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Dirty Laundry

Chapter Twenty Five

By Roofles

Domino had gone along with Barreth before the raid had even commenced on The Black Market.

He, along with several other wolves from the club, had been promised just desserts on those who had wronged them. Who had taken away their friends, their family, their packmates and loved ones… Reese told them to leave no one left standing, and they were happy to obey without question. No one argued against it. No one challenged Reese’s rule.

They all fell in line like obedient dogs…

Revenge had a funny way of clouding one’s judgement like that.

That was except for Domino, whose agenda over these past weeks… months… had changed. Changed since that human had fallen into his lap.

“What about Logan…?” The brown furred wolf had asked, head bowed, and stance lowered before the assumed Alpha to be before the raid. Reese regarded him for several agonizingly long seconds as if weighing the value of the human’s life. Or maybe even Domino.

Domino, like so many of the other wolves, never knew what Reese was thinking. It made him far more intimidating than Bale or Vicky had ever been. Reese’s legend had only grown after the manor had burned down and no one had dared ire the wolf again.

Even now, Reese could kill him. Kill Logan and no one would question it.

That was the power of an Alpha. To be able to be judge, jury and if need be executioner for any who threatened the pack.

“Logan is with Clem…” Reese took a moment before continuing. “The two of them. Find them. Save them. That’s an order.” And that was all that needed to be said.

When the guest doors had been thrown open and Barreth, along with two other wolves, stormed into the room disrupting the dinner The Pride had been enjoying, Domino was already formulating his own course of action waiting for the chance to search and rescue his human and that dog.

First thing first, was clearing a path for them to get to the human let alone get out of this after. Most the other wolves, Domino knew, didn’t have such a mindset. They weren’t thinking about the long term. They just wanted to wet their lips with the blood of their mortal enemy.

Barreth, with Lilith’s minigun, had been the one announcing their arrival. And he was the perfect example of the latter party. A wolf who would happily die this night, if he could drag each of these felines to the pits of hell with him.

The miniguns barrel began to spin, whirling loudly as the wolves flanking him pulled out their Uzi’s and the lightshow that followed was more than enough to say exactly why they had come this Thanksgiving evening.

The sound of the minigun blanketed the room, dampening the screams of anyone unlucky enough to be here this night. The bullets ripped apart the tables and chairs, the pillows and lights; it tore apart man and woman alike. It riddled them with so many holes they fell into broken pieces on the floor. A gun killed indiscriminately, and it showed in that moment than any other as Barreth held the trigger down and didn’t let up.

The barrel continued to whirl loudly as it spun faster and faster, hotter and hotter as Barreth swept it across the room back and forth as bullet cartridge rained down around his paws around him. Around them. Barreth, in that moment, didn’t even hear the sound of his packmates with him. He could hear nothing over the sound of the gun in his hand firing. The smell of gunpowder was strong. The heat coming off the gun only increasing as Barreth held the trigger down without stopping.

He tore apart chairs and tables. He tore apart the pillars holding up the ceiling. He tore apart the guests, their guards and anyone foolish enough to be caught in his line of fire. The wolf was cold. His face empty of emotion as he unloaded rounds after rounds from the gun.

It felt heavy in his hands. He was straining to hold the massive weapon of destruction.

And it wasn’t because of what he was doing. It was because this gun had been a gift, from him, to his now deceased sister… someone he should’ve listened too a long, long time ago.

“Bale’s crazy. He’s going to get us all killed.” Lilith, his dear sister, had told him. “Let’s go!”

“Go where?” Barreth had only asked late one night, looking out from the manor’s upper window overlooking the hills of Seattle where the old pack had called home. “Where can a wolf go?” He laughed. It was a harsh sound full of spite. “Where can a predator even go in this world? Without a pack…”He cursed at the bitter thought.

It left a bad taste in his muzzle.

Without a pack, a wolf would be picked off by others. Herbivores? Humans? Rival gangs? It didn’t matter. A lone wolf was a dead wolf nine times out of ten.

“Diamond is forming her own.” Lilith brought up as she walked over towards her brother. With a single hand touching his own, she captured his attention. “I know it’s not the… best choice. But, maybe, in time he’ll return…” She tried to say. Tried to hope for. Her voice was so soft…

Barreth could hardly remember the sound of her voice as the barrel spun seemingly faster and faster.

“He…” Barreth laughed at that. “Maybe it’s best if he doesn’t come back…” The wolf grumbled, turning away from his sister. “Reese was the lucky one. To get out of this. Out of here. Able to survive on his own? It’s unattainable for a wolf like us… like me…”

“Brother,” Lilith just stressed the word.

It wasn’t common in packs for siblings to remain close to each other. The pack raised the newborn cubs together in a group. Separating them from their mother. Separating them from each other. Weeding out the weak and encouraging the strong. Even if that meant fighting their own blood. From birth they were labeled and stamped and marked by the pack to who they could, who they would be.

