The Maverick Pride Tales - Chapter 179: Chapter 179

Toni moaned. Her head was pounding like she’d been drinking catnip-laced tequila nonstop for days, and her throat was raw as fuck. She coughed, wheezing as someone pushed her upright.
“There she is,” a voice whispered.
She felt hands brushing her hair back and felt a hard male body beneath her. Toni tried to open her eyes to see who was whispering and touching her so familiarly. Her skin was crawling, and she felt like she was going to hurl.
“Come on, kitten. Open those big eyes for me,” the voice growled. “I’m gonna make it all okay now.”
“Stefan?” she moaned, scrambling off him.
Her body felt wrong. Heavy and uncoordinated. She backed up against a wall, whimpering when she heard his footsteps nearing her. Toni rubbed at her face, trying to get the gunk out of her eyes.
“What happened? Where am I?”
“You’re right where you belong, kitten. I forgive you for everything. Don’t worry. It will be good now,” the voice said, and she remembered who it belonged to. Stefan. That was Stefan talking.
But what was he talking about? Her eyes hurt so badly, it was like she’d been hit with tear gas or something. Toni felt foggy and mixed up. She shivered and her stomach squeezed.
Ugh.
Shifters did not generally get sick. It was unusual, but it could happen. Still, why was she sick?
Questions filled her, and she shook her head and blinked, trying to focus, but the whole world was dark and blurry. How did she get here with Stefan? Where was here, anyway? Then she remembered.
She did not go anywhere with Stefan. Her traitorous ex had done something bad. Slowly, he came into focus, crouched in front of her, grinning like the cat that got the canary. Wait. She left him. They weren’t dating anymore. Pierce. Where was Pierce?
Dread filled her as her vision cleared. Stefan was butt-naked, his penis erect, and he was staring at her like she was his dream come true. Glancing down, Toni saw she was naked, too.
Oh, no. No. NO. NO!
Bile filled her mouth, and before she could stop herself, she puked. Right on his feet. She scrubbed her hands over her body, trying to get his scent off her. She felt no soreness or anything, so she was not raped, but fuck, this was a violation. Anger filled her as he roared in revulsion at her sick that covered his feet.
“You fucking bitch!” he bellowed.
Stefan reared back, then lashed out with a claw-tipped hand and slapped her hard across the face. Blood dripped down her cheek, and Toni turned back to him and snarled.
Ooh, guess he did not like her puking on him. Well, good. That made the two of them. She did not like him anywhere near her. Fucking kidnapping prick. But even thinking the worst of him, she never expected him to have her arrested by fake cops and drugged. Wait. This went further than that. Bixby worked for him, too.
“What the hell are you doing, Stefan?”
“I am trying to give you a second chance, you ungrateful whore,” he growled, standing up and grabbing some cloth to wipe his feet.
Toni looked around. They were in the woods somewhere, in a tent—so gross. There was a small lantern hanging on one of the tent poles, and a few bags and a cooler.
“A second chance? Are you delusional? We are broken up, I don’t want a chance with you!” she hissed, grabbing a blanket from the pallet he’d made on the forest floor and covering her body.
“You have been ignoring my gifts, kitten,” he growled and when he faced her again, she saw madness in his eyes, and a dagger in his hands.
“What are you talking about?”
“I sent you all your favorites. Flowers, chocolates, then when you ignored me, I sent you dead flowers, rotten meat to remind you to be grateful for my attention,” he snarled.
Toni frowned. She never received anything from him. If she had, she would have taken it right to her cousin Leo, the detective. Toni gasped and closed her eyes.
Ade.
Her protective sister would have taken his offerings and tossed them in the trash to protect her. She was lucky to have sisters like that, sisters who wanted to protect and shield. Toni only hoped she would have the chance to tell her so.
Fuck that.
Of course, she would see Adrianna again. All her sisters. Her family. And Pierce. Yes, her mate, who she was going to claim as soon as she fucking got out of here. Toni was not going down without a fight. That was a fact, as the sting of her wounded cheek reminded her.
“I want nothing from you, Stefan. Especially not you,” she enunciated each syllable, bracing herself for the attack she knew was coming.
“You don’t mean that, kitten. Now, I smelled that bastard all over you, but I am willing to forget it. He’s not a Lion, Toni. He can’t give you the young I can. I was waiting for you to wake before I took you and bit you, but maybe you aren’t worthy of that yet. I’ll just knock you out again and when you wake, it will be too late.”
“You’re out of your mind,” she growled, moving out of the way as he lunged for her.
“After a few months locked up out here with me,” he growled, arms wide, preparing for his next attack. “You will see how lucky you are to have me to provide for you. See, Toni, you always thought you were better than me.”
