Page 54 of Red's Beast

As she turns to walk to the table, I notice all of her wounds are closed, leaving her skin red and angry looking. I drop the cloth into the sink as I try to figure out how she has healed this quickly.

She grabs her clothes and cane to head into her room.

Part of me realizes that I might have been played by my own grandmother. I was certain she was at death’s door, but now sheis moving like nothing is wrong. Could her healing really be that quick?

To make matters worse, I’m completely confused by her words. She has emphasized that it’s my choice. I know mating with Corbin will save the pack and hopefully I’ll gain the pack’s respect.

Well, it’s more like their fear.

But if I’m meant to be with another, how will that save everyone?

What will mating with the beast gain me besides heartache and death?

I sit down on the floor next to the cabinets. My thoughts are a wreck as I try to figure out what I’m supposed to do.

A few minutes pass before grandmother returns to the kitchen, looking like she always does. “Are you just going to sit on the floor all evening? Come on, now. Let us fix food and rest.”

The rest of the night is quiet and as we part ways to sleep, I’m even worse than earlier.

But it doesn’t stop sleep coming for me.

The next thing I know, morning has arrived and the sun’s rays are streaming through the window as a rough knock on the doorstartles me. I rise from the couch and move to the door as I rub my aching back.

When I open it, Corbin is standing on the other side and brushes past me quickly to get inside.

“Good grief, what took you so long? Can’t you answer the door faster than that?”

I rub the sleep from my eyes and yawn. "Why?"

Corbin looks appalled as his jaw drops open. "Do you want me to be eaten by the beast?"

My brow raises involuntarily, amused by the idea of the beast consuming him whole. "Well, if you're asking for my honesty, I'll gladly oblige, but I don’t think you want that.”

He gives me a look that says to drop it before he makes me pay for those words. Then a slight smile appears. "I came to gather you for our date."

“A date? Well, I didn’t know that we were going on one.” I look down at my clothes and realize I only threw whatever I had on last night after dinner, not caring how it looked. I don’t know if I even got all the blood off, either. “Grandmother will need me first, then I’ll go home and get changed.”

He huffs. “You didn’t come for dinner last night, and I forgave you. So, you better make sure you don’t miss this. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” I whisper as I realize I completely skipped dinner last night.

I had focused on grandmother and then when she mentioned food; we ate and washed up. That was it for us.

Slowly, I turn and head to grandmother’s room to check on her. She’s still sleeping soundly. I move to her bedside and make sure the wounds are better before turning away.

She reaches out and grabs my hand. “Where are you going?”

“Corbin is here. I forgot that I was supposed to show up for dinner last night, so I can’t miss this. Will you be okay for a little while?”

She nods and closes her eyes again. “Yes, I’ll be fine, dear. Just don’t forget to kick him hard if he does anything stupid. Better yet, use your wolf and sink your teeth into him. That will make him stop.”

The thought of shifting again is scary and I need to talk to her about it before I do it again, but that will have to wait.

I chuckle under my breath as I slip away and walk into the living room. Corbin is waiting by the door and I pass him without thinking twice about it.

As I saunter outside, I hear Corbin shut the door behind us, but my gaze is locked on the woods. I’m completely unbothered by the beast in the woods now that I know there is more to this than I originally thought. He may scare everyone else, but the fact he sent Nigel’s head flying toward me brings a smile to my face.

The beast will never harm me.

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