They never had a choice. No pack ever did.

“When Reese returns…” Lilith had pressed. “Maybe then…?” She had hope in her voice. A look of something in her eyes Barreth didn’t understand.

How could he?

His entire life had been set from the day he’d been born. Barreth was one of the lucky ones. He was strong, loyal, and obedient. Barreth was capable where his brothers hadn’t been. He didn’t threaten the leadership of the pack but could enforce their rule. That’s what he was. An enforcer. And he was damn good at it.

It hadn’t been something he’d chosen though. It was something they had chose for him. His entire life…

“What do you want to do?” It was such a simple question and yet it sounded so alien in that moment as if Lilith had spoken a foreign language. “Where do you see yourself in five years? Ten?” Such questions children were asked in school. That friends and family asked. Those who cared enough to know the answer.

Not the pack, though. They never asked such questions of individuality. They made sure to stamp out any form of that quickly. That insubordination. Any dreams of grandeur. Wanting to be with who they chose instead of who the pack alpha picked for them to breed with…

There had been a perfect example of that during one of the howls the alpha called at the manor. A wolf, some brown furred wolf, had declared he wanted to run off with a human. In front of everyone. It was almost funny, if it wasn’t so sad. Barreth had been there that night. He had helped the others put that wolf in his place, an example for everyone else to follow. Or else…

Anyone that threatened the whole had to be put down…

“Why are you even here?” Barreth snapped at Logan, this human asking such a question of him years and years later at the club after he’d listened to his sister and fled from the pack, to join up with Diamond and later on Vicky who gained control after her lovers death.

“Be nice!” Lilith had laughed though, coming to the human’s defense after Logan had moved on to another wolf.

“He’s fishy…” Barreth snarled watching them. Wolves had died for less, consorting with humans...

“Leave him be, he’s harmless.” Lilith tail wagged once as she leaned on the bar counter watching the human. “So?”

“So what?” Barreth grumbled bitterly.

“What do you want to do?” Lilith just poked his side with a finger giving him a look. A question she’d ask time and time again from her dear, older brother. Barreth just growled from her teasing without answering. “I want to be a dancer!” And she laughed loudly, it was nice though… to see her smile. She was never allowed to smile in Bale’s pack. “Can you imagine it? A wolf? Dancing?” And she smiled the rest of the night at the bittersweet thought.

They knew what would happen if a wolf every tried such a thing. The pack would disown them, they’d be laughed at and ridiculed by their peers and no one would hire a predator for such a thing. It was just that, a dream.

Smiling at a dream that would never come.

Barreth hadn’t minded though, such dreams. They encouraged one to wake up the next morning. To crawl out of bed and maybe, maybe hoped that today would be a better day than yesterday. Such dreams, however, were always cut short.

Gunned down that night The Pride had raided their club, her dream had died. They had taken his sister’s life… and Barreth, Barreth would return the favor.

The suitcases brought in with the wolves had a stream of bullets connecting to the minigun he was holding. Empty cartridges continued to rain down around him as he held the trigger to the point his finger hurt. The end of the barrel was glowing redder and redder, hotter and hotter matching his fury as it continued to click.

Click even after the ammunition had been spent.

“What do you want to do…?”

Click even after all those he had killed fell to the ground.

“What I want, huh, Lilith?” Barreth had said with flowers in hand at her grave.

Clicked and clicked… and no matter how hard Barreth pulled that trigger, it couldn’t fire what it didn’t have. No matter how hard he pulled that trigger… it would never bring his sister back.

It could never quell his anger and hatred for what they had done. For the dream they had taken from him…

“I wanted to see you dance…”

Barreth had bought a leotard he’d planned to give to her for her birthday that year... He’d bought tickets to a local play where ballerinas were going to dance. If Lilith couldn’t, maybe she could continue dreaming as she watched others. Barreth would go with her, to the lessons, if she had wanted. He’d put on some fugly leotard and… and… he’d…

But his dream had died.

Just like all wolves had to learn. You weren’t allowed to dream in this line of work.

“Bury them.” Barreth snarled finally releasing the trigger. The wolves poured in around him, all those remaining from the club. They swept over the room quickly, finishing off anyone who’d managed to survive the wolf’s wrath.

Several had survived his wrath but they weren’t going to survive those he’d brought with him. Even empty, Barreth couldn’t bring himself to discard the heavy minigun still in his hands.

“I’m going after Logan.” Domino popped up next to the wolf and got a single look.

“I see…” Barreth could tell then and there, Domino dream hadn’t been crushed yet… it would only be a matter of time. Maybe it was out of pity, remorse or… envy? Barreth gave a single nod as he watched as Domino dropped down to all fours like a dog to sniff for the human’s scent.

“Logan said he’d teach me how to dance…”

Domino crawled around the floor sniffing as the others around him fought. He was a man with a mission, a hope that Barreth had lost long ago.

