Page 10 of Bitten

Afraid he’d be too weak and selfish… and force Ralnur to become the evil he hunted.

Kane closed his eyes, at war within.

Death would bring peace…

But not for Kane.

* * * *

A couple days later…

Caelian raced down the fire escape, trying to put as much distance between him and the King’s Guardsman as possible. If they knew what he did, they’d roast him until he talked… and if he talked… his ass was grass. Casting a quick look over his shoulder, he saw the big shifter trying to wedge his huge body through the small window Caelian had escaped.

He chuckled, realizing he’d be long gone before the shifter even got out.

Caelian leapt from the last rung, both feet hitting the solid pavement. As soon as he spun, he slammed into a huge chest. Arms of steel wrapped around him—arms connected to an even bigger shifter who stared down at him from a spot so high, he blotted out the damned sun.

“You wouldn’t be with him, would ya?” Caelian pointed up toward the window and noticed the King’s Guardsman not there. Likely given up on the window.

“I would,” the shifter said. “And it looks like you’re trying to get away.”

“I was. Didn’t do such a fine job of it, did I?”

The shifter chuckled, though he attempted to hide it.

“Anything I could say to make you let me go?” Caelian asked.

“No.”

He sighed. “Figured you’d say that.” Caelian only had one option left. He went for the balls, bringing his knee up.

The shifter twisted, deflecting the blow, and growled.

Loudly. As he lifted Caelian off the ground.

Dangling by two meaty fists, Caelian smiled. “Had to try.”

Just then, the shifter from upstairs arrived.

“What took you so long?” Big and meaty asked.

The King’s Guardsman sighed and let out a chuckle.

Caelian glanced between them, fear hitting him. “The bags weren’t mine. I promise! I was just… dropping them off for someone.”

The two shifters looked at one another before the smaller one eyed him. “Not yours, hmm? Why not tell us your side of the story and we’ll decide if we believe you or not.” The guardsman walked closer. “Let’s get you down to the station.”

Stay strong. Stay strong. Don’t give anything away. “Come on, man. I’m not a bad person. I swear. I owed someone some money, and I had to make the drop off. I don’t even do that blooddust shit.”

Damn it, damn it, damn it… I didn’t mean to say that. Blooddust was nasty stuff. Fairy dust mixed with demon’s blood. It was the crack of the immortal world. It could get him a decade or two in prison, and he wasn’t ready to go down that road.

The smaller shifter lifted his chin and glared down at Caelian. “Who’d you get it from?”

Oh, balls. I’ve gone and done it now. Tread carefully. “I don’t know for sure. I was just told to pick it up at point A and take it to point B and my debt would be gone. The bags were where they were supposed to be. I never saw anyone at either spot.”

“Who told you where to be?”

Caelian shook his head. No matter how much he wanted to hold it in, his bad habit of verbal diarrhea was in overdrive. He didn’t have the vamp’s name, but knew damned well he’d die if he said too much. “I got a note slipped under my door with the details. I don’t know.”

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