Page 46 of Red's Beast

It’s like he wants to mourn, but he also realizes what this means for him.

Corbin looks between me and the body of his father. "What have you done?"

"I didn't do this."

"She's a witch!" Samson screams out for all who can hear him.

Corbin looks at him and shakes his head. "She isn't a witch, that much I can confirm, but I know what she'll be doing from now on. Never fear, for I will ensure she's taken care of."

"Surely, you don't plan to mate with this woman." Asella has finally come to and is looking at Corbin in disgust. "She is not a worthy mate. She will only lead this pack to ruin.”

"I will do as my father wanted. I will break her in every way and make her a suitable mate. Our ceremony will still go on as planned.”

He must lace his words with his newfound alpha command because they all bow and reply in unison, "Yes, Alpha."

Corbin comes down the steps slowly with a calculative look on his face and doesn't stop until he's right in front of me. He shoves his fingers under my chin roughly and forces me to meet his gaze. As he bends down towards me, his lips brush against my ear, and he whispers softly, "With you by my side, we'll be unstoppable with your connection to that beast."

"I don’t know what you’re talking about. There is nothing there,” I lie.

This only makes him laugh. With a wide grin on his face, he keeps his face close to mine. "I suspected, but this proves it. Hello, solid white wolf.”

I jerk away as if I’ve been scalded and stare at him with a new light. A solid white wolf hasn’t been seen in two hundred years, though white runs in my family. “What?”

His gaze shifts to his father’s lifeless body near the woods. He takes one step forward to block me from view. “Do you hear that beast? If you want her to live, then you’ll behave yourself like the good little forest monster you are. If anything happens to me, then she will meet a worse fate than you can imagine.”

Beast

Killing Nigel is the highlight of my day. I have watched him for years and all he has done is keep his pack in chains. It’s time for the alpha to be replaced, though his son is not what I had in mind.

I watch from the woods to judge their reactions and most are not taking his demise well. Corbin, who I figured might be a little distraught, is far from it.

Instead, he is yelling careless threats at me, which causes my rage to boil over. One day, my teeth will sink into his throat and I will rip his head from his shoulders, just as I did to his father.

I glance at Nigel’s head resting near Lily’s feet. I hope she loves my gift and understands that there is nothing I won’t do for her. She needs to see my raw power and know that I’m worthy of her.

That and I have been waiting for her to be here for so long. The white wolf is the key to breaking my curse and the last one who was here was Emily, two hundred years ago.

"Do you hear that beast?" He shouts again. “Show me that you can hear me.”

His father’s blood drips from my jaws onto the ground. It’s a sour taste I don’t like, but it will take a bit to get rid of.

Lily rolls her eyes and looks toward the woods longingly. Oh, how I wish I could come to her side and tear that man to shreds, but alas, it's not time yet.

"Corbin, will you stop? He doesn't answer me." Lily sighs as she yanks her arms free. "I'm not a witch and he doesn't answer me."

I take a step back, appalled at how disgruntled she's acting. Of course, I answer to her. However, I can only do so much because of this curse. How could she not know?

Corbin grabs her arm again, and a snarl escapes my lips. How dare he touch what is mine.

Lily seems to notice my raging emotions and turns to look at me. I'm well hidden, though, and she looks so disappointed. I hear her silent plea to save her from this mess.

Suddenly, her Grandmother comes down the path with her cane in hand. She looks on both sides of the path, which I assume is because of me, but she doesn't look too concerned.

"You better be good, beasty, or I'll whack you with my cane," she mutters, her voice mostly a whisper. “Try to remember whose side of the bread you are buttered on.”

I try to stifle a laugh, but it comes out as a short bark. She stops and stares in my direction before walking again.

Though she denies my existence to Lily, she knows exactly what and who I am since she carries the other part of this curse, the one Natalia cast to keep me from gaining my freedom. Until now.

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