Page 21 of Savage Mates

A single roar cut through the night sky, the sound creating a rush of adrenaline flowing through my body.

We moved even closer until we were able to see a group of men, almost all with bottles of booze in their hands.

Roars sounded off, echoing in the trees.

A loud crash.

Laughter.

If there was anything for us to be grateful about given the horrific experiments that we’d lived through, it was that we’d retained life experiences and memories from the scientist who’d helped alter our lives.

It had been a pleasure to gut him when the facility had been burned to the ground. He’d provided us with enough knowledge and understanding of who and what we were to guide us into reasons for our hatred. We’d believed we’d escaped, but months later we’d been rounded up, eventually brought to the island.

A series of growls drew our attention. The men were laughing, taunting the lions. Poking them with sticks.

“What the fuck is that?”Thor growled, his predatory stance an indication he was ready to lunge toward them.

I moved closer, risking being seen to understand what was unfolding. There was a female lion outside the cage, her four legs chained. She was thrashing, roaring in protest.

The only two remaining male lions were fighting with each other to get to her. The blur of activity kept me from seeing what was happening at first.

Zeus flanked my side, also poised to strike.“The fuckers are going to violate her.”

His statement brought a growl from my throat. He was right. My fucking God. The monsters deserved to be killed.

Suddenly, there was additional noise, another crashing sound.

Then all hell broke loose.

Lions escaped, attacking the men.

Others rushed from two of several buildings, their attempt to control the situation thwarted as the beasts who’d escaped moved from one human to the other, sinking their canines into human flesh.

A single shot was fired off before the first man was killed. He’d been the would-be violator. Other lions remained locked in their cages, several of the other humans rushing inside to safety.

There were shouts echoing into the night, fading into the wind even though the brutal fight continued.

We remained on the outskirts. This wasn’t our fight. We had too many others in our pride to think about. Yet the moment was captured in my mind, processed in the same way I’d done with every other experience since being turned into an abomination.

The melee lasted for several minutes. The carnage was intense, but the injured lions wouldn’t stop with killing the humans who hadn’t fled.

They would attack any creature who got in their way.

Three of the lions who’d escaped took off running. If necessary, we would fight to the death to protect our pride.

Only they were racing in the direction of our encampment. They were headed toward the laboratory. They’d sensed the arrival of fresh blood and food.

Their senses were much stronger, as ours had become. From what we could tell, their predatory needs far outweighed any concept of danger. They were programmed to kill.

“We need to stop them,”I growled.“They are going after the humans in the military compound.”

“Your hunger betrays you, Titus. The woman means nothing to us,”Zeus insisted. His face was painted with annoyance and determination. He’d remained aloof during the last few months, angry with everything and everyone. Right now, he was pissing me off. Maybe he had no ability to feel the strange and intrusive sensations, the electricity that we’d felt earlier, but he could go fuck himself.

“That’s where you’re wrong,”Thor snarled and swung his head from Zeus to where I was standing.“There’s something about her that calls to me. Can’t you feel it? Can’t you sense it? For some reason, we must protect her.”

Zeus snorted.“You’re not thinking clearly. Your dick is doing the talking.”

Thor responded with a low roar.“Then so be it.”He took off racing, his powerful form crashing through the jungle. Without hesitation, I followed. I felt the same thing.