Page 76 of Kat Bethel

More thumps as bodies hit the ground. I pressed my hands to my mouth to smother my whimpers.

I should surrender to save the town. I did this. It was my job to nut up and settle it.

I’d slain countless monsters, dedicated myself to the war ground my ancestors cultivated by hand.

But him…

He had me ready to piss my pants, abandon my pride, and run in the other direction. So that I never had to face the consequences of what I’d done to us.

Could he ever forgive me? He knew now that I wasn’t his perfect dandelion.

I never was.

Part of me wished he was still trapped in that illusion. The thought that he knew that I wasn’t someone worthy of his worship hurt more than I cared to admit.

No. I couldn’t face him now.

Run. That was the only option.

No matter how much, I wanted him to lie to me and make me feel precious again.

“What the fuck is that?!” someone shrieked behind me, deeper in the store. Only for glass to shatter and snarls to launch through the air.

Air whipped past me, and I heard something tackled onto the tile floor with a crash when a shelf fell as well.

“Help!” the person screamed.

I’m sorry.

I scrambled back onto my feet, feeling my way back to the door, walking through the shattered glass. The air pressure dropped and an icy chill creeped down my spine. My breathing stuttered, I could swear he was right on top of me.

“I can feel you.” His voice echoed through the air, but I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. Everywhere if I had to guess. “Come back to me and I’ll stop.”

The sound of running footsteps met my ears, but a loud squelch of blood and meat stopped them in their tracks.

Shit.

My fingers glued themselves to the sticky, blood-coated wall, and followed the building that I knew would lead to the main road out of town. I had to get out of here.

My foot knocked into something, sending rubble skittering across the ground loudly. I winced and froze, waiting for him to respond.

When I was relatively sure he hadn’t heard me, I used my foot to feel along the barrier I’d walked into. It was roughly human shaped and not moving.

I reached down, feeling for a pulse to be met with nothing. Which was stupid, even if they were alive, I wouldn’t be able to help them.

That was a kick to the lady nuts.

Keep going.

Get out of town.

Regroup.

Find a solution.

The solution was right here.

“I didn’t take you for a coward.” He chuckled as if he could hear my thoughts. More like he was baiting me.