Page 13 of Savaged By the Beast

“Why the hell should I listen to a fucking word you say? You tried to screw my sister in law over and then you fucked with Callie and Micah. I’m not listening to another god-dammed word that comes out of your lying damn mouth! Just get the hell out of here!” Austin hollers and shoves him hard, knocking the blond man into the wall. His eyes flash and I see his fists clench and I know I have just seconds to get these two apart and hopefully get some answers before the fur literally flies.

“Stop it!” I run between them and shove at Austin’s big barrel chest. For one second I can feel that insidious weakness flow through me, making me feel weak and shivery.

But I push it back. “Austin. If he knows something, I need to know. Back off!” I shove at him and he growls and I can see he wants to push me out of the way but he holds himself together.

I turn back to the other man. “Now. You said you saw what happened. What did you see? Do you know who the man was who killed the foreman?”

He nods his head and shovels his big, tanned hands through his wheat-colored hair, ruffling it. If I was another woman I’d probably find it sexy as hell but my mate growls at me and attempts to shove me out of the way again.

“Stop it, Austin! Jesus! Settle down! He’s not doing anything to me!”

He grunts and wraps his arm around me, tugging me back into his hips, leaning his chin on the top of my head. I roll my eyes but don’t try to pull free. I actually like to be in his arms even if he’s being ridiculous.

“Go on, Jericho is it?”

He nods and throws Austin a smirk when I say his name. Austin growls into my ear and I feel his muscles tense again.

“Behave,” I grunt.

Jericho throws his head back and laughs. “That’s right, cub. Behave.”

“If my mate wasn’t here…” Austin warns.

“Mate? So you found your mate?” His golden-brown eyes study me with interest, sliding down my body until I actually want to hide behind Austin. Something about this big shifter has my nerves jangling. I don’t think he’s a good male and I want to shove him out the door and slam it closed behind him. But I need answers. For myself and Austin. I didn’t believe him when he said he could be the killer. You can see it in his controlled gaze. He’s not dangerous. He growls at my back. Well, not exactly. I pat his muscular forearm that flexes and releases under my hand.

Damn, he’s sexy when he’s pissed.

Jericho grunts. “I don’t want your mate, cub. I wish…” his deep, gruff voice trails off and I feel shocked when I see the hurt and need in his eyes. Not for me. For someone else. He loves someone. Needs her desperately.

I’m guessing she’s not around anymore though.

I pull things back on track. “What did you see?”

“There was a man, a hand at Shiloh’s ranch. Rhys fired him when he helped her take over the ranch. I would have fired him too. He’s no good. But he’s also a shifter. A wolf shifter. He was mad as hell and I saw him in town a couple of times running his mouth when he had a few beers in him. He’s bad news and he wants revenge on you and your brothers. I’m guessing that’s why he killed your foreman.” He shakes his head. “I was too far away to stop it. The stupid guy didn’t even try and run or do anything to stop it. Just let the shifter tear him apart.”

I can feel a shiver dancing along my spine.

Austin grunts and I feel the sorrow coming off of him. Feel his pain like it’s my own. Waves of loss and anger wash over me. “He didn’t care,” he whispers raggedly. “He’s been waiting to die for years. Since he lost his wife and children. He just didn’t want to go on anymore.”

The thought that a man could just let himself be torn apart like that because he couldn’t go on anymore has my heart shattering. That poor man.

Austin leans over me and pulls me in tighter. “It’s alright, baby. He probably barely felt it. He’s been numb for years.”

Tears fill my eyes. Why would love do that to you? Does it always hurt like that? It makes me think of my sister and her husband. Is it better to die with the one you love or live on with the loss withering you away until you’re just a husk of a person. I’ve wondered why she didn’t live but now I have to wonder if she would have wanted to?

Sure, she had Cody so she probably would have gone on. But for how long. She loved Michael desperately. They were sweethearts all through school. Could she have managed to pull herself together?

Austin whispers, “breathe, baby. I’m not going anywhere. Neither are you.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” a harsh voice thunders out of the woods. I hear the whistle of the bullet and shove Austin back.

“No!” I scream.

A flash of black runs in front of me and I hear a grunt of pain. I look down and wait to feel the pain. See the blood pooling on Austin’s shirt. I run my hand up my chest, still feeling nothing.

“Baby, dammit! I’m a shifter. If you ever do something so stupid I’m gonna tan your ass! Help me get him in the door!” Austin grunts and shoves at a pile of black fur.

“Dammit, Jericho, you heavy motherfucker! What the hell were you thinking?” The panther doesn’t respond and my mouth falls open.