Page 149 of His Ruthless Match
And then, just as I thought I couldn’t take another second of the silence, the air shifted.
It was subtle at first, a faint ripple I felt more than heard. My head snapped toward the corner of the room, where the shadows moved. A low, guttural sound—half growl, half hiss—rose from the darkness, and my blood turned to ice.
A hulking figure emerged out of the shadows. The creature was grotesque, a nightmare made flesh. Its body was a twisted combination of tendon and bone, its skin stretched tight over unnatural protrusions. Glowing, inhuman eyes locked onto me, and its lips pulled back to reveal jagged teeth. My stomach lurched.
Before I could scream, it lunged.
The thing moved with horrifying speed, its claws slicing through the air toward me. I stumbled back, tripping over the uneven floor as fear flooded my veins. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest.
“Eva!” Jareth’s voice cut through the haze of terror. He shoved me behind him, then, moving faster than possible, he drew his knife in one fluid motion. The blade gleamed wickedly in the dim light.
With a precise slash, Jareth struck the creature across its chest. The thing recoiled, its twisted form jerking back as black, viscous fluid oozed from the gash. But it didn’t fall. Instead, it let out a guttural snarl, its serpentine movements becoming even more erratic as it lashed out again.
Jareth pivoted to avoid the creature’s claws. He slashed again, aiming for its exposed neck, but the thing twisted at the last second, and the blade grazed its shoulder instead. Undeterred, Jareth pressed forward, his knife a blur of motion as he struck again and again, driving the creature back step by step.
Then its claws connected. A spray of fabric and blood followed as the creature raked its talons across Jareth’s arm. He hissed in pain and staggered back slightly, but he didn’t falter. His grip on the knife tightened, and he raised it again, his stance low and ready to strike.
“Eva, stay down!” he barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
I didn’t need to be told twice. I dived behind the table, my breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. Over the sound of my own heartbeat, I heard the clash of claws against steel, and the creature’s guttural growls.
I peeked around the table just in time to see the creature knock Jareth’s knife from his hand. It skittered across the floor, coming to rest near one of the shelves. The creature advanced, its claws glinting in the faint light, and for the first time, I saw hesitation in Jareth’s stance.
Then he growled.
It wasn’t entirely human. It was deep and feral, sending a shiver down my spine. Before I could fully process what was happening, his body began to change. His form twisted and elongated as fur rippled over his skin. Clothes disappeared, replaced by sleek, tawny muscle. In seconds, a cougar stood in the man’s place, his golden eyes gleaming with raw, predatory light.
I watched, terrified and awestruck, as he leapt at the creature. They collided in a brutal clash, claws and teeth tearing into flesh. The snarls and roars that filled the room were primal and savage.
Jareth raked his claws down the creature’s body. The thing howled in pain, lashing out with its own claws, but Jareth was faster. He darted around it, his movements precise and deadly. Blood—black and glistening—splattered across the stone floor as the fight raged on.
I couldn’t look away. My fear was drowned out by a strange, overwhelming sense of awe. Jareth was magnificent, a force of nature, every movement a perfect balance of power and grace. But even he wasn’t invincible. The creature landed a swipe across his flank, drawing blood.
“Come on, Jareth,” I whispered, clutching the table leg so hard my knuckles turned white. “Finish it.”
As if he’d heard me, Jareth lunged, his powerful jaws closing around the creature’s neck. The thing thrashed, its grotesque limbs flailing wildly, but Jareth held on, his muscles straining as he dragged it to the ground. With one final, savage twist, he tore into its throat.
The creature let out a wet, gurgling sound before collapsing. Its body twitched once, twice, and then went still.
The door burst open, the sound jarring in the oppressive silence now that the creature was dead. Three men stepped inside. Their suits were crisp, immaculate, but the glint of weapons holstered at their sides made their intentions clear. They weren’t here to negotiate. Their pointed ears caught the faint light, and though I wasn’t sure what kind of fae they were, I knew one thing for certain. We were in deep shit.
Merrik’s voice rang out from the corner of the room. “That’s the girl! Look!” He lunged forward, tossing some kind of shimmering dust in my direction. It hit me square in the face, and I coughed, choking on the strange, acrid scent as it filled my lungs.
“What the fuck?” I gasped, stumbling back, my hands flying to my throat as I tried to breathe.
Jareth shifted into human form, his head whipping toward me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Eva! You’ve been disillusioned,” he yelled, his voice sharp and urgent. “Stay close.”
Merrik cackled, stepping farther into the room as if he’d just performed the greatest trick in the world. “I knew it! Iknewthiscougar shifter worked for The Shadow! And what’s more, I knew he’d been seen around with The Shadow’s sister. He shows up here with this girl…” Merrik gestured wildly toward me, his tone turning venomous. “And I just knew it must be her! The one everyone’s looking for! Catch her alive, and we’ll be rewarded handsomely.”
My stomach dropped. Merrik had planned this. He must’ve tipped off these men the moment we stepped foot in his den. This was a carefully orchestrated trap. Panic surged through me, but I shoved it down, forcing myself to stay focused.
The man in the center of the trio stepped forward. “Drop the claws, shifter,” he commanded, his voice cold and authoritative. His gun was trained on Jareth, but his gaze flicked to me, lingering a moment too long. My skin crawled under the weight of his stare.
Jareth didn’t move. Blood streaked his chest, soaking through his tattered shirt, but his expression remained calm—dangerously calm. He rolled his shoulders back, his muscles taut, his stance unyielding. His eyes burned with deadly intensity.
“Touch her,” Jareth said venomously, “and you won’t leave this room alive.”
The tension in the room was suffocating, every second stretching into an eternity. I gripped the table for balance as I tried to quiet the frantic pounding of my heart.
