Page 31 of Brutal Mate

“Thank you,” Miley said, and she was surprised when Grandma pulled her into a tight embrace again.

“I'm so glad you came to see me,” Grandma said, and there were tears in her eyes as she pulled back. “I never thought I’d get the chance to meet you.”

Miley's throat constricted. She tried to speak, but Grandma beat her to it, wiping away her tears. “Oh, look at me. I'm an old fool.”

“No, you're not,” Miley said, wiping away her own.

The two women looked at each other in silence for a minute more before Grandma slipped from the room and clicked the door closed behind her.

Feeling deflated after all she had been through, Miley collapsed onto the bed.

The itching in her arm was growing worse, and as she attempted to rest, it made it impossible. Gritting her teeth, she yanked off her hoodie and unraveled the bandage.

Fear gripped her as she imagined what she might find. Maybe it was infected. That was why wounds itched, wasn't it? She wasn't sure.

She squealed like a little mouse, shocked beyond belief when she looked down at her forearm to see nothing but smooth, unmarred skin.

“Fuck!” she hissed through gritted teeth. How was that even possible?

Only two days ago, the wound had been bleeding. It had been deep, the edges jagged, and just as Lauren had said, it had looked exactly like an animal bite.

Again, she had a flashback of the wolf biting her. The pain had been agony. The smell of blood had been metallic in her nostrils. The panic had turned to hysteria, but she hadn't imagined it. She knew that much.

Maybe she was imagining this.

She poked her arm, expecting pain, imagining the wound suddenly appearing again and her fingers coming away bloody.

“Fuck!” she growled again. This time she jumped at the sound of her own voice. It had actually sounded like a growl.

The scraping at the bedroom door alerted her to Moses. His whimpering was loud. Instinctively, Miley growled back.

What the fuck is wrong with me? Panic flared in her stomach. She had read too many books to be under any illusions.

Bitten by a wolf. The wound healed in a matter of days. Growling like an animal. She knew all too well what was happening.

No, no! You’re just tired and hungry, she told herself firmly. There was no way in hell she could be turning into a…

She couldn't even bring herself to think it.

Chapter 13 - Kane

It had been a while since Kane had found the chance to take his Harley Davidson, Quinn, out for a good long ride. He only wished that it was under better circumstances. Being practically ordered to go on a search and retrieve mission for his bride-to-be wasn't exactly his idea of a good road trip.

But the weather was fine, the roads were long, and it felt good to be alone for a little while.

Stopping at a gas station and a roadside diner along the way, Kane questioned those he could about Miley. To his surprise, nearly every person he asked said they had seen her passing through.

She isn't much of a runaway, he thought. If she wanted to disappear, she was doing a pretty shitty job of it. But then again, a woman that beautiful would find it difficult to blend in, especially with that shock of vibrant red hair.

Paying the waitress for the takeaway coffee he had ordered at the diner, he asked her, “Did she give any idea as to where she might be headed, Cindy?”

Blowing a bubblegum bubble, Cindy shrugged and said, “She said something about visiting some family member.”

Kane's chest swelled. Maybe her parents hadn’t been wrong.

“Thanks, Cindy, keep the change,” Kane asked, hoping to be well on his way. He didn’t want to run the risk of missing Miley entirely. For all he knew, she only planned to stay a night at her grandma's while passing through. Who knew where she might end up after that?

He could only hope he wasn't already too late.

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