Fury

Pressure

The pressure It begins again, to be the victor and enlist order. I step into the arena in human form wearing only my grey shorts. My chest and arms on display for the crowd so to see the various tattoos and markings that made me King. The scars and marks are my victory cry's. The multiple choices I have given to others to relent and obey. One of many lessons I have been beaten to understand "Character is revealed when pressure is applied."

Fury growls in approval at the roars of the awaiting crowd looking down on us. While my brutality is feared at times it is also expected and giving into our beasts whims, that becomes pleasure. The family of this traitor is hovering at the entrance and cries of mercy ring against the roars. I snort and shake my head in disgust. He knew, they all knew before that this was a choice. The wrong choice, there will be no mercy. 

"Enough" I roar and the crowd grows silent. 

"B-but my lord we only helped her because she pleaded and then ordered us." His pathetic voice whimpers. 

I growl again as I spit at the ground and point my long finger in his direction " Whose order other than mine own or my second is to be obeyed?"

Their heads bowed in defeat as my words wrang out though the  walls. I do not give anyone other than myself the power to order. Ben will be allowed only if it is a needed bases. I prefer to handle everything myself, leaves no stones unturned or rebellions fueled. No secrets to go unnoticed or sinful deeds unpunished. 

"There will be no mercy for those who defy my orders or try to justify those actions. I rarely give punishments as I keep a steady and strong pride. I always give choices, you'll learn them now and accept my judgement. Two rounds to defeat me, one in human form the other in truth." I looked to the crowd and back to the man in front of me as I spoke. His knees shaking and his head hung low, his inner beast cowered in fear and submission but that would only cause him a swifter death. 

Fury paced in my mind as we watched through shared vision. I commanded "Raise your shoulders male, it is time." I pulled my own shoulders back and interlocked my fingers as I continued. "Before we begin, why don't you explain to everyone why we are here."

 I growled with authority into the last sentence. "In detail"

He sucked in a breath and looked to the hungry faces of the crowd for understanding and mercy. He would find none, so he spoke. "6 weeks ago my daughter Alise and a few of the other lionesses made mention of a senior trip for a celebration of their youth. While she was preparing, she spoke out about our lord not allowing Emilynn out of his sight. She mentioned his overprotectiveness and they decided to not tell him of their planned outing. I had initially forbid the hiding of this trip, but after hours of crying and begging then an order from Emilynn, I gave into their whims. I helped them pack and scheduled the plane tickets and hotels into he chosen area of Italy for a 10 day span. Alise insisted that we come up with a story to keep our lord busy for a few days and evade suspicion for the girls to leave the country. I agreed and told our lord the girls would be spending the weekend in town with a few others for a spa treatment."

My body started to shake hearing his confessions to openly and how at ease he seemed to be making the deceit.  I took a few deep breaths and remained composed as I studied the faces of his wife and oldest son. Regret was the largest emotion I could sense from them, the father however was only grief. 

He continued on as I started to pace. "Alise and the 3 others left for Italy under false identities and arrived the next day. I lost contact with them and after the 5th day I still tried to hold my involvement in their disappearance more." Gasps surrounded the crowd and mothers whaled in fear for the lives of the girls missing. 

"I lost my daughter as have two other families and our lord lost a sister. I am deeply sorry for the trouble I have caused, this however could have been avoided if I had only obeyed the orders surrounding our pride." He nodded and took a deep breath but said nothing more. 

What did he say? I'm sorry. Ha that wouldn't cut it and he knew that from the start. Empty words may fall from loose lips, but in our world your beast does the work for your character not the other way around. Should his beast best mine, his life would be spared. 

The gun sounded and I roared pushing forward to swing at the tall burly brunette. My frame matched his in build but I remained a head taller with longer limbs.  He dodged my constant blows and countered as he was supposed to. He had payed attention in his training and for that I was pleased, it took me time and energy to teach. I rewarded him with allowing a hit to my side, my grunt was enough to suffice. 

My grunt gave him too much pleasure as his movements became sloppy. I corrected him where I could, every experience is a chance to learn not only for yourself but those watching or engaging. I stepped into his space and threw an uppercut to break his nose. Blood pouring immediately and he spit the copper taste into the sand. 

He Dodged left at my second attempt on his jaw so I countered slamming my elbow into his cheek causing a open gash to form. We danced around one another for the next few minutes each inflicting as much damage as the human form could. He dodged another punch and leapt bringing his leg up and towards my chest. I stepped back in time to grab his left leg and pull him into the ground. Dust surrounded us as we stopped moving breathing heavily.  The first round finished as the sand cleared, assessing each others wounds for a few seconds. 

My lip was bruised along with my ribs but it would be healed by the time I changed forms. His jaw was clearly broken along with his nose, blood covered his face and chest as he wiped his eyes. I gave him a curt nod in assessing my own injuries as we began circling again. Wide enough to change forms quickly. 