“That’s not true, Stefan. I don’t think I am better than anyone. I just don’t like you,” she retorted.
Toni was still wobbly on her feet. The drug did something to her Lioness, and until it got completely out of her system, the animal simply could not come forward. She backed up against the wall of the tent. Inching her way around it, trying to stay out of his way. If she could just reach the flap, maybe she could run away and get help.
“See kitten, you never understood me or my interest in you. You and me, we are the same. We will continue our kind. Purebred Shifters are so rare. So valuable on the black market. Did you know big game hunters would pay tens of thousands to hunt a purebred Lion Shifter?” he said and grinned evilly.
“You want to sell our cubs to be hunted?” she asked, horrified by the depths of his madness.
“Why not? We’ll have plenty. Female with good hips can bear young for decades,” he grunted and grunted before lunging to attack again.
Toni screamed, falling backwards out of the flap just as Stefan reached her. She cried out, expecting the dagger to have already pierced her flesh—and really, what kind of small-dick-having-pussy brings a knife to a Shifter fight?
But it never found purchase. Toni gasped, rolling out of the way. She got tangled in the blanket and tore it off her body as she struggled to stand up. Her eyes went wide as something big and brown and furry vaulted over her, its jaws wrapping around Stefan’s wrist.
“Yogi!” she shouted in horror as the bear continued to bite down on Stefan’s arm.
It was the one that held the knife, and the bear’s eyes gleamed with rage as he shook, growling so loudly it was deafening. Stupid brave bear would have been successful had Stefan been merely a man. But he was a Lion Shifter, and even as the bear savaged his wrist, severing one hand from his body, the male had semi-shifted.
Toni screamed as Stefan raked his razor-sharp claws across the bear’s hide, ripping open his shoulder. She attacked him then, using the element of surprise and her body weight to hit him sideways off the wild animal she’d come to care for so very much. Stefan struck her again, ripping a gash along her forearm, before he crawled away clutching his bleeding stump.
“Go on, Yogi! Get help! Get Pierce! Beat it, go!” Toni shouted, pointing to the woods before turning back to face her attacker.
“You bitch. Fucking bear. I will hunt you down, you dumb beast. Help me, cunt. Dammit, help me!” Stefan screamed, but Toni shook her head, backing away from the crazed, bleeding male.
It was dark, and she had no idea where she was. But Stefan was hurt now, and that would slow him considerably. If she had any shot of surviving him, she had to start moving. Now.
Her face hurt from when Stefan hit her the first time. Toni could not bring herself to look down at the gory injury on her leg. The pat pat pat of blood dripping as it hit the forest floor was loud in her ears. Almost as loud as her breathing.
Though she hated to admit it, Toni was scared. Her inner Lioness was still unreachable. Whatever drug those assholes had used, it rendered her animal dormant. She only hoped it was temporary.
Minutes passed as she tried to gain some distance between her and the monster who’d taken her. However many, she didn’t know. An owl screeched overhead, and she startled.
“I hate the woods,” she muttered, trying to run on her bum leg, and failing.
Her voice was shaky, whether from adrenaline or cold, she didn’t know. A deep rumbling growl sounded behind her, and Toni froze. The moon was full. Its light shone down between the branches and leaves of the forest’s canopy, and she shivered as a giant male Lion ambled slowly forward.
He was missing his front paw, but that did not matter. He was not rushing her. The crazed look in his eyes told her he was too far gone to the beast. Whatever humanity Stefan had possessed was long gone now. He was all Lion, and she was his prey.
“Fuck,” she mumbled, backing up against a tree.
Stefan the lame Lion snarled, his jaws dripping saliva. Toni winced, then straightened her spine. She was not ready to die like this. This bastard was not about to render her powerless.
An image of Pierce, that fierce, nurturing, protective male, ran through her mind, and she suddenly found her backbone. He believed in her. Said he would be there cheering her on, and she was damn well going to give him the chance.
“Come on, kitty,” she growled to herself, calling her Lioness up from the drug-induced fog she was suffering. “Come on.”
The big, angry male roared, the predatory sound echoing through the trees. Good. She hoped someone had heard it. Hoped they would send help. Toni knew they were on Maverick Pride lands. She’d smelled the scents of fur and Tiger for a while now. Arrogant prick Stefan was, he’d overlooked that deadly fact.
Finally, she felt her Lioness stir just as Stefan sprinted on his one stump and three good legs. Dammit. Toni was too late. She closed her eyes, wanting the vision of her mate to be the last thing she saw, not this mangy murderous motherfucker.
I am so sorry, Pierce.