“Can you believe some human doesn’t mind us wolves?” She had laughed back then. She did that a lot in those final days. She was… happy? Barreth tail had wagged, if only once hearing it. “We’re going to see the black swan!”

She had made plans. Was hoping for a future, for them, for the wolves where she could go see a play with a… human? Barreth wasn’t sure what to think of that as he broke his packmates up into two groups to storm the side rooms. The lions had barricade the entrance to the kitchen, so they’d have to find another way in.

“What do you want to do?” Barreth had asked Domino, questioning the wolf about his love affair with the human sticking around the club. Practically interrogating the wolf. Domino hadn’t answered, the two ending up fighting over it and not talking for the rest of the week.

It didn’t take Domino long for him to catch the trail and, with a final nod towards Barreth, the wolf was off. Moving through the room as he tracked it down.

In a way, Barreth didn’t need to ask such a silly question. He knew what Domino wanted in his future.

“Maybe I envy that fuck, huh Lilith?” Barreth walked into the room, holding up the minigun to look at. “This isn’t the stage you had wanted to dance on… but at least I was able to keep my promise, and take you with me…”

There were shouts from the corner, someone jumped up on one of the wolves and a fight broke out with fangs and claws. The two tearing into each other, ripping at the others body with what they were born with. The wolf fangs biting into their shoulder as the lion claws dug into their sides.

Barreth just stood there and watched.

Small scuffles like this broke out throughout the room. Those who had survive making their move after Barreth had finished firing. Jumping on the wolves, scrambling towards the exit or even jumping into the arena in the middle of the room.

One of the lions bolted for it. Running like a mad cat with his tail on fire.

Domino jumped on them. Pouncing on the feline and taking him over the edge of the fenced arena and into it. The wolf landed on the feline whose breath escaped him from the heavy canine landing on top of him. Grabbing his neck from both sides, arms crossed, Domino ripped their throat out and jumped back just as quickly.

A dying animal could be far more dangerous than a live one.

The lion’s body jerked, claws out swiping wildly as they held their profusely bleeding neck that ran down their front like a geyser. Their eyes were wide as they tried to say something, do something until their body lost the will too. Falling limp, lifeless to the ground Domino was already searching for the smell.

It was strongest in the arena he’d landed in and was one reason why he’d used the lion as a landing pad to drop onto.

“Logan.” He just said, catching the smell of the human in the arena. Catching the scent of blood and following the trail.

Running. Running towards a dream that was slowly slipping out of his fingers.

Domino ran as fast as he could following the scent. A scent that had been engrained into his memory ever since the day he’d taken Logan, mated him, fucked him, bred him, and claimed him. Marked him. Logan was his. He would be. He had to be.

After all, if he wasn’t… then why had Domino done this all?

Why had he betrayed Vicky’s pack? Why had he turned on his own? Came crawling to Reese’s doorstep bloody, wounded, and shamed. Why had he followed the human that night at the club instead of fighting to the bitter end with his brothers and sisters in arms. Domino had risked it all for a future that, a part of him knew, would never come to fruition.

But a wolf could dream…

It didn’t stop his steps. It only spurred him on further as he ran. Ran through these tunnels, eyes half closed, as he used the smell alone to guide him. Guide him towards the human. There was the smell of a lion in the mix… a smell of a canine, the boxer from Reese’s house, Domino picked up on. He ignored them though, focusing on the human’s as he burst through the doors.

And there he was, Logan, at the mercy of a tiger.

The light’s flicked on above in the dark room the butcher called his den and Domino grabbed the first thing he could. A rather large brown packaged sack that was bleeding. Holding it with both hands, Domino swung the sack as hard as he could at the feline threatening his future. His dream, he tried to hold onto like grains of sand slowly slipping through his fingers…

…

In the present, Domino was standing at Logan’s side. The two squaring off with the hulking tiger before them.

Mikhail had shed his coat, revealing his collection. The regal Bengal tiger stood tall before the two, looking down at them with cold eyes. A large, curved knife, a kukri, was in one hand. An ancestral weapon, in more ways than one with the tiger ears hanging from the end of it. A homage to his family, his homeland and in his own way, his future. In the other hand he still wielded a wicked curved dagger with a spiked brass knuckle handle also known as a “trench knife” during WW1. And all Logan had was Domino’s switchblade in hand.

“Here.” Logan tossed him the knife and Domino skillfully caught it as the human and wolf charged forward.

Logan, the smallest of the trio, ducked down underneath an overhead swipe from the tiger’s kukri. He could feel the rush of air through his air as he dropped down, allowing, and giving Domino an opening. Giving the larger wolf room to retaliate. And the wolf did.

The oversized switchblade connected with the tiger’s other knife who just smiled in return. Easily blocking the attack as Mikhail twirled the other knife around aiming for the side of Domino’s throat. The wolf pulled back just in time as the blade cut along his furry neck, severing several strands of fur and nearly cutting his throat open in a fountain of blood.