Fury purred into my mind as I let him surge forward. My body dropped to a crouch as the change overtook my bones. Realigning to form the huge dirty brown paws, the arch of by back soon followed allowing room for my spine to elongate. My back legs bent and curved the thick muscles of my beast as the head was the last to change. Every bone cracking in my face was felt for a spit second until under 9 seconds I was completely Fury. 

His dark sandy fur and black tinged mane shook as he let out a roar. A battle cry for his opponent to advance.  I laughed inwardly as his display of aggression and arrogance. We all knew who the alpha male was but apparently this cub needed another lesson.  A mistake and he would pay with his life. Every fight won, the lions mane would darken, showing not only age but experience, his life would add another few dark strands. 

I tried to sooth Fury and coax him to go slowly, that was a figment of my imagination as he batted away at our prey. He slapped and clawed, biting into his shoulders while raking his talons down his face. I cringed as he covered us in the opponents blood, he was living up to his name. The bloodlust he showed was unyielding as the poor lion beneath us struggled in Fury's grip. 

One last whimper and yelp and Fury broke his neck. He dropped him only to move his claws to the abdomen. He proceeded to shred his chest cavity from there searching for his prize. The heart. Just like our own seemed to be ripped from our chest at Emilynn's disappearance his to would join it. Only this one would be consumed to heal our broken one. 

The crowd dispersed after the horrific display Fury dealt, only Ben remained and the family's weeping was the only sound heard.  I cringed as he gave me back control to change back. My nude body was covered in blood and clotted organ pieces. Even though he is a part of me it still never gets comfortable at his level of brutality. 

"Alpha Arceneaux, what would you like done with the body?" Ben asked from above me as he clearly tried to look anywhere but at either of us. 

"Have the family claim him and bury or cremate as they wish. I honestly do not care, if I had my way I'd mount what is left of him on the wall for others to see. Regardless of my preference I will not make the family endure more. " I wiped the blood from my eyes as I began to move away from the mutilated corpse. 

"I have work to do and a sister to find." I waved my hand dismissively as I walked out of the arena not sparing a glance behind me. It has been countless weeks already and every lead I have on Emilynn and the others seems to disappear as quickly as I found it. 

I have heard the stories from pride members and hanging around the human towns asking questions. The only conformation I have that my sister is still alive is that she is being sold from person to person. A plaything for mortals, a source of temporary entertainment. 

I Have searched countless zoo's and through records of private ownerships only to find small clues. I only have one confirmed report of her being seen but it was at a traveling circus in Romania. I of course tracked it down only to find out she had been sold to a private owner in Belize. That owner then claimed she disappeared from her room.

A cage it was. The thick metal bars surrounded a 9x9 concrete platform. A silver bowl that reeked of rotten flesh and a 5 gallon bucket of dirty green water. I tortured the poor human and left him in her so called room.

My c*****e was attracting to much attention now. 

My rage was building with every loss and I didn't know how much more I could take before I blew completely. The pressure I was under not only from my pride but my mother and Harold have been insufferable. I felt useless for the first time in my life, a feeling I have never had until now. 

My sister, my sweet Emilynn needed me and I was to blinded by the rage to find her. I had to accept I needed help. I would have to improve my character in human form and find her using the humans law enforcement. 

I had read and questioned many people in regards to who was the best, only one name came up every time and to say I wasn't intrigued would be an outright lie.  An FBI agent under the name Taylmia Reaux was my best hope at finding my sister alive. 

So now my search for her would be next. If she refused to help me, well I'll just have to force her.  I had only seen or heard her name and had no idea what she looked like or where to find her. I had been given a number to what seemed to be a burner phone and this only served to aggravate me as she didn't call me back for another 5 days. 

I was standing in line at a coffee shop on metro lane getting more impatient by the minute. These people are beyond slow, how hard is it to make a black coffee. No sugar, no cream no frou-frou sauces or splashes. Just plain coffee. My phone ringing pulled me from my outburst at the poor cashier. 

"Speak" I growled into the phone as I pulled it to my ear. My neck pulled onto my shoulder to hold it while I continued to glare at the cashier. 

"First off I am a Federal Agent and expect to be addressed with Agent you flamboyant entitled prick." A subtle silky voice came through the other line startling me and arousing me all at once. I cleared my throat to speak and she cut me off. 

"Second I am the only one who knows enough about this disgusting bullshit to help you so show the the respect I have earned." She clipped out. 

I cleared my throat again and took the coffee from the shaking cashiers hands. Turning around to go outside I spoke through gritted teeth "Ms. I have not met you nor have you met me to give that mutual respect. Not to mention I have been waiting for over a week for your response. At this point I couldn't care less if you where a diseased ape, I want my sister back and need answers. You are the only one that seems to know enough to be of use to me." 

Her rebuttal fueled a whole new kind of rage in me. The b***h hung up. 

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