Page 70 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

EVA

M errik stopped abruptly at a narrow doorway carved into the rough stone wall, his grin unsettling. It wasn’t just the sharpness of his teeth that put me on edge, it was the gleam in his eyes that said he knew something we didn’t.

The torchlight flickered against the jagged edges of the passage, casting his shadow long and crooked, like it didn’t belong to him.

“After you,” he said, his voice syrupy and sweet, dripping with false charm. His outstretched hand gestured toward the opening, and I resisted the urge to recoil.

Jareth stepped between us, pulling me back behind him with a firm grip on my wrist. “Stay close,” he muttered as he pushed the creaking door open and stepped through.

The smell hit me first. It was damp and stale, with an undertone of something far worse.

Decay. I swallowed down the bile rising in my throat.

My pulse pounded in my ears, each beat louder than the last. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to turn around, to run, but I stayed close behind Jareth, gripping the edge of my jacket to steady myself.

The room was worse than I had imagined. It was small and claustrophobic, the walls lined with sagging shelves stuffed full of jars that glowed faintly in the dim light.

Some of the jars held what looked like preserved organs, others swirled with a liquid that shimmered unnaturally.

Trinkets dangled from hooks, tiny bones and twisted bits of metal swaying slightly, even though there was no breeze.

A low table stood in the center of the room, covered in yellowed parchments scrawled with symbols I couldn’t even begin to understand.

The air itself felt wrong, and it pressed against my skin like it was alive.

Merrik stepped in behind us and closed the door with a deliberate click . The sound echoed in the silence, sharp and final, like the locking of a cell. Without thinking, I grabbed Jareth’s arm. My fingers curled around the thick leather of his jacket sleeve.

If Jareth noticed, he didn’t show it. He was completely focused on Merrik. “Names,” he demanded. There was no room for argument, no patience in his tone. “You know damn well who purchased that fucking mutant rat from you, and I expect you to divulge that information. Immediately.”

Merrik laughed softly, the sound curling around the room like smoke. He was utterly at ease, hands clasped loosely behind his back.

“Patience, my dear boy,” he crooned. “These things take time.”

He was enjoying this, relishing the tension he’d created. I glanced at Jareth, whose fists clenched at his sides. He took a step closer to Merrik, and though he didn’t speak, the message was clear. He wasn’t here to fucking play around.

I told myself to trust him. I always did. Jareth had proven time and again that he could handle whatever was thrown at him. But doubt nagged at the back of my mind like a shadow. What if this time, he couldn’t protect us both? The thought crept in unbidden, making my heart pound harder.

And then, just as I thought I couldn’t take another second of the silence, the air shifted.

It was subtle at first, a faint ripple I felt more than heard. My head snapped toward the corner of the room, where the shadows moved. A low, guttural sound—half growl, half hiss—rose from the darkness, and my blood turned to ice.

A hulking figure emerged out of the shadows.

The creature was grotesque, a nightmare made flesh.

Its body was a twisted combination of tendon and bone, its skin stretched tight over unnatural protrusions.

Glowing, inhuman eyes locked onto me, and its lips pulled back to reveal jagged teeth. My stomach lurched.

Before I could scream, it lunged.

The thing moved with horrifying speed, its claws slicing through the air toward me. I stumbled back, tripping over the uneven floor as fear flooded my veins. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest.

“Eva!” Jareth’s voice cut through the haze of terror. He shoved me behind him, then, moving faster than possible, he drew his knife in one fluid motion. The blade gleamed wickedly in the dim light.

With a precise slash, Jareth struck the creature across its chest. The thing recoiled, its twisted form jerking back as black, viscous fluid oozed from the gash. But it didn’t fall. Instead, it let out a guttural snarl, its serpentine movements becoming even more erratic as it lashed out again.

Jareth pivoted to avoid the creature’s claws.

He slashed again, aiming for its exposed neck, but the thing twisted at the last second, and the blade grazed its shoulder instead.

Undeterred, Jareth pressed forward, his knife a blur of motion as he struck again and again, driving the creature back step by step.

Then its claws connected. A spray of fabric and blood followed as the creature raked its talons across Jareth’s arm. He hissed in pain and staggered back slightly, but he didn’t falter. His grip on the knife tightened, and he raised it again, his stance low and ready to strike.