Domino reached up to touch his neck, just to make sure he hadn’t.

The look in the tiger’s eye, that bloodlust, Domino could practically smell it in the air. It was radiating off the tiger whose fanged smile hadn’t stopped the second their knives had met. He was enjoying this. This tiger, before the wolf, was having the time of his life.

“You better try harder than that,” Mikhail mocked openly angering the wolf further.

“Don’t take the bait,” Logan just said as calm and collected as ever. His eyes weren’t on the tiger’s face or the knives in his hand. The human had something else in mind. “Cover me!”

And Domino did. Without question. Without hesitation, the wolf threw himself into the fire.

Mikhail parried another heavy blow from the canine, blocking it easily as he swung again for Domino’s neck. The wolf rolled out of the way, turning Mikhail’s attention to his right as Logan moved in from the left.

Logan kept low as he jumped forward, practically body tackling the tiger’s who grunted against the impact but barely budged at the human’s efforts. Mikhail was in a weight class all his own but that wasn’t what Logan had been after as the human pushed off, retreating back with the wolf at his side.

“Well?” Domino just asked, never taking his eyes off the tiger.

“Here,” Logan tossed him the butterfly knife with the fox memento on it. Domino caught it, tossing back the switchblade to Logan as the wolf flipped the butterfly knife open and looked at the colorful blade.

Mikhail patted his chest, looking down to see Logan had swiped several of his knives for himself. Arming himself with the tiger’s weapons to use against the feline. Mikhail had made sure to disarm the human. A frightened, helpless thing was his favorite treat… and here Logan was spoiling his appetite but stealing his blades.

“It’s a little gay.” Domino grumbled as Logan held a hunting knife in one hand and the switchblade in the other. It felt right, holding the knife Domino had given him.

Logan dared to look over at the flamboyantly colored butterfly knife in the wolf’s hand. He smirked at that, turning back towards the tiger.

“It matches your eyes,” Logan just replied as he moved to the left, Domino stepping to the right to flank the tiger once more.

“Go low, I’ll go high.” Domino just said and Logan nodded at that as the two moved in once more in perfect tandem with the other.

The pincer attack was a favored route for those of the pack to use. To rely on their brothers and sisters in arms during fights and were trained at a young age to work together with the others. A wolf was strongest with his pack, after all. Domino wasn’t expecting Logan to match his step so well, falling into sync with the wolf as the human parried Mikhail’s blow leaving Domino an opening from behind to cut into the tiger’s arm.

Mikhail spun around, knocking Domino back and as he did the tiger had left himself open from behind to the human’s retaliate on Domino’s behalf. A quick strike before retreating back from the tiger’s counter attack.

Mikhail had the reach. The strength. The speed to best any of them one on one. So the two didn’t let him.

It was a battle of attrition as the two came at the tiger time and time again whittling down Mikhail’s defenses. Every blow, no matter how minor or small, was a step in their favor.

The tiger was capable and strong. He was a skilled fighter in his own right, able to fight off the two with seemingly ease, at first. Mikhail was stronger than Domino, faster than Logan. He’d been in far more fights than the two combined and his expertise and experience was showcasing even outnumbered as he was.

But Logan knew better.

The tiger wasn’t used to fighting multiple people. He’d followed Mikhail tracks for the past three years. Tracking him, hunting him, recording everything the tiger had done. The tiger preferred one on one confrontations. Usually sneak attacks that left the party unaware until they were nothing but a bloody stain on the floor.

Mikhail, despite his birth, was a tiger that had chosen to train what he was already naturally proficient in. Stealth. And out in the open like this, underneath the lights, the tiger was exposed and the two took full advantage of that.

That didn’t make this any easier though.

Spinning the blade around, Mikhail forced Logan back with a strong hit that slice opened the human’s arm making Logan cry out in pain. Domino closed in from behind, sinking his fangs into the tiger’s arm he’d lifted to defend against his exposed back. Domino’s teeth sunk in deep, tasting the tiger’s blood in his jaws as Mikhail swung the knife around with a snarl at the wolf.

“Domino!” Logan cried out as the kukri sunk deep into the wolf’s shoulders. But he didn’t let go. His jaws clamping down even harder as the tiger snarled at the canine biting him.

“Get off me, you-,” Mikhail voice was broken and uneven by the animalistic growl that filled his chest and throat. The tiger ending up just roaring out at the wolf clamped down on his arm as he ripped out the kukri, lifting it high above his head once more to behead the canine.

Blood spurted from Domino’s shoulder and as Mikhail was about to bring it back down again, Logan jumped on the tiger’s back.

“Don’t fucking touch him!” Logan shouted in the tiger’s ear as he jammed the switchblade into Mikhail’s shoulder. The jump had been out of desperation and Logan ended up dropping the hunting knife to use his hand to hold onto the tiger’s back.

