2.1 | Alice ✔

Mansion In The Wilderness

Saber disappeared inside the monster's maw, and Zain dropped to his knees in debilitating shock. Saber was dead. She just died right in front of him.

He was so mesmerized by what just happened, he didn't notice the woman come to his side to get a closer shot at the beast. She fired off four more bullets, and as they struck the monster, it barely blinked. Then, out of nowhere, the beast gave a bloodcurdling cry as it reared back, blood spraying from its jaws. There was a loud thud to the right of them, and he glanced over to see a large, pink, writhing . . . thing. 

As he registered the blood gushing from it, he quickly realized it was the beast's severed tongue, and a wave of nausea slammed into him. Standing protectively before Saber was a six-foot tall mass of pure muscle. His toned arms were spread wide, and each hand held large, glowing cutlasses that quickly turned to water, only leaving the hilt. Black, tribal style tattoos snaked his arms, and what was visible of his back. His bottom was clad with heavy armor, and he was strapped with weapon holsters.

When he turned around, Zain could see what a chocolate heartthrob he was. His blond curls were cut in a faded Afro, and he had light green eyes that seem to glow with his anger. 

"You're hurt," he breathed erotically-or maybe he was fantasizing that-towards Saber. She glanced down, gasping when she discovered her leg was bleeding out. He stooped down and gathered her in his powerful arms, and Zain felt disgusted at his jealousy after suspecting she was dead just a few seconds ago.

"We knew you couldn't handle this alone!" an omnipresent voice rang out in the clearing.

Suddenly, another gigantic beast sprang from the bushes, and before Zain could suffer a coronary, it lunged at the wounded fox and pinned it down with formidable claws and massive fangs. This beast looked like a cat-the same breed of cat as Zephyr, only with black fur. 

"It's a good thing we followed you!" a feminine voice followed. Shooting out of the trees like a bullet, in a flourish of acrobatic spins, flips and white ruffles, another woman landed in the clearing. Her limbs danced sensually as she summoned what looked like chains made of darkness, and shackled the beast to the ground, immobilizing it for good. The woman turned to face them, tossing her wild, dark locks.

"Oh my goodness," Zain whispered. The woman . . . was Katherine! But the opposite, in both looks and personality! Then the black beast clambered off of the fox, and turned into a man that looked just like Zephyr! His hair was short in the front and long in back, and he also wore a midriff top. Except, it was white plaid and had fishnet. He wore long, loose fitting bright pink trousers and had a matching boa that snaked over his body. Yes, these people definitely resembled his friends, but he could already feel that they were nothing like them.

"No one told you idiots to interfere," the mystery woman finally spoke, stepping toward them as she polished her gun. "I had things under control."

"Right. You call sprinting away like a little rabbit 'under control'?" the feline mocked, using quotation marks. In a flash of movement, she had her gun pointed squarely in his face. That only made his grin widen.

"I am not a rabbit," she hissed viciously. "I'm a hare. Got it?" She pressed the mouth of the pistol to his nose for emphasis.

"Cool it, Zaer," the monochrome woman laughed. "Behave yourself, Seifer."

"I'm sick of him testing me," Zaer fumed, cocking her pistol threateningly.

"Can't help it. I like to play with my meal before I eat," Seifer growled, his voice so sinister, it sent a chill down Zain's spine.

"Enough," she asserted, casually brushing the gun away as she walked between the two. "This hunt shouldn't have gotten so out of hand. You've involved innocent bystanders, Zaer. This is your sloppiest work yet." Zaer glanced over at Zain and glared bitterly.