Page 28 of Beast

I prepare to ready to run, but a thin wail breaks throughthe chaos around me.

“Cara, no! No!”

I turn and see the small blonde gnome who was so kind to me.She is trying to get away from the ogre. Cara runs down the road, moving towardus, but it is clear that she will not make it. Her legs are too short. She isnot quick. The ogre roars and stomps his foot. It looks to be roughly the sizeof Cara’s whole body. He will crush her beneath that foot.

Dante’s hand tugs insistently. “Kaja, let’s go.”

In my pack, the weak are allowed to fall. They areconsidered an insult to the pack. If a wolf falls, it is because they are notstrong enough, not worthy.

The strong wolves of my pack are the same ones who spit onme. They are the same ones who tossed me out. Cara is not strong. She has nofangs or claws. She cannot change. The gnome would be a liability during thehunt. But Cara is the one who held my hand when the world seemed filled withpain. She brought me raw meat when it was so obvious that Cara was disgusted byit. Even as she tossed the raw meat in, Cara begged me to eat. Cara cared thatI was hungry. She showed me true kindness. In the pack, kindness is consideredweakness.

I no longer believe in the pack.

With a single thought, I change. There is a moment of pain,but I have come to almost enjoy it. That brief flaring of heat through mysystem brings with it a certain freedom. My limbs shift, joints popping intoplace in a quick change. My hand becomes a slender paw that slips easily fromDante’s hold. I fall from two legs to four.

“What are you doing?” Dante seems so tall when I am in mytwo-legged form. Now, he truly towers over me. He looks down, indignation plainon his face.

I bark. I do not have time to explain. He should run. Thisdebt is mine and mine alone. Perhaps I can also provide the distractionrequired for Dante and Meg to get away.

I turn and begin to run toward Cara.

ChapterEleven

Dante

My heart threatens to explode as Kaja speeds awaytoward the really pissed-off, man-eating ogre.

What is wrong with her? Does she think the ogre won’t eather when she’s in wolf form? If she asked, I would have explained that the ogrewill eat anything he can catch. And the ogre is definitely going to catch Kajabecause she’s running toward it.

“What happened?” Meg asks. She turns toward the ogre. Shehas to scream the words now because there’s so much chaos around us.

“Kaja went insane.” I reach out to hold Meg’s hand. Thecrowd rushes toward us. If I don’t hold on to her, I’ll lose her in the chaos.I watch as Kaja slips nimbly in and out of the crowd.

A growl starts deep in my throat, and that ridiculous beastthat took up residence in my body the minute I laid eyes on Kaja is clawing toget out. She wants to run from me? I’ll show that wolf her place. She’ll be atmy feet and begging for forgiveness before she can even scent the freedom sheseems to want. She belongs to me.

Only one thing keeps me from immediately tearing after mywayward wife. I need a place to stash Meg.

Meg holds on to my hand for dear life. She uses her freehand to point to a spot close to the tent where Kaja and I spent the night.“It’s Cara. She’s going to try to save Cara.”

I push against the crowd. It’s like swimming upstream. Atroll with atrocious body odor nearly flattens me against a tent pole. I use agood portion of my strength to keep Meg close. I have mere seconds before Kajamakes her way to the ogre.

The ogre. It’s huge. It’s strong. Perhaps Beck could handlethe ogre, but it would be a battle. Kaja is tiny compared to that monster.What’s she thinking? The ogre’s only weakness is its utter stupidity and a Faecreature’s aversion to cold iron.

Cold iron.

“Meg, what does that gun of yours shoot?” I ask.

I’ve played around with the gun. Meg took me out behind thebarn and showed me how to use the weapon. I’m quite good with it, or so shetold me. I have a good eye and a steady hand. But do I have the rightammunition?

Meg’s jaw drops open as she seems to reach the sameconclusion. “After I taught Cian how to use the gun, he figured out how to makenew bullets. The blacksmith forged them from cold iron. He thought it was thebest way for me to protect myself if Torin attacked. It should work on theogre. Get me close enough and I’ll take the shot.”

I barely avoid rolling my eyes at her. “You’re not going todo anything, sweetheart. It’s not like he’ll go down from one bullet. You’llonly piss him off. He might be dumb, but he has spectacular survival instincts.The minute you start shooting, he’ll turn on you. I can’t risk that.”

I open the flap to the tent we’re close to and shove herinside. “You have to stay here. I can’t take care of you and save Kaja. Please,Meg. I need you to give me the gun and promise me you’ll stay safe. I’m beggingyou.”

I’m in an impossible situation. I owe Kaja protection,whether she wants it or not. But I’m responsible for Meg, too. It’s not aposition I’m comfortable with. I spent my life without any kind ofresponsibility at all. Now two women who I care about might die without me.

“I’ll stay here.” Meg places the gun in my hand. “But youcan’t expect me to hide if you go down. I’ll stay out of sight until you needme.”