Page 34 of Pack Kasen: Part 1

When my plate is clear, I gulp down the rest of my beer and wonder what happened to my relaxation from my run.

Marisa starts talking about what she got up to today. All the while, I’m thinking about the fact I haven’t given the feral any water in days. What if it dies?

Why do I care if the feral dies?

A feral literally ripped my world apart, took the people I love most away from me, and I’m giving a shit whether this one has had any water. I should be drowning her in water, not wanting to ease her thirst.

It, I remind myself, the feral is an it.Nota her.

“Aren?”

I blink to refocus.

Marisa is frowning at me across the table.

“Yeah?”

She gives me a searching look, then places her glass of red wine down and rises. “You look so stressed. You need to relax.”

She pours herself into my lap, loops her arms around my shoulder and kisses my throat.

I lean back. “What are you doing?”

“Relaxing you,” she says, leaning forward to kiss me again.

I grasp her by both arms and hold her away from me, preventing her from giving me more of the neck kisses that make me want to dump her off my lap and run. “That’s not necessary.”

She smiles teasingly. “Ah, I know what you want.”

When she gets up, I breathe a sigh of relief until she drops to her knees and reaches between my legs.

I shoot to my feet, grip her by both arms, and pull her up. “You know what? I’m tired tonight. Thanks for dinner.” I walk her quickly to my door, open it, and gently nudge her outside. “Goodnight.”

She gives me a suspicious look. “You’ve been behaving strangely since the feral arrived. You aren’t…” Her voice trails off and her green eyes sharpen.

“Aren’t what?” I ask.

She shakes her head and smiles as she retreats a step. “Nothing. Just thinking out loud. Goodnight.”

I close the door and lean against it. My wolf is pleased. I’m confused as I scrub a hand over my face on my way to the bathroom to wash the scent of her off my skin.

Marisa has no clue how close she came to dying tonight and I have no clue what is sparking this violence in me.

Why now, after months of fucking Marisa, am I ready to kill her for touching me?

11

KAT

I’m lying on the cage floor when a door opens, letting in a small waft of cool air that makes me shiver slightly.

The scent of sharp orange and wild jasmine tickles my nose.

When I force my eyelids apart, no one is there, but I get the sense someone was there, stood just outside my cage, watching me.

It puts me on edge, and I don’t know why.

Hours later, I’ve pushed myself into an upright position. After what happened the last time I touched the bars of my cage, I have no intention of going near them. I did, at least, shake off the sick, jittery weakness I had before.

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