Page 35 of Kat Bethel

My knife was nothing more than a toothpick.

Aunt Jackie didn’t raise no bitch.

“Back up,” I yelled with as much dominance as I could, turning the blade, so I was ready to stab them at a moment's notice.

I couldn’t even see them to guess what they were.

They growled loud enough to make my ears pop and my bangs to flap against my forehead. Spittle splattered across my face, but I didn’t dare change my stance to wipe it away.

I’d never been so happy to have an empty bladder.

Would anything I did even help? It hadn’t worked against the shadow.Eyes on the prize, Sasha.

“She’s mine.” The shadow spoke close enough to my ear that his cool breath tickled me.

His words confirmed the suspicions I’d had for a while. He’d claimed me as his mate.

I’d been denying it, because the truth was uncomfortable. I wasn’t anyone’s mate, and it was better that way. I’d rather he ripped my heart out of my chest and put it on his wife’s grave.

This didn’t mean anything good for me.

Still, a tiny piece of me squealed with joy that would ruin me.

His fingers that had been on my stomach moved lower to the edge of my jeans, dipping teasingly beneath the hem. My body clenched, and I suddenly felt unbearably empty. The gasp that tore from me would only encourage his attention further. But his hum of approval told me it was too late to pretend my body wasn’t singing with excitement that needed to skedaddle. Before I did something stupid.

One paw lifted off the grass as if to take another step forward, and I launched myself forward with more confidence than I felt. The adrenaline racing through my veins helped.

You’ve made it out of worse than this.

Before I could get one step closer, the strong hold on my stomach pulled me back against his chest. I felt like a dog who’s had its chain yanked.

My shadow on the ground morphed and bled into the darkness the forest was smothered in. His body finally left mine, and the stupid part of me missed him.

Unease twisted my stomach into knots as I waited on bated breath for something to happen.

Anything.

The growls turned to desperate whimpers that reminded me of a puppy that’s been corrected by a mama dog, and the grass crunched, outlining bodies on the ground. Like they lay down in submission. The size of the three outlines made my eyes go uncomfortably wide.

These things were bigger than anything I’d ever faced before.

I would have been dead with a snap of their jaws.

The shadow returned, plastering himself to me again. “You’re safe. No one can hurt you with me here.”

“Don’t ever stop me from doing my job again,” I snapped to hide the involuntary shiver running through me.

He chuckled with amusement. “Or what?”

My words were bluster and he knew it. My mind wasn’t on how easily he manhandled me or how he would be the death of me.

What was he?

What kind of entity could control those things?

Chapter 14:

Iarrivedbackatmy hotel room, just in time for the sunset. I peeled off my dirty clothes off onto the tile in front of the door, so I wouldn’t track the forest into the room. I checked my phone for any missed calls. Hoping Willow found something else, but all the missed calls were from William.