Page 12 of Savage Mates (Ruthless Instinct #2)

Lauren

“I don’t like the fact you’re going out there alone,” Peter said as I stuffed my small duffle full of supplies.

“Are you worried about the lions?”

He laughed. “No, I am not. Well, maybe a little. You’ll have them eating out of your hand in seconds.

But I don’t like what you told me. Plus, we all heard what happened last night.

Whatever animals invaded the compound, they were obviously dangerous and smelling fresh meat.

I don’t want to be their next dinner. Plus, mercenaries are typically violent. ”

I chuckled. Peter was known for being melodramatic, yet I adored him for it.

“Don’t worry. I won’t bring out the silver platters for the lions.

I assure you whatever beasts found their way here last night are just as scared of us as we are of them.

And the mercenaries won’t bother a military compound. ”

Maybe that was wishful thinking.

“I don’t know about that, Dr. Radcliff. Why don’t I go with you?” While his offer was genuine, his face had paled.

“Negative. I need you here to keep a watch on what Abbott and Douglas are doing. Maybe having the soldiers here was meant as protection only. If so, I don’t want to sabotage the project before we begin, but I also don’t want either scientist to go off on their own without my lead.”

He nodded. “Got it, Doc. It’s just a little unnerving.”

“Look. What I’m about to tell you remains between the two of us.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Sure. Yeah, of course.”

Sighing, I thought about what to say. “There could be some things going on with this project that I didn’t know about, details Dr. Zimmerman should have shared but didn’t. I just need you to keep your eyes open and Carrie and yourself safe.”

“Wow. Now you’re making me nervous.”

Because of how we’d arrived, I’d hidden something in my suitcase that I would take with me just in case. When I pulled out a handgun, Peter’s eyes grew wide open.

“I’m not trying to, but I don’t like not being told everything.

Just pay attention and go about your work setting everything up.

Hopefully, I’ll return with a few samples to get us started.

And don’t look so horrified. You forget that I grew up in Africa surrounded by wild animals and vicious poachers.

I learned how to shoot by the time I was eight years old.

I just don’t like having one around the animals.

” I shoved it into my bag, zipping with emphasis.

I pulled out the GPS tracker I’d purchased as a gift for myself, typing in the last coordinates.

Somehow I had a feeling the lions would find me instead of the other way around.

Then I grabbed the machete that I’d used for creating a path.

It was all almost too much for Peter. If he only knew the number of jungles I’d traipsed through in my lifetime.

“Aren’t you at all worried about the possible mercenaries?”

I tried to shrug it off even though the little red flags were increasing in numbers. “A little, but I have a feeling they won’t mess with us if the lions are near. An excellent deterrent.”

“Just be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Peter. I know what I’m doing. I think perhaps Dr. Zimmerman doesn’t understand my background or my capabilities.”

“Woe is him,” Peter said, finally laughing. I touched his arm, smiling in hopes of providing some comfort. Meanwhile, my skin was crawling and only partially because of the potential danger.

What I felt was a rush of adrenaline and excitement in possibly getting to meet the lions.

My lions.

After placing the strap around my neck, I headed out, finding Rory waiting like a good little soldier. Now he didn’t feel the need to hide who he was and his purpose for being here. He’d attached a weapon’s holster to his waist and was dressed in fatigues. I had to laugh as I walked by him.

At least he also carried a machete, which was the only implement that could create a workable pathway. That led me to believe he’d had experience overseas. That might come in handy if we had any issues from humans instead of lions.

“Hoping for some hand-to-hand combat, soldier?”

He said nothing, but I sensed him trailing behind me as we headed down the gravel driveway and into the jungle. I didn’t waste any time, moving quickly through the dense foliage, whacking away as we went.

Every sound was eerie, every whistle of the breeze through the trees sending tingles coursing through my body. Not from fear, but something else I couldn’t get a read on.

At least Rory didn’t try to talk to me. Perhaps he realized I was in a foul mood. I concentrated on my surroundings, keenly aware there were a few questionable sounds.

We’d traveled at least a mile and a half, stopping only once for water and for me to check the GPS. We were on the right track.

“Do you hear that?” Rory asked from behind me.

I stopped walked, taking a moment to tilt my head. When he started to say something again, I threw my arm out to stop him from making a single noise.

