Magic Strikes Curran POV Part 2 (Dedicated to Reece N)

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the sound of the footsteps approaching my cage.  They belonged to Julie, Kate’s cub.  She showed potential, moving well for a human child, quiet and careful despite the dim and unfamiliar surroundings. Kate would have stormed into the dark stabbing at shadows.  I wondered briefly where or from whom she had learned to sneak.  She had not survived on the streets by being slow or stupid.  Derek seemed fond of her and it was obvious she was smitten with the kid.  To her, he was older and good looking.

Damaged Derek, laying somewhere now with his good-looking young face forever ruined.  Would she even look at him the same way?

A fresh wave of rage and grief almost overcame me, and I had to fight the urge to roar in frustration.  No, hold it together. There will be a time for fur and fury, for the rending of flesh and the taste of blood on the tongue.  Not the now.  Take a deep breath, keep it together.  Don’t scare the kitten.  Convince her to let you go.

Come closer, Julie, that’s it.  You’re almost there.

When she was near enough that I could hear her breathing, I called out to her in my best not crazy voice, “Ok, Kate, you win, I could not break out, let me go, and I will give you that hundred bucks I owe you.”  Kids liked money right?

She walked into the room and sat on the floor.  A tiny thing, skin and bones, narrow face, pale hair.

“Nice try. You know I am not her, and you should know she’s gone now where you can’t get her.”

Smart girl.  “Look kid, I don’t want to get anybody.  Just let me out of here please.”

“Julie.  My name is Julie. Why?”

“Why what, Julie?”

“Why should I let you out?”

“Because, I asked you nicely, and it would be better for you and your…” – Psychotic guardian, terrible role model, bad influence-  “…Kate, if you release me.”

“Why do you do that?”

Ok, I would play along but my patience was growing thin.  “Do what, exactly?”

“Bully people.  Threaten them in that calm scary voice.  They are all afraid of you.”

Ridiculous.  “I don’t threaten people.  I am nice.  I don’t yell or scream.”  Keep going though and you will see how terrifying I can be.

“Bullshit.  They are all scared of you. Jim, Derek, even though he looks up to you.  Kate too, and she is not afraid of anything.”

That was interesting.  “First, watch your mouth, child.  Second, what makes you think Kate is scared of me.”

“Screw you, I am not a child and you are not the boss of me.  She said you broke into her house and stole things.”

I crossed my arms on my chest.  The last thing I wanted to do is to explain the mating rituals to a human girl.  ”I am the Beast Lord, not a thief or burglar.”

“You took a pie.  Why would you do that?  Don’t you have whatever, servants, who cook for you? Kate doesn’t have a lot of money, why would you steal her food?”

“That is adult business; I will not explain myself to a child.”

“It was an asshole thing to do.”

I choked back a snarl.  “Little girl, I am not going to warn you again, do not speak to me like that again…”

“Or what?”

She had me there.  As pissed off as I was, there were lines I would not cross. I would not harm a child.  Ever.

I had to take a deep breath and step away from the ledge.  Persuade her.  Be reasonable.  I could do reasonable.

“Look, Julie, I am trying to be a nice guy.  I’ve asked you nicely to release me.  I could break out of here, but you would not like that, I promise you.  That would be scary and loud, and nobody wants that sort of thing. This is the last time I am going to ask you.  Please free me before I do get angry and do something we will both regret.”

“You’re doing it right now.  I’m not stupid.  I know you are mad and I know that if I let you out you’ll hurt me and try to make me tell you where Kate is.”

“No.  I don’t hurt little human kittens.  Never have and never will.  I give you my word.”

She looked at me, thinking about it.

I leaned forward.  “I know where Kate is and why, but I don’t know why she left me in this cage.  I would not hurt her and she knows that.”

I broke into her place, I kissed her, I’ve indulged her beyond what any of my people could get away with.  Any sane woman at this point would know where we stood.  I would never harm Kate.  I might roar and threaten, and I might even pounce when occasion called for it, but she knew damn well that no violence would follow.

But then again, we were talking about Kate.  Nothing was sane about Kate.  That’s why I was sitting in a loup cage, trying to reassure a frightened child that I would not rip her to pieces.

Julie drew her knees to her chest.  The kid looked like she never ate.  A stiff wind might knock her over.  “Kate thinks she has to save everybody, duh.”

“Who is she saving by keeping me in here, Julie?”

“Her friends and you from having to hurt them.  She knows you will feel bad if you do.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

She paused for a moment and then continued slowly, “She knows you’re pissed and you will do your Lion King thing, punishing them for…” She paused considering her words. “Disobeying you.  You will regret it when you calm down but then it will be too late.  Dead is dead.”

“Why would she think that I would regret it?”  I was actually curious. Also what the hell was my “Lion King thing?”

“Cause she likes you and believes that you’re a good guy.”

“She said that?”  A good guy, huh.

“No, but I can tell.  The way she looks, when she talks about you.”

Getting more interesting by the second. “Looks like what?”

“She looked the way my mom used to when she talked about my dad.  And they are dead now.”

“I know.  I’m sorry.”

“Everybody always says that, but it doesn’t mean anything.  It’s like saying hello or something.”

“It means something,” I told her. “My parents are dead too, and I was about your age when I lost them.”

Julie looked like she was about to cry and waved her arms.  “Whatever.  Look, I’m not stupid.  I know things!  Adult things.”

“Like what?”

“Like sex.  I know about sex.”

I just stared at her.  I wasn’t opening that can of worms.

“The point is, she likes you.  She likes you – likes you.  She was going to kill Derek for you, if he went loup, so you didn’t have to do it.”

Now it started to make sense.  So that was what all of this was about, Derek was Jim’s responsibility and both Jim and Derek fucked up royally.  Now Kate was caught up in this mess.  In her mind she was as accountable for the boy as we were.  Derek had come to her for help and she had been unable to refuse. Unfortunately it had all gone to hell as things tend to in our world and the kid had gotten hurt bad.  Now she blamed herself and the only thing she could do was to go all in and hope for the best. She took it all on herself, as an alpha would do. I had to give her credit for trying to see this thing through to the end, but it should have been me. It was my job to know what was going on, to save, to protect, and to kill when there was no other way, and I dropped the ball.

I couldn’t undo the damage but I could step up and take charge.  I could make sure that while there was breath in my body, not another of my people would be harmed.  Whether or not she knew it, Kate was mine now and I would save her or die trying.  That is what I do, I am the Beast Lord.  I stood and locked eyes with the girl.

“Julie, if you release me, I swear that I will not harm you, Kate, or any of my people.”

“Will you help them, in the games?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Even Derek?”

“What?”  What could I do for him that Doolittle could not?

“He is with them, fighting the creatures who hurt him.  He is very brave.”

Damn idiot.  “Yes, but foolish as well.”  I wonder if she knows the whole story?

Julie grimaced. “Yeah, I know.  It’s about the girl.  I will take care of her later, but I need you to promise about the others.”

“Julie, I give you my word, I will do everything in my power to help our friends and punish our enemies.”

She let out a breath she had been holding and smiled finally.

“Ok, deal.”