Page 15 of Rebel Fates

What does he see when he looks at me?Lunch?

But when I look at him, I realize he’s smiling. Beautiful, expressive golden eyes stare down at me.

He’s covered in short fur over his face and down around his shoulders and the top of his chest. His ears are higher than a human’s and are bull-like—rounded and furry. Massive horns rise from his head. His bare skin on his snout and hands has a tint of gold. He’s shirtless, and from what I can see, the rest of his anatomy appears human-like, from the neck down to his waistline. And he’s freaking huge—everywhere—if the bulge in his pants is any indication.

He reaches up to touch my face.

I flinch.

He pulls back at my fear. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“I’m not…” I argue, but then I realize Iamafraid. “What are you going to do to me?”

“I was going to move this lock of hair from your face,” he explains.

Oh, boy. Not catching my meaning. “I meant, in general. Are you going to let me go? Hurt me? Sell me? Eat me?”

He looks up at the male who I haven’t seen yet and then glances back down at me. “We can’t release you, not yet.”

“Why not?”

“Our leader needs to make the decision concerning your fate.”

“Are you going to—” I start to ask, but he strokes his hand down my arm, and if I could lean into his touch, I would.

I feel the comfort he’s trying to give me.

What’s wrong with me?

He smiles like he has just performed a magic trick by calming me. And it feels like he has. My skin still tingles where his skin touched mine.

I never really understood the monster or furry fetish, but now I’m sort of seeing the appeal. This guy, male, man-imal, is attractive despite his looks being strange to my human eyes. Even so, I don’t know what they intend to do. And I wouldn’t want attractivehumanmen to hold me against my will, let alone attractive aliens.

I try to move again, but I quickly remember I can’t.

The panic wells up in me, and I might scream. “Are you going to keep me pinned down like this?”

He makes a purring sound, and my core heats. Ugh, that can’t be good. I feel another blush coming on.

“Might be an option,” he says with a grin, “If you like it like that.”

“Leave her alone,” the first male, Grumpy, says from across the room.

Suddenly, the unconscious body next to me wakes up, leaps, and pounces on top of me. His hand grabs my neck. He growls low. Intense, green feline eyes glare at me, daring me to fight him.

I couldn’t, even if I wanted to.

But I want to fight—need to fight—because he’s cutting off my air supply.

The feline’s naked body is pinning me to the exam table as if I’m not already immobilized, though I suppose he probably doesn’t know that since he seems to have been unconscious this whole time.

I gasp in shallow breaths, hoping the minotaur will help me.

The lion-man’s legs bracket mine down. His other hand holds my upper arm. My skin vibrates at the points of contact.

His snarl makes him look even more like a lion. A wild mane of blond hair only adds to his ferocious appearance.

As I stare into his eyes, Iknowhe’s a killer. I will probably die at this moment.

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