Page 95 of Cats Never Fly

Shewas a vision.IfI’dbeen into women—and not happily mated to my kitty cat—she might even have tempted me.Herstyle was exquisite.Herflashy red leather jacket looked stunning on her.Ithad to be tailored.I’ddefinitely be asking her about it later.

ProvidedIever got out of this blasted cage.

Withina few minutes, the human was cuffed and secured.Thetroll surrendered as soon as she saw the human was in custody.Withthose two down, there were only two more to go.Only.Ha.Asif the demon wasn’t the equivalent of an army on his own.IhopedSimonwas right and the demon was working against the mage.

Actually, where wasSimon?

Isearched the area, sparing only a fleeting glance at the rest ofSimon’smotley group of friends who were working on the mage and the demon.

Thebear shifter groaned.Damnit.I’dhoped he was dead.Theasshole rolled.

Andthat’s whenIsawSimon.Hewas creeping over to the injured bear shifter.Couldn’the have done that when the guy was unconscious?

“Simon…”Iwhispered, whether in prayer or warning,Ididn’t know.Hisears twitched, soIknew he heard me.

Iheld my breath asSimon’sshift washed over him.Hewas so damn vulnerable in his human form.Iclenched the bars, trying and failing to rip them apart.WhenSimon’shand slipped into the bear’s pocket,Ididn’t blink.

Asecond later, he held a set of keys.

Hedid it.HolyMagic, he did it.

Simonraced toward me.Hishands shook as he tried key after key.Thenone slid into the lock.Magicshimmered along the cage.

Turn.Click.Freedom.

Iburst out of the cage.

Nocheerful song about innocence and first love suited this moment.Iwas free, andIwas ready to destroy things.Iusually preferred older songs, but that didn’t meanIdidn’t know newer ones, and right now the chorus from “Bodies” byDrowningPoolwas my personal soundtrack.Iroared.

Everyonespun toward me, needing to assess the latest threat.Thehuman, even though he’d already surrendered, pissed his pants.Mydragon’s roar hadn’t scared my mate, though.Notat all.Hisflushed face and dilated pupils said it all.Mydisplay turned him on.Sucha good mate.Everyprimitive atom in me wanted to bend him over, right now, right here, and reward him.

ButfirstIneeded to devour our enemies.

Iyanked on my magic, urging my shift to flow over me.

Itdidn’t work.Myshift refused to come.Fireand electricity spewed from my mouth.AtleastIstill had recovered enough to do that again.Itarced across the room and slapped against the mage’s shield.Hisring caught my eye again.Therewas something about that ring.I’dbet anything that was the source of his unnatural power.Ithad to be theCovenofOneringGageand his friends had said was missing.Ihadn’t believed it existed, yet here was proof.

Istaggered toward the mage, not quite at one hundred percent yet, but determined to break through his shields and rip the ring from his finger.Ididn’t care ifIhad to bite off his hand to do it.

Imade it three steps before my legs gave way.Blazeit all anyway.IthoughtSimonhad fixed me, but whatever they’d drugged me with wasn’t gone from my system yet.

“Fuck!”Iscreamed out my frustration.

“Teague, helpSimonget the others out,”Isaacshouted as he joined his teammates in a semi-circle around the mage and the demon.Adrian, still in his wolf form, was dragging the squirming troll across the floor to whereDavinahad the human tied up.Shemight have surrendered, but she wasn’t happy about it.

“Comeon,”Teagueshouted atSimon.

Simonlingered, staring at me like he didn’t want to leave me.

“Goon,”Iurged. “I’llbe fine.”

Hehesitated a few more seconds before followingTeagueto the caged supes.

Igrasped at my magic again.Still, my body refused to obey me.

AllIcould do was watch and wait for the opportunity to blast my enemies.

“Getthe mage’s ring,”Ishouted at the others.Sincethey hadn’t been drugged and weren’t fighting through the drug’s hazy aftereffects like me,Isuspected they’d already concluded he was wearing theCovenofOnering, but it didn’t hurt to say it.