Page 27 of Bearing Secrets
“Sorry,High House Canis,” he replied at last. “Mysincereapologies.”
Judging from their expressions, they realized he wasn’t sorry at all.
“You had better leave, before we make you.”
Kirell dropped his voice. “Did you just threaten me?”
“Nobody wants you around here. Don’t come back.”
Curiosity was getting the better of him by this point. Kirell wasn’t the only Ursidae present at Leblanc. It was a common enough dining spot for both Houses, that on any given night, a half dozen or more members of either were likely present. He couldn’t recall this trio giving any of the other Ursa trouble tonight.
“You know guys, I’m starting to feel like you have a grudge with me. Care to tell me why?” Maybe if he got them talking, he could diffuse the situation, figure out a peaceful way. He didn’t feel like getting into a fight in front of Natalia on their first date. He needed her to stick around, and violence was going to scare her off more likely than not.
“Traitorous piece of shit,” the leader spat, his green eyes flaring in the light from the lamps on either side of the path to the restaurant.
“What did you just say?” he snarled, momentarily losing his composure.
“Yeah, that’s what we thought. Coward.”
Kirell was getting riled up now. They sure knew how to get under his skin.
They also know what happened to our House.
The news of outright fighting inside Ursidae Manor had, to his knowledge, been kept tightly controlled. He’d suspected that Canis had a hand in what happened but had no proof of it. Now he had his first inkling. If these three nobodies knew about it, then most of Canis did too.
Someone is talking to them. Someone who doesn’t want us to succeed.
It was the clearest evidence he was going to get that traitors still existed in the ranks. Kirell tried to control his anger at this confirmation of his suspicions, but it was proving near impossible.
“Look, he gets so cute when he’s angry. Turning all sorts of shades of pink.”
Kirell roared and stepped toward the group. He remembered Natalia too late. His anger had gotten the best of him, and the wolf shifters had been waiting for this all along. They jumped at the chance, fanning out as they ran toward him.
His only chance was to fight smart. That meant unexpected. What would they expect most from him?To stand up and trade blows, of course. They’ll be ready for me to try and overpower them.
So Kirell did the opposite. He closed, and without warning went low, ducking below the strikes, while also going for the quiet one on his right, the one who hadn’t spoken yet. Grabbing up the man’s leg, Kirell lifted him clear of the ground.
Blows rained down on his back as he kept up his momentum, the upside-down shifter not giving up. Unfortunately for him, not too far behind them was the cinderblock wall of Leblanc. When Kirell slammed to a halt and ducked his shoulder, the hapless shifter snapped forward, slamming into the concrete with his shoulder blades first, then the back of his head.
ThenKirell used his strength, smashing both fists into his face in quick order as concrete dust drifted down around them. The shifter wasn’t out completely, but he was for now, and Kirell had no time to waste.
Rolling to the side, he dove out of the enraged attacks of the two who had spun to follow him.
“Stop running!” the leader shouted.
“Come at me one at a time then, if you haven’t been neutered.”
If there was one thing wolf shifters hated more than anything else, it was being compared to domesticated canines. Unfortunately for them, it was ridiculously easy to do so, and the results were always entertaining.
Both shifters lost their minds and came at him in a berserkers rage. Uncontrolled. Uncoordinated, and intent on closing until they could hit him.
He took advantage of the way they tossed aside their training, ducking telegraphed punches and constantly dancing from one to the other, causing them to mis-time their strikes.
“Sit!” he bellowed when one of his blows connected solidly to the smallest lackey’s jaw, tumbling him back onto his ass. “Stay!”
The leader was howling with rage by this point, but Kirell hadn’t emerged entirely unscathed. There were two of them, both far stronger than any normal human, and he’d taken several blows. One of his eyes was rapidly swelling, and he was pretty positive at least two ribs were badly bruised. He just hoped they weren’t broken.
“Fight me like a man!”
