Page 90 of Pack Kasen: Part 1

The dream that utterly wrecked me in the best, most perfect way.

Her giving up a chance to escape to save Leo.

And last, but most obvious…

How I could never bring myself to kill her when killing ferals never bothered me before.

A bitten human cannot be a shifter’s fated mate. They are created not born and only a born shifter has a mate.

Kat is not a feral like I thought.

Which means…

30

KAT

The deer isn’t turning.

I focus on its brown eyes, wide with fear, instead of the antlers that will skewer me if I don’t win this game of chicken.

The wolf harries the deer, snapping at the deer’s hind legs and nearly getting trampled. But the deer doesn’t care. It’s terrified and running for its life.

The distance closes between us.

Five feet.

Four.

That’s okay,I tell myself.There are worse ways to go than saving a boy’s life.

Three feet.

Two.

One.

Its nostrils flare as if it finally scents me.

The deer sharply swings away, nearly running over the wolf behind, as it thunders toward the forest.

I skid to a stop, my heart racing.

The wolf, who was chasing after the deer, and who had startled it so badly, does likewise.

We study each other for a beat, then I swing back to Leo, who has dropped his lion, and who is still staring at me.

Even across the distance between us, I can feel his fear.

He must have been terrified.

Behind him, near the line of trees where I slammed on the brakes to rush after Leo, people gather. I don’t know who they are, but I hope they’ll stay back, giving me a chance to check on Leo and get away from here before I’m thrown back in a cage.

I could go now, but I need to make sure he’s okay or I will never forgive myself.

Returning to my human form is slow, and I’m weak as I rise to my feet. Shaking off my unsteadiness, I approach Leo and sink into a crouch in front of him.

He doesn’t move. Just continues to stare at me with large blue eyes as his chest rises and falls. His heart is pounding so hard it’s making me wonder if there’s something else I should be doing to reassure him.

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