard cartilage crunch.

Cole’s cougar scream was eardrum piercing. Oscar jerked his head to the side and whipped Cole backwards. Not such a smart move, he realised, when he had to release Cole’s tail and stumble sideways to avoid the front paw which was aimed at his head.

I wish I could freaking roar, Oscar thought uselessly. He tried to spot Josiah but Cole charged at him again, backing off at the last instant before circling around and doing it again.

“He’s keeping you off balance, Oz. Let me just shift and I’ll shoot the fucker!”

“No!”
Oscar dug his back paws into the ground and pushed off, leaping with a power that always surprised him. He used his tail to keep his balance, keep his body going just so, and Cole, not expecting the attack, didn’t move back quickly enough, or far enough.

Oscar landed on Cole, taking him to the ground. He scrambled around until he was able to get his mouth close to Cole’s neck. It wold have been over had Cole not done the one thing Oscar wasn’t prepared for. He shifted into human form.

“Please, I’m begging, don’t kill me!” Cole babbled, but he smelt of deceit. “I’ll give my money to all of my offspring, I won’t keep any of it, just let me live, please!”

Oscar pressed his teeth to Cole’s neck. How stupid did the asshole think he was? Even now he was reaching for that fucking rifle. Oscar snarled and lunged for Cole’s wrist. He caught it and bit down. Cole’s eyes flashed with a fury and hatred that had to have come from the depths of hell itself. He shifted in a heartbeat and Oscar hadn’t been expecting it so he didn’t manage to avoid the claws that caught his cheek any more than the teeth that tore at his shoulder when he did finally jerk back.

This time he couldn’t hold back his yowl of pain, but it was nothing compared to the desperation to protect his family. Oscar surged forward and stumbled, pain searing through his shoulder and up to his neck. Fuck, he was in serious trouble. And Cole knew it. It showed in his eyes and his taunting movements.

Oscar wasn’t going to give up. Josiah was chanting softly in his head, words of love and encouragement, faith and forever. It strengthened Oscar, in spirit at least. His body still wasn’t cooperating.

When Cole came at him again, Oscar just dropped to the ground and hoped the asshole would go over him. He did, but before Oscar could get up, Cole was on top of him, and Oscar knew there’d be no mercy. He wouldn’t have asked, anyway.

“Kill him, if he kills me, Jo. Don’t let him hurt anyone else.”

Cole’s mouth opened on a sound that wasn’t a roar, but might as well have been. It sounded like a damned explosion, actually—which he realised right before Cole Tavares’ head did just that, exploded, splattering brains and goop everywhere. If it were possible for a leopard to puke from being grossed out, Oscar would have. He settled for closing his eyes and mewling desperately as he tried to get out from under the dead body.

“Come here, baby, come here.”

Josiah’s voice cut through his panic, as did the lifting of the weight of Cole’s body. Oscar opened his eyes and saw Josiah’s worried expression, and behind him, Henry, looking stoic and not the least bit affected by having pulled the trigger of the gun in his hand.

“Shift, Oz. Please.” Josiah had tears streaking his cheeks.

Oscar got scared, really scared. He started shifting, and the fear made it worse, made him hurt, or maybe that was from the damage Cole had done to him, Oscar didn’t know anymore. He didn’t care, he just wanted it to stop, and finally it did, as darkness pulled him down. 

“It’s finally quiet again,” Oscar sighed, as he sat next to Josiah on their porch. “I thought the Tavares brothers would never leave. And thank god they took those other two idiots with them. Damn, I keep thinking it had to take generations of inbreeding to get to that level of stupid.”