Page 124 of Evil Hearts

Staring down at this, she realized that it was showing concern!

“I…” she choked on her voice at first, having to clear her throat before starting again. “I’m fine. They didn’t hurt me.” She smiled as this seemed to set the two at ease.

She watched as the one in front of her began to transform. His expression tightened against the obvious pain as his body shifted and jerked, shrinking down like a deflating balloon as he did. The cat-like traits melted away; traits that made her think of a jaguar beginning to bleed back into human features. The narrow slits of its pupils rounded, but the intense green of the irises remained, matted hair falling over a smooth, pale brow as ferocious teeth sank away and left a gritting, pained sneer. Claws receded into twitching fingers, and the light-gold body faded into a more familiar pink torso. Finally, though she felt that certain traits still seemed more animal than man, the process was done, and one of the sexiest men she’d ever set eyes on stood before her.

The messy-yet-beautiful nest of brownish-blond hair hung past his shoulders, serving to frame the upper portion of his body. Though he’d shrunk quite a bit in the transformation, he was still easily six feet tall and sported more muscle than any person—mythos or human—she had ever seen. His green eyessettled on hers, and a light eyebrow quirked then, reminding her that she was staring and sending a flood of heat to her cheeks.

Gods! She was ogling him like a craved animal on a piece of meat!

“Doona fear us, lass” he flashed her a grin and offered a slight bow. “We came to save ye, an’ we wilna harm you. Ye have my word.”

Gods! His voice was rough and thick with a Scottish burr and Katarina felt her body shiver under the vibrations of every syllable. Realizing she was still being held by the other therion, she carefully pulled away. Feeling her slip from his grasp, he whimpered and tilted his head questioningly.

“I’m okay to walk on my own,” she smiled reassuringly.

He nodded once at that and looked at his comrade, snapping his jaws and letting out an angry bark at him. Katarina jumped at this, taking a step away from him and looking back at the other for some explanation.

Clearly unfazed by the display, he shrugged and flashed her a coy grin. “Doona fret, deary. My brother is just upset that I transformed in front of you,” he chuckled. “Ye’see, I left my plaid back at the cave and he’s worried about ye seeing me naked.” He shrugged, “But I was certain thatthat”—he nodded back towards his looming comrade; his brother, apparently—“was a scary enough sight a’ready.”

The other therion flashed him another angry look, but offered no more growls.

“O-oh, I see. Well, I appreciate his concern,” Katarina blushed. “But I’m an artist, you see, so I work with naked models all the time.”

“Och, lass. That could almost hurt. Comparing me to one of your subjects,” he smirked.

“W-well, I mean…” she felt her whole body go hot as the blush spread. “Don’t get me wrong, your body is definitely… umm, I mean, it’s…”

The man laughed and the other therion stepped forward, letting out a snarl and shoving him back. The naked man hit a nearby tree with enough force to crack its trunk, and though the impact looked painful the laughter didn’t stop rolling as he shook his head.

“Och! Fine! Have it yer way, bràthair!” he rolled his eyes, working to cover himself and turning back to Katarina. “My name’s Munro, and this is Lachlan.”

“Nice to meet you both, I’m Katarina,” she smiled. “And thank you… for saving me, I mean.”

“Doona mention it, Kat—do ye mind if I call you ‘Kat?’” Munro grinned at her.

This man was too much! If Lachlan looked anything like Munro, Katarina was probably going to faint. While she wasn’t prone to swooning around men, Munro’s body was like nothing she had ever seen. That and his charm, gorgeous eyes, and rumbling accent turned him into a vision of walking sex in its rawest form. And, like he’d pointed out, there was no comparing him to one of her models back at home. Though she’d seen and even depicted more penises than she could ever hope to count, not a single one could compare to Munro’s. She’d picked up on her fair share of rumors about therions and their size—Erik having mentioned that it was easily their only admirable trait, but going on to joke that one could have an easier time taming a wild horse for the same results—but had passed them all off as tall, or ratherlong, tales.

“Are you alright, Kat?” Munro asked, though his grin told her he’d caught her staring once again.

“Y-yea, I’m fine,” she shivered and bit her lip, realizing she still had quite a trip back to the village. With the adrenalinefrom her encounter with the vampires fading and the full-body blush subsiding, her body was suddenly painfully aware of the elements around her. Losing both her coatandshirt in the middle of November in Scotland was definitely hitting her hard. “I’m just a bit cold, I guess…”

“Why don’t ye come with us?” Munro offered. “Our cave is nearby and ye look nearly frozen!”

She shivered again, trying to decide if the situation seemed too good to be true, and rubbed her arms with her hands, only succeeding in spreading the chill from her palms across her forearms. Lachlan grunted behind her then, his massive arms wrapping around her and sweeping her off her feet—tucking her against his bestial chest as he carried her bridal-style—before she could say or do anything to protest.

“I’m okay! Honestly,” she could barely get through the statement before the therion’s warmth oozed through her body and drove her to succumb.

“Nonsense, lass, Lachlan’s more than happy to help ye, so go ahead an’ let ‘im,” Munro grinned and nodded to his brother. “I’ll go on ahead an’ get m’ plaid on.”

Lachlan nodded towards his brother, who sprinted off into the dark depths of the forest with them following behind at a leisurely-yet-modest pace. Katarina found herself admiring not only the strength these creatures possessed, but how that power, even in such a casual moment, refused to go unnoticed. Every step carried them farther than she believed possible, and she found herself realizing that they’d make any trip in a fraction of the time she could have on her own. Before long she spotted the partially illuminated a cave ahead, and, turning within Lachlan’s grasp to get a better view, saw that it was covered in animal skins. A short distance from the opening was a roaring fire pit that provided the site with its warmth and light.

Did the two live here? She frowned at the thought as she noticed a large animal skin—she was shocked to admit to herself that it looked like a bear’s hide—that had been hung at the mouth of the cave like a door.

Arriving at the entrance, Lachlan bent down to help her inside and, as she stepped deeper inside on a makeshift carpet of animal furs, she found the interior surprisingly warm. A moment later, Lachlan draped another fur over her exposed shoulders and ushered her further, where she spotted Munro, who had just finished tying a dark blue kilt around his waist before handing Lachlan a red one.

“Are ye hungry?” Munro asked as he turned to a dented pot that hung over a small, contained flame in the corner, giving the contents a stir from a metal ladle that hung beside it. “We have plenty of stew.”

“No thank you. I ate before I headed out,” she answered, not wanting to be any more of a burden. The intoxicating aroma, however, spoke for itself, and her empty stomach answered with a loud and demanding grumble.

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