Page 24 of Red's Beast

Before I can ask him to wait, I hear Corbin’s footsteps coming closer.

“Oh, thank the stars I have found you. You could have been dead by now.” Corbin comes out of the bushes behind me and I’m just waiting for the beast to lunge at him.

Preferably ripping his head off, but I’ll never get that lucky.

Oddly, he never says a word.

“Corbin, what are you doing here? There is a monster in the woods. You could have died.”

“I came to rescue you. Are you insane, Lillian? Come with me. We have to go now before the monster changes his mind.”

He grabs my hand and drags me with him toward the village.

“Corbin, wait,” I say as I try to break free of his grasp.

“Lillian, there is no time to spare. That monster will get us both and you’ve already been in here for far too long. You are lucky to be alive, and so am I.”

His grip tightens on my hand as I continue to struggle to get free.

"I can walk, Corbin."

“You’re not going fast enough, Lillian. If you don’t move quicker, then I will throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of these woods,” he says without looking back.

"You wouldn't dare."

After another moment of struggle, he turns and snatches me off the ground. The last thing I see before landing over his shoulder is the smirk on his lips.

His arm pins the back of my thighs to his chest as he starts running toward the village.

“Put me down this instant!”

I continue shouting at him to put me down the entire way to the village. As soon as we break through the trees, I hear cheers from the pack.

“Oh great. Spectators.”

I hang my head even lower and bury my face in his back. This is not how I thought it would go.

Nigel’s voice is the first distinct one I hear. “Oh, my strong son. You have rescued her from the beast and made it without a scratch.”

Rescued is not the word I’d use. More like kidnapping me and keeping me from getting the answers I so desperately seek.

And now I know if he was going to kill me, he already would have. He had a perfect opportunity while I was alone and didn’t. So, now I know where I’m going later to find some things out.

My wolf purrs in response to seeing him again, but that causes Corbin to chuckle.

He must think it's about him.

“She’s so happy to be saved that I think she wants to thank her rescuer.”

That was not for you, idiot.My wolf rises to the surface to voice her own opinion.

“You’re welcome, sweet cheeks.”

His hand slaps against my backside, which makes me jerk my head upright as I reach around to claw his face. Instead of being successful, he drops me to the ground and takes a step back, away from me.

“I’d also like to announce that Lillian will become my mate on the next full moon.”

My hand becomes frozen in the air as I hear his words. “Your what?”

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