Mikhail snarled as the switchblade wedged itself in his shoulder. Logan held onto it with one hand as he tried to grab at the tiger’s throat with his other. Mikhail shook violently and nearly tossed him off, Logan having to hold on just so the tiger couldn’t buck him off.

“You’re nothing but animals before me!” Mikhail cried out biting down on Domino’s ear and, to Logan’s horror, ripping it off. Domino eyes clamped closed, his jaws gripping tighter as the wolf still refused to let go.

“Domino!” Logan could only cry out. With the knife wedged into the tiger’s shoulder, using it as a handle, Logan pulled himself up and returned the favor.

Domino’s eyes widened as the human wrapped his arms around the tiger’s neck and bit down, hard, on Mikhail’s ear. Mikhail was taken by surprise just as Domino was as Logan dull, blunt teeth compared to their sharp fangs bit down on the round ear.

The tiger howled in pain as Logan, teeth clenched, pulled back as the tiger tried to shake him loose once more and only ended up assisting with the partial removal of his ear.

Logan spat the ear out of his mouth. “Now who’s scarred.” The tiger’s eyes blazed in fury as his tail lashed, nails springing out of his hands.

From the angle, Mikhail couldn’t properly stab Logan so he dropped the long curved kukri knife and grabbed hold of the human’s back. Wrestling with the wolf whose jaws were still clamped on his arm, Mikhail spun around, plucking Logan off and threw the human across the room like an annoying tick. Logan hand slipped off the switchblade, leaving it embedded into the tiger’s shoulder.

Logan crashed against the center table, landing on top of it before rolling off the far side. A sharp stab of pain bit into his side and he felt the warm dampness of blood on his clothes as he rolled off the utensils on the table.

Domino attention turned towards Logan, his hold breaking just enough for Mikhail to switch up his knife. Bringing the brass knuckle handle against the side of the wolf’s face, Mikhail bashed in Domino’s muzzle. Smacking the wolf several times until Domino let go, stumbling back as he held his face. Blood seeped from Domino’s jaws as the wolf growled at the tiger, not backing down, even as he spat out a fang.

“Pathetic. Weak. Small. Useless without a pack. Useless by yourself. You’re nothing!” Mikhail roared at the wolf who still, even now, glared back in defiance at the tiger. “I’ll pluck out your eyes!” The tiger shouted, nails springing out from his free hand as he lifted it above his head, nails gleaming in the light. “Make you watch as I slaughter you’re lover like a stuck pig in front of you…”

And Mikhail swung.

“Domino!” Logan shouted as he hucked the cutting board on the table towards the wolf like a frisbee. Domino turned in time to catch the slab of wood and brought it up as a shield just as the knife came down at his face.

Domino managed to block the curved blade but the tiger’s nails came from the side and sunk deep into the wolf’s side. Domino howled out in pain. Those nails bit deep, pressing against his side and twisting upwards painfully.

“Rip out one of your ribs, first.” Mikhail sneered down at him, pressing the knife deeper into the wood preventing Domino from fighting back; if the wolf tried, that dagger would stab into the side of his throat. “Nothing you can do but watch as you die.”

“Fuck,” Logan struggled to stay on his feet. Both his sides were bleeding and the room was beginning to spin as he tried to keep from falling over.

Grabbing one of the tongs on the table, Logan threw it at the tiger. It hit Mikhail’s side and those cat like eyes turned towards him.

“Don’t forget about me, you… fuck.” Logan grabbed and threw another utensil, throwing a pair of scissors harmlessly at the feline. “I can keep this up all day…” He wavered.

“Once I deal with him,” Mikhail chuffed looking back at the wolf. “I’ll make sure to treat you real sweet.” The tiger flexed, pressed his arm down with the knife now on the cutting board and forcing Domino onto his back like the helpless dog he was before the tiger. “First though,” the tiger clenched his clawed hand on Domino’s side. “I’ll,”

Then there was a loud crack like thunder, the sound of a buckshot firing and the three of them stood dazed from the loud sound in the small room.

Mikhail jerked back violently, eyes widening as a junk of his shoulder was taken out and the three turned to see the boxer standing there with the sawed off in hand. Clem still held the gun aimed straight at the tiger’s face.

“You little shit!” Mikhail held his shoulder, his right arm falling useless at his side. “I’ll kill you!” The tiger ran at the boxer who froze on the spot.

“Eep!” Clem yipped as he clicked the gun several more times as the tiger ran at him but the shells had already been spent and it was nothing more than a short, metal bat at the moment. “Logan!” Clem whined holding up the shotgun defensively.

Logan was already moving, calling out for Domino and the wolf threw him the cutting board from where he laid.

