Midnight Passion

Taken

 Kara's POV

I pulled off my cream sweater and tossed it onto the bed. Jared offered the hospitality of his home for the night as we would be flying out in the morning. I was restless and stripped down to my undies when a knock sounded at the door.

"Coming" I said as I hopped into my jeans and pulled my sweater back on. I found a young girl about my age standing before me. She didn't speak, just handed me the folded paper and backed away.

I found her actions strange, but I was curious as to what the note was. Would it be another picture? I hadn't shared with Maxim what was said and not said by Jared's wives. Closing the door, I took three steps backwards and felt all my internal alarms going off. I dropped the paper I was holding and prepared myself for whomever or whatever was inside this room with me. Their whispers reached my ears.

"She is the one take her."

Anger flooded my being, they had somehow tracked me. But how? I would contemplate that later. Right now, I had to concentrate on not getting taken. If we could get one of them to talk like Shelby  said maybe we could stop this.

They slunk out of the shadows of our room. I could smell them, their excitement, they craved cruelty and would inflict it upon me. Three of them stepped from the corners of the room.

"She is pretty, I want her to be mine."

"Shut up Mike, let's just take her before the others come."

"Let him, I want to take his head."

"Yeah shut up."

"Come nice and quiet like girlie or we may have to roughen you up a bit. Not that I wouldn't mind being the one administering your conditioning."

I raised my hands slowly as if I was going to surrender and took a step towards the door. These men had to be the leopards Emerald tried to warn m about.

"Get her."

They closed in, I didn't wait to see what they were going to do. I attacked. Keeping them on the defense gave me a chance. I rushed the one on the left knocking him to the floor, but he was swift. He was on his feet and lunged at me. Side stepping and swinging with my leg, I caught his midsection. He doubled over and the other two jumped on me. They tried to take me down as we crashed about the room. I threw all three across the room. They crashed into the wall and slid to the floor.

"Remember what the viper said. No matter what we must take her."

Their words inflamed my temper and I snarled and roared.

"You want me come and take me."

All three rushed at me. So, they thought they could take me. Well I was going to show them what an alpha female could do.

Maxim stood among the men discussing what steps they were to take involving the viper. When he sensed Kara's anger, at first it was a slight buzzing at the base of his skull. In an instant, he growled her name and took off running. Jared and the others looked on until Xavier yelled "Its Kara."

They could hear Maxim roar as he tore through the house at a speed that astounded them. Clearing the steps, he reached their door and burst through it. His chest heaving, he looked about the room. Glass was everywhere, he could hear moans and growling. Maxim knew it was from Kara and held up his hand for the others to stop.

'No-one else enter he called over his shoulder as he slowly entered the room. He suspected that his wife was an alpha after their last chase. His suspicions were right. She turned towards him as she held a man by the collar then threw him across the room. The impact with the wall made him moan even more.

'Kara."

"Maxim, I ... they. I don't want this."

Maxim watched her as he backed away. He started to get control of himself but decided against it. This wasn't the time or place for this kind of talk.

Maxim stared intently into her eyes compelling her to match his stare.

"What happened here Kara?"

She took another step back. There was a slight noise coming from the corner of the room. A small figure, the same young woman that handed her the note stepped from the shadows. The knife she held in her hand seemed insignificant to the two figures she faced. Her voice was strong as she held her head high.

"You need to come with us or the boys will die."

More than anger rose in me as I turned to the woman. Turbulent emotions ran through me. I had acted without thinking and now as much as I wanted to tear this woman to pieces. I had to stop my fighting and leave with them. My secret was out. I knew Maxim did not know I was an alpha. I had kept that secret hidden so far. Now he would know what I was running from. There were no why in this equation. The choice was had been taken from my hands. I closed my eyes and relaxed.

"Can I get another shirt?"

"Sorry we have a deadline to meet."

Maxim took a step in my direction and I whispered "Maxim please." Elva and Stacey stood watching anxiously from the doorway. I caught a glimpse of Shelby and nodded to them all. The leopard men rose from the floor. To show his dominance over me and the situation, the one called Mike walked slowly around me, leaning in close he whispered in my ear.

"you are mine."

My eyes never strayed from maxims. I shook my head no. I turned away from them all to follow the girl to the balcony window. If I looked back, I knew there was a good chance my actions would cause Jared to lose his sons. My main concern was saving Emerald, the boys and myself. I said nothing as I knew no matter where I run or go maxim would find me.

EMERALD.

Emerald sat quietly waiting for the men to come and take her. Her six-year-old eyes scanned the street before her. She knew her father would fight to the death in a struggle to keep her from getting taken. A little smile played on her lips as she knew in the end. Her new mommy would stop at nothing to come and rescue her, they all would. Emerald showed no fear as the leopards stepped from the shadows. Quietly she walked over to them, took the nearest hand and they walked off together.

The actions of the child touched his heart. He was the leader of the leopard clan. He had been reduced to killing others, taking and stealing children. Marco felt sickened by his actions. He wanted out from under the viper's thumb.

"Wait" he called out.

Emerald looked up at him, her green eyes very adult.

"It's okay Mr. Leopard. It's okay."

Marco knew it wasn't. What Tony started and he continued in the wake of Tony's death held a price. It was a price that caused his life to be forfeit. They walked to the black van waiting at the curb for them...

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