Page 11 of Out of Peril

“He'll take us all, right Linds?” she asked for the thousand time.

I wrapped my arms around each of them. “We leave here together,” I assured her. “Be ready,” I whispered.

It was time for us to get the hell out of here. I had an uneasy feeling about this guy and this place. Dante's vision was no doubt making it worse. I'd lived on the run before with people hunting me, but there was more at stake now with the kids. They were innocents. I couldn't let anything bad happen to them. As soon as I saw my opening, we were out of here.

*****

The mysterious Walter Grimes and the skank by his side practically draped all over him didn't immediately come our way. In fact, they visited every other witch here before finally turning towards us.

For some reason, this really didn't sit well with my beast, who was far more agitated than I'd ever experienced her being before. Her emotions were almost as clear as my wolf's had once been. In some ways, it felt like I was feeling my wolf again even though I knew that wasn't possible. They'd killed her long ago.

Still, the beast didn't like that he was ignoring us and really didn't care for the woman on his arm. Every time the lady looked up and smiled at him, or laughed at something he said, a terrible feeling of jealousy rose up inside me. It was the most ridiculous thing ever.

Throughout the afternoon a few came by. I was asked to show my beast and I refused. The kids stayed clutched to my side, too worried about the strange man looking for me to care about the consequences of not performing today. No doubt we were going to get an earful about it later.

“For someone who's supposedly looking for me, he's not very good about it, is he?” I muttered.

It was beyond ridiculous, but I felt offended by his lack of interest.

After hours and hours of stressing about it, he was suddenly there standing before me with absolutely no sign of recognition. My beast considered this a personal affront for some reason that I couldn't understand. But the more he ignored me, the worse it got until I was ready to roar with frustration.

Dante's visions were never wrong.

“How are you doing, Nate?”

“Good, boss. I have a good feeling about the man in the purple suit. He seems very interested.”

“And you're sure about this?” Walter whispered to him as his eyes shifted around to ensure no one heard him.

“I'm sure.”

I feigned zero interest in this conversation, but while wolf shifters in general had excellent hearing, mine had been genetically modified with a bat. I heard everything.

The man in the purple suit came over and there was an exchange between the men that I tuned out as they discussed the sale and purchase of Nate.

I knew the exact moment Walter finally looked my way. His forehead wrinkled in frustration as he stared at me and then the kids.

“A mother and her two pups?” he asked. “Are they to be sold together?”

“Something like that,” one of my keepers said.

“Are they all witches?” the bitch with him asked.

“Yes.”

I was no witch. Not really. But I kept my mouth shut, trying to sort out the strange feelings rolling through me at the sound of his voice.

He removed his sunglasses and stared at me curiously through bright blue eyes. A smile lit his face, causing his dimples to pop, and I had the oddest desire to lick them.

That's when I heard it. Barely a whisper from the darkest recesses of my mind.

Mine.

I gasped and stepped back, pulling the children to me like a shield.

That wasn't possible. I had to have just imagined it.

A roar burst from me causing everyone to take a step back.

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