BK 3 - Chapter 40 - Raul's End
Raul screamed when he saw the large wolf and two lions in front of him. They didn't attack. Instead, they walked around the cage growling.
"How does it feel to be in a cage like an animal?" Saxon asked, reaching for the door. Raul tried to hold it shut, but his strength was no match for the vampires.
"I'm not an animal. You nasty mongrels aren't going to get away with this. I have men here who are probably looking for me right now." Raul tried to hold onto the bars of the cage as Saxon began to pull him out, but it was no use. When he threw him onto the ground, the two lions and wolf came so close he could feel their hot breath on his face.
"Ask your son how that worked for him? Did you ever find the pieces that were scattered in the forest?" Thatcher asked, stepping on Raul's foot and making him scream in agony.
"My son was a worthless piece of shit from some hooker that got knocked up. I hoped he would learn the family business, but he was too stupid. That doesn't mean I didn't want vengeance for his death. You all are going to die for this." Atlas put his face next to Rauls and let out a deafening Roar. Raul looked down as a puddle appeared beneath him.
"You have a lot to say for someone who just pissed their pants. I don't think anyone here wants to listen to you anymore. I'm taking my piece, and then I'm letting them have their fun." Saxon said while nodding toward Atlas, Sankar, and Harley.
Raul started shaking as the vampire moved toward him. Saxon moved so quickly that Raul didn't see him. All he felt was the pain as his arms and legs were broken. He cried in pain as Saxon lifted him off the ground by his neck and threw him in the air like he weighed nothing.
Sankar jumped up and grabbed Raul's side, letting his teeth sink into him. Harley put his legs in his mouth while Atlas took his head. Raul's screams were silenced as they pulled him apart like a threeway wishbone spitting the pieces onto the ground. No one wanted to swallow that rotten meat. The room remained silent as the people who had come to help moved forward to clean up the mess that was once Raul.
Harley shifted back to Aiden, who ran over to Kitty. Atlas and Sankar followed Saxon out of the room to find their mates. Thatcher went over to Janel and Jade, giving them each a kiss. After what they had all been through, everyone wanted to be near their loved ones.
Mario was standing with Alberto and Emily staring in disbelief. He'd killed many people for doing horrible things but never witnessed anything like that. It gave him a new respect for the family he'd just met.
"You're family is incredible." He said to Emily with a smile.
"Yeah, I know. They don't mess around when someone they love gets hurt. Are you going to stay to help us finish getting the rest of the scumbags?" She asked, leaning against Alberto. Emily loved how safe he made her feel.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world. Something tells me this is where I'm supposed to be right now. Who knows, maybe even I'll find my mate here." Mario had never really cared about finding his mate. Now he thought it might be nice to have that one person who was meant to be his. His bear Sloan did a happy dance. He'd been waiting for Mario to come around for a long time.
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Mindy heard Raul's screams until they reached Melanie's suite. She walked in with Cat, Melanie, and the cubs, still trying to process what she'd just seen. She sat on the couch and turned toward the two women.
"Okay, can someone tell me if I saw what I thought I saw down there? Did Wesley turn into a large wolf, and Trey and Aiden turn into lions?" Mindy looked between them and could tell they were deciding what to say. It wasn't either of them that answered her, though.
"Yes, you saw that. It didn't scare you, did it?" Lisa asked. Mindy looked at her and then toward Alex.
"No, I wasn't scared. Are you a lion, and are you a bear?" She asked the cubs looking from one to another. They both looked toward Melanie, who nodded.
"Yes. We just turned five and got our animals. My lion's name is Aliyah." Lisa answered.
"My bear's name is Remy," Alex said softly. Mindy shook her head in disbelief.
"So you can change into animals, and they have their own names?" She asked the cubs.
"We can't change into our animals until we get older. They have their own names, and we can talk to them." Lisa smiled widely at the shock on Mindy's face.
