Falling In Love With The King Of Beasts Chapter 5: A Time to Kill

Chapter 5:A Ti to Kill

ELIA

The rage in his eyes was terrifying, but if she was going to die tonight, it wasn't going to be with blood on her hands.

So, with trembling knees, she stared him down, gulping when his eyes flashed and for a mont she thought she was staring into the eyes of a lion.

Unable to hold the penetrating gaze, she looked at the fur-woman, crumpled at her feet. Elia knew she'd be sore the next day, that fall had been awkward and the ground was hard. But she'd felt her elbow co down as she reached out to catch herself. She'd taken the won in the temple. It was an accident, but it felled her like a tree.

"Kill. Her," the King snarled, the last word guttering in his throat like the big cat he reminded her of.

Elia looked down at the woman again. There was no doubt she deserved to die. Elia had just watched her kill several other won.

She could feel the eyes of the watchers on the back of her neck. But she took another step away from the woman and shook her head. "I'm not going to kill her."

The crowd gasped, but no one said a word and Elia felt their attention shift to their leader.

As did he.

He seed to swell under the scrutiny, he pulled his shoulders and head back, though his chin stayed low. "You would exchange your life for the life of a proud woman who would have torn out your throat without a second thought? You do not know what you do," he barked through his teeth.

Elia shivered, but forced herself to hold his gaze. "I don't even know where I am! But I know life and I know murder." She pointed at the fur-painted woman. "If I have to die tonight, I'll do it with a clear conscience—unlike her."

He lifted one hand, bare inches, and the noise stopped, though Elia could hear the people moving now, hissing their dissatisfaction to each other now that he'd commanded them to stop yelling at her.

She swallowed hard, and the King's eyes narrowed. She would have sworn that look of recognition passed behind his eyes again, but his expression didn't change. He huffed a breath and she thought he would speak, but suddenly there was noise to her left and she turned to find a man running hunched over, teeth bared, snarling, "You will not sha my sister!"

Still twenty feet from her, the man leapt and in the dark he looked for a mont as if his limbs had beco legs, his hands were paws, and his open mouth grew fangs that flashed in the moonlight as they ca for her throat.