Logan jumped in front of Clem, catching the board, and holding it up at the tiger’s claws came down with enough force to knock the human backwards into the sturdy body of the canine behind him. Clem caught him, holding him securely as Logan struggled against the force Mikhail pressed down on the two. The tiger’s nails swiped and slashed at the two of them, his one arm flailing madly before him as Logan held up the cutting board with both hands trying to block each of those lethal swings that could easily take off his face as the tiger roared out once more.

“Each. And every. One of you!” Mikhail just shouted out as he hit the feeble defense Logan put up. “Always. Getting. In my way!” The tiger eyes were wild, his fangs bared as drool fell from his open muzzle. “Ruining our reunion!”

With Clem’s support, Logan managed to hold on until the tiger’s brought down his whole arm at Logan’s face.

“Enough!” Mikhail just shouted, fed up with this. With them. He’d kill the two and drag Logan off if he had too.

Lifting the cutting board up, Logan was nearly knocked off his feet as Mikhail’s nails sunk deep into the wood. And, for a split second, the two just looked at each other. His anger, his rage, his fury, and hatred beginning to dissipate in that brief moment as their eyes met.

“Logan…” Mikhail breathed heavily; eyes wide as the tiger looked down at the human. “I loved you...” And Logan believed him. As much as someone as sick and twisted as the tiger could possibly love someone.

And he was sure, in some way, Mikhail had given Logan a the greatest of compliment by wanting to feast on the human’s body like a five course meal…

“We can be together…” Mikhail stressed the words, but Logan was having none of it. “We’re the same. You and I… we’re both monsters.”

“I’m nothing… like you.” Logan just spat back in his face.

“Then you can die with the others.” Mikhail snarled back as he pressed his weight down against the two, even with Clem’s help Logan was struggling to keep the tiger from just breaking them. “You’ll feel my claws once more, but this time… I won’t stop.”

“Go to hell, Milo.” Logan gripped the cutting board tightly with both hands, his sides screaming in pain as the boxer behind him held on with him… and with Clem’s help… the two spun it like a wheel.

Mikhail’s eyes widened as his whole arm twisted with his wrist attached to his hand attached to his nails that were embedded into the cutting board.

“Clem!” Logan said his name and the dog was right there with him, helping him. Because, Clem… Clem was a true friend.

Mikhail tried. He really tried to pull his hand free but he was tired, weak, and a bloody mess. Worn down, the two of them could hold the tiger off. Hold him off long enough to finish this.

The two spun the cutting board with the tiger’s nails stuck into its surface. Spun it with all their strength and resolve as they both cried out against the pressure the tiger was exerting on them. The strain of the tiger’s nails, the weight the tiger pressed against the two as they twisted Mikhail’s arm and everyone in the room watched as the board spun gave one good full spin.

The wooden cutting board, the board Mikhail had used countless times, spun before his eyes. And the sound that followed would haunt all their dreams for many nights to come. A terrible sound of ripping flesh as the two pulled back on the board, blood dripping from Mikhail’s fingers and, finally, with one last pull each one were torn off. Stuck to the wooden board. The tiger’s nails pulling from their protective sheaths, blood pouring from his fingers as Clem and Logan jerked the cutting board one last time to the rewarding sound of flesh tearing and blood spraying as Mikhail was declawed before them.

The tiger jerked back, trying to pull his hand free and ended up only helping with the sickening process as Logan and Clem fell backwards still holding their makeshift shield with the nearly added addition to it.

With utter shock and terror, Mikhail held his bleeding hand up before him, stumbling backwards. All five of his nails were missing and each finger wept bloody tears at their loss.

A sound only a terrified wounded animal could make ripped through the room as Mikhail cried out as he turned towards the exit and tried to run for the door away from the three. One arm hanging lifeless at his side, a switchblade still sticking out of his shoulder, one ear missing and now a hand declawed…

And still it wasn’t enough for the human. All the pain he had caused him, caused them, and all the lives he had stolen… it wasn’t enough!

Logan dropped the cutting board, grabbing the tiger’s tail as he lunged forward. Clem snagged hold of his other hand as the two tried to hold Mikhail in place. The two were dragged across the floor as the tiger turned to face them, unsheathing a new blade from his belt.

For a split second, Logan feared Mikhail was going to sheath that blade in his chest, his torso. But to everyone’s surprise… the tiger didn’t.

Holding up the blade, the tiger just stared down at the human. Hundreds had died by Mikhail’s hands. So very few had even managed to see the tiger coming, even fewer had managed to defend themselves. And here this human was, with help, forcing the tiger to retreat.

Their eyes met, for that brief second once more and… Logan could see the fear in his eyes.

“Monster…” Mikhail could only say to the human that had done this to him.

Mikhail brought the knife down in a clean swipe, slicing the end of his tail off where Logan was holding, and leaving Logan with his first souvenir as the tiger back pedaled away from the two. Away from Logan, eyes holding on the human’s face for one brief moment longer…

How long had Mikhail envied it. Envied this human who could butcher a man alive in the arena without anyone looking at him different. A human, a predator, who could blend into the masses without anyone giving him a second glance. The tiger had been cursed, in a way, by his blood. Everyone took notice of a tiger that walked into a room.

