Page 31 of Wolf Hunter

Tasha

How do I get myself into these messes?Easily.

I possess the singular ability to step in shit no matter where I walk. Sometimes it feels likethatis my superpower rather than blending into the background. And since the latter no longer works, time to focus on fixing the former.

Pushing off the wall with my jaw set, I head out down the hall with no fucking clue where to find the exit. I spin and kick at a shadow on the wall because I thought I saw something.

I’m on edge. Putting it mildly.

I have about two point eight seconds before Reid comes out of the room to rain hell down on me for the dick kick. Kicks, plural. And guaranteed he will. No more pushing his buttons to get the better of him. He’ll be on to me now, and if he catches me: agony.

I urge my legs to carry me faster but stop deader than an opossum in the road at the heavy silence in the hallway. The feeling of something beingwrongslams between my shoulder blades with enough force to have my ears ringing, and I stumble forward, using the wall to catch myself.

What the hell is going on, and how do I get out of here?

Acid coats the top of my tongue with a bitterness I don’t often taste, and the tiny hairs on the back of my arms stand to attention. There’s something bad in this house. Something with its focus solely on me. Adrenaline courses, and I go straight into freeze mode.

I place a hand on my stomach to settle it and stand for a moment. Holding back. Listening, though the silence feels complete. The scurry of feet echoes near the ceiling from further along the hallway, and I glance in the direction.

There’s something weird about this house. Does it have anything to do with the girls and what happened to Carmen?

I open my mouth to call out her name on the off chance she’s here and alive, but something crashes into my back. It sends me to the floor hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs. Gasping, I try to whirl around and free myself. Rather, I get two beefy hands holding my wrists down on either side of me, hard, with bone-breaking strength. The weight of muscle and man smashes my body against the floor, and a growl sounds directly next to my ear.

Panic sweeps through me. Not because of his size. I’m small but athletic in this form; nothing compared to him. But because if I’m crushed beneath him, then whatever it is I sense in the hallway has a direct shot at me.

One I cannot allow.

“You seriously think I’m going to let you walk out of here?” Reid grinds out. He squeezes my wrists harder in a reminder that he has me at his mercy.

I gape beneath him and try to tell him to let me go so we can both get away from whatever presence I sense.

The words fail to form.

He releases me only long enough to flip me over onto my back, with his legs on either side of my hips. His crotch bears down onto me in a not altogether unpleasant sensation. It might be more pleasant if I could breathe.

“I let you push the boundaries already,” he barks. “I knew you were going to try something stupid, but I didn’t think… Yeah. Right. I didn’t think.”

Reid loosens his hold to allow me to draw in an unhindered breath. Then two. Holy shit, that feels good.

“I’m not the one who moved in for a smooch, lover boy,” I snap the moment the power of speech returns to me.

His eyes darken and I imagine, for half a second, he might angry kiss me again.Pretty please?Ugh, the part of me that wants it is clearly a hussy.

I’ll enjoy it, no doubt, but not enough to jeopardize my safety because of a second try.

We have to go…

“I was trying to come to my senses and talk to you like a rational human being,” he parries angrily. “Until you used me to trick the magic. You’re an asshole, Tash.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Did you just call me an asshole?”

The sensation of being watched flickers a reminder across my skin, and I strain to determine the source. Hard to think of anything, though, with Reid’s massive body currently grinding against me, but I have to try.

He notices my distraction, of course. The man notices everything. “What are you—”

I shush him, craning around to see behind me and failing miserably.

Reid tenses. “Youshushedme. I’d say that makes up for me calling you names. And I don’t hear anything.”

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