"Okay, so what about you two? Why do you make me feel better when you touch me?" Mindy asked, looking at Cat and Melanie.
"We're lions too, but we're also part caladrius. It's a type of bird that can influence people's emotions and help them heal. We can't change into birds, only lions." Melanie answered carefully. This was a conversation Mindy should have been having with Wesley, but they couldn't ignore her questions.
"Wow. That's truly incredible. So what about Saxon, Janel, and Thatcher?" She asked, noticing none of them had changed into animals.
"They're vampires, and so is Jade," Cat answered. She was surprised that Mindy was taking everything so well.
"I take it Vilma is something else too?" Mindy asked, looking around at the four people in front of her.
"She's a witch. A good one." Lisa answered.
"Are all the people downstairs something besides human?" Mindy questioned. There were hundreds of people there.
"Yes. You're the only human here. There are wolves, lions, tigers, bears, panthers, cheetahs, vampires, and witches. They all helped us with Raul and will continue helping us find the rest of the people hunting our kind. Are you doing okay with all this?" Cat asked, moving next to her. Melanie had mindlinked her and Trey earlier about what happened to Mindy as a child. She felt horrible that they had been so close to saving her all those years ago.
"I'm fine. I'm actually jealous that I'm not one of you. That could have changed my whole life." Mindy answered with a sad smile. Cat took her hand.
"Melanie told us what happened when you were a child. I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner. When we did arrive and found that your mom had left with you, we tried to find you. The name she gave the hospital was fake. It was then I realized she may have been your abuser. That's when Trey and I started educating the staff at the local hospitals on the importance of talking to children alone. We also reminded them that women can be abusers too. People often assume it is just men hurting their children and women are victims." Cat rubbed Mindy's back.
"When I heard the nurses talking about Caterina and Trey, I pictured two angels coming to save me. I thought about you over the years, wondering about the people that saved abused children. Returning to Sacramento brought back many bad memories, but I still wanted to be here. I wanted to be close to the one place where someone cared enough to try and help me. I cried so many nights after my mom or stepfather finished with me. Just knowing you were out there somewhere gave me hope that there were still good people in the world. You may not have been able to get to me that day, but knowing of your existence saved me from myself. I was ready to end it all five times over the years just so I wouldn't have to feel the pain anymore. Thinking of you out there saving kids like me kept me alive."
Mindy sobbed as Cat hugged her. She had tears running down her cheeks, feeling the young woman's pain and despair.
"You have such a beautiful soul, Mindy. We may have been kept apart back then, but you're part of this family now. You never have to be alone again." Cat stroked her head gently. She, of all people, could relate to how Mindy felt. Before she met Trey, she'd contemplated suicide. When all you've known is pain and loneliness, anything else feels unreal.
"You consider me part of your family? We only met a few hours ago." Mindy pulled back and stared into Cat's calming blue eyes.
"You were always meant to be in our family. It just took a while to get you here. Besides, I don't think I'm the only one who wants that." They all turned when they heard a knock on the door. Saxon walked in with Trey and Wesley. They had gone to their rooms to put new clothes on after the other ones had been shredded when they shifted downstairs.
Wesley looked at Mindy, and his heart sank when he saw the tears running down her face. Was it too much for her? Was she scared after what she'd seen? When her eyes lit up seeing him, he felt relieved.
"Don't worry, we already told her about shifters and everything. You just have to tell her the stuff about you and her. That's not something I want to hear." Lisa said, putting her hands over her ears. Everyone chuckled at the little lioness. They needed something to ease the heaviness in the room. Wesley walked over to Mindy and held out his hand to her. She jumped up and hugged him tightly.
"What does she mean the stuff about us?" Mindy asked, feeling better than ever with all the tingles running over her body from hugging Wesley.
"Are you ready to go talk about that?" He asked. Mindy nodded before hugging Cat, Melanie, and the two cubs. Her family. She'd never had a real family, and within the past twenty-four hours, she'd been accepted into the best family anyone could have asked for.