As I’d experienced before, the hair stood up on the back of my neck, but this time the sensations weren’t infused with the vibrant electricity I’d experienced just before seeing the lions.

The feeling was darker, creating a wave of nausea.

A sound assaulted my senses, a low rustling of the foliage maybe twenty feet away. Then there was silence, as if every creature in the jungle was holding their breath.

After a few additional steps, I realized we’d come into a slight clearing. I took a few seconds to look around me, half expecting to see glowing eyes. There was only the thick, oppressive foliage all around us. I continued, forced to swing the machete a few times.

Then another sound.

Closer.

Vibrations occurred under our feet and I could tell Rory was experiencing the same sensations. He ripped his gun free, unlatching the safety.

I gave him a dirty look.

If he dared fire on my lions, he would learn just how well I could handle myself under times of pressure. And danger.

Another sound. Even closer. This time, my chest tightened.

I knew instantly the reason for the hitch in my breath.

We were being hunted.

Turning slowly, I could swear I saw something peering at us through the massive leaves, the creature just waiting for the right moment to strike.

A sickening feeling pooled into the base of my stomach and I had no doubt this wouldn’t end well. While I wasn’t prone to overreacting, my instinct told me what we were about to face was bad.

Really bad.

“Rory. Listen to me. Just listen. We need to get out of here. Back away very slowly until we have a clear distance.” Then fucking run like hell.

“I can handle fucking animals,” he growled, even issuing a slight howl. What the fuck was he doing, trying to entice whoever it was by impersonating a wolf? I’d known better than to bring the asshole along.

A low rumble erupting from the trees was something I understood clearly. There was no mistaking the sound, the depth and pitch.

The creatures following us were lions, only there was something off about them. What I did know is that they were poised for a strike.

“You can’t handle this,” I said in a slight singsong, soft voice. “You certainly can’t handle what you’re about to face. I have a suggestion for you. Run.” Whether or not he took my advice I had no time to care about.

I took off running, doing my best to whack from one side to the other, but the heavy, thunderous steps behind me left me no choice but to sprint through the trees, praying to find any way of escaping them.

Tree limbs hit me in the face, thick vines forcing me to stumble. Suddenly, I tripped on something and my body was pitched forward, my palms and knees hitting the ground. Pain tore up the length of my arms, but I scrambled to my feet, tossing a single look over my shoulder.

Rory was nowhere to be seen.

Panic ripped through my mind, terror pushing me forward.

A single roar ripped through the trees, birds scattering.

Pop!

A single shot echoed and I jerked to a halt, biting my lower lip to keep from crying. I couldn’t tell the direction where it came from. Where the hell had the trained soldier gone? What had the bastard done? We’d interfered with the lions, not the other way around.

This was so bad.

I lunged forward again and this time, multiple footsteps pounded the earth. Keeping time with me.

My heart was in my throat and I slipped behind a tree, clinging to the bark as I tried to catch my breath. This was crazy. The lions weren’t behaving like what I was used to.

Please God, don’t let me die.

A tickling sensation just behind my ear caught me off guard. It felt as if I was being warned. The thought was ridiculous, but there was something there.

No, there was someone hovering in the shadows other than the lions who’d been chasing me.

Whatever species it was that had been trailing behind the lions had stopped as well. Dr. Abbott had reminded me that leopards were known to inhabit the Philippines. Maybe. Yet my instinct told me otherwise.

At this point, I had no clue if I was being hunted by man or beast. There were too many scents. Too many odd thoughts racing through my mind. Either way it didn’t matter. I was in extreme danger. I pulled up the GPS realizing I’d gotten off course. Shit.

Disorientation hit me as several wild birds cawed above the canopy of trees and I caught sight of hundreds of them trying to escape.

Panting, I had a choice to make. Use the machete or drop it and reach for my gun.

Another eerie feeling swept through me and I slowly shifted, glancing at the tree.

Into the eyes of three huge lions.

Three huge male lions.

These lions weren’t the ones from the night before. I was positive. Yet they were abnormally large, malformed in a way that I couldn’t fully explain.

As if altered in a laboratory.

Oh, dear God. All the stories, all the rumors were true. Marcus Blackwell had played God and lost.

Their eyes were wild. Saliva dripped from their jowls and something else stained their golden fur.