“Eva, stay down!” he barked, his voice sharp and commanding.

I didn’t need to be told twice. I dived behind the table, my breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. Over the sound of my own heartbeat, I heard the clash of claws against steel, and the creature’s guttural growls.

I peeked around the table just in time to see the creature knock Jareth’s knife from his hand. It skittered across the floor, coming to rest near one of the shelves. The creature advanced, its claws glinting in the faint light, and for the first time, I saw hesitation in Jareth’s stance.

Then he growled.

It wasn’t entirely human. It was deep and feral, sending a shiver down my spine.

Before I could fully process what was happening, his body began to change.

His form twisted and elongated as fur rippled over his skin.

Clothes disappeared, replaced by sleek, tawny muscle.

In seconds, a cougar stood in the man’s place, his golden eyes gleaming with raw, predatory light.

I watched, terrified and awestruck, as he leapt at the creature. They collided in a brutal clash, claws and teeth tearing into flesh. The snarls and roars that filled the room were primal and savage.

Jareth raked his claws down the creature’s body. The thing howled in pain, lashing out with its own claws, but Jareth was faster. He darted around it, his movements precise and deadly. Blood—black and glistening—splattered across the stone floor as the fight raged on.

I couldn’t look away. My fear was drowned out by a strange, overwhelming sense of awe. Jareth was magnificent, a force of nature, every movement a perfect balance of power and grace. But even he wasn’t invincible. The creature landed a swipe across his flank, drawing blood.

“Come on, Jareth,” I whispered, clutching the table leg so hard my knuckles turned white. “Finish it.”

As if he’d heard me, Jareth lunged, his powerful jaws closing around the creature’s neck. The thing thrashed, its grotesque limbs flailing wildly, but Jareth held on, his muscles straining as he dragged it to the ground. With one final, savage twist, he tore into its throat.

The creature let out a wet, gurgling sound before collapsing. Its body twitched once, twice, and then went still.

The door burst open, the sound jarring in the oppressive silence now that the creature was dead.

Three men stepped inside. Their suits were crisp, immaculate, but the glint of weapons holstered at their sides made their intentions clear.

They weren’t here to negotiate. Their pointed ears caught the faint light, and though I wasn’t sure what kind of fae they were, I knew one thing for certain. We were in deep shit.

Merrik’s voice rang out from the corner of the room. “That’s the girl! Look!” He lunged forward, tossing some kind of shimmering dust in my direction. It hit me square in the face, and I coughed, choking on the strange, acrid scent as it filled my lungs.

“What the fuck?” I gasped, stumbling back, my hands flying to my throat as I tried to breathe.

Jareth shifted into human form, his head whipping toward me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Eva! You’ve been disillusioned,” he yelled, his voice sharp and urgent. “Stay close.”

Merrik cackled, stepping farther into the room as if he’d just performed the greatest trick in the world.

“I knew it! I knew this cougar shifter worked for The Shadow! And what’s more, I knew he’d been seen around with The Shadow’s sister.

He shows up here with this girl…” Merrik gestured wildly toward me, his tone turning venomous.

“And I just knew it must be her! The one everyone’s looking for!

Catch her alive, and we’ll be rewarded handsomely. ”

My stomach dropped. Merrik had planned this. He must’ve tipped off these men the moment we stepped foot in his den. This was a carefully orchestrated trap. Panic surged through me, but I shoved it down, forcing myself to stay focused.

The man in the center of the trio stepped forward. “Drop the claws, shifter,” he commanded, his voice cold and authoritative. His gun was trained on Jareth, but his gaze flicked to me, lingering a moment too long. My skin crawled under the weight of his stare.

Jareth didn’t move. Blood streaked his chest, soaking through his tattered shirt, but his expression remained calm—dangerously calm. He rolled his shoulders back, his muscles taut, his stance unyielding. His eyes burned with deadly intensity.

“Touch her,” Jareth said venomously, “and you won’t leave this room alive.”

The tension in the room was suffocating, every second stretching into an eternity. I gripped the table for balance as I tried to quiet the frantic pounding of my heart.

“You’ve got spirit, shifter,” the leader said in amusement. “But you’re outnumbered. Be smart and stand down.”