No matter how strong or fast Mikhail was, how much he trained… he couldn’t change the fact he was born a carnivore. And everyone was naturally afraid of him.

When they should’ve been afraid of the human there before him now…

And then Mikhail turned and ran. Ran away in fear for his own life from the creature half his size. One arm swayed useless at his side, the other held up against his chest trying to stop the bleeding of his nails. With half a tail, the tiger ran for it.

Domino jumped in the way but with a powerful kick the injured wolf was knocked back, Domino letting out a loud whine as he held one of his old wounds that had reopened… and Mikhail escaped through the side door.

“Dammit, no!” Logan shouted, shoving Clem off him as he held the tiger’s tail in hand chasing after him.

“Logan!” Clem shouted and grabbed the human’s wrist once more, not about to let him go. “We need to get the mayor out of here!” The boxer gestured at the body nearby. No one had managed to check on her since the fight had broken out.

It had been Logan’s idea to save the mayor. The human’s idea to make it seem as if Reese and the other wolves had come to her rescue. Use that, blackmail her into fixing the city from within. Make life easier for the carnivores so places like the black market didn’t need to exist.

And here Logan was, about to throw it all away for revenge.

“Let go, dammit!” Logan cursed and yelled and turned around and hit Clem’s chest. “I have to stop him! He can’t live. I can’t let him go!” Logan begged and pleaded and wept before the two as Clem didn’t let him go… the boxer holding him close as the human tried to fight against him.

But Clem wasn’t about too, not then. Not now. Not ever. He’d hold the human’s hand, cuff the two together, if it meant keeping Logan from throwing his life away in a pursuit that could only ever lead to his death.

“It’s over…” Clem just said as he hugged the human against his chest. “It’s over… We have to get out of here. Thanksgiving dinner isn’t going to eat itself,” the boxer managed to joke. His voice was a bit higher than normal and Logan knew Clem was trying not to whine.

Trying not to whine for the human, his friend and partner, who was willing to sacrifice it all to get at his ex…

Logan took a moment, a second, to look down at the tail still in his hand… then he dropped it. Letting it fall to the floor. And with it, tried to let everything go he’d been unconsciously holding onto all these years. Everything. Every memory of the tiger, Milo, he once knew… and the tiger Mikhail his first love had become…

“Disgusting…” Logan just muttered, pushing away from Clem. Then he winced, holding his side and nearly keeling over onto his knees as he coughed several times. Clem was there. The boxer caught him once more, holding him up.

“Fuck, you’re messed up.” The boxer crassly pointed out getting a look from the human.

“Ya’ think?” Logan pushed Clem off, forcing himself to remain standing as he limped over towards Domino. Clem followed behind him. Despite his earlier statement, no one checked on the mayor yet. “You okay…?” He asked the wolf who was slowly pushing himself back to his feet.

“Been better…” Domino grumbled. “Old injury… reopened... at the worst, fucking, time…” Clem helped Domino up and the three went over to check on the mayor. “She dead?” The wolf asked heartlessly.

“Fuck, Dom. No!” Logan rolled his eyes, checking for a pulse. “Milo… no, Mikhail was going to knock me out with some kind of drug… I assumed he used the same on her. She’s breathing, but unconscious. Like the police chief…” The human said looking around. “The fuck is Sloan, anyways? We could’ve really used some help back then…” Logan dared to ask, his breaths growing heavy as his body felt. Clem just shrugged. “I hope he’s okay too… I can’t leave him down here… Not with that psychopath on the loose…” Logan winced, but tried not to let the other two see.

It was hard to hide all the wounds he’d received these past several hours.

“Nice shot, by the way.” Domino pointed out, talking to Clem as they slowly made their way towards the exit. Each helping support the other as they limped their way towards the kitchen. Clem had the mayor on his back while supporting Logan’s other side.

“I was aiming for his head…” The boxer frowned before just shrugging and shaking it off. “Those damn guns don’t have any accuracy.”

“Just glad you didn’t hit me.” Logan cursed underneath his breath, wincing as he was sure he had gotten some of the splash fire of the sawed off but wasn’t about to point it out to the boxer. “We might need to call Shadow, again.” Logan chuckled weakly talking about the border collie Reese had called in to patch up Domino.

It was getting hard to recall everyone’s name. Hard to focus. Logan’s breaths were growing shallow…

“We have our own medics on standby.” Domino assured him as he helped Logan from his other side. Logan wasn’t sure how far he’d make it without their help. How far he’d have even gotten this night without the two, without them… “Though he was rather efficient.” The wolf nodded. “For a dog… I guess.” The wolf shrugged the comment off as Clem rolled his eyes.

