Page 75 of Warlander Beast Cat

Cadence had no respect for a woman, or anyone, like her.

Cadence lost her mind on Sasha. That’s the only thing that would describe how thoroughly she lost her ever-loving shit on this shifter. There was no control over the animal, she just let her take over. She let the animal have her mind and just stopped all thought. All she cared about was bleeding the saber-tooth. She wanted to hurt her so she would never come back to these mountains thinking she had an upper hand again.

She’d brought war to Damon’s Mountains, and for Cadence, that was unforgiveable.

This was a safe place.

When Sasha got tired and slipped, and exposed her throat for a millisecond too long, Cadence latched on.

She wanted to kill her.

She wanted it so bad.

But as Cadence looked around, so many of Sasha’s people were down. They were hurt, they were out. Cadence sat with her ears pinned back, tasting this shifter’s blood as she latched onto her throat harder, and she had a moment.

She’d never asked for this. She hadn’t asked for the fight with Sasha over Kru. She hadn’t asked Sasha to come here and start this. This war wasn’t on Cadence.

And she also didn’t want to carry the guilt of the aftermath.

She’d already won before Sasha had even stooped and come here.

Sasha was laying on the ground, unable to move without risk of death, and Cadence knew she had her.

She looked over at Kru. He paced back and forth, his glare angry on Sasha, but he was alive! He was good. He was barely even bleeding.

She knew she had freedom to make whatever decision she wanted to. Kru wouldn’t make her pay if her tiger killed Sasha’s. But…this wasn’t what she’d wanted.

Kru had been hers before this war.

As if he could see her turmoil, he said, “Then don’t,” in a gritty animal voice she’d never heard.

Oh, he had complete control right now. Anti-poison.

He was whole, and he was steady, and he could think logically.

Then don’t.

Sasha let off a gasp for oxygen as Cadence released her throat.

She backed off and glared at the saber-toothed tiger who was supposed to be better than her, right? She was prettier? She was stronger? She had a bigger history with Kru?

No.

Kru’s history started the day they went to speed-dating and decided they didn’t want to see each other with other people.

Cadence would be Kru’s history—the important parts of it.

This woman…this shifter…she didn’t matter. She was a lesson.

Cadence went to stand beside Kru. He was twice the size of her, and he rubbed his massive jaw against the side of her face as she watched Sasha get up and slink out of the warehouse.

Her lungs hurt from the smoke, and her body hurt from the fight, but she knew her place in this world now.

Kru had come. He’d come, and he’d brought the Warlanders and Damon himself with him.

She was good. She was safe.

Outside, she could hear the dragon roaring. She could hear three dozen heartbeats. Lucia was standing in the doorway, human, breathing hard, staring at her. “Are you okay?” she asked.

---