Jareth didn’t reply. His hand moved in a blur, pulling a knife from his side and throwing it with deadly precision.

The blade struck the first man square between his glowing eyes, the force of the impact sending him staggering back.

He collapsed to the floor with a dull thud, his weapon clattering uselessly beside him.

The other two men hesitated, their eyes widening as they exchanged glances.

Before the man on the left could react, Merrik lunged out of the shadows. His skeletal fingers latched onto my arm, yanking me back with surprising strength. The stench of decay hit me, making my stomach churn as his nails dug into my skin.

“Let go of me!” I yelled, twisting in his grip. My breath came in sharp gasps as I stomped down on his foot, the heel of my boot connecting with enough force to make him grunt in pain, but he didn’t loosen his hold.

“Feisty,” Merrik hissed, his grin widening to reveal sharp, yellowed teeth. His grip tightened, his fingers bruising as he dragged me closer to the doorway.

I struggled frantically against Merrik’s iron hold. “Jareth!”

Jareth’s head snapped toward me, his expression darkening. His eyes burned with raw fury. “You shouldn’t have touched her.”

The man on the left took advantage of Jareth’s split attention, raising his blade and swinging. Jareth dodged just in time, and the blade only grazed his shoulder, tearing through his already bloody shirt. But the attack didn’t stop him.

Jareth moved like a predator unleashed, his cougar instincts razor-sharp even in human form. He threw another knife, and the blade embedded in the fae’s chest. The man stumbled, his weapon slipping from his hands as he collapsed to the floor, lifeless.

Merrik dragged me to the doorway, his grip unrelenting. My kickboxing training surged to the forefront of my mind, and I shifted my weight, driving my elbow into his ribs. He grunted at the impact but didn’t let go.

I twisted in his grasp, throwing a punch at his jaw. It connected with a satisfying crack, but Merrik only laughed, his grin turning feral. “Is that all you’ve got?”

“Let. Me. Fucking. Go!” I screamed, kicking his knee. He staggered, but his hand shot out, grabbing my other wrist and yanking me forward again.

Jareth was on us in seconds. His knives were gone, but his fists were more than enough.

He slammed into Merrik with enough force to send them both crashing into the wall.

The impact rattled the shelves, sending jars tumbling to the floor.

Glass shattered, the strange glowing liquids inside pooling around their feet.

“Stay down,” Jareth snarled, his fist connecting with Merrik’s face.

The sickening crunch of bone echoed through the room, but Merrik didn’t go down without a fight.

His nails raked across Jareth’s chest, reopening the gashes left by the earlier fight.

Blood dripped down his torso, but Jareth kept going.

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” Jareth growled venomously.

Merrik’s sharp grin turned into a look of desperation. His eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape.

“We can make a deal,” Merrik stammered, his sing-song tone now shaky and thin. “I’ll tell you anything you want. Just?—”

Jareth let out a guttural growl, his body tensing like a coiled spring. My breath caught as his form began to shift.

Fur rippled across his skin, his muscles elongating and snapping into place. His hands curled into massive paws, claws glinting under the dim light. His face sharpened, his teeth elongating into deadly fangs.

Merrik stumbled back, his face pale with terror. “Stay back,” he screeched, his voice cracking.

The cougar snarled, a deep, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down my spine. Jareth lunged, his massive body moving with terrifying speed and grace.

Merrik swiped at him with his skeletal hands, but it was futile. Jareth’s claws raked across his chest, tearing through flesh like paper. Merrik’s scream was cut off abruptly as Jareth pinned him to the wall, his claws pressing into his shoulders with a savage force.

“Help me,” Merrik gasped, his eyes darting to me in desperation. “Please!”

I didn’t move. I couldn’t. The primal energy radiating from Jareth rooted me to the spot.

Jareth’s cougar form loomed over Merrik, his lips pulling back in a snarl that revealed gleaming fangs. Without hesitation, he lunged, his jaws snapping around Merrik’s throat.

The sickening crunch of bone and the gurgling sound of Merrik’s last breath filled the room. His body went limp, slumping in Jareth’s grip.

With one final growl, Jareth tossed Merrik’s lifeless body to the floor. Blood pooled beneath it, dark and thick, a brutal reminder of the cost of betrayal in The Below.