Page 32 of A Bear's Protection

“WHO GAVE YOU THAT?” he shouted.

The kid’s eyes went wide as saucers, and he didn’t answer.

“I SAID—” Ash roared, grabbing the front of the kid’s shirt and lifting him off the ground, “—WHO. GAVE YOU. THAT ENVELOPE?”

“It was just some guy,” gasped the kid, kicking his legs, trying to tear Ash’s hand away from him.

“What guy?”

“I didn’t know him, he gave me ten bucks to deliver the envelope!”

Ash growled.

“What was he wearing?”

“A gray shirt? I think?”

“What did he look like?”

“I don’t know!”

Ash lowered the kid to the ground but didn’t let him go. Instead he got his face close, letting the rage and menace pour off of him.

“What,” Ash said, enunciating every syllable very slowly, “Did. He. Look. Like?”

The kid swallowed. “I don’t know,” he said. “He had brown hair, and he looked clean, sort of? No beard. Human, so not that tall. He seemed nice enough, I guess?”

“When?” Ash demanded.

“Ten minutes ago? He said give it to her when she got done dancing.”

Ash snorted and let the kid go.

He didn’t know what was happening, but he knew that something had terrified Cora.

HisCora.

And like hell that was going to happen on his watch.

---