Page 95 of Wild Like Us

I race back to him.

Akara has hit the ground.

And a cougar is braced on his back.

21

AKARA KITSUWON

I’m goingto die here.

Two-hundred pounds of animal assailed me from behind. The impact is worse than a kick in the ring. My face eats dirt. I struggle to breathe with a mouthful of earth. Clawsdigpainfully into my flesh. I grit down and elbow the animal.

Barely able to distinguishwhatit is.

Cougar, I think.

I elbow again. My pulse in my ears, I can barely evenhear.Nails rip at me, and I know it’s going to aim for my neck.

My jugular.

I’m going to die here.The sheer dread pushes my fight-or-flight instinct—I ram my elbow harder, not letting the cougar at my windpipe.

I’ve been camping enough times with the Meadows family to hear Ryke and Daisy in my head.

Stand tall and big and loud.

I’m already on the ground.

Don’t let it have access to your neck.

I’m trying.

Never run away or turn your back.

It’sonmy damn back!

Adrenaline pumps in my ears and I can’t get to my gun that’s on a belly-band at my waist. My knife is closer. Clipped chest-high on my backpack strap, I reach for the hilt. Exposing my neck for a single second.

“KITS!” Sulli’s deafening screams fill my ears.

“GET OFF HIM!” Banks yells even louder, and the cougar falters,distracted, for a millisecond. Enough time for me to unclip my knife, and I stab the cat’s torso.

He lets out a wailing hiss and eases up on me. I roll out to the side, just as Sulli swings her backpack at the cougar’s head. Once, twice, and then her backpack slips out of her fingers.

I struggle to stand, then freeze in a crouch as the cougar locks eyes with me.

“Don’t move,” Banks tells me, holding out a hand.

We’re all perilously still. None of our eyes shift off the animal.

“He’s going to pounce on him,” Sulli warns Banks. While the cougar stalks me, Sulli tosses rocks and stones at him. “GO THE FUCK AWAY!”

The cougar doesn’t turn on her.

He’s after me.

I stand fully up. He lunges, and his paws crash against my chest. My back hits the dirt again, and I just startstabbing.