Revenge (Galen Hooks: Hunted- Book 3)

Chapter Four- Vengeful

"Well, that was successful," Johanna chuckled sarcastically as she walked up the street and quickly darted into an alley. "I can't believe it went so well."

In truth, though, her plan had gone somewhat well. Galen had attacked her friends and they had nearly killed her themselves. If only the rest of them hadn't come in time... she would have been dead by then. And now Isabel's sister was coming to help. That's where it had gone wrong as well. Skyla knew about the first time her friends had tried to capture her. She had seen when Lucas, Simon, and Juan had gone through with it. And she had been one of the people who had helped save her.

Why her? she thought angrily, kicking up a spray of dust. Everything was going perfect and now they're going to call someone who's alert and a good fighter. That's going to make it even harder for her to kill them.

Out of the shadows, a silver-and-black shape sprung in front of her, settling down by her feet and hissing plaintively.

"Ah, Bastet," Johanna murmured in a low voice, referring to the black cat who she had befriended after Galen's rescue. She could understand their language, so every time the cat made a noise, she heard it as words. It even seemed able to understand her, not to mention it wasn't color-blind like other cats. The cat had been bred in a lab anyway and released into the wild, which was why it had those freaky powers. She had named it after the Egyptian goddess of cats after the silver patches of fur on her.

"You have returned, Johanna," it growled. "I have more news for you."

"Like what?"

"Her friends... they have trapped her in that purple-haired one's room. But it won't be long before she gets out."

"Is there a window in there?"

"Yessssssssss."

"Can you get in?"

"Maaaayyybeeee."

"You know you can stop hissing like that."

"But it's soooooo fun."

"Just tell me if you can get in. If you can, I want you to hurt her as best you can without it being too much. Galen deserves punishment for not disposing of those stupid friends of hers while she had the chance and also just because I feel like it. Even though they've tied her to the bed, I've disabled her monster form halfway for now." She flourished the remote control. "I'll get it back on completely when you get back."

"As you wish, Mistress Johanna."

Johanna sat down on a dirty box. "So... can we talk for a moment?"

Bastet flexed her claws and then leaped up beside her. "As long as we're not seen. How stupid you would seem if you were caught out here talking to an animal." She narrowed her amber eyes.

"I'd just like to know how you really feel about Galen. You do whatever I say, but do you really appreciate spying on her like this?"

Baring her teeth, Bastet swiped at her, her claws nearly connecting with Johanna's hand. "I know you're just trying to test my loyalty to you. I hate her as much as you do. I have never meant someone before you who shares a desire to hurt and kill."

Johanna nodded, looking pleased.

"Besides, I've always wanted to find a way to have a job of attacking instead of being cast out every time I tried to join a group to do it."

"Well, you do now." Johanna reached out to stroke Bastet's dark silver-and-black striped fur. "Now, go while it's night. You know how to get there?"

"Of course."

She quickly exited the alley and Bastet watched her go, retracting her claws into her paws. Once the woman was out of sight, she jumped off the box and bounded into the shadows.

"I'm ready for this," she meowed quietly. "That human she calls Galen will learn she does not hurt my Johanna friend in any way. Not anymore." She knew she had been told not to kill Galen, just to hurt her a bit, but she was extremely tempted to lose control. Shaking her fur out, she continued on until she finally reached the house. Leaping up onto the lowest window, she balanced there until she was able to slide her claws out again. Once secure, she began bounding from windowsill to windowsill, peering inside each of them, since Rhea never drew her curtains in her room. That meant that they'd be open.

At last, she arrived at her mark. Through the window, she could see Galen on the bed in the room, her arms and legs roped to piles of bricks weighted down near it on both sides. Her eyes were open, but instead of red, they were sparkling white at the moment. She wasn't struggling, but her face held an expression of anger and frustration.

Snarling, Bastet worked her claws under the window and pushed it up. The lab mutations had made her stronger and fiercer than an original cat and soon enough, she was able to slip through the gap. Quietly, she creeped across the carpeted floor, climbed onto the bricks, then vaulted onto the bed. Galen looked toward her in surprise as she clambered onto her chest, blinking down at her for a moment.

"You will destroy them," she rumbled. Galen's sparkling eyes widened, which confirmed that she could understand her, which would always have been shocking. Bastet let her gaze travel over her body, eyeing every single wound on her. Galen had fought back when her friends had attempted to tie her down and had injured herself pretty badly in the process. The cat ran one paw over the dancer's bandaged right arm. Skyla had come with supplies to keep her down and one of them had been a knife to cut the rope. Unfortunately, Galen had gotten hold of it and tried to attack her friends with it. Isabel had accidentally turned it on her and she'd gashed herself in the arm.

Bastet growled in pleasure as she slashed her claws through the bandage deep into the flesh below. Galen gasped in pain, but still being half into monster form, forced herself not to make another sound, not even when the cat raked her claws on each of her hands as well, sending bright trails of blood blooming across the skin. After a moment, the white in Galen's eyes disappeared, which meant Johanna had released her for the time being.

"Get off me, you filthy animal!" she shouted. However, being unable to use her arms or legs, she was powerless to stop Bastet as she sliced into her legs as well. The tips of her claws itched to slit Galen's throat as well, but she had orders from Johanna not to.

Then, without warning, Camila and Isabel burst into the room just as Galen's eyes became glittering red again. Bastet glanced up at them and hissed incoherently.

"Get away from her!" Isabel roared, charging forward. The feline sprang off of Galen just before she reached her and raced toward the window. Turning back to them, Bastet opened her mouth and let out a triumphant yowl. Finally, she bounded through the open window and disappeared into the night.