Page 85 of Red's Beast

"Why do you want him to punish him so badly? What happened between you two was years ago. Can you not let it go?" One tendril slowly attaches itself to my right ankle and I gasp.

Grandmother comes over and kicks some of the burning remnants toward my leg, which dissolves the tendrils. Natalia looks up, completely irritated. "You know you are annoying."

"Good. That's what I was going for." With one quick shove, she pushes me behind her. "Lillian, I need you to do something for me."

"What, Grandmother?" I place my hand on her back, waiting for her instructions.

“He needs you. I can’t say how, but he needs you. We only have until sunrise.”

I look to the side, where he is being cornered with dark magic swirling around him.

"Isn't this touching? How sweet. You'll never make it." She smiles at me wickedly right as I dart to the right to head straight for him.

“Run, Lillian. Run!” Grandmother yells as she shifts into her wolf.

I hate to leave her, but the only way for us to make it is if the beast takes me as his mate. I’m not sure what else he requires, but this is the start.

“Run!” She yells again as she lands on all fours and launches herself toward Natalia.

I can hear her cackle as Grandmother squeals. Turning, I see her fly a few feet in the air before landing on the ground with a loud thud.

"No, Grandmother!" I reach out and before I can head toward her, she is already getting up off the ground.

Go to him!

"Yes, little Lillian, run. Run while you can. You will still be with Corbin by morning.”

Beast. I need to get to the beast.

I run toward him, but shadows surround me, blocking him from view. As I continue to walk through them, I feel like I’m lost,even though I’m in the middle of the village. It’s darker than the darkest, moonless nights.

Then I hear grandmother howl, but as I turn, I can’t find her either.”

"Grandmother needs me."

Suddenly, the shadows clear between us and I find her laying on the ground ten feet away with several bloody wounds. Instead of heading toward the beast, I turn to save her.

I allow my wolf to break free and shift, ripping through the dress and shrugging out of it and the cloak.

"Now, now, little red, we can't have you interrupting our battle. It wouldn't be fair to have two against one."

Who says she's playing fair?

I charge toward her, but one long tendril bats me away. Landing a few feet away, I try repeatedly to get to her as her cackles fill my ears. "Determined little thing, aren't you? I see why the beast fell for you. Pretty little white wolf. Such a shame."

With a snarl, I try to bite the black smoke of a tendril, but my teeth go straight through it. How do you fight something that can touch you, but you can't touch it? After a moment, I realize the only way for this to end is for the witch to die.

That has to be the other condition.

Natalia glances at us both, and suddenly smiles. "Oh, what a pleasure it is to see two white wolves again, though one of you seems to have a mark. I should have ended your line when I had the chance."

I cut my eyes toward my Grandmother, and our gazes meet. She is growing weaker and can't last much longer like this without healing. I do the one thing I know I can that will give her the chance to end Natalia.

Before she can stop me, I rush forward through the curling tendrils, dodging each time they get near me, so I can get close to her. The witch laughs as she watches me struggle to get through them, but her eyes widen when I finally collide with her.

I land on top of her, but she's quick, and she throws me a few feet away. With her attention fully on me as she stands, Grandmother sneaks up behind her and lands on her back. The force of her attack causes Natalia to face plant into the ground. Her tendrils swirl wildly as they try to wrap around Grandmother to get her off.

As I watch her hands, I realize the tendrils only move as she moves them, so I rush forward and bite down on her wrist as Grandmother rakes her claws down her back. Natalia screams and only gets louder as Grandmother comes around to bite down on her other wrist.

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