Page 29 of Held By a Monster

I inhaled and nodded again, still unable to form words.

He turned and left, his tail quivering at the tip in agitation.

He wasn’t leaving me. He was going to wait. He’d meet me at the edge of the forest. I repeated the plan in my head until I packed a small bag with a few changes of clothes and toiletries. I wore my lightweight hiking boots. I wasn’t a hiker, but I aspired to be one year. They had excellent traction, according to the person who sold them to me.

I wanted excellent traction if I needed to run.

I shook the thought from my head. I wouldn’t need to run. Drym waited for me just inside the tree line.

I perched on the edge of the couch, staring out the window. The sky lightened through several shades of purple, red, and orange before finally settling into an overcast blue. I dialed my boss, told her I needed to take another couple of days off and she was sympathetic.

The last task taken care of, I guessed I had to pull up my big girl panties and get going. The sun wasn’t going to help anymore today.

My head hunched into my shoulders, I speed walked across the parking lot. I almost made myself dizzy, darting my eyesback and forth, searching for threats. Twenty feet, nineteen. seventeen feet, then fifteen feet left between me and the tree line.

A shadow moved in the forest. Drym, swaying so my eyes could pick him out. Letting me know he was there.

Blood pounded in my ears, drowning out the sound of car doors opening behind me. Drym’s eyes flashed red in the gloom and I heard him growl, “Run.”

I didn’t hesitate. I took off like a rocket, aimed at where he stood. Adrenaline made me faster than I’d ever been, but the pounding feet on the asphalt behind me seemed to get closer every second.

I reached Drym’s arms and they folded around me, giving me a quick squeeze before he pushed me gently behind him. He looked over his shoulder at me. “Close your eyes, little one. Don’t look. Don’t move.”

I knew he would never hurt me. I was certain he would make good on his promise to rip apart anyone who tried to take me from him. I closed my eyes.

The shift of air was the only indicator I had that he moved. I stood stock still. I heard the crunch of feet falling into the fallen leaves from last autumn, then a sliding noise and a scream cut impossibly short.

“What the fuck?”

I recognized that voice. That was one of the men who snatched me from the street. I squeezed my eyes shut and countered the impulse to open them. I held my bag to my chest, the strap cutting across my back.

Running footsteps from my left. “Bill! I found her!”

“No names, you fucking idiot!”

Now I knew his name was Bill. Fat lot of good that would do me. Why couldn’t it be Moonbeam or something else unique?

Two sets of shuffling feet got closer. I kept my eyes shut tight, and other than uncontrolled trembling, planted my feet. The urge to run increased the closer the noises of the two men came, but I held my ground.

A small click proceeded a gurgle followed quickly by Bill saying, “Holy shiii—!”

The word cut off abruptly. A low howl pierced the silence. It was like the entire forest stopped to listen. The sound tapered off and Drym’s voice, strong and soft, immediately followed.

“I want you to turn and face the opposite way.”

My eyes fluttered.

“No, keep your eyes closed.”

I nodded to let him know I understood and turned. Something from deep in the forest ran toward me. Somethingbig and fast pushed through the underbrush. Every muscle in my body locked until I felt Drym’s heat at my lower back.

“Quin is coming.”

My head whipped to the side, but I kept my eyes closed. “Why?” I felt panic bubble in my chest. Why would Drym give me to Quin? Why wouldn’t he take me himself?

“To carry the one I left alive.”

“The other two?”

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