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence.” Clem grumbled.

“It was a he! I knew it!” Logan tried to laugh but ended up coughing. He was sure he ruptured something after Mikhail had punched him but was trying to put on a strong face for the two. Not wanting them to worry any more than they already were.

Cut up, bruised, beat up, with a black eye, several cuts all over and that wasn’t even mentioning all the internal damage Logan had received being tossed around, punched and stabbed… the human was on his last leg and struggled to stay awake.

“Thanks…” Logan managed to say as the three pushed past the plastic flaps into the kitchen. They kept their head down, the smoke was getting worse from the nearby burning down. Most of the wood had crumbled away revealing the carnage on the other side.

“For?” Clem just wagged his stubby tail though.

“For stopping me…” Logan took a heavy breath that hurt. “Without you… or you,” he added seeing as how the wolf was looking at him. “I’d have jumped into hell after that… that bastard…” Logan faltered, and Domino had to catch him. “I can’t believe he… I trusted him and… he…”

“Let’s leave it here.” Clem just said getting a look from the two. “That’s what Reese told me, before we separated… he said, let’s leave it all here. All our past. All our burdens and baggage. All our sins and our crimes. Let’s leave here, this night, in this place buried underneath the earth and burned to the ground… let’s leave it all here and just… keep moving forward after.”

Logan snorted but a smile played across his face. “I doubt Reese said ALL that…”

“I might be paraphrasing.” Clem just chuckled lightly with a goofy, lopsided smile as his stubby tail continued to wag in embarrassment.

“We still have Thanksgiving to look forward too…” Domino offered, trying to be helpful.

“Yeah,” Logan coughed trying to cover the pain on his face as he limped forward. He was beginning to feel cold… “I look forward… to that…” Logan was breathing heavily, holding his bleeding side. “I wonder what Alan’s going to make… for us…”

“Logan?”

“Robbie… would you have liked it, these friends I’ve made… along the way? I had a fun life… even after… it all…” Logan eyes grew unfocused, and his vision blurred. “Sloan… I wonder if he… would come… too…”

“Logan!” Someone shouted as the human collapsed before them, barely supported by Domino in time to prevent smacking his face against the ground.

“We need to call…” Someone said, someone… was saying something, Logan couldn’t tell who it was.

“Human’s are so fragile…” Bosch? “Don’t fight him head on… or alone. You can’t beat a tiger, Logan. He’ll kill you.” He was a terrible assistant… was that what he was? An assistant to the jaguar? Logan wasn’t sure why he was even thinking of Bosch in that moment…

Some warning… Logan hadn’t listened to it, damn he really was a stubborn fuck at times. “Bosch…”

“We’ve all been there before, pup…” Reese, oddly, had been a voice of reason for a change. “Don’t let it carry you to an early grave.” Man, Logan really did need to start to listen to people… even from a wolf he was sure had his own body count tallying up in his wake.

“If you ever need a hand, call on me.” Dom had even offered. Fuck, there were so many people who had tried to help him and Logan… Logan had been afraid to accept such kindness, afraid of what they’d ask for in return.

“You can stay with me, while we figure out about your place.” Sloan had even offered him. Wolves and jaguars and lions… Fuck, when had he surrounded himself with such people? Relying on them after all these years hunting them like criminals…

That was why he had joined the police force. The only reason. To use them to help track Mikhail down. Using anyone to help in that one, sole objective after all these years… and here he was, letting the tiger go. Just so he didn’t worry his… friends? Family?

Was that what these people were to him?

Being helped by these predators of all people, surrounding himself with them… how strange, how queer… here he was chasing a predator, chasing after the tail of one… only to realize, in these last moments, he had been surrounding himself with them for such a long time.

“What do you want to do?” Sloan had asked him during one of their brief, fleeting times together… Logan couldn’t answer that. He made a snarky comment, giving a sarcastic answer as he teased the lion. Because Logan… Logan hadn’t planned to survive after this night.

Logan didn’t know what a future was. He never had such a dream, never had the luxury to think about such a thing. He’d trained for the past several years, trained underneath a jaguar of all people. Working relentlessly with wolves and consorting with lions… constantly working, all for that one day.

This day.

Everything was supposed to end today. To end.

It wasn’t a fresh start; it wasn’t about burying the past or moving on. It wasn’t about making a better tomorrow. Tonight, was supposed to be the day he died… so he could meet up with his brother and apologize… for being such a shitty older brother…

Vinnie, Lilith, Cliff… Robbie… those he had lost…

Sloan, Reese, Bosch, Domino, Barreth, Clem, Alan… those he’d leave behind…

“I’m sorry…” Logan breathed out as someone picked him up, carrying the weight his own two legs couldn’t hold up any longer.

“Logan!”

He couldn’t hear their voice anymore as everything began growing cold, everything began turning black… and the last thought he had before losing consciousness was that he hoped Sloan was okay…

…